Latest news with #UniversityofGranada
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Shirley Ballas shares two-ingredient dinner she eats to stay slim
Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas has shared her thoughts on dieting while speaking on a podcast, revealing that she only eats once a day and follows a very simple meal plan Strictly Come Dancing's head honcho, Shirley Ballas, 64, has revealed her strict and much-debated diet plan to maintain her svelte figure. The 'Queen of Latin' dancer and TV star believes that after turning 60, it's 'impossible' to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, so she sticks to just one meal a day. During her chat with Grace Dent on the Comfort Eating podcast, Shirley explained her simple daily dinner: chicken flavoured with lemon. She mentioned that she usually forgoes any extra spices: "Just lemon chicken and then I cut it. But it's a hot chicken that has just been baked and that's what I have on Strictly. I have that every year, every week." On occasion, she'll add some rice to the mix. "I do intermittent fasting," she confessed. "I don't have anything in the morning and normally around lunch I'll have a juice, and then about 4 or 5pm my mother does a lovely meal.", reports Surrey Live. What is intermittent fasting? Popular amongst celebs such as Jennifer Aniston and Carol Vorderman, intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern where you switch between eating and fasting periods. A study released this month indicates that fasting at specific times during the day for three months may be a solid approach for sustained weight management. Experts have discovered that overweight or obese individuals who limited their eating to an eight-hour "window" each day managed to lose weight and maintain the loss. The fresh research was unveiled at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga. The study's lead author, Dr Alba Camacho-Cardenosa from the University of Granada in Spain, stated: "Our study found that restricting the eating window to eight hours at any time of the day for three months can result in significant weight loss for at least a year. These benefits can be attributed to the 16-hour fasting window rather than the time of eating." A previous randomised controlled trial by the same team, published in Nature Medicine, revealed that limiting eating to eight hours per day reduced body weight and enhanced cardiometabolic health. Their most recent study examined the long-term effects over 12 months on 99 participants. They were divided into four groups for 12 weeks – eating within a 12-hour or longer window; limiting eating to an eight-hour window starting before 10am; limiting eating to an eight-hour window starting after 1pm; and allowing individuals to choose their own eight-hour window. All groups received advice on following a Mediterranean diet to promote healthier eating habits. The researchers recorded body weight, waist and hip measurements at the beginning of the trial, after the 12-week plan, and again 12 months later. The research discovered that while those consuming food over a 12-hour period or longer shed an average of 1.4kg, the groups with restricted eating times lost more, approximately 3kg to 4kg. Shirley's daily treat is quite simple, consisting of "one cup of coffee, in a china cup,' with 'a teaspoon of brandy, Coffee Mate and two brown sugars. That is the highlight of my day." She also occasionally enjoys a small slice of cake. As reported by the Daily Mail, Shirley has also dabbled with the controversial 'plant paradox' diet which limits certain vegetables. This diet advises against eating lectins – carbohydrate-binding proteins found in legumes like beans, lentils or chickpeas. However, detractors argue that restricting foods rich in lectin could lead to nutrient deficiencies, as these foods are packed with fibre, vitamins, and essential minerals. The Mayo Clinic emphasises that grains and legumes are 'a powerhouse of nutrients'. Both she and fellow Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse aim to get their five-a-day through juicing, with Shirley having two per day. She also takes part in an annual juice retreat, as revealed by the Daily Mail, named Juicy Oasis Portugal, where guests survive solely on juices for seven days. Since celebrating her 40th birthday, Shirley has been mindful of her diet, as reported by The Sun. Her rigorous approach to diet and exercise drew attention after she shed nearly 5kg in just one week in 2023. Additionally, she revealed to the Daily Mail that she commits to a yearly weight-loss regimen ahead of the show's premiere. Shirley has spoken candidly about the biting comments she's faced throughout her illustrious dancing career and their impact on her self-image: 'I've constantly had people tell me I needed to be thinner or that I had to look a certain way. Comments throughout my life have always stuck with me and in the past, they've made me feel conscious of how I look. Sadly I thought that validation from others was necessary. '. However, she has since learned to focus on self-validation. "I'm proud of myself and pleased with how I look. I feel good in my own skin. ".
Ya Biladi
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Ya Biladi
Granada hosts Moroccan Cultural Week : Bridging cultures and heritage
The Faculty of Translation at the University of Granada is hosting Moroccan Cultural Week from May 19 to 23, under the theme «A Meeting Between Two Shores, Two Cultures, and a Shared Heritage Still Alive». The event is part of the 2025 Year of the Arabic Language, organized in collaboration with the Faculty of Translation, the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME), and the Spanish Embassy in Rabat. The program brings together experts, professors, and leading figures from Morocco's cultural scene. It aims to foster cultural exchange between Morocco and Spain, introduce Moroccan culture to the university community, and promote intercultural understanding and academic cooperation. ?No se pierde en #ESPAÑA? ????? Semana de la #Cultura #Marroquí en #Granada.? @CanalUGR | ? 19-23 de mayo. Un #encuentro entre dos #orillas, dos #culturas y un #legado compartido que sigue vivo. @EmbEspanaRabat @CGMAR_Madrid @MoroccoInESP @CCMEOfficiel @DrissElyazami 1/ — Conseil de la communauté marocaine à l'étranger (@CCMEOfficiel) May 20, 2025 The week's activities include conferences, panel discussions, workshops, and audiovisual presentations. Highlights include a dialogue between Moroccan writers and University of Granada students, a discussion on unaccompanied minors in Spain, and a screening of the documentary «White Lies» by Moroccan director Asmae El Moudir.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Doctors Say This ‘Relatively Simple' Diet Can Lead to Major Weight Loss in Just 3 Months
While there are countless ways to shed pounds, most personal trainers and nutritionists agree that a balanced mix of healthy eating and regular exercise is the foundation for maintaining a healthy body. Recent research is now highlighting one simple diet that stands out as particularly effective for weight loss compared to other options. The study followed 99 overweight or obese adults for 12 months as they participated in Time-Restricted Eating (TRE), a form of intermittent fasting. The individuals were broken up into four groups: one was instructed to follow habitual eating (meaning they had a 12+ hour eating window), one followed early TRE (an 8-hour eating window before 10 a.m.), one followed late TRE (an 8-hour eating window after 1 p.m.), and the last followed self-selected TRE (participants chose their 8-hour window). All groups followed a Mediterranean diet program. At the beginning and end of the 12 weeks, researchers measured body weight and waist and hip circumferences. They also followed up a year after the study had found that after 12 weeks, all of the groups lost weight. The habitual eating group cut their weight by roughly three pounds, the early TRE group dropped just over 9 pounds, the late TRE group lost nearly 7 pounds, and the self-selected TRE group a little more than 8 pounds. 'Our study found that restricting the eating window to 8 hours at any time of the day for 3 months can result in significant weight loss for at least a year,' said lead author Dr. Alba Camacho-Cardenosa, from the Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada. 'These benefits can be attributed to the 16-hour fasting window rather than the time of eating.' It's important to note that there were no substantial differences between the TRE groups. This may indicate that regardless of the type of time-restricted eating you participate in, it can be seen as an effective long-term approach for sustaining weight loss, even beyond the three months you practice it. 'This kind of intermittent fasting appears feasible for adults with overweight or obesity who wish to have a relatively simple way of losing and maintaining weight loss that is less tedious and more time efficient compared with daily calorie counting, but it warrants further investigations in larger and longer-term studies,' said Dr. Jonatan R. Ruiz, study coordinator from the University of Granada.
Health Line
12-05-2025
- Health
- Health Line
3-Month Intermittent Fasting Program Led to Significant Weight Loss
A 3-month time-restricted eating (TRE) protocol resulted in up to one year of sustained weight loss in people with overweight or obesity. Adhering to an 8-hour window of eating led to greater weight loss than eating throughout the day, whether early or late. Researchers say that TRE may lead to lasting behavioral and physiological changes that may aid long-term cardiometabolic health. New research suggests that a three-month protocol of time-restricted eating may help people with overweight and obesity lose weight and maintain that loss for at least one year. Time-restricted eating (TRE), a form of intermittent fasting, has gained popularity in recent years to aid weight loss. The idea is simple: instead of limiting what you eat, limit when you eat. Individuals who practice TRE typically choose a daily eating window of 8 to 12 hours. The goal is to reduce snacking and overall calorie intake by avoiding food outside the designated window. While early research on TRE remains limited, new findings presented at the 32nd European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, Spain, on May 11–14, suggest it could be a useful strategy for improving long-term cardiometabolic health. 'TRE offers a simplified and time-efficient alternative to traditional dieting. It eliminates the need for calorie counting and food tracking, which are common barriers to long-term adherence,' said lead investigator Jonatan R. Ruiz, PhD, professor in the department of Sport Sciences at the University of Granada. 'Our findings support the notion that behavioral simplicity enhances sustainability,' he told Healthline. Ruiz's team also observed that weight loss occurred regardless of when participants scheduled their eating window, suggesting that the approach offers considerable flexibility and can be adapted to fit individual lifestyles and routines. TRE led to long-term weight loss The research builds on a previous randomized controlled trial of TRE conducted by the same team, with results published in Nature Medicine earlier this year. That study found that narrowing the eating window from 12 to 8 hours per day led to weight loss and improvements in cardiometabolic health. The latest findings introduce a significant long-term follow-up period, offering insight into whether those health benefits are sustained over time. However, the research has not yet been submitted for peer-reviewed publication. The study was a randomized controlled trial that followed 99 adults with overweight or obesity for 12 months in Granada, Spain. The cohort was evenly split between males and females, with an average age of 49. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups for three months: Habitual eating: Continued regular eating patterns, with a window 12 or more hours Early TRE: An 8-hour eating window starting before 10:00 a.m. Late TRE: An 8-hour eating window starting after 1:00 p.m. Self-selected TRE: Participants chose their own 8-hour eating window All groups, including the habitual eating group, took part in a Mediterranean Diet education program. After the 12-week intervention, all TRE groups lost significantly more weight than the habitual group — between 3.5% and 4.5% of body weight (about 8 pounds), compared to just 1.5% (3 pounds) in the habitual group. Anthropometric measurements showed greater improvements in waist and hip circumference among the TRE groups. The early TRE group had the most substantial reductions, more than 1.5 inches at both sites. The late and self-selected groups saw similar, though more modest, changes. Meanwhile, the habitual group lost less than half an inch in either measurement. The most notable results came during the 12-month follow-up, which assessed the durability of those outcomes. Once again, all three TRE groups outperformed the habitual group. While the habitual group regained about one pound, participants in the TRE groups maintained modest weight loss. Both the early and late TRE groups sustained roughly 2% weight loss, and the self-selected group retained a 0.7% reduction. Waist and hip outcomes varied by group. The late TRE group showed the greatest improvements, with more than two inches lost at the waist and 1.3 inches at the hips. In contrast, the habitual group gained roughly an inch around the waist. The early and self-selected TRE groups maintained reductions as well, but those changes were not statistically significant. 'Most prior studies on TRE have focused on short-term outcomes, often ranging from 4 to 12 weeks,' said Ruiz. 'Our research provides one of the few datasets that includes long-term follow-up after the intervention, and it demonstrates that the initial weight loss benefits are largely maintained over time.' Adherence rates — the proportion of individuals who were able to stick with the TRE protocol — were also noteworthy, ranging from 85% to 88%. Long-term adherence to any diet is often challenging, so these findings are promising for the potential of TRE. 'We believe this is due to the low cognitive and behavioral burden of TRE compared to traditional calorie-restriction diets. Participants did not need to count calories or eliminate specific foods — they simply adjusted the timing of their meals,' said Ruiz. Long-term TRE benefits, safety not well understood Despite the growing popularity of TRE as a form of intermittent fasting, evidence related to weight loss and long-term health benefits is still lacking. 'There is a good deal of conflicting information on the effect of time-restricted eating on weight loss,' said David B. Sarwer, PhD, director at the Center for Obesity Research and Education. Temple University and a spokesperson for the Obesity Society. Sarwer was not affiliated with the research. 'While these results are encouraging, it is very important that when an individual is considering a time-restricted approach to eating, or significantly decreasing caloric intake, his or her physician believes it is a safe approach,' he told Healthline. A 2023 review of TRE evidence concluded that while many studies show potential benefits, the effects are typically small, and that larger, multiyear trials, especially in healthy populations, are still needed. TRE has been associated with improvements in: weight gain fat mass glucose intolerance insulin resistance fasting glucose malabsorption inflammation TRE is not without its critics either. A controversial research presentation at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions in 2024 suggested that TRE was associated with a 91% higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease. However, as a retrospective study, it cannot establish causality, and it's unclear whether TRE itself was responsible for the increased risk. Side effects of TRE are also possible, including: hunger headaches lightheadedness fatigue dehydration Some people, including those over 75 years of age or pregnant, should not try TRE. As Sarwer pointed out, anyone beginning TRE should consult their physician. 'For an individual with weight-related health problems such as type 2 diabetes or hypertension, decreasing intake or not eating at all for extended periods of time can lead to suboptimal control of those conditions and unwanted side effects throughout the day,' said Sarwer. Despite these caveats, TRE may still be an appealing and effective aid for weight loss and cardiometabolic health for many people. 'We hypothesize that TRE may induce lasting changes in behavioral patterns and circadian alignment, which persist beyond the active intervention. Restricting food intake to a consistent daily window could reinforce circadian rhythms, improve metabolic efficiency, and reduce late-night eating, which is often associated with excess caloric intake and weight gain,' said Ruiz.
Irish Examiner
11-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Fasting earlier or later in day ‘effective strategy for long-term weight loss'
Fasting earlier or later in the day for three months could be an effective strategy for long-term weight loss, research suggests. Experts found that overweight or obese people who restricted eating to an eight hour 'window' per day shed pounds and managed to keep it off. The new research, which has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, was presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga. Lead author Dr Alba Camacho-Cardenosa, from the University of Granada in Spain, said: 'Our study found that restricting the eating window to eight hours at any time of the day for three months can result in significant weight loss for at least a year. 'These benefits can be attributed to the 16-hour fasting window rather than the time of eating.' A previous randomised controlled trial by the same researchers published in the journal Nature Medicine found that restricting eating to eight hours per day decreased body weight and improved cardiometabolic health. This kind of intermittent fasting appears feasible for adults with overweight or obesity who wish to have a relatively simple way of losing and maintaining weight loss Their latest study looked at the long-term effects over 12 months for 99 people. Individuals were split into four groups for 12 weeks – eating in a 12-hour or more window; restricting eating to an eight-hour window starting before 10am; restricting eating to an eight-hour window starting after 1pm; and allowing people to select their own eight-hour window. All groups were given tips on a Mediterranean diet to help them eat healthier. The researchers measured body weight, waist and hip circumferences at the start of the trial, after the 12-week plan, and 12 months later. The study found that, while those eating over 12 hours or longer lost an average of 1.4kg, the time-restricted groups lost more, at around 3kg to 4kg. Time-restricted groups also had greater reductions in waist and hip circumferences of several centimetres, and had maintained greater weight loss after 12 months. At the one-year mark, those eating for 12 hours or more had an average body weight increase of 0.4kg, compared with around a 2kg weight loss in the early and late time restricted groups, the study concluded. Those who chose their own pattern also maintained some weight loss although this was not statistically significant. Around 85% to 88% of people restricting their eating window also found they stuck to the plan. Dr Jonatan Ruiz, study co-ordinator from the University of Granada, said: 'This kind of intermittent fasting appears feasible for adults with overweight or obesity who wish to have a relatively simple way of losing and maintaining weight loss that is less tedious and more time efficient compared with daily calorie counting, but it warrants further investigations in larger and longer-term studies.' Dr Maria Chondronikola, principal investigator and lead for human nutrition at University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, said further studies were needed. 'Understanding how well participants adhered to the timing of their meals, the level of their caloric intake and whether time-restricted eating changed any obesity-related metabolic outcomes would provide valuable insight into the true effectiveness of time-restricted eating,' she said.
