World's oldest cheese recovered from mummies

LONDON: Ancient cheese has been collected from the neck and chest of a female mummy known as the 'Beauty of Xiaohe'.

The archaeologists have unearthed world's oldest cheese from necks and chests of perfectly preserved mummies buried in China's desert sand.

The 3,600-year-old cheese was discovered during archaeological excavations at the Xiaohe cemetery in the inhospitable Taklamakan desert.

The researchers lead by Chinese team leader Changsui Wang from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences collected 13 samples of the yellowish organic material from 10 tombs and mummies.

Dating back as early as 1615 BC, the lumps of yellowish organic material have provided direct evidence for the oldest known dairy fermentation method.

The individuals were buried with the cheese so they could savour it in the afterlife, said the study.

'Beauty of Xiaohe' is a 3,800-year-old female mummy wrapped in a finely crafted shroud, bearing Caucasian features such as a long nose and light hair.

Until now, no remains of ancient cheeses had been found.

10 nutritionally terrible foods to avoid

Not just junk, keep junior off these 10 nutritionally terrible foods

So you make endless mental notes of fried snacks and sweets that your kid gorges on, but what do you know about foods laden with sodium, fat, sugar and other unsavoury ingredients? We run you through 10 unhealthy children's foods that you'd rather avoid:

Fruit snacks 
For long, food and beverage giants have been pulling a fast one on you by using the word 'fruit' to sell nutritionally suspect products. Fruit cakes or fruit gummies, for instance, are as sugar-filled as a candy. The fact that they stick to kids' teeth make them a harbinger of cavities.

French fries 
With the mushrooming of fast food joints, French fries have befriended children's taste-buds more than ever. The problem with fries is not just the unhealthy trans fats and calories it's loaded with, but also how easy it is to gobble too much of it at once. Fries are known to dominate the palate to an extent where the child may not really develop a taste for other vegetables. To rein your junior in, try baking your fries at home or rustle up sweet potato fries, which are packed with fibre, vitamin C and potassium.

Sugar cereals 
It's no more a secret that most sugary cereals are hopelessly low on fibre and high on sugar. The trick then is to choose cereals that contain less than 10 grams of sugar and at least three grams of fibre.

Deli meals 
Multiple research say that processed red meat, such as hot dogs or bologna, can up the risk of diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer. Hot dogs, for instance, are loaded with sodium, fat and nitrates which have been linked to cancer. Stick to chicken instead of beef, and if you buy deli meats, go for low-sodium, organic variants that are free of added nitrates. The best option is to always opt for fresh meat.

Sweetened drinks 
Almost all the hype around the health risks that soda poses is sadly true, and more so for kids. Drinking soda or cola increases their odds of developing type-2 diabetes and ending up obese. Not to mention the cavities they will cause. Fruit drinks too can be just as bad as soda. Scientists say that if they aren't made from 100 per cent juice, their nutritional worth is as low as soda. In any case, limit your child's intake of packaged fruit juice, and encourage her to drink a lot of milk and water.

Granola bars 
They have been hailed as the ultimate health snack, but many varieties of the granola bars have ingredients that make them more of a dessert than a nutritional delight. The catch is again on the cover. Hunt for bars that contain at least two grams or fibre and less than 10 grams of sugar, and also for those that have little or no saturated fat, and no high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners.

Sports drinks 
Your child might be drained after that gruelling session of cricket or badminton, but don't let him or her glug down sports drinks. Kids can become easily used to the taste and stop preferring water. Whip up a glass of chocolate milk instead, as it packs just the right mix of protein and carbs to help repair muscle.

Honey 
Until she is at least a year old, don't give your child honey as they can contain spores which can cause botulism — symptoms include dry mouth, vomiting, paralysis, and breathing problems. Since infants have immune systems that are relatively weak, they're at the highest risk for botulism. This is why doctors often recommend that babies avoid products that contain honey.

Packaged noodles 
Not only are noodles low on nutrition, they come with a lot of sodium. Children between the ages of two and three should have no more than 1,000 milligrams of sodium per day, while kids up to age eight shouldn't exceed 1,200 mgs per day. However, one serving of most packed noodles or pasta has more than half of a child's recommended limit.

Cheese
While cheese is a fabulous source of calcium and protein, you need to watch your child's portions. A slice of cheese can contain over 100 calories and 10 grams of fat, so regularly having more than that for a snack can add the numbers up fast. The daily recommended amount for dairy is two cups for age 2-3, and two-and-a-half cups for age 4-8. Just one-and-a-half ounces of cheese counts as one cup of the recommended amount of dairy.

For questions specific to your health conditions, please write down in the comments section and we will answer it as soon as possible. Thanks

Calcium-rich foods for your bones

Include these calcium-rich foods in your diet to maintain healthy bones and joints.

Milk: Milk is the best source of calcium, not only for children but also for adults. Moreover, the calcium is in a form that can be easily digested and absorbed by your body.

Yogurt: High in protein and containing healthy bacteria for your gut, yogurt is said to offer 400 mg of calcium in a single serving. Choose non-fattening flavoured yogurt for a satisfying and healthy snack. Besides milk and yogurt but dairy products like cheese is also a good dose of calcium.

Leafy greens: Many vegetables, especially the leafy green veggies, are rich sources of calcium. Opt from spinach, turnip, kale, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus and mushrooms or toss all of them into a salad.

Beans: For another rich source of calcium, try kidney beans, white beans or baked beans.

Herbs and spices: Herbs like basil, thyme, cinnamon, mint and spices like garlic not only enhance the flavour of your food but also provide calcium to your body.

Oranges: Citrus fruits like oranges are not only rich in calcium but also contain vitamin D that is essential to absorb the calcium in the body. Have it as a fruit or squeeze out its juice and have it as a breakfast.

For questions specific to your health conditions, please write down in the comments section and we will answer it as soon as possible. Thanks

5 seemingly ‘unhealthy’ foods that are in fact healthy

Dieticians have instructed you to give up on these foodstuffs if you want to lose weight, yet the temptation makes you want to eat it. We give you 5 such unhealthy foods you may incorporate in your diet in a healthy moderation.

Butter: We are not instructing you load up on butter, but according to experts, naturally occurring saturated fats, like those found in butter, may actually be good to include in your diet in moderation when compared with processed fats like those found in margarine.

Cheese: Just like butter, cheese is also high in saturated fat and calorie content. But, it is also rich in nutrients, calcium, vitamin A, B12, riboflavin, zinc, and phosphorus. It also contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a good fat, according to latest discoveries, found in animal protein and dairy that has been linked to cancer prevention.

Chocolate and whole milk: A glass of chocolate and whole milk has the perfect carbs to protein ratio (3:1) and is a good post workout recovery drink. It also replenishes bone-building calcium and sodium to restore electrolyte balance. Go with dark chocolate, if you are still unsure.

Coffee: It not only improves concentration and stamina, but a recent research has revealed that it helps prevent diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer's. Just don't overdo it, 3-5 cups are optimum as it may have some side effects like insomnia, jitters and anxiety.

Bananas: Although labelled as fattening, bananas sometimes play a healthy role when you are trying to shed pounds. They are rich in potassium and provide antioxidants, vitamin C and fibre. Banana eaters also experience a shift in dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for elevating your mood.