Oh, how hard it is to resist the holiday dinner table temptations! What can we do to prevent the usual weight gain over the winter holidays? "It is OK to do it once a year", this is the thought that comes across the minds of those, who watch their figure, but decide to take a break for the holidays period. However, trust me, this "once a year" will definitely stay on your waist; plus, it will be much harder to lose those extra pounds. Here are some advices for those who want to try and avoid gaining weight during the winter holidays. Full story

Dietician recommend us to follow several easy healthy eating strategies over the Christmas and New Year holidays season. Many doctors say that any attempt to lose weight or limit food consumption during these holidays is doomed to be a failure. Experts advice people not to engage in "personal torture" and will-power test, but instead to go with an achievable goal - to try to maintain the weight through this period. In order to achieve this goal, some simple strategies can be followed. Full story

Isn't it great just to swallow a pill and get slim! Dutch pharmacists came up with new remedy against excessive weight. Scientists claim their weight loss pill (tesofensine) is twice as effective as current slimming pills. The remedy helps control your appetite and, as a result, allows you to lose two sizes in six months. Full story

Dieticians at the University of Texas (USA) claim that changing the list and amount of ingredients for your holiday recipes can help avoid health problems, extra pounds and usual heaviness in the stomach. Here’s the first tip on how to make holiday dishes healthier - cut down on sugars, fats and salt may help make dishes less unhealthy and more weight-friendly without major difference to their taste. Go below for more healthy tips. Full story

Do you count calories to keep your figure slim? Are you famishing just to lose that spare tyre? Those who decided to lose weight before Christmas should know the following – the less calories you get into your body the more difficult it is to fight against viruses and infections. Full story

Many products and practises promise to purify and detoxify us to help us feel re-energised, revitalised and help us lose weight. Detox diets have become so popular that anyone from Hollywood stars to your next door neighbor are doing them. Programs include anything from a fruit and vegetable diet, elimination of alcohol, saturated fats, processed food and high sugar/salt to consuming nothing but a lemon drink. Sounds good in theory - but how beneficial is it for us? What’s wrong with an early night and a cup of tea? Full story

If you’ve had urge for sweets – go for a walk! Spending just 15 minutes outdoors would replace the tastiest chocolate for you, according to British scientists. The scientists of the University of Exeter found out that even short-time physical activity is enough to lower the irresistible desire for a cigarette or food – in particular, for sweets. Full story

The study published by US biologists in Science magazine says that it is now possible to extract cells that become the fat tissue from the walls of blood vessels. New findings will help in the treatment of diabetes and obesity as well as improve wound healing. Progenitor cells of the fat tissue are mature stem cells. Unlikely embryonic stem cells that turn into any cell type, they can develop into different cell types within only one tissue – fat tissue in this case. Full story

According to a half-year long study conducted by scientists from Oxford University, perceived health benefits of vegetarianism might eventually turn into health problems. Eating solely vegetarian food leads to decrease in the brain volume as we age, so the scientists warn against excluding fish and meat from diet. Full story

The scientists at British Heart Foundation decided to find out which diet plan is the unhealthiest one. Previous studies were focused on healthy diets, indicating the Mediterranean diet as the most beneficial one, but scientists took little or no interest in the most unhealthy diet plans. With this in mind, they studied eating patterns of more than 52 000 people from 62 countries. Full story

It turned out that our body weight is directly linked to the reproductive power. “Failure” of genetic mechanism responsible for appetite and weight “turns” fertility off. The discovery was made by American biologists. Their study has been published in Nature Medicine Journal. Authors of the article, scientists from Salk Institute for Biological Studies, were studying appetite regulation involving the gene known as TORC1. Full story

Dieticians warn, those who wish to stay slim and young need to pay attention not only to what they eat but to what they drink as well, as beverages by no means contain less calories than hard foods. For instance, a large glass of white wine may contain about 180 calories and a large cup of Cafe Latte with whole milk - about 260. Is there any need to note that regular consumption of those drinks can have some nasty effect on your figure? Full story

Last year, the actress Milla Jovovich had a girl. Pregnant Jovovich put surprising 66 pounds on. “I got so huge! - complained the actress in her blog. - It happened unbelievably fast. All I did was to eat three plain croissants with butter for breakfast, a few doughnuts, jelly and cream. And here I’m weighing nearly 200 pounds!” Last photos, however, show Milla Jovovich regained her slim figure. She stayed away from fatty food and sweets and became a frequenter of the gym. Full story

British dieticians claim that the lack of vitamin D, which the body produces from sunlight, prevents us from losing excessive weight. They are convinced that the epidemic of obesity that struck the country is the overall result of predominant rainy and foggy weather. The representatives of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland organized a study involving 3100 women. The research revealed a direct link between vitamin D deficiency and excessive weight. Full story

It is considered that fats should make 30% of daily calorie intake. But fats are not equally healthy. Monounsaturated fats help neutralize harmful effects of triglycerides. It makes monounsaturated fats especially beneficial for our heart and cardiovascular system. Even those who want to lose weight need fats in their diet. So, before saying no to fats, one should distinguish between “good” and “bad” fats. Full story

If you want to lose weight, make it the rule to eat in front of a mirror stark naked. Matt Roberts who is a personal fitness trainer of Madonna, Sting and other celebrities gave this advice to obese Brits. Obesity problem became so acute in Europe that the topic is now being daily discussed in press and on TV. The media is competing to tell obese Europeans how they can keep their appetite at bay. The Telegraph newspaper, for example, put together expert opinions about different weight loss tricks. Full story

New research of fast food has shockingly revealed that a doner kebab contains the equivalent of a vine glassful of cooking oil, and other junk foods are not far behind. Dietitians claim that eating two of these high fat meals per week can result in a heart attack within 10 years. Full story

It's no secret sweets are fattening and damage our teeth. In fact, eating lots of sugar is both bad for our looks and health. Here are two ways how you can control your blood sugar level. The first way is a low carb diet based on the consumption of protein rich foods and small amounts of fats. The second way is to choose low GI foods (glycemic index). Actually, GI ranks carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood sugar levels. The higher GI produces considerable changes in our blood glucose. Experts say, however, the second way works mostly for diabetics. Low carb diet is more suitable for those who just want to watch their diet. Full story

As early as in the 60’s Russian doctors discovered that the time food stays in our stomach depends on its temperature. Warm food is digested within 2-3 hours, meaning proteins are fully broken down into amino acids. Cold food leaves the stomach faster, resulting in incomplete digestion. But does it mean you should never eat ice-cream or have iced drinks? Full story

It's the third postpartum trimester. Your toddler has already achieved a feeling of independence in moving. Now it is impossible to leave the baby alone for even a moment. It would seem easy to place the child for a long term with relatives and start taking care of yourself at least occasionally. But something still prevents you from shedding post-pregnancy weight. Full story