The start of 2014 has seen a tragic, but sadly predictable discussion around Australia about lives lost or hanging in the balance due to violence. All of the high-profile cases involved alcohol. These are the tip of a horrifying iceberg. Family violence, intimate partner violence, child abuse, gang violence, sexual assault, bullying and many other […]
Category Archives: Health and Well-being
I really feel for the public today. Constantly bombarded with conflicting nutrition messages and sensationalist health warnings about particular foods or nutrients. Sugar is toxic. Wheat is the devil incarnate. We are designed to eat like our Palaeolithic ancestors. Glycaemic index is the key to health. Intermittent fasting is the best way to lose weight. […]
In my last blog for the year, I thought I would tie in a Christmas theme and what better way than by unpicking Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol as a wonderful case study in vitamin D deficiency. Read on for more. A Christmas Carol is a classic tale describing the life of the miserly Ebenezer […]
Kale is the ‘superfood’ du jour. Is kale a true superfood that leaves all others in its dust, or is it a case of hype over substance? The truth lies in a little from column A and a little from column B. Kale is a leafy green vegetable which is part of the cruciferous vegetable […]
Resisting the temptation to take the lure of an all-you-can-eat buffet as a personal challenge is enough to test the willpower of even the most nutrition-conscious person. Now scientists have found that the order you put food on your plate can influence the likelihood of what other foods you’ll follow up with. Buffets are a […]
Beetroot juice is now high on the list of popular sports supplements. So why are athletes necking down this purple concoction and importantly, is it doing them any good? With more research coming out than ever before supporting its use, there may just be some merit to moving this sports supplement out of the ‘fad’ […]
People who take weight loss supplements are less likely to control other areas of their diet – a well-described psychological effect known as moral licensing. Weight loss supplements are big business despite most of them having little evidence to support their miraculous weight-loss claims. Fat burners, fat blockers, metabolism boosters, and appetite suppressants – these […]
Weight-loss programs focussed on positive behavioural changes typically include self-monitoring of diet, physical activity and body weight as a cornerstone component. The effectiveness of self-monitoring in these programs has undergone close scientific scrutiny. Many programs that aim to promote weight loss through gradual lifestyle changes incorporate behaviour-change strategies such as self-monitoring as a key element. […]
A behaviour change program focussed on learning to stay present in the moment and to let thoughts and feelings go has shown promise in treating symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder with symptoms ranging from abdominal bloating, pain, flatulence, diarrhoea and altered bowel habits. The cause of […]
800×600 ‘Diets don’t work’ – how many times have you read and heard that? Yet this one simple statement has stood the test of time. At any time, a large proportion of the population is on some form of diet, yet waistlines are still expanding. With new fad diets emerging all the time, it is […]