Weightwatchers have recently signed a deal which will see them promoting McDonalds meals. Under the deal a range of healthy meals will include the Weightwatchers logo. Meals that are included in the range are Chicken McNuggets, the Filet-O-Fish and the Sweet Chilli Seared Chicken wrap. The deal is part of an attempt to cultivate a healthier image for McDonald’s and show that they do have a number of healthy meals available.

According to this article scientists have created a tomato that can stay fresh for up to six weeks. The tomato which is the result of genetic engineering will stay fresh for around 45 days, three times longer than a normal tomato. Researchers believe the process could also be applied to other fruits including bananas and mangos. It has been created by researcher in India who have managed to stop the production of ripening enzymes in the fruit. The increased firmness stops the fruit going soft for longer. The one problem may be that no one has yet tested the tomato for taste. It would also need to undergo extensive safety testing before it would be allowed to go on sale. I’m not convinced myself, I find fruit and vegetables at their best when they are fresh and am a little dubious at something that can be kept so long.

According to this article Kellogg’s will change the recipes of their brands of cereals in order to cut the salt content. The Move comes after a health watchdog criticised the salt content in brands such as Corn Flakes and rice Krispies. The salt content in these brands will be cut by 30%. The new recipe Rice Krispies are already on sale and the new recipe Corn Flakes are expected to be available in March.

If you need another excuse to go shopping then you might find this article interesting. It claims that the average woman burns off around 48,000 calories a year just by shopping. According to the article most women burn off around 385 calories walking around the shops every week. In fact this amounts to around 154 a miles a year, the same as walking from London to Nottingham. The figures are based on the assumption that the average woman covers 2.96 miles on a shopping trip and spends about 2.5 hours browsing in stores every week. So next time you don’t feel like heading down the gym you might be justified in hitting the shops instead.

According to this article 65% of supermarket chickens contains a bug called campylobacter. The bacteria causes around 55,000 people a year to fall ill every year and causes symptoms such as diarrhoea, cramping and stomach pain which usually last for about a week. People with weakened immune symptoms can be at risk of the bacteria spreading to the bloodstream and causing a life threatening infection. The illness can however, be prevented by properly cooking food. Surprisingly Free range and organic chicken are actually more likely to carry the bug than battery birds.

If this article is to be believed eating junk food does not only cause you to gain weight, it can also make you less intelligent. Research was carried out at Oxford University on a group of rats. The rats were fed a high fat diet over ten days. It was found that the rodents short term memory was damaged and that they were less mentally alert. The high fat diet also decreased the rats ability to exercise in turn making them more likely to gain weight.

According to this article chocolate bars could be made smaller in a bid to try and fight obesity. The food standards agency wants the average chocolate bar to be reduced by a fifth to reduce the calorie intake and is trying to get chocolate makers to make voluntary changes to the size of their snacks. By 2012 the watchdog wants all confectionary to weigh no more than 50g. Manufacturers are also being asked to sell bite size bars as single items instead as part of a multipack. Under the plans fizzy drinks would also be sold in smaller containers. I’m guessing the pack size will go down and the price will not, meaning you get less for your money.

According to this article some supermarket salads contain more fat and calories than you would find in a Big Mac and fries. The consumer group Which? looked at a number of salads on sale in supermarkets. It founds that a Smedleys Atlantic prawn marie rose salad from Morrisons contained 855 calories and 66.3g of fat. A Sainsbury’s tomato and basil chicken salad also had a high fat content with 27.7g of fat and 595 calories. In comparison a Big Mac and medium fries contains 820 calories and 40g of fat. The reason for the high fat content of most of the salads was the fact that they contained a large amount of mayonnaise, creamy sauces or pasta all of which are high in fat.

This article is interesting it suggests that eating soup can help you lose weight. Apparently if you were to eat a meal of chicken of vegetables with a glass of water you would only feel full for a couple of hours but if you have the same meal blending the water with the food to make soup it fills you up for much longer. According to the article this is down to the fact that after you have eaten a meal the pyloric sphincter in your stomach holds back food so that digestive juices can work. Water passed through the sphincter to your intestines and therefore does not fill you up. However, when the water is mixed with food the mixture stays in the stomach making you feel fuller for longer. I quite like soup but I also like bread to dip in it which I think adds any extra calories that you might save by not snacking.

According to this article a £3 sun lotion from Asda was among the best is a test carried out by Which? The low priced lotion offered a better defence than some other brands which cost three times as much. In the survey 14 products were tested, all of which claimed to offer a protection factor of 15. However, only five of the products actually met this standard. In fact the sun cream from Asda was found to offer a protection level of 24, more than was stated on the bottle. Some the creams which failed to make the standard were sold by Tesco, Marks and Spencer and Wilkinsons. It just goes to show you don’t always have to spend a lot of money to get a good product.

If you want to lose a bit of weight are not quite sure how to go about it, then you might want to check out The Truth About Abs. The program has been devised by a certified nutrition specialist and personal trainer and shows you how to tone up your body to get the shape that you want. It includes a range of exercises combined with diet and nutritional advice. If you are unsure about the programme then there is a 21 day trial programme available with nothing to pay straight away so you can try it first to see if it’s for you.

According to this article eating honey can shorten the length of a cold by two days. A trial was conducted on 60 patients who were recruited within 24 hours of them catching a cold. All the patients were given traditional therapies such as decongestants and drugs to lower the temperature but half were also given four tablespoons of honey a day. At the end of the study the researchers found that the patients who had been given the honey had recovered from their colds much more quickly than the others showing a significant difference in the duration of all the symptoms. I will have to remember this, next time I am suffering with a cold.

If you are considering having laser eye surgery then you might want to have a look at this useful article from The Daily Mail. The article sums up the main types of laser eye surgery with the advantage and disadvantages of each and the cost of each treatment. It also looks at the risks involved and the mistakes that could occur. You might also want to read my account of laser eye surgery detailing my experience of Wavefront treatment which I had back in 2005. The article describes this treatment as as individualised treatment tailored to the patient and personally I have been very satisfied with the results.

According to this article this monstrosity is the world’s biggest burger. The tasty looking snack, if you can call it a snack contains 4,800 calories which is twice the daily recommended limit for a man. It also contains 300 grams of fat, 744 milligrams of cholesterol and 10,000 milligrams of salt. The burger has been created by caterers at an West Michigan Whitecaps’s ball park. It contains five beef patties, five slices of cheese, sour cream, a cup of chilli salsa and corn chips. It costs $20 and if you manage to finish it in one sitting you get a free t-shirt, in an extra large size, I’m guessing.

A dental surgery has opened in a supermarket in Manchester. The surgery has been opened at the Sale branch of Sainsbury's becoming the first dentist clinic to open in a UK supermarket. It will be open seven days a week and follows a similar initiative to open a GP surgery in a supermarket. The dental surgery will charge £16 for a check up which is slightly less than the current NHS charge of £16. It is hoped that it will make dental treatment more accessible and convenient for the patients. 

Boots has opened its first drive through chemist on the site of a former McDonald's outlet. The chemist aims to fill prescriptions in under two minutes whilst customers wait at the window. It is targeting busy mothers and commuters who need to pick up their drugs quickly. Whilst drive through chemists are common in the US, they are relatively new here in the UK. This branch in Colchester will run as a pilot. If it is successful Boots are likely to  open other branches across the UK.

This article suggests that garlic could lower blood pressure as effectively as drugs. It is based on a study in which scientists monitored patients who were given a daily dose of powered garlic. They found that there were significant blood pressure falls among the patients and that those who had the greatest drop had the higher blood pressure readings to begin with. In some cases the effects were similar to those achieved by common anti blood pressure drugs such as beta blockers and ACE inhibitors.

Concerns have been raised about the safety of microwave heat packs after an elderly died whilst using one. Doreen Ghiloni had used a heat pack called a Hottie rather than a traditional hot water bottle. Heat packs are heated in the microwave and are made to slowly release heat over a period of time. In this case the item caught fire in her bed and it is thought she was overcome by the fumes. Firs investigators in West Yorkshire have dealt with six other incidents involving heat packs in the past year and Mrs Ghiloni's family are now campaigning for the instructions of the packs to be changed to try and prevent any further accidents.

Not surprisingly it has been found that cows that eat outdoors produce healthier milk. A study showed that milk from cows that graze outside on grass and clover contains more antioxidants and vitamins than milk from conventional dairy farmers. Its not rocket science cows are meant to eat grass.

This article suggests that some brands of vegetarian sausages and burgers contain more salt than the meat equivalent. Researchers found that some vegetarian burgers contain six times more salt than a meat burger with others containing as much salt as five packets of crisps. Fry's Vegetarian Traditional Sausage contained 2.8g of salt, more than four times the pork equivalent meaning that just two sausages would provide the recommended daily intake for an adult. Other leading brands also fared quite badly in the test.

Waitrose have recalled organic eggs from one of its suppliers after fears they could be contaminated. It is thought that the chickens had eaten lead shot. The affected eggs are Blacktail Columbian organic eggs with the code OUK20137 stamped on them. Other organic eggs from Waitrose are not affected. Customers who have purchased the eggs are advised to return them for a refund.

Scientists are trialling a drug that could cure sleep apnoea syndrome. The condition causes people to stop breathing during sleep and also causes them to snore heavily. The pill called BGC20-0166 has so far been successful and had shown a 40% reduction in symptoms of people who have taken part in the trial.

The Food Standards Agency has called for a ban on six artificial colours because they cause mood swings. Tartrazine (E102), quinoline yellow (E104), sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), ponceau 4R (E124) and allura read (E129) have been linked to hyperactivity in a study carried out by Southampton University. The researchers estimated that 30% of hyperactivity disorder would be prevented if compaies removed these colours from their products. The colours are found in products such as Sherbet Lemons, Minstrels, M&Ms, Cadbury’s Crème Egg, Haribo Jelly Beans and Irn Bru.

Six cough syrups are being removed from sale after five children from overdoses. The medicines regulator has warned that the medicines should not be given to children under the age of two and has ordered that the products can be sold only under the supervision of a pharmacist until the labels are changed. The six medicines are Asda Children’s Chesty Cough Syrup, Boots Chesty Cough Syrup 1 Year Plus, Boots Sore Throat and Cough Linctus 1 Year Plus, Buttercup Infant Cough Syrup, CalCough Chesty and Bell’s Children’s Chesty Cough.

Japan has banned imports of mozzarella over the recent toxin scare. Carcinogenic dioxins have been discovered at several farms in Campania and there are fears that the herds of water buffalo could be ingesting poisons from illegally dumped rubbish. Japan has impounded all mozzarella from Italy. This follows similar action from South Korea which banned the cheese after 29 toxic samples were found.

Eight buffalo herds in the Naples area have been quarantined on the suspicion that their milk could be contaminated. The animals have been grazing on land where toxic industrial waste has been dumped illegally by criminals. The milk produced by the buffalo herds is now being tested for dangerous levels of dioxin. Although only a fraction of the herds in the region have been affected sales of Neapolitan mozzarella have declined by nearly 50% following the scare. The Government says consumers would need to eat large quantities of mozzarella over a period of several months for their health to be affected.

Scientists have revealed that carbonated drinks are behind a rise in cases of gout. A study of 46,000 men found that men that drank more than two cans of fizzy drink a day were 85% more likely to get gout compared to those who had one fizzy drink a month. The risk also increased with men that drank five to six fizzy drinks a week.

I read this article which makes the claim that diet drinks could actually make you put on weight. Researchers in the USA have found that artificial sweeteners such as those contained in diet drinks make it harder for people to regulate their intake of food and can lead to over eating. The findings come after a study was carried out on some rats. Rats given a low calories yogurt gained more weight and body fat that those given a surgery version. The researchers say that the study could help to explain why obesity levels and the use of artificial have both increased.

There seems to be a debate going on at the moment between doctors and ministers regarding whether GP’s should extend opening hours. The government is pushing for longer hours because it says it will meet patient demand. Doctors, however, say that longer hours could affect patient care during the day. I think most people would agree that doctor’s surgery should be open at least one evening a week or perhaps a Saturday morning. There is nothing more frustrating than to arrange to take time off from work to see a doctor especially if the appointment is for something routine like a check up. Often the time taken amounts to half a day by the time you have travelled to and from the doctor’s surgery and this is usually time that your boss at work will require you to make up elsewhere.

I read this article that suggests some coffee sold by high street chain can contain a third of the recommended daily calorie intake. The article highlights coffee such as Starbucks large white chocolate mocha which contains 628 calories. In comparison a medium mocha with whipped cream from Caffe Nero contains 326 calories and a medium mocha flake from Costa Coffee contains 297 calories. Whilst this may seem a lot, all of these coffee brands contain whole milk, chocolate and cream so personally I would expect them to have a high calorie content.

Despite it being well publicised that McDonalds food is unhealthy sales are up in Britain. They are now selling more burgers than at any time since they arrived in Britain 34 years ago. Last month there were an amazing 88 million visits to McDonalds. This figure is up nearly 10 million on the previous year.  Although the McDonald’s menu has changed to include healthier options such as smoothies and wraps the most popular choices are still the traditional products such as burgers, fries and ice creams.

NHS dental fees rose last year although the number of patients dropped. The amount paid by patients rose by £60 million last year, which is up 15% on the previous year. Figures show that patients paid £16.91 each in NHS dental charges in 2006/2007 compares to £14.58 the year before. This article suggests that people now have less access to NHS dentistry, that there are fewer resources and higher charges.

Several of the UK’s supermarkets have announced they will phase out the sale of battery eggs. The decision has come because of consumer concerns over the impact of cheap food on animal welfare. Sainsbury, Morrisons and the Co-op will phase out the sale of eggs from battery hens. Marks and Spencer and Waitrose have already stopped selling eggs from battery hens. Sainsbury expect to end the sale of eggs from battery hens by next year. The Co-op has similar plans and Morrisons will phase them out by 2010. Tesco are reducing the shelf space for eggs from caged hens but have not yet announced a ban.

Despite often being unhealthy ready meals are still very popular. In fact sales of ready meals have trebled in the past decade. Sales of Chinese, Indian and Thai meals have risen within the past five years with fast food sales growing by 73% between 1995 and 2005. Despite this more than 60% of people surveyed still cook at least one meal a day from scratch.

There is always a lot in the news about celebrities battling with drug addition. The most recent story involves Brittany Spears who was released from hospital today after being admitted two days ago allegedly for being under the influence of an unknown substance. Whilst incidents like this are widely publicised I often wonder where ordinary people go to get help when they have a drug addition problem. I was looking at this website for a drug addition treatment center that provides drug free rehab.

They are called DrugRehab.net and are one of the oldest drug rehab companies in the United States. Their rehabilitation program involves a four stage process starting with a complete sauna based detox program to cleanse the body of drug residuals so that the person no longer experiences the adverse effects of the drugs they have taken. The second phase includes a course of therapies which are designed to help the addict learn self control and focus on real life goals. Stage three addresses issues of self esteem and aims to cure the need for drugs. The final stage then works on helping the former addict back into society and helping them to lead a drug free life. Their results certainly look impressive with 76% of  their graduates going on to remain drug free and becoming productive members of society.

According to this article energy saving light bulbs could trigger migraines and even seizures in some people. The Migraine Action Association has said that the flickering and the low intensity of the light do trigger migraines in many of their members. There have also been warnings from epilepsy charities about the increased risk of seizures from energy saving bulbs. With the government pledging to prevent the sale of the conventional light bulbs within the next four years this could be worrying for sufferers of both conditions. As a migraine sufferer myself I have replaced most of the bulbs in my house with energy saving bulbs and so far have suffered no migraines. It might be prudent for the government to research this issue further before going ahead with an outright ban.

I read this article the other day that suggests the chicken you buy from the supermarket could actually be months old. It suggests that a lot of poultry sold in supermarkets is actually imported from places like Brazil and Thailand and can often be weeks or even months old. The article also suggests that meat in products like ready meals could have been thawed and frozen several times. I find this particularly worrying as I tend to buy meat and then freeze it to use later in the month thinking it is fresh. I am starting to wonder if I am putting my health at risk through relying on the supermarkets to provide me with food that is fresh. The Food and Farming Minister is now backing a campaign to clarify the labelling rules so that customers do not buy a product made from thawed meat that they think is fresh.

I found this website the other day that specialises in natural skincare. They specialise in skincare and beauty products that are usually found in spas, department stores and doctors offices. As well as offering well know brands they also offer their own product line which includes their exclusive skin dimensions products. The products include acne care, anti aging products and moisturisers. They also have a range of gift ideas including a great coffeeberry antioxidant kit which would be great for that post Christmas detox programme. They offer free ground shipping within the US and you also get free samples with every order. 

I was reading this interesting article about UK cosmetic surgery companies and how ethical they are. In the article a slim 27 year woman went to three London based companies for a consultation about Liposuction Surgery. The interesting thing about her case is that she probably didn’t need the surgery at all as at 5ft 9 and only 9 stone 5lb she was around her ideal weight. Two of the companies were prepared to do the surgery with only one recommending exercise rather than surgery. The article certainly makes an interesting read, and if you are considering cosmetic surgery you might want to go with Make Yourself Amazing, the company that advised against the surgery in this case.

Boots have added a new product to their range of “miracle creams”. The new body serum will be part of the same range as its already successful anti-aging face cream. The Protect and Perfect Body Serum is designed for the neck, arms and legs and has the same base as the face serum which has been proven to actually reduce wrinkles and is expected to sell out quickly.

If you are trying to eat healthier food but feel you need a bit of help you might want to try mysupermarket.co.uk In addition to their price comparison service they have now launched a service that allows you see nutritional information about your shop including the calories and fat and salt content. It then asks you if you want to switch any of the foods that are high in calories for a lower calorie alternative. They claim that using the service could knock around 4,000 calories off a families consumption.

There have been a number of incidents regarding Crocs shoes and escalators. The shoes which are known for their flexibility and grip can become caught in the teeth at the bottom or top of an escalator. In one incident mentioned in this article a young boy’s shoes became caught causing the name on his big toe to be nearly ripped off. The Washington Metro has even posted adverts warning riders about wearing such shoes on its moving stairways. In Japan, the government warned consumers last week that it has received 39 reports of sandals mostly Crocs or similar products getting stuck in escalators from late August through early September. There have other reports from other countries of similar incidents most of which have involved young children. It might be better not to let your children wear their Crocs when using the escalator.

Toymaker Mattel has issued another recall of some of its products. Around 850,000 toys are being recalled due to fears the paint contains dangerous levels of lead. The toys include seven Barbie products and three toys from the Fisher Price range. The full details of the recalled items are listed below.

J9485 Barbie Dream Puppy House
J9486 Barbie Dream Kitty Condo
K8606 Barbie Table & Chairs Kitchen Playset
K8607 Barbie Bathtub & Toilet Playset
K8609 Barbie Desk & Chair Bedroom Playset

Mars has issued a recall of some of its products after small pieces of rubber were found in them. The affected sweets include milk chocolate Maltesers with best before dates between 16 December 2007 and 6 January 2008 and revels in bags pouches and pots with dates between 16 December 2007 and 13 January 2008. Customers are being asked to return the packs for a full refund. Packs should be returned to: Maltesers Consumer Care, Unit 1, Hudson Road, Melton Mowbray LE13 1BS.

Taking too many painkillers for migraines can actually cause more headaches, suggests a new report. Dr Anne MacGregor, the director of research at the City of London Migraine Clinic said that a fifth of her clients have headaches caused by taking too much medication. The problem is caused by taking too much of a painkiller and the painkiller becoming less effective which then leads sufferers to need a stronger medicine. At the moment, only the strongest painkillers include a warning that over-use can worsen headaches. Aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen do not contain any warnings.

A new report has discovered a potential link between deodorants and breast cancer. The research comes because high levels of aluminium have been found in the breast tissue of cancer patients who have had mastectomies. There have been previous warnings that aluminium from deodorants can be absorbed through the skin, especially through shaved armpits. Once it has been absorbed through the body aluminium can mimic the hormone oestrogen and can be involved in the development of breast cancer.

Businesses selling takeaway meals may soon have to include a traffic light health label on their menus. The scheme which is being backed by the government would show how much salt and fat a product contained. For example a chicken tikka masala which has a high salt and fat content might have a red logo, whilst something healthier would have a green one. The system will be piloted in Liverpool with plans to introduce it elsewhere if it is successful.

I was looking around at cosmetic dentist services, mainly because my teeth are discoloured due to fluoride damage.  Unfortunately when I was growing up, my dentist suggested I had fluoride supplements as well as fluoride toothpaste and this combination as well as drinking water with fluoride in it, has left me with permanently yellow tinged teeth which I hate. One website that I came across was a San Diego cosmetic dentist and although it’s a little far for me travel to have the work done, it made me think that perhaps I should get a similar treatment done closer to home.

A recent survey suggests that customers are being misled about the salt content is food. The problem is with ready meals and other processed foods. Manufacturers of some products have been deliberately understating the portion sizes on food labels. This gives the impression that they have a lower salt content. One example given was a packet of chicken nuggets, where the salt content given for a portion weighing 15g, which is the equivalent of just one nugget.

A report suggests that eating food prepared with virgin olive oil can be good for the heart. The oil is rich in phenols which can help to prevent harmful blood clots in people who have high cholesterol. The researchers carried out a study where they monitored the VII antigen factor in people who had been fed a diet contained olive oil. They concluded that the olive oil does have real benefits for the heart.

Waitrose has issued a recall of some of their smoked salmon products because they contain high levels of listeria. The products affected are Waitrose Smokes Salmon Parcels and Waitrose Poached Salmon Terrines dated up to the 28th August. It was found during routine testing that the levels of listeria in the products were above the permitted levels. It is thought the problem is isolated to a few hundred products. Customers have been advised to return them for a refund.

Two Morrisons stores could be responsible for an E coli outbreak in Scotland which has left one person dead and two seriously ill. It is thought the outbreak is linked to meat brought from the cold meat counter of two Morrisons shops in Paisley. The health board has warned people not to eat meat brought from the Lonend and Falside Road store in the past few weeks.

It’s interesting that wrapping something in a different wrapper can make it more appealing and can even make you think it tastes better. Researchers have found that children find food wrapped in McDonald’s packaging than an identical snack wrapped in another wrapper. The study was carried out to try and gauge the power that advertising has on children. In the study which was carried out in the US children were given two identical samples of food, one in McDonalds packaging and one in a plain wrapper. Despite the snacks being identical the ones wrapped in the McDonalds packaging were found to be the tastiest by six times as many children as found the plain snacks most tasty. This study certainly shows the power of advertising.

If you suffer form Psoriasis you might want to want to try a treatment at the Blue Lagoon - Clinic. Based in Iceland they offer a natural treatment of the condition using the seawater from the Blue Lagoon and its unique ingredients. The waters of the Blue Lagoon deep cleanse the skin, stimulating blood circulation as well as exfoliating the skin. After bathing you then apply the Blue Lagoon skin care products and you can also take advantage of the latest in UNV light therapy which works well in conjunction with the other treatment. After a three to four week therapy you should start to see signs of healing on the skin.

If you are a vegetarian you might want to get your life insurance from Animals Friends Insurance. They are offering a 6% discount on their life cover for vegetarians. This is because medical evidence suggests that vegetarians are less likely to suffer from major illnesses, than people who eat meat. Meat eaters can also take out the policy, just at a higher price.

New research has indicated that a daily pint of beer or a large glass of wine could raise your risk of developing bowel cancer by 10%. The study was based on data collected from 480,000 people. The risk is further increased for those who both smoke and drink.

You might think that you are picking the healthy alternative when choosing a salad for lunch but this article suggests otherwise. Some salads and pre-packed pasta meals could actually contain as much salt as a hamburger and chips. A noodle salad was found to have a shocking 4.4g of salt, that’s 73% of the recommended daily intake for an adult. The problem is that a lot of salads contain salty ingredients such as bacon, ham and cheese. In addition to this salt is often added to products when it is not really needed. If you were to buy a chicken Caesar salad in McDonalds, you would actually be consuming more salt than if you went for a Big Mac and fries. The ten worst salty salads are shown below. The information was taken from the Times Online website.

Ten worst offenders
4.4g 73%
EAT Thai noodle
3.7g 62%
Tesco tuna and sweetcorn pasta snack
3.5g 58%
EAT smoked mackerel superfood
McDonald’s crispy chicken Caesar salad with low-fat Caesar dressing
3.3g 55%
McDonald’s grilled chicken Caesar salad with low-fat Caesar dressing
3g 50%
EAT spicy chicken noodles
Morrisons chicken and bacon pasta Morrisons tuna pasta
Somerfield cheese and tomato pasta snack
Somerfield chicken and bacon pasta snack

A red dye used in burgers and sausages could be banned after it was found it can cause cancer. The dye called Red 2G is used mainly by small producers and butchers and is currently only allowed to be used in foods in very small amounts. However, the recent studies carried out on rats and mice have shown it does have a potential cancer risk, so it could now be banned completely.

I found an interesting article about what goes into a McDonalds Chicken Nugget. Apparently it contains 56% corn as well as another 38 different ingredients one of which is obviously chicken but disturbingly it also contains TBHQ which is an antioxidant derived from petroleum.

I saw this article in The Metro about a pillow that apparently helps prevent hangovers. The pillow is stuffed with various plant extracts including fennel, juniper, mustard and peppermint, all of which are meant to counter the effects of a hangover. Personally I frequently sprinkle lavender oil on my pillow when I am having trouble sleeping and use peppermint or eucalyptus if I have a blocked up nose. I find that when doing this I awake felling much more rested the following morning. At only £7.50 even if it doesn’t cure your hangover this pillow is likely to help you have a restful nights sleep.