Brain and Behaviour
One key to successful weight control is to eat foods that, calorie for calorie, are most satisfying. Two factors that have identified as having some importance here are the glycaemic index of a food and its protein content. Basically low glycaemic index (GI) foods (those that release sugar relatively slowly into the bloodstream) are more […]
Exercise and Activity
As someone who is passionately interested in health, it perhaps is not too much of a surprise that I generally advocate regular activity, and engage in some in my own life too. My core exercise is brisk walking, though I’ve traditionally supplemented this with some swimming. This sort of activity I believe keeps my fitness […]
Food and Medical Politics
Back in February of this year, one of my blogposts focused on the fact that the UK Health Secretary was making noises about expanding water fluoridation, despite the fact that the evidence suggests that this practice is far from ‘evidence-based’. The title of this post was: UK health minister calls for mass medication through water […]
Brain and Behaviour
I am a supporter of the notion that maintaining hydration in the body is important for wellbeing and health, and recommend that the prime fluid for this should be water. However, as with most things in life, drinking water is not entirely without risk. Drink too much of it and it can lower sodium levels […]
Healthy Eating
Last month, one of my blog posts featured recent research which has linked the consumption of coffee with a reduced risk of death in women. The improved survival seen here appeared to essentially be down to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (of which heart attacks and strokes are the most common forms). This research […]
Healthy Eating
I don’t drink tea myself (don’t like it) but I do think that the evidence shows that it is actually quite a healthy beverage. Tea is rich in plant substances known as polyphenols which have been particularly linked with a reduced risk of heart disease. Not only that, but tea-drinking has also been associated in […]
Brain and Behaviour
Previously on this site I have written about the potential benefits that so-called omega-3 fats have regarding brain function. These fats appear to have anti-depressant potential, for instance, but also seem to have the capacity to help maintain basic brain function too. There is some research, for instance, which has linked higher levels of omega-3 […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
The body mass index (BMI) is the standard and most commonly-used method for assessing body weight by health professionals. It is calculated by dividing an individual’s weight in kg by the square of their height in metres. The fact that some arithmetic is required to ascertain the BMI makes it look quite scientific and robust. […]
Specific conditions
I have written more than once about the benefits of sunlight. There is, for instance, quite a body of evidence which links sun exposure and the heightened vitamin D levels in the body this tends to bring with a reduced risk of cancer. It’s one major reason why, although I avoid burning, I seek the […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
Diabetes UK is the UK’s largest and most prominent diabetes charity. Have a look here and you will se the charity proudly proclaiming that: We stand up for the interests of people with diabetes by campaigning for better standards of care. However, I’m doubtful that Diabetes UK is fulfilling its brief in this respect, seeing […]