Top five (scientifically proven) reasons to get active

We're committed to keeping you up-to-date on the latest research in the field of active health, weight-loss strategies, nutrition and well-being - but let's take a minute this week to get back to basics. There are many, many reasons it's important to get active, but these five should be enough to convince you it's time to get moving:

1. Weight Control: This one is obvious. Even moderate exercise burns calories, calories which, unused, will turn into fat. There's no way around it, our body stores fat until it is needed as extra energy. When we get active, these fat stores are burned by the body. To maintain a healthy weight, American government guidelines advise 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalent mix of the two each week

2. Brain Power: It is now a generally accepted fact that exercise can improve cognitive function, including memory, attention, and thinking. Even gentle activities such as Tai Chi, which can be performed at any age, have been found to keep the mind sharp and protect against decline in brain function as we age. One study at the the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition at the University of Pittsburgh found that older adults using relatively high amounts of energy in their daily activities have a significantly lower risk of becoming cognitively impaired compared to those who spend less energy. Similar studies in Toronto and Paris confirmed these findings.

3. Avoiding Ill-Health: Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce instances of many chronic diseases. Obesity is only the tip of the iceberg; physical activity has now been shown to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, and high blood pressure. Regular exercise has also been shown to ease the pain of arthritis and aid those suffering from high stress levels and associated ill-health. A study published this month by leading medical journal The Lancet concluded that 15 minutes of physical activity per day reduces risk of death by 14% - that's almost one in six deaths postponed thanks to the minimum requirement for physical activity.

4. Emotional Well-being: Exercise is a key contributor when it comes to mental heath, offering not only the benefits of higher self esteem and body-image, but reducing risk of depression and anxiety. The feelings of achievement and success often felt after exercising are extremely positive, bolstered by the release of endorphins - the 'feel good hormones'. Regular exercise has also been found to improve sleep quality, which has a direct impact on mental and emotional clarity.

5. Speedy Recovery: Regular exercise and healthy living makes it much easier for your body to repair itself in the event of  injury or surgery. Physical activity increases muscle tissue and white blood cells, which help the body to reduce inflammation.

Active lifestyle important for cancer recovery

Patients receiving or recovering from cancer treatment often believe it's best to take it easy, but new research shows that being active is key in returning to full health.

According to a recent report by Macmillan Cancer Support, being advised to rest during treatment is an outdated view, and patients should be aiming to get at least two and a half hours of exercise per week. The UK report estimates that the vast majority of cancer patients are not active enough, and says that moderate exercise can combat common side-effects of treatment, including weight-gain and fatigue.

Exercise can also have a great impact on long-term health for cancer survivors, and previous research has shown that it could reduce the risk of recurrence (up to 40% for breast cancer).

The American Cancer Society concurs with these findings, and for many years have recommended exercise as a vital tool to keeping health on track during grueling cancer treatments, which can go on for months, even years. Moderate activity is what's being recommended - things like walking, gardening and swimming.

Huge study shows seniors lead in healthy behaviour

Most of us, when we think of health in old age, imagine the aches and pains or arthritis, hearing or vision loss, and a general slowing down. But the recent results of a massive, ongoing American poll show that these perceptions couldn't be further from the truth.

The group behind the Gallup-Healthways Index began its work in 2008, tracking American attitudes, health, and behaviors, and has found that people over age 65 consistently have a higher degree of well-being than any other age group.

Mental well-being was also studied, and the researchers discovered that even when health begins to decline, the older group is also less sad and depressed than any other group. Healthways polls at least 1,000 American adults per day for insights needed to improve health, increase productivity, and lower health care costs, and these recent findings are based on more than 1 million surveys completed since 2008.

The 'wellness' factors the poll tracks include multiple behaviors from smiling and laughing to having access to learn new things, and — no surprise here — eating well and getting plenty of exercise. Shockingly,  older groups outscored all groups in healthy behaviors, including not smoking.

The oldest group far outscored the other three age groups in emotions, which was one of six categories measured. Out of a possible score of 100, the 65-and-older age group scored 83. Those 45-64 had the lowest score, at 76.

According to the research, middle-aged Americans suffer the lowest well-being due in part to higher obesity rates, higher levels of chronic disease — including depression — and more reports of smoking.

The challenge for the future will be to change behaviour in younger generations before its too late: by 2050, North America will have a population where one in five people will be 65 or older.

Are we being fooled by food labels?

Although nutrition and ingredient labels on food are certainly a step in the right direction, we still need to be careful about the information they present (or omit). A recent New York Times article discussed the current project undertaken by the at the School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, aimed at designing a better food label, but until their suggestions become regulation, we have to make do with what we've got.

To help you make better food choices, here's a list of the top five things you need to be aware of when reading food labels:

1. The sugar family: Not all sweet things are bad for us. Fruits and juices, for example, contain natural sugars which (in moderation) are beneficial because they give us energy. The problem is processed white sugar and artificial sweetener. These compounds are foreign to the body and seem to play a large part in the development of obesity, kidney and liver disease, and high blood pressure. Avoid fructose, the primary sweetener used in processed foods, especially its derivative,  glucose-fructose syrup.  Also watch out for aspartame, sucralose and saccharin, often used in 'diet' or 'light' products.

2. Injected salt and water: This month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture finally decided that food labels should alert consumers to added salt-water solutions. This is a common practice in the meat and poultry industries, with some products now composed of almost 40% "added solution." The USDA estimates that 30% of poultry, 15% of beef and 90% of pork contain added solution, in some cases containing up to five times as much sodium as occurs naturally in that food. Proposed rules will not likely go into effect until 2014. In the meantime, look closely at labels and go for products that assure "no added salt", or ask your butcher for un"enhanced" meat.

3. Good and bad fats: "No Trans Fats" is a label we see on many products now, but be careful of "fat free" products - many fat-free foods are high in sugar, salt, refined carbohydrates, and calories. What you want to avoid are the saturated fats in things like red meat, dairy, and egg yolks, and trans fats in baked and fried snack foods. "Good fats" include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, plus omega-3s, which can actually lower cholesterol and risk of heart disease. You can find these in avocados, fish, nuts and olives.

4. Serving sizes: Beware of serving sizes on food labels. Many can be unrealistically small and as much as we might study a label to see how many calories, how much fat, and how much sugar is inside, we often gloss over the amount of food these numbers refer to. A single serving of ice-cream is often just 1/2 cup, nutritional information for cereal is usually based on a 3/4-cup bowlful, and one serving of nachos can be as little as 15 chips!

5. Processed v natural ingredients: Most of Americans’ household food budget is spent on processed foods, the majority of which are filled with additives and stripped of nutrients. Choosing refined grains such as white bread, rolls, sugary low-fiber cereal, white rice, or white pasta over whole grains can boost your heart attack risk by up to 30 percent, and raises risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and diabetes. Processed meat, such as common hot-dog sausages, usually contain harmful chemical preservatives linked to increased cancer risk. Stick as much as possible to foods that have not been altered from their natural state.