DEBT KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT – RECENT SURVEY SAYS YES
While rising interest rates have people watching their spending more closely, half of respondents in a recent Manulife Bank survey that are carrying debt said they are stressed about the level of indebtedness and one in three are kept awake at night worrying over it. 40 percent of respondents said that their level of indebtedness has had a negative impact on their mental health, with 30 percent saying that debt load is or has caused issues in their personal relationships. The survey even showed that 20 percent of respondents say their spouse or common-law partners do not know how much debt they are in and 12 per cent of people with debt hid a large purchase from their significant others which leads to health and personal relationship issues.
ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS INCREASE YOUR CANCER RISK
Ultra-processed foods occupy a growing part of the world’s diet. A 2016 study found that 60% of the calories in the average American diet come from this kind of food. A similar 2017 study found that they make up 50% of the Canadian diet as more of the developing world is starting to eat this way. This is not a good trend as researchers have discovered that people who eat more ultra- processed foods have a higher risk of cancer. Such foods are the ones with unrecognizable and unpronounceable words on the list of ingredients -- anything from the candy that turns your tongue blue to healthier-sounding canned soups packed with artificial flavors, additives or emulsifiers.
Most food is processed to some degree, but ultra-processed foods are typically much more calories, sodium and sugar-packed.
So, make sure that you are checking those labels when you are at the grocery store.
IS COFFEE GOOD FOR YOU?
We new research shows that the answers is, Yes, go ahead and grab that second or third cup as doing so may improve your health and help you live longer.
In a new observational study involving close to 20,000 individuals, people who consumed at least four cups of coffee daily had a 64% lower risk of early death compared to those who never or rarely consumed coffee.
The reduction in risk was more significant once people reached the age of 45, suggesting that it may be even more ben- eficial to consume coffee as we get older.
These findings echo the recent results of another large observational study, which found that coffee drinkers appear to live longer, regardless of whether they consume regular or decaf coffee. Coffee has also been shown to reduce the risk of many diseases, including type 2 diabetes, liver disease, colorectal cancer, Alzheimer’s and skin cancer. Now remember this related to the coffee itself so, skip the cream as it contributes about 50 calories and 3 grams of sat- urated fat per tablespoon and avoid sugar in your coffee. A teaspoon of sugar contains 16 calories. It may not sound like much, but if you are having a few cups a day the calories add up and it reduces the benefits of the coffee itself.
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • AUGUST 2018
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