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Posted: October 4, 2012 at 10:22 pm
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Harlem resident and mother, Barbara Biscaino, presented a live cooking demonstration today preparing her favorite healthy dish -- corn and cucumber salad -- in front of a live audience that included Manhattan Deputy Borough President Rose Pierre-Louis; JoAnne Page, President and CEO of The Fortune Society; Sharon Dalton, Vice President of the Aetna Foundation; and Harlem families. Biscaino learned how to prepare the dish as well as dozens of other healthy meals while participating in The Fortune Societys Food & Nutrition Program for Families & Children. The cooking demonstration, which was held at The Fortune Societys LEED-certified, affordable housing facility known as Castle Gardens, highlighted the success of the food and nutrition program.
In December 2011, with a $25,000 grant from the Aetna Foundation and a supplemental grant from the New York State Department of Healths Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP), The Fortune Society launched the Food & Nutrition Program for Families & Children. Since the program began, approximately 800 Fortune families and children, which include formerly incarcerated adults and residents of Fortunes housing facilities in Harlem, have attended a series of nutrition education workshops, including Taste and Texture and Just Say Yes to Fruits and Vegetables. They also have participated in 35 cooking demonstrations, taking home bags of fresh produce after each one. The produce is provided by local suppliers Corbin Hill Road Farm and Brooklyn Grange Farm, which operates urban rooftop farms in Brooklyn and Queens. The two suppliers have distributed more than 4,500 pounds of fresh produce to Fortune clients and community members.
Since beginning the program, Biscaino and her daughter have learned how to convert their favorite foods into healthier alternatives; select, store and preserve fresh produce; prepare healthy, delicious and affordable meals; sanitize a kitchen; and write recipes.
Before enrolling in this program, my daughter and I would eat fast food three or four days a week, putting our health on the back burner. Now, our entire outlook on healthy eating has changed. Every day, we prepare and cook healthy meals together, making sure to include fresh fruit and vegetables into all of them. Because of this change, we both feel more energetic and will hopefully live longer. I have already lost a few pounds, said Biscaino.
Many of our Fortune families live on a tight budget, eating whatever food is most affordable and assuming healthy meals are too costly to prepare, said JoAnne Page, President and CEO of The Fortune Society. The Food & Nutrition Program shows our families that they can prepare healthy, affordable meals and equips them with recipes and culinary skills that will last a lifetime. We thank the Aetna Foundation and the NYS Department of Health Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program for supporting this program and helping our families make healthy eating a top priority in their daily lives.
In the upcoming year, the program will continue to offer regular cooking demonstrations and will increase the number of hands-on workshops so that more participants can learn by cooking during class. The class curriculum will have a greater focus on the participants needs, such as child and family nutrition, heart-healthy eating and diabetes education. The program also will include recipe selection workshops, nutrition-related activities and a field trip to one of the supplier farms.
Research shows that diets rich in fruits and vegetables can prevent obesity and its related diseases, which disproportionally affect low-income and minority populations, said Sharon Dalton, Vice President of the Aetna Foundation, who manages the Foundations regional grant-making program. By combining access to fresh, local produce with crucial nutrition education, The Fortune Societys program can have a positive impact on peoples long-term health and well-being.
About The Fortune Society
For more than forty years, The Fortune Society has been developing model programs that help former prisoners successfully re-enter their communities. The Fortune Society offers a holistic and integrated one-stop-shopping model of service provision. Among the services offered are outpatient substance abuse treatment, alternatives to incarceration, HIV/AIDS services, career development and job retention, education, family services, drop in services and supportive housing as well as ongoing access to aftercare. For more information, visit http://www.fortunesociety.org.
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The Fortune Society and Aetna Foundation Celebrate Food & Nutrition Program for Low-Income Families
Posted: October 4, 2012 at 10:22 pm
New addition of no-guilt weight loss recipes deliver full flavor without compromising a customized, Diet Doc Diet Plan.
Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) October 04, 2012
New addition of no-guilt weight loss recipes deliver full flavor without compromising a customized, Diet Doc Diet Plan.
Diet Doc hCG weight loss solutions has added a number of easy-to-make weight loss recipes to the hCG Diet Cookbook. The new recipes offered give dieters more choices to create simple, healthy, low-calorie meals everyday. CEO and Founder of Diet Doc says our nutritionists have been creating and testing weight loss recipes that are not only delicious but simple to make yet still compatible with our hCG diet plan. Low-fat versions of classic recipes like cabbage rolls, beef stew and shrimp scampi as well as more exotic recipes like ceviche, jambalaya and curried shrimp were added to the revised hCG diet cookbook.
Diet Doc hCG weight loss recipes follow a strict formula for weight loss that is low-glycemic and low-carbohydrate and has benefits for those with any weight related health conditions. Using a heart-healthy alternative for fat, the recipes use MCT oil, derived from the coconut, in dressings, entrees and desserts. This oil is found to have many health benefits along with being easily digested and used as energy unlike butter or olive oil that are stored in the body as fat. Stevia, a natural sweetener with no calories, is also used as a healthy replacement for sugar giving the cookbook a varietal dessert section.
Diet Doc hCG diet cookbook now has over 100 weight loss recipes and is included in the weight loss essentials package that comes with any of the hCG weight loss programs. Ranging from 23 to 60 days, the programs are designed to fit any weight loss goals. Dieters on the Diet Doc hCG weight loss program claim to see dramatic results in the first to weeks with some losing 14 pounds in that time-frame. Free weight loss recipes for the Diet Doc hCG diet can also be found on hCGtreaments.com.
About Diet Doc Weight Loss:
Diet Doc / hCG Treatments is a medical hCG weight loss solutions company that creates personalized diet plans. Using an integrative team of medical professionals that specialize in diet and weight loss, Diet Doc is considered the leader in medical weight loss who offer affordable diet plans and weight loss products. Find out more about Diet Doc products and services at hcgtreatments.com.
Julie Wright hCGTreatments / Diet Doc 888-934-4451 Email Information
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Diet Doc Announces New Weight Loss Recipes Added to hCG Diet Cookbook that Offer Healthy Meal Plans in Less Time Than ...
Posted: October 4, 2012 at 6:16 am
America Ferrera is tired of trying to become someone she's not.
In the Fall/Winter 2012 issue of Cosmopolitan for Latinas, the Emmy Award winner opens up about the pressure to look like her peers in Hollywood. "More often than not, I hate photos shoots and I hate being on the red carpet," says Ferrera, married to actor/director Ryan Piers Williams, 31, since June 2011. "I don't think I'm very well equipped for the scrutiny or the pressure to be perfect, and I don't think anyone really is."
PHOTOS: Celebs' hot body secrets revealed
With low self-esteem, Ferrera admits it's hard to accept compliments.
"People are saying 'We love you and love what you do,' and you're sitting there thinking, 'I'm not skinny enough or pretty enough,'" the 28-year-old End of Watch actress says. "It's taken a lot of work to get over that."
PHOTOS: America Ferrera and other hilarious female stars
Ferrera -- who hit it big when she played the titular role in ABC's Ugly Betty in 2006 -- is happier than ever with her curves. The star says she hopes to inspire young women to focus more on their accomplishments and less on their appearances.
PHOTOS: Curvy celebs who got it right
"How much time have I wasted on diets and what I look like? Take your time and your talent and figure out what you have to contribute to this world," Ferrera says, "and get over what the hell your butt looks like in those jeans!"
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America Ferrera: I've Wasted Too Much Time "on Diets and What I Look Like"
Posted: October 4, 2012 at 6:15 am
UNITED KINGDOM, Oct. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Diet Chef is reminding people of the importance of a healthy diet following new research that has shown eating junk food diet could increase the risk of stroke or death at a younger age.
A study conducted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery in Canada suggested people who eat so called 'cafeteria diets', which are high in calories, sugar, fat and salt, are more likely to suffer a stroke or even die at a younger age.
To conduct the research, rats were given unlimited access to both nutritional food pellets and junk food items like cookies and sausages. They could also choose between water and a 30 per cent sucrose solution, similar to soft drinks.
It was discovered that the majority of rats preferred the junk food and, as a result, they suffered from high levels of cholesterol, blood sugar, obesity and blood pressure after just two months. They presented a combination of these symptoms, often referred to as metabolic syndrome, which is thought to increase the risk of suffering from a stroke.
Dr Dale Corbett, scientific director of the Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery, said: "I think we'll soon start to see people in their 30s or 40s having strokes, having dementia, because of this junk food diet. Young people will have major, major problems much earlier in life."
Caron Leckie, Diet Chef nutritionist, comments: "The junk food style 'cafeteria' diet is one more example of excess; high calories, high sugar, high fat and high salt. With growing public health concerns such as stroke and metabolic syndrome it is important now more than ever to encourage moderation and balance in our food choices"
Diet Chef is a specially designed, delivered meal plan that helps people to lose weight, while ensuring they get all the vitamins and nutrients they need to stay fit and healthy. All meals are prepared by an expert chef, meaning they are calorie and portion controlled, allowing individuals to shed the pounds the healthy way.
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Diet Chef carefully counts the calories of all meals so dieters on the plan will be averaging less than 1,200 calories per day. The daily menu allows you to get delicious home delivered food, as well as offering a tasty and varied, healthy balanced plan encouraging dieters to lose weight at a healthy pace.
Those on the diet looking to check their own progress can do so using the weight loss calculator as well as sharing their weight loss success stories via the website or Diet Chef social media channels.
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Diet Chef comments on the news that junk food diets increase stroke risk
Posted: October 3, 2012 at 5:23 am
NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Our bodies need fat to survive, but, unfortunately, millions of Americans have too much of a good thing. Reader's Digest editor-in-chief and best-selling author Liz Vaccariello expertly analyzes and condenses decades of research and science to reveal the simple truth about fast and lasting weight loss in The Digest Diet. Liz explains how eating, exercise and environment can be both fat increasers and fat releasers. She reveals eye-opening and myth-busting ways to shed fat and slim downand puts it all into one easy-to-use plan. The Digest Diet, available for $24.99 at DigestDiet.com and wherever books are sold, is a complete guide to change your life and boost your health in just 21 daysbacked by the authority of Reader's Digest, one of America's most recognized brands.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121002/NY85455 )
Weight gain is no longer a simple matter of overeatingthe subtle reasons Americans are collectively gaining weight will shock you. The Digest Diet utilizes science and collective wisdom to help you lose weight quickly and safelyas much as 26 pounds in 21 days! Following this three-week plan, you will enjoy amazing and delicious fat releasing foods and learn how to avoid the sneaky fat increasers that cause "fat creep." Discover the delicious, natural foods that make weight loss easier, and the simple rules for eating them with more than 50 recipes the whole family will enjoy. The 21-Day Fat Release plan comes complete with an Activity Planner that even includes daily reminders to burn extra calories just by laughing. Plus, blast away fat with the fast and simple 12-minute Fat Release Workout.
No matter what your age, occupation, lifestyle or weight-loss goal, you can slim down and feel better. Learn useful tips and tricks from the 12 men and women who tested The Digest Diet.In just 21 days, these testers lost a total of 151 pounds, 84 inches and 26 belly fat inches! Join the online community and get free tips and support at ReadersDigest.com/DigestDiet and at facebook.com/DigestDiet today!
Highlights Include:
The Digest Diet will help you craft a lifestyle that will simplify and enrich your life in a way you can happily follow and enjoy, which is the key to losing the weight and keeping it off for life.
LIZ VACCARIELLO is editor-in-chief and chief content officer of Reader's Digest, which reaches more than 25 million readers. She is the coauthor of the #1 New York Times bestseller Flat Belly Diet! And 400 Calorie Fix. Vaccariello regularly appears on national programs such as ABC's Good Morning America and The Doctors and has been featured on The Biggest Loser, Today, Rachael Ray, and The View. Previously, she was editor-in-chief of Prevention. She lives in New Jersey with her family.
The Digest DietLiz Vaccariello Pub date: October 2, 2012 ISBN: 978-1-60652-534-2 Hardcover/$24.99 Available now at http://www.DigestDiet.com and wherever books are sold.
About Reader's DigestReader's Digest simplifies and enriches consumers' lives by discovering and expertly selecting the most interesting ideas, stories, experiences and products in health, home, family, food, finance and humor. Recognized by 99% of American adults, Reader's Digest is available in print; online at ReadersDigest.com; via digital download on iPad, mobile apps, Kindle, Kindle Fire, Nook, Sony Reader and Zinio; books and home entertainment products; Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets.
About Reader's Digest North AmericaReader's Digest North America comprises operations for Reader's Digest Association in the United States and Canada. It is at the core of the strategy to expand its owned and operated brands, including Master Brands Reader's Digest, Taste of Home and The Family Handyman, and Enthusiast Brands Birds and Blooms, Farm and Ranch Living, Country, Country Woman and Reminisce, across multiple media platforms to provide consumers the content they want, when they want it, where they want it. The strategy also looks to expand these Master Brands geographically, and to increase partnership opportunities. Reader's Digest North America reaches consumers through its various print and digital magazines, websites and social media outlets, books and home entertainment products.
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Reader's Digest Presents The Digest Diet
Posted: October 3, 2012 at 5:23 am
Oct. 3, 2012, 9:20 a.m.
Carole Hungerford might be a GP, but she is not a fan of the way the business of medicine works. Not even close. ''Mainstream medicine is run by the drug companies. Doctors are driven by the pharmaceutical industry,'' she says. ''There's a renegade group of us where we try to understand that good health isn't about how many clever pills the drug manufacturers can make for us.''
Hungerford acknowledges the importance of medicine, but her focus is on putting things right before people need it, and that starts with the soil in which we grow food. She is keynote speaker at a seminar for GPs, Are You What You Eat? being held at the Mulloon Creek Natural Farm near Bungendore on October 6, a setting chosen to match the theme of the event - the link between soil, food and health. The public is invited to the dinner that night prepared by Janet Jeffs, when the speakers will hold a question and answer session.
Hungerford believes mineral and vitamin deficiencies play a key role in many health problems. She points to pre-eclampsia in pregnancy, a dangerous spike in blood pressure, which she suggests is linked to magnesium deficiency. Australian soils are low in magnesium and Hungerford recommends magnesium to pregnant women, and to patients with high blood pressure, preeclampsia, anxiety disorders, and chronic fatigue syndrome. ''A healthy woman on a good diet shouldn't be getting eclampsia.''
Selenium is also missing from Australian soils, and Hungerford refers to a study by Professor of oncology at Flinders University Graeme Young suggesting selenium supplementation could dramatically cut the risk of bowel cancer. Hungerford says such findings never get the funding necessary for large randomised controlled trials, because ''no drug company is going to fund a study on something so cheap and that they can't make money out of''.
''Mainstream medicine is run by the drug companies and it's only the drug companies that seem to be able to find the money to get the mega trials,'' she says.
Hungerford, who has GP practices in Sydney and Bathurst, where her husband runs an organic farm, and is author of Good Health in the 21st Century: A family doctor's unconventional guide, is vocal on the need to improve the health of soils. In the meantime, she takes supplements - selenium, zinc, fish oil, magnesium, vitamin D (she believes more people die of vitamin D deficiency by a factor of 10 than of melanoma), and a multi vitamin. ''If we don't clean up our act, clean up our environment and start eating clean foods, we're stuffed,'' she says. ''If you need any evidence at all that we've got something badly wrong in our paradigm, the sperm count of men is falling at a geometrical rate; it is scary.''
The conference is organised by the Mulloon Institute, whose general manager, Elisabetta Faenza, says GPs fall into two camps - those who think diet has a minimal impact and those who are convinced of its importance. She too, stresses that ''you can't fix a car accident with diet'' and medical intervention is one of the hallmarks of increased longevity, but she says many chronic conditions are less successfully treated with medicine. Diet and lifestyle more generally have an important role, she says, in arthritis, type 2 diabetes, autism, asthma, heart disease and cancer.
Many of the speakers agree that health people start with healthy soil. But while Hungerford turns to supplements where soil is deficient, Faenza says unless the body recognises a supplement as food, it is little use. ''If our food was better we wouldn't need to supplement, we are designed to get nutrients from food and sunshine and water,'' she says.
You could do a lot worse than look at what your ancestors ate. Not your grandparents. Much further back. Professor Neil Mann, head of food science at RMIT, studies the hunter-gatherer diet before agriculture about 10,000 years ago, which began the switch from wild, foraged plants and meat, to grains.
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Diet and disease: what's the link? Save
Posted: October 2, 2012 at 2:15 pm
Exercising and dieting can create an energy deficit that can help us lose weight. But if the focus will always be on calories, then most people might just be preoccupied with burning more and eating less, without knowing the negative effects this may have.
What happens if we focus only on diet and exercise and disregard other aspects of effective weight control such as proper rest, positive attitude, supportive relationships and good self-management skills? Weight loss might not last for long; it may not happen at all.
Based on my personal experience, readings, research and daily dealings with clients, Ive realized that changing ones eating and exercise habits is just one part of the whole picture. An effective weight control strategy involves other major ingredients.
It has a game plan
The game plan includes your level of motivation, readiness, eating and exercise program, created especially so you can realistically follow everything until you achieve your weight goal. Copying someones weight loss plan might not work for you because the amount and type of exercise and food might be too little or too much for you.
You need to consult medical and/or weight loss professionals to get your best game plan. These are experts who can also teach you how to deal with challenges such as cravings, lapses, medical conditions, injuries and mood disturbances. Your stress and time management skills are also part of the plan.
Your exercise game plan: If you are just starting to make lifestyle changes to lose weight, you cant just enroll in a fitness center or run outdoors every morning and burn 500 to 1,000 calories because youve read that to lose one pound of fat per week from exercise, you need to burn at least 500 calories per day.
You need a comprehensive lifestyle assessment and plan. Your physical activity plan would depend on how much time you devote to burning calories per day or per week. Remember that activities like moving around the house, performing household chores and climbing up and down the stairs have equivalent calorie burn as well.
The exercise intensity will be based on your fitness level, exercise history and nutrition. If youve been sedentary for the longest time, then a light to moderate physical activity like brisk walking and light weights might best suit your first weekly program. Your exercise program should progress gradually, depending on your fitness gains, to avoid injuries, health problems, overeating and early exercise termination.
Your eating game plan: Your eating plan to control weight will depend on your current physical activity game plan. Most people will just go on low-calorie diets without considering their daily energy expenditure, so they get weak and sick and are eventually unable to pursue their weight loss efforts.
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Weight control–it’s not just exercise and diet
Posted: October 1, 2012 at 10:19 pm
DENVER, Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 347 million people worldwide have diabetes and this figure is expected to increase by two thirds by 2030. A new international study published in the October issue of the medical journal Nutrition, compared low-carb with low-calorie diets in obese and diabetic patients and found that a low-carb approach, such as the Atkins Diet, can assist in reversing this global trend. The study found that health markers improved more substantially in the low-carb group and diabetic patients experienced positive markers for longer term blood sugar readings.
Of 363 overweight and obese patients, which were recruited for a 24-week diet intervention trial, 102 of the patients had type-2 diabetes. The patients in the low-carb group saw positive improvement in their health markers, which were measured at two week intervals over the period. Health markers measured included: body weight, body mass index (BMI), blood glucose level, total cholesterol and triglycerides among others.
In particular, the low-carb diet had significant positive effects on body weight, waist measurement, serum triacylglycerols and glycemic control in participants with type-2 diabetes. Most impressively, there was a high level of improvement in the marker for longer term blood sugar readings (HbA1c). This improvement in glycemic control was due in most part to diet, because the diabetics reduced by half or discontinued their medications at the beginning of the study. During the study, participants, who reported cravings or reached half their weight loss goal, were instructed to eat more vegetables such as salad greens or other low-carb vegetables, cheese, nuts or other low-carb snacks.
Atkins Supports Healthy Blood Sugar Levels Similar to the low-carb diet followed in the study, the Atkins Diet, the original and leading low-carb weight loss plan, recommends a wide array of vegetables, low glycemic fruits, whole grains, healthy fats and adequate proteins. Supported by over 80 independent, peer-reviewed studies, Atkins is a long-term, well balanced diet that teaches individuals to find their own personal carb balance, to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, by slowly adding more foods to their diets while continuing to lose weight or maintain weight loss long term.
About Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. is a leader in the $2.4 billion weight control nutrition category, and offers a powerful lifetime approach to weight loss and management. The Atkins Diet focuses on a healthy diet with reduced levels of refined carbohydrates and added sugars and encourages the consumption of protein, fiber, fruits, vegetables and good fats. Backed by research and consumer success stories, this approach allows the body to burn more fat and work more efficiently while helping individuals feel less hungry, more satisfied and more energetic.
Atkins Nutritionals, Inc., manufactures and sells a variety of nutrition bars and shakes designed around the nutritional principles of the Atkins Diet. Atkins' four product lines: Advantage, Day Break, Endulge and Cuisine appeal to a broad audience of both men and women who want to achieve their weight management goals and enjoy a healthier lifestyle. Atkins products are available online at atkins.com and in more than 30,000 locations throughout the U.S. and internationally. For more information, visit atkins.com.
STUDY DETAILS: Effect of low-calorie versus low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet in type 2 diabetes Nutrition Vol. 28, Issue 10, Pages 1016-1021 Autors: Talib A. Hussain, Thazhumpal C. Mathew, Ali A. Dashti, Sami Asfar, Naji Al-Zaid, Hussein M. Dashti et al. World Health Organization, "Fact sheet N312", September 2012 (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/)
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New International Study Demonstrates the Power of Low-Carb Diets In the Fight Against Diabetes
Posted: October 1, 2012 at 10:19 pm
The recent Consumer Reports article on the high content of inorganic arsenic in rice created quite an understandable stir. Inorganic arsenic is a known carcinogen (cancer-causing substance), and the possibility that we may be inadvertently consuming more of it than we realize is concerning.
Arsenic is a metal that occurs naturally in soil in trace amounts, but its concentration can be increased significantly from a variety of environmental pollutants. The use of arsenic-containing fertilizer, for example, can cause soil to have higher concentrations of arsenic, and adjacent groundwater can be contaminated with runoff from these soils. Here in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency sets limits for arsenic content in public water, but no government agency monitors or regulates arsenic content in food.
While excessive arsenic levels in rice are of concern to everyone, they may be particularly problematic for people on a gluten-free diet for whom rice is arguably the staple grain. It's used in place of wheat for everything from breads and cereals to pastas and pancake mixes. Depending on which brands of rice-based products you're consuming and in what quantities, you may be getting more than you bargained for.
Scientific research on the potential health risks associated with excess arsenic consumption focuses on exposure from tainted water; it is not yet known to what extent dietary exposure to arsenic may pose a comparable risk. Until the science catches up, however, it's not unreasonable to take precautionary measures toward reducing exposure to arsenic in the diet. Indeed, this latest scare is a good reminder as to why we should never put all of our proverbial eggs into one, single basket. Just as a diversified financial portfolio helps protect you from overexposure to losses from a single economic sector or stock, so too a diversified nutritional portfolio helps protect you from overexposure to a contaminant found in a single food. Of course, dietary variety also helps ensure you get the range of necessary nutrients. If your diet is seriously bullish on rice, consider the latest headlines an impetus to start diversifying your diet.
Here's how:
The rice: Gluten-free brown rice pasta
The alternative: Ancient Harvest gluten-free quinoa/corn pasta
Why it's a great swap: Quinoa is a higher-protein, higher-iron alternative to rice, which, when combined with corn, produces a delicious and well-textured gluten-free pasta. The garden pagoda shape is my personal favorite!
The rice: Iron-fortified infant rice cereal
The alternative: Iron-fortified infant oatmeal
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Reducing the Rice in Your Diet
Posted: October 1, 2012 at 10:18 pm
Toronto, Oct 1 (IANS) 'Cafeteria diet,' rich in fat, sugar and sodium, is often a short-cut to stroke or death at a younger age, said a Canadian study and warned that people in their 30s or 40s may even suffer from dementia due to this junk food diet.
Researchers found that such a diet induced most symptoms of metabolic syndrome - a combination of high levels of cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and obesity - in rats after only two months.
The animals were as old as a 16 to 22 years old human being at the time of disease onset, says Dale Corbett, scientific director of the Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery (Canada), who led the study.
"I think we'll soon start to see people in their 30s or 40s having strokes, having dementia, because of this junk food diet," says Dr. Corbett. "Young people will have major, major problems much earlier in life," Corbett added, according to a Heart and Stroke Foundation statement.
Researchers gave sedentary rats unlimited access to both nutritional food pellets and a daily selection of common junk food items including cookies, sausage and cupcakes.
Animals were also given access to both water and a 30 percent sucrose solution designed to imitate soft drinks. Like humans, the animals greatly preferred to consume the treats.
Corbett highlights the importance of preventing metabolic syndrome with regular exercise and a balanced diet.
"We're not sure whether metabolic syndrome can be reversed. If it can't, and we continue to live and eat like this, then we're each a ticking time bomb of health problems."
These findings were presented at the the Canadian Stroke Congress.
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'Cafeteria diet' is short-cut to stroke
