In the US consumer watchdog Public Citizen issued a petition to the US Food and Drug Administration calling for a ban on the class of drugs called orlistat, which are known as Xenical and Alli. Both are they only FDA approved weight loss drugs in the US; however it’s believed that they can cause liver damage, pancreatitis and kidney stones.

Speaking about the weight loss drugs, Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group said: “These drugs have the potential to cause significant damage to multiple critical organs, yet they provide meagre benefits in reducing weight loss in obese and overweight patients.”

Recent studies suggest that taking Xenical or Alli would only help people lose 4 to 6 pounds more than they would with only diet and exercise. According to Wolf “The benefit was never that great, but many people thought they’d take their chances.”

Worldwide it’s estimated that around 40 million people have taken either Xenical or Alli in the last decade, however GlaxoSmithKline who make the drug are finding a decrease in sales. According to a report released by Public Citizen Alli sales dropped from $145 million in 2007 to $84 million by mid-2010.

The weight loss drug Xenical was sold on prescription in 1997 and was touted as a breakthrough weight loss drug and in 2007 Alli became an over the counter approved weight loss drug. In the past the FDA have banned two previous market leading weight loss drugs, Fen-phen and ephedra, because of potentially fatal side effects. So it may only be a matter of time before they do the same again.

As we have mentioned before a lot of people find it hard keeping on track with their diet and ultimately struggle to lose the pounds they want to or keep the weight off.

Simple slips in your diet that you may not always notice can be one of the main problems when it comes to losing the weight, if you’re following a strict calorie controlled diet with your meals you need to make sure you don’t fall victim to stealth calories. These stealth calories come from the small, unhealthy snacking choices that you can consume throughout the day but conveniently choose to forget when totalling up our daily calorie intake. After a time the calories build up and without recording them correctly you end up, possibly inadvertently messing up your diet.

Another pitfall of many dieters, is skipping a meal, the worst meal you can skip is breakfast, for years we have been told breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this is important for a reason,  if you skip breakfast you are essentially starving your body of the energy it needs to sustain you throughout the day. Where do you expect to get you energy from if you haven’t eaten for over 12 hours? So for those that think skipping breakfast is a quick way to lose weight you are wrong, all that happens is that you fool your body into thinking there is a food shortage, putting it into fat storage mode, so when you next eat more fat will be taken and stored.  This goes for missing any meal and not eating when your body tells you, you need it, i.e. when you’re hungry.

There are many health benefits that come from eating fruit, especially berries such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and goji berries, the later the latest superfood favourite. Now you can add the tiny aronia berry, to the list, a little know berry, until now. A handful of these berries a day is thought to have a positive effect on your gut, protecting you from stomach problems and illnesses of the digestive system, such as colon cancer. These super little berries also have a high antioxidant count and they also reduce the risk of blood clots and cardiovascular illness.

The Barbados cherry or acerola is one of the best sources of vitamin C you can get. This tropical fruit which is mainly grown in South and Central America contains more than 30 times the amount of vitamin C found in orange juice which boosts your immune system.

Finally, Chinese Oolong tea is a great cuppa which is known to speed up metabolism and therefore help you to lose weight. It is also a rich source of multi-vitamins including A, B, D, E and K, as well as nutrients potassium, zinc and calcium.

Essential fats are considered an important factor of an healthy diet, because your needs to prevent illnesses such as cancer, keep energy levels topped-up and improve cognitive function  and oily fish such as salmon, tuna and sardines are the most oft-cited sources of essential omega-3 fatty acids. It’s recommended that you eat 2-3 portions of oily fish a week however this needn’t be your only source of omega-3. Chia seeds are also a source of omega-3 and can be added to soups, salads, vegetables and muesli. They are actually relatively tasteless other than offering some crunch so you can find many uses for them. They are also a good source of dietary fibre, protein and low-GI carbohydrates, helping you feel full up for longer and putting a stop to cravings.

Popcorn is also a superfood, however it must be noted that plain popcorn is best, not stuff that is laden with butter, sugar and salt. Plain popcorn is another source of healthy antioxidants, it is also high in fibre and not only that, scientists found that popcorn also contains high levels of polyphenols, which can protect against heart disease, cancer and ageing.

Flowers from herbs offer quite a few health benefits too, best from your own garden as many flowers get lost before they reach stores, flowers from herbs such as garlic, roses, lavender, thyme, chives, dill and dandelion serve up antioxidants such as flavanoids, polyphenols and anthocyanins and can reduce the risk of heart failure. So not only do they add new depth of taste to your food they also look good on your plate too.

Certain foods offer more health benefits than others, these are called superfoods. The main foods we currently know about include Blueberries, broccoli, Brazil nuts and oily fish, plus many more. We have selections below that are great (healthy) additives that you can add to your meals, which give you extra health benefits.

Cinnamon is an ‘antioxidant’ like berries, dark chocolate and apples. It contains anti-inflammatory properties as well as anti ageing properties. It is also thought to lower blood sugar levels, preventing cravings and weight gain and protecting the body against conditions like diabetes.

Turmeric, like cinnamon is a powerful antioxidant, it can help fight free radicals that attack the body and prevent conditions like cancer and organ damage.  The dark colour of turmeric comes from curcuminoid pigments, an antioxidant that works alongside the peptide turmerin to clear those pesky free radicals and it also helps to keep your body in tip-top shape.

Watercress is a more abundant source of vitamins C, B, K, E, iron, calcium and zinc, gem for gram than apples and tomatoes in fact only broccoli has more vitamin C. It’s great to add to salads or soups and also easy to grow yourself, meaning you can always have a plentiful supply. Also watercress is also packed with antioxidants like lutein, zeaxanthin and quercetin and it also help to flush excess fluids from the body.

Most men normally find themselves on a diet generally without realising when their partner decides they are dieting. If your partner cooks then they will generally cook the same for you as they are having which will be regulated by whichever diet they are on this week!

Unfortunately this isn’t always good for men, because diets are tailored for each sex, so a diet your girlfriend or wife is on wont match your needs, an average man needs to consume around 700 calories more than his female counterpart every single day so it’s not good sticking to her limited calories because you simply won’t be eating enough.

If your partners dieting means cooking separate meals, go ahead and cook for yourself, experiment and have fun, if you find some ‘healthy’ foods to bland add spices and herbs instead of salt to get flavour. Also if you make portions for two, which is generally easier, freeze one portion and have that at a later date rather than a unhealthy take away.

Speaking of takeaways, you don’t have to completely cut them out of your diet forever, along with everything else unhealthy that you love, just have everything in moderation. For example have a takeaway night a month something you can look forward to.

It’s also quite easy to eat too many carbs in our everyday diet, with meals packed with pasta, rice, bread or potatoes, try and cut down on the portion size or swap to wholemeal or brown alternatives whenever possible.

If you feel 2001 should be the year you get fit and healthy, then we have a few hints and tips to help you achieve that.

Diet

When a new year starts many people set out on the latest fad diet, however nine times out of ten they don’t work, simply because many people don’t stick to them correctly or just give in because they find it too hard. Instead you should just aim to eat healthier, cut back on takeaways, alcohol and high fat snacks and instead eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, cook from scratch more and drink more water and fruit juices. You will find altering your diet slightly and not sticking to a regimented diet that you will be able to stick to eating healthy and lose weight.

It also helps to try new foods and exercises, adding variety into your life will help you lose weight and keep motivated, if you belong to a gym, take up classes instead of slogging away on a tread mill for a change. Look for new restaurants that are healthy and try and replicate the meals at home its fun and you learn too!

According to scientists eating purple coloured fruit can ward off age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, heart problems and cancer, as well as that the odds of developing multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease may also be cut down by consuming blueberries, blackberries, blackcurrants or plums. The study was carried out by the University of Manchester and their research suggests that one or two of the recommended five daily portions of fruit and vegetable should be purple fruit.

This is because the compound in purple fruit helps combat the harmful effects of iron. Iron that does not react can prove poisonous to tissue and although we are often told of the health effects of the mineral, benefits are only felt when it reacts with other compounds in the body. Iron can damage cells if it makes its way through the digestive system in the wrong form, however compounds called polyphenols that make blueberries and other fruits purple are able to take the iron and keep it out of harm’s way. Also too much free iron could also stop vitamin C from helping the body fend off infections.

Other food stuffs that contain a similar compound include green tea, curcumin which is the key ingredient of the curry spice turmeric and even chocolate however red wine, which is the right colour, does not have the positive health effects required, the journal Archives of Toxicology reports.

Lead researcher Professor Douglas Kell said: “We normally think of iron as something that is good for us.  And, in the right form, it is. But in the wrong form it is not good for you because what it does is react with things that are always knocking around in the body to make something very nasty indeed.“

Parkinson’s UK welcomed the research, saying that it reinforced the message that a healthy diet is essential to stay healthy. But the charity and the Alzheimer’s Research Trust said that more research was needed.

Nordic diet

In 2004 Claus Meyer, co-owner of the much renowned Noma brought together a number of well respected Scandinavian chefs, their task – to formulate a number of principles which were to become the New Nordic Cuisine Movement manifesto.

Their main aim was to create a diet rich in Scandinavian foods that could be seasonal yet varied, traditional yet innovative, and above all, healthy without heavy resort to ingredients from outside the region, basically back to basics. Copenhagen University has also started a study to see how healthy a traditional Scandinavian diet is, with preliminary research indicating ‘very’ at this moment in time. Recipes for this diet have been developed from native ingredients such as lean wild game and fish, free-range lamb, cold climate vegetables, native berries, and whole grains including rye, barley, and oats.

Rich in protein, omega-3s and antioxidants, the Nordic diet is based on high intakes of cheap but tasty fish such as herring, mackerel, salmon and trout. Meat and fish are nearly always served with boiled potatoes and root vegetables, and the bread is dark brown and full of grains and oats. Research also shows that native berries from northern Europe such as blueberries, lingonberries and cloudberries contain as much unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids as fish per unit of energy. Cold-weather veggies such as cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts contain some of the highest antioxidants of any vegetables and are also a great source of vitamin K. Rapeseed oil, the most common cooking oil in Scandinavia, has been found to be a good alternative to olive oil, containing more omega-3 fatty acids and being a good source of vitamin E.

Blood Group Diet
Some people find this diet quite controversial, because it states that your blood group determines what you should be eating, with some people stating your blood type has nothing to do with what you should eats. However Dr Peter D’Adamo‘s book ‘Eat Right For Your Type’ claims that a diet designed for your blood type will help you lose weight and stay healthy, he has worked out a theory that body has different reactions to food depending on a person’s blood group. So Each ABO blood type is categorised under the following diet profiles: Type O: Meat eaters, Type A: Vegetarians, Type B: Omnivores, and Type AB: Mixed diet eaters. Which means the your body breaks down some foods better than others depending on your blood type, explain that some people who eat food that isn’t recommended for their blood type find that it is causing them to gain weight.

Before you start the blood group diet you need to know what your blood group is, so unless you give blood regularly or your doctor has it on record you need to send off to get your blood tested, this can be done via the website. Once you know out what group you fall into with a blood test you have to stick strictly to the diet suitable for you:

- Type O must eat a diet that is rich in meats with fruits and vegetables and take plenty of aerobic exercise.
- Type A blood should avoid all red meat and dairy. They must only eat a mixture of vegetable, seeds beans and cereals. This is a vegetarian diet and should be combined with more gentle exercise such as yoga.
- Type B blood can eat most food groups including meat, dairy, grains and vegetables and they should get exercise by playing team sports.
- Type AB blood should stick to a mixed vegetarian diet with occasional meat, fish and dairy products.

This diet is easy to follow as it is all laid out simply in Dr. D’Adamon’s book, so you know what you can and can’t eat, however there could be one drawback with this diet if you have type O blood, because this is a diet rich in meats you could be at risk from high cholesterol and you may also find you are missing out on some essential vitamins.