Scientists are recommending half a litre of water before meals as a way to cut calorie intake, reports express.co.uk.

People struggling in the battle of the bulge can put an end to over-eating by simply filling up on the cheapest of all calorie-free drinks – water – before eating.

The findings are set to make dieting simpler for thousands of people who struggle with weight control and invest time and money in complicated diet plans.

In the weight loss study, obese people aged between 55 to 75 were divided into two groups.

One group drank two cups of water about half an hour before a meal and the other group did not.

It was discovered that members of the group who drank the water lost nearly five kilograms more than the group that had not been offered any water.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which affects as many as 1 million Americans, refers to two chronic diseases that cause inflammation of the intestines: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Although stress does not directly cause IBD, it can aggravate IBD conditions like abdominal pain, cramps, and diarrhea and may be a main reason for flare-ups, which occur when the disease intermittently becomes active.

Try mindfulness: Simple mindfulness techniques can help you stay calm under pressure, and regular practice can keep your overall stress levels low.

Spend time outdoors: Spending time in nature is a natural stress buster. Go out and stroll in a park with yoru pets, family or friends.

Massage: In a study done in 2008, a five-minute hand rub was effective at lowering stress levels. You can teach a friend or partner how (and offer to return the favor when they need it). Or do it for yourself if there’s no one around to lend a hand.

Control workplace stress: Manage stress at your workplace & office.

Customize your to-do list: No need to only list chores, meetings, and deadlines in your calendar or daily planner. Include enjoyable things as well. This has the added benefit of giving you more to cross off—voilà, a greater sense of accomplishment. For example: “Check my favorite travel blog to plan this year’s vacation,” or “Watch that basketball game at 3:00.”

1. Eat mostly organic food, especially foods that promote detoxification, like cruciferous vegetables, garlic and onions. A healthy, balanced diet is a key to efficient de-toxification. The lighter the toxic load on your body, the better it can handle those toxins that get through your defenses.

2. Do regular vigorous exercise. Increased respiration, circulation, and perspiration all promote healthy detoxification.

3. Indulge in the sauna frequently. Perspiring is one of your body’s best ways of releasing toxins.

4. Drink at least 64 ounces of fresh, pure water each day. The combination of good hydration and frequent perspiration helps to flush your body of toxins.

5. Stay regular. Elimination atleast once or twice a day helps to decrease absorption of toxins. Consistent exercise, hydration, and fiber will help to keep you regular.

6. If you are trying to lose weight, make sure to undertake detox practices. As you shed fat, toxins held in fat cells are released. It is essential to cleanse those toxins from your body, rather than reabsorb them, which can cause illness.

7. Use antioxidants. Antioxidants such as alpha-lipoic acid, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, and the B vitamins help with detoxification. The best detoxification regimen for you depends on your unique genetic makeup, as well as the particular toxins you are dealing with.

Walking is known to melt your excess weight. But its healthy benefits extends to many other beneficial side effects too.Here are eight reasons to wear your walking shoes and get on with it:

# 1: Walking reduces diabetes. New research links brisk walking to a significant risk reduction for developing type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is a predictor of this disease, even in people with normal glucose levels. But a recent British study found that people with a family history of the disease who walked briskly, or performed some other type of moderate to vigorous activity on a routine basis, improved insulin sensitivity.

#2: Walking betters your sex life. Sex and exercise go hand-in-hand. In a study of women between 45 and 55 years old, those who undertake exercises like brisk walking, reported not only greater sexual desire, but better sexual satisfaction, too.

#3: Walking is economical. Walking only needs your enthusiasm and a pair of decent walking shoes. You need not need expensive subscription to commercial gyms or fancy health clubs. You can walk anywhere – nearby park, treadmill, or pavement.

#4: It can get you off medicines. People who walk a lot are more likely to not use medicines.

#5: Walking fends off fibromyalgia pain. This chronic condition affects more than 4 percent of the population, and often involves pain, fatigue, and brain fog. A small study found that in women 32 to 70 years old, those who walked 60 minutes, performed light exercises, and stretched three times a week for 18 weeks reported significant improvements in walking and mental capacity, and were less tired and depressed.

#6: Walking helps beat breast cancer. Women who walk regularly after being diagnosed with breast cancer have a 45 percent greater chance of survival than those who are inactive, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Yale researchers heading up the study also found that those who exercised in the year before being diagnosed were 30 percent more likely to survive, compared to women who didn’t exercise leading up to their diagnosis.

#7: Strolling reduces stroke risk. Walking briskly for just 30 minutes, five days a week can significantly lower your risk of suffering a stroke, according to University of South Carolina researchers. After studying 46,000 men and 15,000 women over the course of 18 years, those with increased fitness levels associated with regular brisk walking had a 40 percent lower risk of suffering a stoke than those with the lowest fitness level.

#8: It can save your mind. Italian researchers enlisted 749 people suffering from memory problems in a study and measured their walking and other moderate activities, such as yard work. At the four-year follow-up, they found that those who expended the most energy walking had a 27 percent lower risk of developing dementia than the people who expended the least. This could be the result of physical activity’s role in increasing blood flow to the brain.

A CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton explained computer vision syndrome (CVS) is associated with symptoms that come with sitting in front of a computer, hand-held device, iPhone, iPod for hours every day.

“The most common symptoms are: eye strain, dry or irritated eyes, fatigue, and headaches,” CBS News quoted Ashton as saying.

She provides some quick tips to keep eye strain at bay:

1. Blink Often: While looking at a computer or hand-held digital device, it’s common for you to blink two to three times less than you normally would. This can lead to “dry eye.” Blinking regularly bathes your eyes in tears, and tears are naturally therapeutic for the eyes.

2. The 20/20/20 Rule: When spending long periods in front of a digital device, every 20 minutes, spend 20 seconds looking at something 20 feet away to allow your eyes to rest.

3. Ensure Proper Lighting: To help ease the strain on your eyes, keep bright lighting overhead to a minimum and position your desk lamp to shine on your desk, and not at you. Position your computer screen in a way that reduces reflections and glare from windows or overhead lights.

4. Location of computer screen: The computer screen should be 15 to 20 degrees below eye level (about 4 or 5 inches) as measured from the centre of the screen and 20 to 28 inches from the eyes.