YOUR HEALTH THIS MONTH: MAY
TAKE A DIET HOLIDAY
MAY, the month of long, indulgent weekends, needn’t be a nightmare for dieters — a splurge at a bank holiday picnic could in fact help keep weight loss on track.
A Finnish study published this year in the journal Obesity Facts monitored the weight fluctuations of 80 adults on different days of the week. Those who ended up losing weight overall showed a clear pattern — while their weight went up at the end of a weekend, they made up for it in the week. They suggested relaxing diet rules for a defined period may motivate people to stick to healthier patterns at other times.
IF IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY . . .
PEOPLE born in May think it’s the luckiest month to be born in. Research by Umea University in Sweden and the University of Hertfordshire found people born i n May were most likely to be optimistic and agree with statements such as ‘I tend to experience lucky breaks and be in the right place at the right time’.
People born in November were the most pessimistic. The authors of the study, in the journal Personality and I ndividual Di f f erences, suggest the difference could be explained by varying levels of daylight during a baby’s development, which may affect dopamine, a chemical messenger that’s linked to feelings of reward and happiness.
FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH
IT’S British asparagus season, which means the homegrown varieties you buy now are likely to be the freshest and most nutrient-rich you’ll eat all year, because the nutrient content of vegetables starts to diminish the moment they’re picked.
Asparagus is a source of vitamin K, important for healing and blood clotting, and folic acid, needed for production of healthy red blood cells. Asparagus is also thought to be a natural prebiotic, which encourages ‘ good’ bacteria in the gut to thrive — this may help improve digestion and boost the immune system.
ALLERGY ALERT
MAY is the start of the grass pollen season, which is miserable for hay fever sufferers, but it could also trigger asthma attacks. A Spanish study found people in hospital for asthma attacks also tended to be allergic to grasses. They concluded that grass pollen allergy was a reason for the spike in asthma attacks in May and June.