INFORMATION OVERLOAD ODE TO PATTI AND JENNERS.

Thanks to Patti and her post INFORMATION OVERLOAD I was inspired to post this.

I used to be a health magazine junkie. Every week I'd go to the grocery store and buy a Shape, or a Fitness or a Women's Health, the latter being my favorite. I 'd devour the exercises, try the recipes, and read all the tips.

Then it got to be overwhelming. Every article seemed to have a different opinion on what was the best way to get toned triceps or a flat stomach. Should you only do cardio or add in strength, and how much lifting should you do? These food fight cancer, but they might cause heart problems. Don't eat this if your diabetic but it will help your kidneys - wrote Patti.

OK, so whilst these types of magazines have never been my forte, like many other people I have been confused by what is often conflicting information overload.

Take for example .......

.......The humble chuckie egg.

During the 1950's we were encouraged to 'go to work on an egg' . Alright, I see your point, yes, this was a slogan thought up by the UK Egg Marketing Board, but you can't get away from the fact that eggs were deemed healthy AND considered  the best way to start the working day.

Then, of course, came the 1980's when eggs went out of favour thanks to the 'SAM N ELLA' (otherwise known as Salmonella) SCANDAL. Yeah, 1988 saw Health minister Edwina Curry provoke outrage by claiming that most of Britain's egg production was infected with the 'killer' bacteria.

But even worse was too follow when it was widely thought that an egg consumption of more than 3 per week was bad for you and led to high cholesterol and imminent heart attack.

Not so said the researchers of the 'noughties',  regular eggs cause NO HARM TO HEALTH and limiting consumption has little effect on cholesterol levels.

Quite why I'm wittering about eggs I don't know when the aim of this post was to bring you this information (overload?)

 A sleepless night leaves you with dark circles under the eyes and feeling irritable burns the same amount of energy as walking two miles, research shows. Not getting enough sleep can burn up to 135 calories per night.

All I can say to that is thank goodness I'm not sleeping too well at present.

And, knowing that she loves chocolate almost as much as me and to whom the word 'diet' is also a nasty four-letter-word, I dedicate this next article to JENNERS.

DIETING MAKES PEOPLE ANGRY. Being on a diet makes people more likely to feel angry and irritable and to watch violent films, a study has suggested.

The effort involved in exerting self-control can lead to an aggressive frame of mind. Research has shown that exerting self-control makes people more likely to behave aggressively toward others and people on diets are known to be irritable and quick to anger.

Hmmm, I wonder just how much conflicting information there is out there that shows that sleepless nights result in one putting on weight and chocolate eaters are more likely to resort to murder than those who munch on apples?

Myself? I take all such information with a pinch of salt. Oh, I forgot, I can't do that - too much salt = high blood pressure ....... until some research shows otherwise.

PS. Both of today's articles come courtesy of The Telegraph, I'm sorry I was unable to bring you the link to the first.