Posts tagged “Diet”

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The ticking health time bomb, MSG

Posted on 12th August 2015 at 07:30

It never ceases to amaze us how little many people know – or seem to care – about the food they eat. And how willing they are to take on trust that whatever is on the shelves of their local supermarket is safe to eat and good for them. You wouldn’t believe how often we hear this from clients…

The subject of this week’s blog, MSG, is an excellent example of this. Those three little letters sound so innocuous, but is this really the case?

MSG – or mono sodium glutamate – is a form of salt added to foods during processing. Not only does it help to enhance the flavour of the food, but it also acts as a preservative, so extending its shelf life. Added to this it’s cheap to produce from fermented sugar beet.

Does making life easier now just make it harder in the long term?

Posted on 5th August 2015 at 07:30

Life, these days, seems to be a constant barrage of mixed messages.

On one hand we’re encouraged to take the easy option. To be more sedentary.

To use the lift rather than the stairs. Park the car as close as possible to our destination. Sit more, both at home and at work. In short, to utilise every device designed to save us time or effort.

On the other we’re told to be more active, with government backed recommendations on the amount of exercise to be taken each week.

Can I get all the nutrients I need from my food?

Posted on 17th June 2015 at 07:30

One of the most common questions we're asked by clients is whether it's worth taking a multi vitamin and mineral supplement. This is usually accompanied by an assurance that they're eating a healthy diet, although it's amazing how often this differs from our idea of a healthy diet (!). But let's leave that one for another day…

The widespread view – and one usually portrayed in the media – is that supplements are unnecessary. And, even worse, a waste of money. While we'd agree with the later in many instances – although not for the reasons you may think – these days even the healthiest of diets is unlikely to give all the nutrients needed for full health.

The ticking health time bomb, Microwaves

Posted on 8th April 2015 at 07:30

Like many other labour saving devices, microwaves are such an accepted part of modern life that few people give them a second thought. Providing hot food in only a few minutes, they seem to be the easy antidote to our busy lives. Not only saving time in preparing meals, but in clearing up afterwards too. What’s there not to like about them?

Despite this, concerns continue to be voiced about them and their impact on our health. So what are they – friend or foe?

So let’s go back to the beginning.

How do I know if I'm allergic to something?

Posted on 25th March 2015 at 07:30

With the Hayfever season rapidly approaching, allergies seem like the perfect topic for this week’s blog post.

Turn the clock back 10 or 15 years and allergies were rarely mentioned. Yet in the last decade or so, they’ve become increasingly common. It’s estimated that one in four people in the UK will suffer from an allergy at some time in their lives. And the number affected seems to be rising every year.

Do an internet search and you’ll find a truly bizarre list of allergies. Some are well known. Pollen and Hayfever. Dust and Asthma. Peanuts. Yeast. Milk – or more accurately, lactose. Others less so. False nails. Adhesive tape. Avocados. And our favourite, squirrel fur, which begs the question of how on earth researchers discovered this one!

The ticking health time bomb, Glyphospate, aka Roundup

Posted on 11th March 2015 at 07:30

In the first part of this occasional series, we focussed on antibiotics and the most common – but least recognised – source of them. The food we eat.

Today we keep the spotlight on food, but from a slightly different perspective. The chemicals conventional farmers rely on to produce it.

The farming we’re familiar with today – large fields of identikit crops – is a very recent phenomenon, dating back to the 1940’s and 1950’s. It relies heavily on chemicals – generically known as pesticides – to address every threat a crop may to face. Weeds competing for space and resources. Insects damaging or eating it. Plant diseases affecting yield or making the crop unsaleable.

Is sugar really public enemy number one?

Posted on 4th March 2015 at 07:30

Over recent years, sugar has been portrayed as public enemy number one. More addictive than cocaine. Linked to many health problems, particularly the increase in diabetes and insulin resistance in children and young adults. To be avoided at all costs.

But is it really that simple? If you‘re a regular reader of this blog, you won’t be surprised to hear that the answer is no (!); so let’s take a closer look at sugar.

We love asking people questions about things they take for granted. Watching their faces as they think about something for the first time.

Have you fallen for the milk myth?

Posted on 18th February 2015 at 07:30

Milk is such an integral part of most people’s diets, it almost feels like heresy to ask whether it really is a good thing for us. And, interestingly, we have exactly that response from some patients when we ask this question.

However that’s exactly what we’re going to do this week. So, get ready for a different take on our obsession with all things dairy.

Let’s go back to the beginning and ask a couple of really easy questions.

The ticking health time bomb, Antibiotics

Posted on 28th January 2015 at 07:30

Scarcely a day seems to go past without some reference to the latest health concern in the press. Diabetes. Obesity. Cholesterol. High blood pressure. ADHD. Sadly these are just a few examples. The list is a long one and getting longer by the day.

Whichever problem is under the spotlight, the process seems to be the same. Experts are tasked with pinpointing THE cause.

Treatments and medications are specifically developed for it. Lobby and patient groups are set up to bring it to people’s attention.

And in all this minutiae, the bigger picture is missed. The common links running through so many of our modern health problems.

Do coughs and sneezes really spread diseases?

Posted on 14th January 2015 at 07:30

As traditional as the Christmas festivities, breaking of new year’s resolutions (!) and January blues; is the upswing in coughs and colds as soon as everyone gets back to their normal routine.

Every January, around this time, we hear people making the same comments over and over again. About all the bugs doing the rounds. How generous people are in passing them on. And how bugs are “lurking out there” – wherever “there” is – just waiting to get them.

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