Sweeteners, are they really that bad for us?
There is a lot of controversy over the use of sweeteners and many people have an opinion over what they think about them. Below is a small summary of some of the recent evidence. Artificial sweeteners are low-calorie or calorie-free chemical substances that are used instead of sugar to sweeten food and drinks. They are […]
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. […]
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 […]
Oil Fish And Omega 3- Right amount?
As people are becoming more and more health conscious, nutrition and supplementation are often topics that come up during GP consultations. “So what about oil fish – how much and how often?” they will ask. Well, for a start, fish is a good source of protein and, relative to other protein foods such as red […]
