New Year, New Fad?
Happy New Year to you all! I hope you have all signed up for that detox, teatox, 30-day body blitz, clean-eating, low-carb, high protein, high-intensity boot camp, weight loss meal plan! And I almost forgot the vow to go vegan for January ‘Veganuary’ being widely advertised at every given opportunity before that New Year, new […]
What’s the catch with omega-3 fats?
If you type omega-3 into your search engine you will get a vast amount of information, as well as numerous companies advertising their supplements. But are these supplements recommended? And what do we need to eat to get omega-3 fats into our diets? Omega-3 is a family of fats that are important for health. Omega-3 […]
Sweeteners: Are they that bad for us?
There’s a lot of debate about artificial sweeteners and whether they’re harmful to our health. With strong opinions on both sides, it’s important to look at the scientific evidence. What Are Artificial Sweeteners? Artificial sweeteners are low-calorie or calorie-free substances used to replace sugar in foods and drinks. They’re commonly found in diet drinks, sugar-free […]
Wheat: Friend or Foe?
Confused by all the anti-wheat hype? Here’s the low down on the evidence behind whether or not wheat is for you. Grain-based foods, including wheat, are an important source of nutrients, such as B vitamins needed for cell metabolism and dietary fibre for gut health. In addition, any diet that unnecessarily restricts food groups can […]
Good Fats, Bad Fats And The Toxic Truth About Sugar
Cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and respiratory disease kill 35 million per year globally. In 2012, the UN advocated a new health goal of reducing avoidable deaths from non-communicable diseases by 25 per cent by 2025. It identified tobacco, alcohol and poor diet as central risk factors. The first two have been regulated by […]
Managing food allergies and food intolerances
Food Allergy and Food Intolerance are very hot topics. These are widely discussed in newspapers, magazines as well as scientific journals. One of the reasons for that is the fact that food allergies and intolerances are on the rise, and we are fairly certain you know someone who has an allergy or intolerance to food, […]
Lactose Intolerance versus Cow’s Milk Allergy in babies
Lactose Intolerance and Cow’s Milk Allergy are often confused, however they are very separate illnesses. Lactose intolerance This is when your baby has difficulty digesting lactose, the natural sugar found in cow’s milk. It is caused by low levels (or complete lack) of the enzyme lactase, which is needed to break down and digest lactose. […]
Bloating and your diet
Are You Bloating More Than Average? When the feeling of bloating strikes, it can become painful and a nuisance. Most people are likely to have experienced bloating at least once in their lifetime. For a large majority of us, it occurs randomly, perhaps after an indulgent weekend or during the festive season. But bloating is […]
Raised cholesterol, Saturated Fats and Sugar: Who is the culprit?
Fats have had a history of bad press in the last 40 years. In particular, saturated fats. Foods high in saturated fats include both savoury and sweet foods such as butter, lard, hard cheese, cream, fatty cuts of meat, sausages, pies, chocolate, cakes, biscuits and pastries. Saturated fats have been associated with increasing cardiovascular diseases […]
The Statin Dilemma
In my clinical practice I come frequently across the question ‘Should I start a statin doctor?’. This then leads to ‘How bad is my cholesterol doctor?’, ‘Do I need the statin or not doctor?’. I will start by giving you two examples: Example 1: One patient, 56 years old male, never smoked and is a […]
