The Times - UK (2022-05-17)

the times | Tuesday May 17 2022 5

health

Some

carbs are

broken

down

rapidly in

the body,

producing

blood

sugar

spikes

because it dilutes digestive juices,

interfering with good digestion, and

even prevents the body from

absorbing nutrients properly. One of

the few studies to look at the effects of

ingesting water while eating showed it

had no effect on the rate at which

solids were moved from the stomach.

“Your digestive system is highly

attuned to adapting its secretions to

fluids and foods,” Marber says. “Unless

you drink several glasses of water with

each meal, it will have little or no

impact on digestion.”

Sit down to eat a meal,

stand up to digest it

Eating your lunch on the run or

grabbing a sandwich when there

is standing room means you will

likely eat faster and savour the

food less, according to a team of

psychologists from the University of

South Florida reporting in the Journal

of Consumer Research.

For their trial they asked 358

participants to rate enjoyment of a

meal as well as the physical and

psychological stress levels they felt

while eating it sitting or standing in a

laboratory setting. Those who ate

while seated said they enjoyed their

meals more. But once you have

finished eating it is best to stand up

and move around.

Men who lie down after eating took

54-102 per cent longer to digest their

food than those who sat, stood up

or moved about in one study. Those

who walked around digested their

second for 30 seconds, blood flow in

the splanchnic celiac artery, which

supplies blood to the digestive organs,

also improved, resulting in better

digestion. They also used up a greater

number of calories metabolising the

food. “While the difference in energy

Don’t drink

black coffee

first thing

expenditure per meal is small, the

cumulative effect gathered during

multiple meals, taken over every day

and 365 days a year, is substantial,”

says Professor Naoyuki Hayashi, a

researcher in the faculty of sports

science who led the trial.

Drink water with your meals

Your mother may have told you to

avoid drinking water with a meal

How do I avoid

sun damage?

rules of healthy eating

Dr Anjali Mahto,

consultant dermatologist

Ensure you’re using a daily sunscreen

with both UVA and UVB protection,

with a minimum of SPF 15-30. Avoid

once-daily formulations. Sunscreens

can be of two kinds: mineral and

chemical. Chemical sunscreens need

to be applied at least 20 minutes

before going outdoors; mineral

sunscreens contain zinc and titanium

and work as soon as they are applied.

Sunscreens need to be reapplied every

90 minutes. Also remember to reapply

after swimming and sweating.

One shot glassful (or 35ml) should

be about right for an average-sized

adult. A rough rule of thumb is

about a teaspoon per body area: one

teaspoon for your face, head and

neck, one for each arm, one for each

leg, one for your chest and abdomen,

and one for your back and the back of

the neck. Don’t forget ears and the

tops of feet.

Dr David Jack, aesthetic doctor

UV light not only creates heat in the

tissues due to oxidative chemical

reactions but it also causes direct

damage to proteins and DNA,

resulting in the breakdown of certain

structures (eg collagen and elastin)

and the stimulation of changes in cell

function. Covering up is one solution

but for areas that are difficult to cover

sunscreens are the most convenient

way of avoiding UV exposure.

Antioxidants (such as vitamin C,

niacinamide, vitamin E etc) have been

shown to also have photoprotective

properties, so using antioxidant-based

serums as the first step in a skincare

routine can also have an effect on

minimising sun damage. Recently

there has been interest in the possible

photoprotective effects of antioxidants

and other supplement ingredients

(eg certain fern extracts) when taken

orally, but data is in the early stages.

Dr Joney De Souza, cosmetic doctor

Everyone is susceptible to

photo-ageing, and the number of

sunburn occasions before the age of

20 plays a part, as sun exposure has

a cumulative effect.

The daily application of sunscreen

of factor 30 or above every day will

reduce the risk of skin cancer. Other

recommendations include wearing a

hat when under the sun, avoiding sun

exposure between 10am and 2pm, and

staying under a shade.

Elisabeth Perlman

Eat green and orange

vegetables before fish

COVER: CAMERA PRESS/MADAME FIGARO. BELOW: REX SHUTTERSTOCK; GETTY IMAGES

meal most quickly, an average five

minutes faster than the sitters.

“The differences in digestion while

eating are minimal whether you sit or

stand, but moving about after you’ve

consumed a meal is important for

both digestion and blood sugar

control,” Marber says.

Eat three hours before

intense exercise

Planning meals around your workouts

isn’t always straightforward. “Eating

a meal too close to exercise can result

in discomfort and indigestion as blood

supply is diverted away from the

digestive system to your muscles,”

says Anita Bean, a dietician and the

author of The Complete Guide to

Sports Nutrition (Bloomsbury). “But

leaving it too long can mean you start

intense exercise feeling hungry and

lacking energy.”

Bean says the consensus from

studies is that performance in

moderate to high-intensity workouts

lasting 35 to 40 minutes is improved

if you eat a moderately high-carb,

low-fat meal three hours before.

“Researchers at the University of

North Carolina and at Loughborough

University have shown that eating a

carb-rich meal three hours before

an activity, such as running or

cycling, boosts endurance capacity

by as much as 9 per cent compared

to eating nothing,” she says.

“Toast with nut butter, bananas or

porridge and wholegrain cereal are all

good options.”