RICKY HATTON is fighting fit after boredom from the coronavirus lockdown pushed him to get back into top shape - now he wants to knock someone out.

The likes of Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield have spoken about a comeback of late.

1

And now the 41-year-old Mancunian has admitted he would relish a ring return after giving up the beer and takeways to lose weight and make sure he is in his best condition for ten years.

The Hitman told the Telegraph: "I feel like knocking someone out.

"Ive lost a bit of weight, Im fitter, and Ive been able to see my kids.

The way Im getting my head round this whole thing is that when I was fighting, I used to have 12 weeks of training camp.

"I did it my entire career. I was dieting, training, couldnt have a bit of alcohol or chocolate.

"Its a bit like that and I did that three times a year, so this is nothing new to me.

The only thing that concerns me are family members and kids and friends, and whats going on out there.

I can cope with staying in, but it is a worrying time

"I can cope with staying in, but it is a worrying time. Im hoping the next couple of days Boris Johnson is going to give us a little light at the end of the tunnel so we know whats going on."

Hatton quit the ring in 2012.

The Mancunian's greatest night came when he beat Kostya Tszyu to become welterweight world champ in 2005.

Bot he was outclassed by Floyd Mayweather, losing by TKO in the tenth round in 2007.

Hatton has feared for his health in the past.

He recalled the way he would balloon up after fights - and then lose 20lbs to make sure he made the weight ahead of his next bout.

The Hitman, who has been keeping fans entertained with his lockdown videos, said: "Even though I was able to get away with it, people knew it wasnt good for me.

"I probably could have got more out of myself performance-wise and maybe even a few more years if Id lived the life better and looked after my body more.

"But if you asked me would I change anything about it? I wouldnt change a thing because thats what it was.

WEIGHT A SECMike Tyson reveals he 'wants to go to war again and feels unstoppable'

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I was fat and went to the pub, but I had the fan base.

"If I had gone to bed at seven every night like a Buddhist monk, I dont think I would have had the following.

"As for training, thats what I tell all my fighters. Bed at 7pm. Do as I say, not as I do.

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Ricky Hatton reveals huge weight loss during coronavirus lockdown but frustration has him wanting to knock s - The Sun

While many of us have found it hard to stay away from the kitchen cupboards during lockdown, one woman from Cornwall is celebrating a rather impressive weight loss - and it's all thanks to a picture of 'fat Barbie'.

Abbie Browne, from Liskeard, has struggled with her weight since she was a teenager.

She has tried dieting over the years but, like many of us, found it hard to stick to the plan.

But after being inspired by a picture of a post-lockdown "fat Barbie doll" and with some help from her local WW group and supportive husband, she is shedding the pounds.

I have been a member of WW and other weight loss clubs before, had a bit of success but have never stuck with it," Abbie said.

"I am an emotional eater and when challenges come up in life, I eat my emotions rather than confront them. However, a week into lockdown, I saw an image online that really struck me. It was a picture of a normal Barbie doll and a fat Barbie doll bulging out of her clothes with the caption Barbie before and after lockdown.

"It was a real lightbulb moment for me! I didnt want to come out of this lockdown more overweight than I already was and I realised that this was the perfect opportunity for me to make the lifestyle changes I needed to.

Abbie had re-joined WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers, in October 2019 and had been losing weight very slowly.

But during lockdown, the super slimmer has lost a stone in just five weeks.

She said: "When the lockdown started, I couldnt wait to join my local virtual workshop online in Liskeard. I decided to join up with my previous coach and it was great to see lots of familiar faces on the zoom screen and to hear my old coach Laura Carson lead the workshop. We all got involved and swapped top tips and talked about everything we would normally do in a face to face workshop.

I am very organised and plan and pre-track all my meals for the week. I make a note of the points I have leftover after I track my meals and make myself a little lockdown snack box so I know I can still have the things I love every day. If its not in the box, I cant have it!

"For me, this is transformational. In the past, my excuse for not losing weight was that I liked to go out with my friends and have coffee, lunch and dinner.

"I dont drink much alcohol anyway so that wasnt an issue. We have lots of lovely friends and family who invite us to dinner but in other peoples houses I always found it hard to stick to my points. Now nobody is allowed to socialise, I can no longer use that as an excuse and the weight is beginning to fall off.

Abbie has recently started running and says she feels great because of it.

She added: My husband, Luke, is my biggest supporter and has never given up on me each time I try to lose weight. He encourages me to join him running once a week. Every week, Im running further as my stamina is improving and I love it. We live in such a beautiful place, its lovely to make the most of it.

"I used to hate exercise but I make sure I do a workout at home, weights or a short walk every day which is a breakthrough for me. It doesnt sound like much but Ive lost a stone in five weeks and Im so proud as my mindset has completely changed and I know I can keep it going and come out of this a much healthier person!

Laura Carson, Abbies WW coach, said: It is so rewarding to see that Abbie has made the connection between healthy eating, mindset and moving more despite all the challenges of being in lockdown.

"I cant wait to see her face to face so I can give her a reward for hitting her weight loss milestones and celebrate her incredible determination and success together!

Link:
Picture of 'fat Barbie' inspired Abbie's amazing lockdown weight loss - Cornwall Live

A DAY after Adele took the virtual world by storm by showing off her 100-pound weight loss in birthday photos, The Views Meghan McCain slammed everyones reactions.

The pregnant talk show host, 35, claimed giving praise for the singers svelte figure confirms fears that being thin is all that matters.

During Thursdays broadcast of The View, moderator Whoopi Goldberg asked her fellow View co-hosts if how skinny [Adele] is is what people should really be focusing on right now.

Meghan had a lot to say about the situation and started off by saying how much she loves Adele and how her talent and success is what should be commented on, not her weight.

She continued: My weight is always fluctuating up and down, and theres something about the reaction to Adeles weight that sort of validates the fact that you have to be thin to be valued in the world.

And it sort of confirms all the fears women like me have that if only I would lose 30-something pounds, then maybe [everyone] will love me more.

Some viewers are on Meghans side, with one saying: For once I agree with Meghan on Adele.

Another thanked the host for her perspective on the comments surrounding Adele's weight loss, tweeting: Many of us feel the same and are having the same issue w this culture!

Meghan, who announced in March shes expecting her first child with husband, Ben Domenech, also shared fears shes having over returning to work after giving birth later this year.

She said: One of the weird parts about being pregnant in the pandemic is the world doesnt get to see my body changing because clearly you guys are only seeing me from the waist up.

And one of my biggest fears coming back to the show, when we inevitably hope to come back to the show, is what thereaction will be to the weight that I gain being pregnant and then if I dont lose it fast enough.

The political commentator added: [The Adele comments] just confirmed my worst fears that if I dont lose 30 pounds immediately, then the backlash is going to be pretty vicious, as it has been my entire career.

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NEW VICEastEnders' new Queen Vic pub revealed as work on the 87m Albert Square continues

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DEADLY ABUSESeven Emmerdale spoilers for next week - Laurel calls the police on Arthur

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UNDER FIRECelebrity SAS' Ant Middleton faces Ofcom rap for calling Anthea Turner 'grandma'

BUSTING OUTAmanda Holden warns BGT viewers her eye-popping dress is 'too tight'

View host Joy Behar said the comments on womens bodies really has to stop because shes sick of it all.

Sunny Hostin agreed with them all and said its time for it to be over.

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The Views Meghan McCain slams praise over Adeles weight loss for confirming fears women must be thin to be - The Sun

Global Weight Loss market report on material, application, and geography global forecast to 2025.It is a professional and in-depth analyzed research report on the worlds major regional market conditions, the report also explores the major industry players in detail as well as company profile, product specifications, capacity, and production value.

The report forecast global Weight Loss market to grow to reach xxx Million USD in 2020 with a CAGR of xx% during the period 2020-2025.The report offers detailed coverage of Weight Loss industry and main market trends. The market research includes historical and forecast market data, demand, application details, price trends, and company shares of the leading Weight Loss by geography. The report splits the market size, by volume and value, on the basis of application type and geography.

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The key players covered in this study

The scope of the Global Weight Loss Report:

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Market segment by Type, the product can be split intoFitness EquipmentCardiovascular Training EquipmentStrength Training EquipmentFitness Monitoring EquipmentBody Composition AnalyzersSurgical EquipmentMinimally Invasive Surgical EquipmentNoninvasive Surgical Equipment

Market segment by Application, split intoManWoman

Important Aspects of Weight Loss Report:

Why To Select This Report:

Complete analysis on market dynamics, market status and competitive Weight Loss view is offered.

Forecast Global Weight Loss Industry trends will present the market drivers, constraints and growth opportunities.

The five-year forecast view shows how the market is expected to grow in coming years.

All vital Global Weight Loss Industry verticals are presented in this study like Product Type, Applications and Geographical Regions.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Market Overview

Part 2 Global Market Status and Future Forecast

Part 3 Asia-Pacific Market Status and Future Forecast

Part 4 Asia-Pacific Market by Geography

Part 5 Europe Market Status and Future Forecast

Part 6 Europe Market by Geography

Part 7 North America Market Status and Future Forecast

Part 8 North America Market by Geography

Part 9 South America Market Status and Future Forecast

Part 10 South America Market by Geography

Part 11 Middle East & Africa Market Status and Future Forecast

Part 12 Middle East & Africa Market by Geography

Part 13 Key Companies

Part 14 Conclusion

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About Us:Orian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the worlds most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients.

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Weight Loss 2020-2025 by Research Methodology, Market Current Trends, Application, Opportunities, Top Manufacturers and Forecast Report - Cole of Duty

Coronation Street actor Colson Smith has undergone a major transformation during the lockdown, having taken up running as a new hobby.

The 21-year-old, who plays Craig Tinker on the ITV soap, revealed a dramatic weight loss over Instagram this week, debuting his trim new physique.

In the social media snap, Colson could be seen beaming at the camera, while wearing some grey running shorts and a matching tee.

He announced: "Bank Holiday run done. Feet up & some family time while staying at home now! Have a good un folks."

Colson's Corrie co-stars took to the comment section to congratulate the actor on his hard work, impressed by his determination.

Kirk Sutherland actor Andy Whyment praised: "Looking absolutely mega pal well done."

While Brooke Vincent, who plays Sophia Webster on the show, added: "CRAIG TINKERS GONNA HAVE GROUPIES VERY SOON."

Former soap star Helen Flanagan added: Amazing well done.

And a fourth fan wondered: "I'm looking forward to seeing how Craig's sudden weight loss is written into Corrie!"

Colson's transformation is tied in with his storyline on Coronation Street, as Craig battles with his weight on the show.

The young copper realised he needed to make a lifestyle change after an incident left him gasping for breath.

Unable to chase a few rogue shoplifters down the street, Craig resolved to turn his life around and take up exercise.

Doing the storyline justice, Colson has been hitting the gym with determination since January.

The actor, who has played the role since 2011, has reportedly shed a stone in weight since taking on the fitness challenge.

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Coronation Street star Colson Smith shows off incredible weight loss transformation - Buzz.ie

JEDDAH: Muslims have been practicing eating patterns similar to intermittent fasting for centuries.Intermittent fasting has been around for over five decades and there are different forms. It is a popular health and fitness trend, with people using it to lose weight, improve their health and simplify their lifestyles as a number of studies show that it can have positive effects on the body and brain.It is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It does not specify which foods you should eat but rather when you should eat them. Common intermittent fasting methods involve daily 16-hour fasts or fasting for 24 hours, twice per week.Saudi clinical and sports dietitian and lecturer at King Abdul Aziz University, Sundos Malaikah, said elderly Muslims held onto the habit of fasting twice a week as it was Sunnah (the way of the prophet).I appreciate the fact that weve been practicing this method of fasting years before it became cool and popular, Malaikah told Arab News. Many of the older generation continue to fast all year long because theyve seen how good it makes them feel. A lot of our grandparents fast Mondays and Thursdays, and its part of their lifestyle. They dont know the scientific health benefits of fasting, they merely follow it because its Sunnah and makes them feel good and lighter and I like that. Theres even a two-five fasting method where you fast two days a week only which is what the Sunnah recommends to fast Mondays and Thursdays.Ramadan fasting involves refraining from drinking or taking any form of food between sunrise and sunset, whereas in intermittent fasting zero-calorie liquids such as water, tea, and coffee are usually allowed.Malaikah said that, when done right, there were many health benefits to fasting. It could help reduce excess body weight, improve glucose control, enhance insulin sensitivity, reduce blood lipids, and reduce risk of chronic disease.

FASTFACT

There were many health benefits to fasting. It could help reduce excess body weight, improve glucose control, enhance insulin sensitivity, reduce blood lipids, and reduce risk of chronic disease, says expert.

People usually say they feel lighter when they fast because were giving our digestive system a lot of time to digest food and eliminate waste.Intermittent fasting was much easier than Ramadan since there was less chance of dehydration.However, some would argue that proper fasting as it is done during Ramadan shows even more pronounced benefits since its more rigorous.She added that the problem was that some people lost all the health benefits of fasting by binging when they were finally allowed to eat which is exactly the opposite of what we want to achieve.In order for people to make the most out of Ramadan from a health perspective they should eat home-made meals as much as possible.Unfortunately, during Ramadan we observe many wrong eating behaviors such as binge eating, buying too much dessert, preparing more food than what the family needs and so on. To make fasting easier, our meals should be carefully planned so that theyre highly nutritious, have enough protein, healthy fat and complex carbohydrates.Clinical dietitian, Arwa Bajkhaif, said Ramadan fasting was a time-restricted intermittent fasting practiced by adult Muslims for a whole lunar month every year.In my opinion, they both would have similar health benefits if implemented healthily and correctly, since the main similarity for both of them is the practice of abstinence or restriction of food, calorie-containing drinks and or water for a certain period regardless of the aim or the reason behind the fasting whether its for religious, spiritual reasons or aiming for losing weight, Bajkhaif told Arab News.She said there was no ideal number of hours for intermittent fasting when it came to weight loss advantage but that practicing was worth a try.Unfortunately, currently, there is not enough evidence for us to neither generalize what the ideal number of fasting hours nor to tell whether intermittent fasting is a sustainable treatment for obesity as well as if its health-related benefits are maintained for a long time. But its still worth trying.She said many people found intermittent fasting to be more flexible than strict calorie counting and that, since there was a certain eating window and less time for eating was required, less planning was required too. By eating fewer and burning more calories, intermittent fasting caused weight loss by changing both sides of the calorie equation. Ramadan fasting could be an effective approach for weight loss as well as for diabetes and disease prevention. Bajkhaif warned that intermittent fasting was not recommended for children, teens, people on medication that required food intake, diabetic patients, those with eating disorders, pregnant and breastfeeding women.She said Islam was a great teacher for every Muslim. It prompts us to avoid many problems before they happen. Its benefits are great to us as Muslims, including feeling for those in need, and it promotes self-control and avoiding the health problems caused by extravagance. Our religion also urges us to take care of our health that is one of Gods blessings on us and this is an individual responsibility of all Muslims, she added.

Continue reading here:
Intermittent fasting: The health trend Muslims have been practicing for centuries - Arabnews

How to do the sirtfood diet

Though the diet is often hailed as easy to follow thanks to the fact it includes red wine and dark chocolate, its fairly strict in its guidelines.

The sirtfood plan relies on dieters restricting their calorie intake as well as eating a specific list of foods that are said to boost the metabolism.

The three-week plan involves an initial seven-day phase, followed by two weeks on phase two, AKA the maintenance phase.

One of the key components is a green juice which the founders call rocket fuel, which followers of the diet have to make up to three times a day.

Sirtfood green juice recipe

75 grams (2.5 oz) kale

30 grams (1 oz) arugula (rocket)

5 grams parsley

2 celery sticks

1 cm (0.5 in) ginger

half a green apple

half a lemon

half a teaspoon matcha green tea

Using a blender, juice all of the ingredients except for the green tea powder and lemon together, and pour them into a glass. Juice the lemon by hand, then stir both the lemon juice and green tea powder in.

This juice is important for phase one, which is designed to jump-start the weight loss. It involves restricting calories to just 1,000 a day (which is below the recommended daily intake).

Anyone following the plan would have three green juices per day plus one meal.

In the last three days of that initial week, the calorie intake increases to 1,500 a day, so you can add two more meals and have just two juices.

The recipes are all laid out in the official book, and include meals such as omelettes, salads and stir fries.

In phase two, dieters can then enjoy three sirtfood-rich meals and one sirtfood green juice a day, rather than watching the calorie count.

According to the founders, you should lose weight steadily throughout the plan.

See more here:
Sirtfood diet: What you can eat on the diet behind Adeles weight loss - food list - Express

Should you be aiming to lose weight during lockdown? No pressure - after all, you're probably already trying to juggle home schooling, work life, and family care - but with some experts suggesting that body fat should be considered alongside age when it comes to calculating who's most at risk from Covid-19, it's worth at least considering.

Research from Brown University, Rhode Island, suggests that patients with a BMI over 35 are more likely to go into intensive care, and those with a BMI over 30 when combined with a history of heart disease are more likely to need ventilation. Once that occurs, excess weight can also cause other problems - one study reports that it's slightly more difficult to intubate obese patients, while there's evidence that excess fatty tissue can complicate ventilator management.

Finally, of course, being excessively overweight can cause other health issues, which nobody wants to deal with when the health system is already overstretched.

First things first, though: this isn't the time for drastic measures. The effects of dieting on the immune system aren't fully understood - at least one study has suggested that eating less might actually enhance it in some cases - but research on Olympic athletes found that severe caloric restriction can impact both immunity to and recovery from illness. That means you shouldn't aim to cut calories too drastically, but also that you should pay attention to nutrient density, by eating foods that are high in the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients your body needs, rather than ones that just fill you up.

Exercise shouldn't be your first priority when it comes to fat loss. Though doing your morning PE with Joe Wicks - or an 11am walk, or a handful of squats while you watch Netflix - has a host of benefits, the caloric burn associated with even a hard half-hour of lunges and burpees barely equates to half a dozen biscuits. And, frankly, jumping into an intense exercise regime with no training history to lean on might do more harm than good.

So, what should you be doing? The simple answer is to build good habits around food, and break - or at least control - bad ones.

"One solution is to work on your intuitive eating," says Mays Al-Ali, a nutritionist. "When you're thinking about snacking, stop to ask yourself, 'am I hungry, or am I bored? Has something upset me?' If you're hungry, have something - otherwise, address the problem, maybe by going for a walk or doing something creative." Drinking water will also help: it's easy to mistake thirst for hunger.

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And while you have more time at home, take advantage: "Learning to cook and meal prep can be incredibly mindful," says Lee Chambers, a performance nutritionist. "It bolsters our mental health as we gain the satisfaction of creating something from scratch, and is something that can put a smile on others' faces."

Batch cooking can be an easy way to avoid the lure of a Deliveroo or a ready-made dinner: "Include pulses and beans to aid satiety and digestion," says Al-Ali. "You should also be eating 0.8g of protein per kilo of body weight a day, so consider adding extra to meals that don't include enough - I'll throw a scoop in my morning porridge, for example."

If snacking is an issue, switch the worst of your weekly shop for healthier options - Al-Ali suggests switching milk chocolate for dark chocolate, for instance, which you're less likely to binge on - and keep biscuits and sugary cereal out of sight, so you're less likely to grab some on a tea run.

Last but not least, you should reconsider your alcohol intake. "It's not just that alcohol is full of empty calories," says Al-Ali. "It contributes to food cravings and acts as a depressant, which you don't need right now. Try to cut down - maybe by keeping your intake to Friday or Saturday nights, for instance."

Everyone's facing their own challenges in lockdown, and adding to them with a restrictive diet shouldn't be anyone's priority. But at the same time, this could be the ideal moment to assess how you eat, learn new kitchen skills, and master a handful of recipes to replace your fast food habits. It could change - and even save - your life. ?

The Daily Telegraph UK

More here:
The safest way to lose weight in lockdown - Good Food

Cooks Global Foods Limited (NZSE:CGF) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 18% in the last month. But that is little comfort to those holding over the last half decade, sitting on a big loss. In that time the share price has delivered a rude shock to holders, who find themselves down 62% after a long stretch. So we're hesitant to put much weight behind the short term increase. We'd err towards caution given the long term under-performance.

See our latest analysis for Cooks Global Foods

Given that Cooks Global Foods didn't make a profit in the last twelve months, we'll focus on revenue growth to form a quick view of its business development. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally expect to see good revenue growth. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.

Over half a decade Cooks Global Foods reduced its trailing twelve month revenue by 8.6% for each year. That's definitely a weaker result than most pre-profit companies report. It seems appropriate, then, that the share price slid about 18% annually during that time. We don't generally like to own companies that lose money and don't grow revenues. You might be better off spending your money on a leisure activity. This looks like a really risky stock to buy, at a glance.

You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

NZSE:CGF Income Statement May 9th 2020

We're pleased to report that the CEO is remunerated more modestly than most CEOs at similarly capitalized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Cooks Global Foods's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

It's good to see that Cooks Global Foods has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 29% in the last twelve months. Notably the five-year annualised TSR loss of 18% per year compares very unfavourably with the recent share price performance. The long term loss makes us cautious, but the short term TSR gain certainly hints at a brighter future. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Take risks, for example - Cooks Global Foods has 5 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit concerning) we think you should know about.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on NZ exchanges.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.

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Those Who Purchased Cooks Global Foods (NZSE:CGF) Shares Five Years Ago Have A 62% Loss To Show For It - Yahoo Finance

COVID-19 is taking its toll in many ways. Aside from the serious tragedy of the loss of life, reports of uncontrolled hunger and eating are leading to predictions of the danger of increased obesity.

The following is intended to clarify how weight can be controlled when hunger is kept at bay using a reliable, informative tool called the glycemic index.

THE GLYCEMIC index (G.l.) began as a curious observation.

Edocrinologists treating diabetic patients would tell them to eat no sweets. This obviously meant no sugar in their coffee/tea, no cake, no chocolate and no soft drinks. When patients returned for their regular visits, the doctor routinely tested their blood for glucose. The discussion that followed naturally always entailed an inquiry about the food they had eaten since their last visit.

Doctors were puzzled to find that patients who followed their instructions and avoided sweets didn't test much better than those who said they tried to follow their orders but found it too difficult to stay away from sweet desserts and candy. This was confusing, frustrating, and seemed to be counterintuitive until 1981 when Dr David Jenkins, an Oxford University graduate doing research at the University of Toronto studied the effect of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels and the effect on weight.

He discovered that different carbs led to different increases of sugar, which cause the pancreas to release very different amounts of insulin, and we now know that insulin is the fat-storing hormone. This became a critical issue for people who want to lose weight; for diabetics who must keep their glucose under control; for prediabetics eager to avoid a diagnosis of diabetes; and for people suffering from disorders that are triggered by too much sugar in their system such as joint inflammation, kidney malfunction, cardiac disease, and mood disorders. You may have paid attention to the sugar high thats then followed by a sugar low after eating meals loaded with sugar, such as Chinese food, pizza and others that are seemingly sugarless.

SO, WHAT is the G.I. exactly, and how does it work?

We know that all carbs increase our blood sugar, and we now know that sugar causes a rise in insulin, which feeds our cells with the energy we need to move, breathe, talk, etc. However, eating lots of sugar for a long period of time will cause the insulin to store the extra sugar as fat, which is how we gain weight. The solution to this chain of events is found in the G.I., which is simply a very long list of foods that are listed according to how much sugar we receive when eating an item.

The foods on the list range from 0 to 100; the lower the number, the less sugar we get. No need to add or manage the number in any way. The name of the game is to eat the foods that are lowest on the list. So, to lose weight fast, eat items that range from 0 to 15 on the list; to lose weight, but slower, eat any of the foods that are from 15 to 35. If you don't need to gain or lose, eat the items that are from 35 to 55. Never eat things that are beyond 55.

Many studies have been done to establish the credibility of the G.I. One such study done at Florida Atlantic University is simple and instructive. A group of lab rats who shared the same weight, age, etc were divided into two groups and put in separate cages that had the same gym equipment that they all had to manoeuvre in order to reach the food at the opposite end of the cage. Those in Cage A were fed the typical (low G.I.) food that healthy lab rats are fed. In Cage B, the rats were fed only processed foods that contained high amounts of sugar (which is characteristic of the processed food marketed to us). Each group of rats was observed daily, watching for their level of activity, social behaviours and weight.

Within a short while, marked differences began to appear between the two groups. The rats fed their normal diet continued to behave as they had previously done. The experimental rats became heavy, sluggish, and showed a marked struggle to manoeuvre the gym equipment. To prove that sugar was addictive, increasing electric shocks were administered to the rats in both cages when they went for their food. When the shock became painful, the healthy rats preferred to forgo the food to avoid being shocked. The fat sluggish rats would suffer the pain of the shocks to get to the food.

And so we learned that sugar is not only fattening, its also addictive!

The writer is the author of three how to science-backed books on health and weight. She has an M.Phil degree from Cambridge University, and a social work degree from Hebrew University.

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The glycemic index A conceptual breakthrough in combating obesity - The Jerusalem Post