Hello - despite more and more publicity condeming our sometimes lazy approach to food - there seems to be more evidence pointing to habits that can harm us. So I have a question for you....

Is your breakfast killing you?

I found this article in our Sunday paper (while having my breakfast) and thought it might be of interest, especially considering our health as a nation seems to be following that of the USA. Fortunately, we don't have to follow suit and the more awareness (and action) the better we will all be. Here it is ...

"Eating fast food in the morning leaves you more susceptible to stress during the day, a study has found. 30 volunteers were given either a fast food chain breakfast or the healthier alternative of cereal and non-fat yogurt.

Both groups were then subjected to a series of stress situations to gauge the physical and mental effects. The volunteers' reactions were recorded during a maths test and a public speaking exercise while their arms were placed in iced water. They were also tested while a blood pressure cuff was inflated around one of their arms producing a dull ache. In all the tasks, those who had the fast food chain breakfast recorded 11/2 times the level of stress of the other group. They had higher blood pressure faster hearty rates and less elastic blood than those who had the healthier breakfast.

‘What's really shocking is that this is just one meal' said University of Calgary professor in health psychology Tavis Campbell, who led the research. The findings have been published in the Nutrition journal." (source Sunday Mail )

I'm curious that they placed volunteers' arms in iced water during the maths test and public speaking execise! I know of many folk for whom both tasks would be hard enough without the iced water! Humour aside, I would be happy to turn fast food chains into nature parks (or even car parks). But then I am biased! What do you think?