Healthy Eating
I was interested to read recently of a recently developed diagnostic tool for doctors – the artificial nose. Scientists at Strathclyde University have come up with a device that has the ability to detect odours characteristic of a variety of medical conditions. Learning of this new-fangled gadget reminded me of a story my mother once […]
Healthy Eating
Red meat has almost certainly featured in the human diet for a large portion of our evolution, and its primal nature is one reason why I believe this food can assume some place within a ‘healthy’ diet of today. However, I am well aware that red meat is usually viewed as distinctly unhealthy fare, and […]
Healthy Eating
While my career path veered away from orthodoxy more than a decade ago, I remain a regular reader of the British Medical Journal. One thing I like about this particular publication is it’s ability to email-alert me to any nutritionally-related content. Recently, the BMJ published an editorial on the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) […]
Food and Medical Politics
As a result of increased awareness about the impact our diet has on health and concern about the some of the constituents of processed food, the Government has committed itself to more transparent food labelling. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) – the government body chiefly responsible for setting food policy in the UK – has […]
Healthy Eating
My attention was recently caught by research carried out in Kenya which shows that supplementing children’s diets with meat assisted their growth, and also led to improvements in their performance in problem-solving and intelligence tests. As a result of this and other research, the lead researcher of this study has described brining up children as […]
Healthy Eating
Whether we’re comfortable talking about it or not, I reckon most of us feel better for having a good dump each day. A diet rich in fibre is generally taken as a core component of bowel regularity, and drinking plenty of water is often recommended to help ensure fluid function in this department too. However, […]
Brain and Behaviour
Reports of exponential growth in the rates of obesity in UK children have led to renewed calls for more activity and exercise to be worked into their lives. However, while some children may be appear to be immobilised by an inherent inertia, others may have an altogether different problem: children suffering with attention deficit hyperactivity […]
Healthy Eating
In previous columns, I have expressed my enthusiasm for frequent feeding. One benefit of spreading out our food intake during the day is that it helps to equalise the body’s biochemistry. Also, by reducing the risk of the appetite running riot, regular ingestion can help quell a tendency to overeat too. Recently, British scientists have […]
Children's Health
1. Base your child’s diet on natural, unadulterated foods A healthy diet is one based on whole, unprocessed foods such as meat, fish, seafood, eggs, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and lentils. These ‘primal’ foods have been part of the human diet for extended periods during our evolution, and are therefore the foods to which, […]
Healthy Eating
The last decade or two has olive oil has received considerable attention from the nutritional community on account of its heart-healthy properties. The benefits this oil has for us have generally been ascribed to its high content of monounsaturated fat, which studies suggest effects changes in blood fat levels that reduce the risk of cardiovascular […]