Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
With its incidence predicted to double over the next decade, diabetes has attracted more medical and media attention of late. Last month, for instance, reports in the press appeared after doctors recommended more regular blood sugar levels checks for diabetics. Diabetes sufferers have also been urged to have more frequent assessment of a blood component […]
Observer Archive
In previous columns I have been overflowing with enthusiasm for the benefits to be had from drinking water. Many individuals find that keeping fluid levels topped up can stave off feelings of fatigue and lethargy, and research has linked increased water consumption with a reduced risk of a range of conditions including heart disease and […]
Food and Medical Politics
The relative popularity of low-carbohydrate diets such as ‘Atkins’ has led to slimmer profits for manufacturers of grain-based foods such as bread and pasta. In an effort to stem the loss Britain’s bread, flour and grain industries have recently joined forces to launch a weight loss plan which they have named the ‘Vitality Eating System’. […]
Healthy Eating
In my practice I see significant numbers of women who find that the presence of cellulite on their buttocks and thighs really gets under their skin. While it may not be their primary concern, many women are keen to do what they can to rid themselves of the puckered, orange-peely dermal distortion that is characteristic […]
Observer Archive
I have recently returned from a lecture stint in southern Ireland, where the recent ban on smoking in pubs, bars and restaurants was a hot topic of conversation. While I am generally resistant to the idea of Government’s interference in our personal habits, there is actually more than a whiff of evidence that forbidding smoking […]
Brain and Behaviour
I quite often see individuals in my practice who, despite the best of intentions, find themselves irresistibly drawn to eat none-too-healthy foods such as chocolate cake. I was therefore interested to read a recent study in which the additive nature of this oft-favoured food was assessed. Sophisticated scans revealed that the sight and taste of […]
Healthy Eating
It’s often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The morning meal provides solid fuel with which the body can re-ignite its energies after the lengthy overnight fast. Breakfast eating is associated with improved scholastic performance in children, and seems to boost brain power for significant numbers of adults too. In […]
Nutrients and Supplements
The success of The Darkness and the return of Starsky and Hutch and the Chopper bike have made me quite nostalgic for the seventies. Mind you, not everything about this era was good. These were the days, after all, when a glass of fruit juice or half a grapefruit might be found as starter options […]
Healthy Eating
In an effort to contain the ever-expanding levels of obesity in the UK, the Government is considering levying a tax on unhealthy foods such as those rich in fat. Perhaps not surprisingly, the so-called ‘fat tax’ has attracted some criticism from those keen to stay out of the clutches of the nanny state. Also, some […]
Healthy Eating
Despite some commitment to not watching bollocks telly, I recently found myself seduced into witnessing the glamour model Jordan and ex-Kitten Kerry McFadden make a right meal out of an assortment of creepy crawlies on ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!’ Watching these bosom pals’ theatrical attempts at downing some very unappetising cockroaches […]