Brain and Behaviour
I very occasionally play golf but I’m rubbish at it really. The fact that I’m an irregular participant and never practice does not help me, but I’ve also noticed just how much my ‘head’ affects how well I play. I’ve sometimes heard it said that golf is a game that is played in the 6-inch […]
Brain and Behaviour
When people are in the process of actively losing weight, many of them will monitor their progress by weighing themselves (of course). One potential issue with this is that our weight is made up of things other than fat including muscle, glycogen (a storage fuel similar to starch) and water. So, changes in weight may […]
Brain and Behaviour
Vitamin D is less a vitamin and more a hormone, and higher levels of this substance are linked with a reduced risk of many conditions including multiple sclerosis, heart disease and several forms of cancer. In some studies, vitamin D has been tested as a treatment, and at least some evidence points to it having […]
Brain and Behaviour
Migraine headaches are generally severe and typically affect one side of the head, and may be preceded by neurological symptoms including visual disturbance. In some people, they can be common and extremely debilitating. The good news is that certain naturally-oriented strategies can be very effective in reducing the frequency and/or severity of attacks. One of […]
Brain and Behaviour
Last week I was aboard a cruise liner in the Caribbean. I had a lot of fun but was primarily there to participate in a kinda conference organised by low-carb advocate Jimmy Moore. I was privileged to share the stage with some very lovely and inspiration speakers, among them the US cardiologist Dr William (Bill) […]
Brain and Behaviour
The last few decades have seen a rise in rates of overweight and obesity. Average duration of sleep has declined in the Western world too. Could the two be connected? Actually, yes. There are a number of mechanisms through which reduced sleep time might be somehow contributing to the obesity ‘epidemic’, and these were summarised […]
Brain and Behaviour
Dementia is an issue many of us would rather avoid as we age, and in recent years there has been considerable interest in specific dietary strategies that might help here. Seeing as about 70 per cent of the dry weight of the brain is fat (much of it saturated), I’m inclined to think a diet […]
Brain and Behaviour
I went to a meeting for journalists and broadcasters on Tuesday night, organised by the Guild of Health Writers, dedicated to the subject of dementia. One of the speakers there was Jerome Burne – a London-based health writer of some repute (he won an award from the Medical Journalists Association in January). Jerome in the […]
Brain and Behaviour
The shorter days and general lack of sunlight in the winter can leave some of us prone to low mood and lack of vitality or even full-blown depression in the form of ‘seasonal affective disorder’ (SAD). A reasonable and often-effective strategy for overcoming these issues is light therapy, delivered by devices which simulate sunlight. However, […]
Brain and Behaviour
I don’t believe that the best way for people to lose weight is to consciously restrict how much they eat. I have no issue with people eating less, I just believe that, for the best results, it needs to be done in a way that is both easy and sustainable. For the most part an […]