TRY IT, DITCH IT, SWITCH IT

We digest the health news of the week and deliver a quick prescription

TRY IT:

TELLING your child what they can, rather than can’t, eat. After analysing studies involving negative or positive nutrition messages, U.S. researchers found emphasising the benefits of healthy foods is more effective than warning against unhealthy ones.

DITCH IT:

SMOKING: A study found those who give up cigarettes after an angioplasty — which opens blockages in narrowed arteries — may have less chest pain. Smoking is known to damage arteries; quitting is thought to give the best chance of a positive

SWITCH IT:

DON’T skip meals. In an Ohio State University study, mice given one large meal had more belly fat than mice that nibbled all day. Skipping meals to save calories can set up the body for large fluctuations in insulin and blood sugar that ultimately can lead to fat gain, researchers said.