BLOOD PRESSURE: IS THERE MORE TO IT THAN SALT?
Achieving and maintaining optimal blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure levels will reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD) like heart disease and stroke which are two of the biggest killers, globally. While there is good evidence that blood pressure is affected by the type and amount of carbohydrate consumed (i.e. glycemic index and …
HEALTHY AGEING?
Source: López-Otín et al. The hallmarks of aging. Cell. 2013 Scientifically, ageing is broadly defined as the time-dependent biological functional declines that affect most living things after they reach adulthood. However, humans don’t become elderly or old at any specific age, and age can be expressed in several different ways: Chronological age – simply a …
INSULIN AND GLUCAGON: THE DYNAMIC DUO OF BLOOD GLUCOSE REGULATION
Most people have heard of insulin and have a rough understanding of its essential functions. The same cannot be said about glucagon, however. Both are secreted by the pancreas, an un-loved but vital organ. The pancreas The pancreas is located behind the stomach in the upper left part of the abdomen. It is surrounded by …
WHAT EXACTLY IS DIABETES REMISSION?
Source: Nick Youngson, CC BY-SA 3.0, Pix4free.org Historically, a number of terms have been used to describe what is now known as type 2 diabetes remission, including ‘diabetes resolution’, ‘diabetes reversal’, and/or ‘cure’. Recently, a group of North American and European scientists recommended that ‘diabetes remission’ is the most appropriate term, as it strikes the …
‘ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS’ – PROBLEMATIC FOODS OR PACKAGING?
Prospective cohort studies have found associations with high consumption of ‘ultra-processed foods’ and increased risk of overweight, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, breast cancer, cardiovascular diseases (e.g., heart disease and stroke) and all-causes of death (mortality). Authors of these studies have suggested many potential reasons for these associations: Compared to minimally-processed foods and drinks, …
THE OKINAWAN DIET: JAPANESE EQUIVALENT TO THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET
While the Mediterranean diet (Med-diet) is healthy and enjoyable for many, the eating pattern may not be ideal for everyone for a variety of reasons, including, importantly, food culture and traditional food preferences. People living in South-East Asia, for example, have traditionally enjoyed low fat, high carbohydrate eating patterns for millennia, and switching to a …
DIET AND CANCER
Cancer is a generic term for a group of diseases that can affect essentially any part of the body. Other terms commonly used are malignant tumours and neoplasms. A defining feature of cancer is the rapid creation of abnormal cells that grow beyond their usual boundaries, and which can then invade adjoining parts of the …
THE THERMIC EFFECT OF FOOD
Weight gain, whether intentional or not, generally occurs over long periods of time, as habitual energy intake exceeds our bodies’ requirements. Because the process for most of us is a relatively slow one (e.g., on average 0.5 kg or 1.1 pounds per year), factors that influence energy balance, even modestly, may be clinically important over …
HOW TO ENJOY A MODERATE GLYCEMIC LOAD DIET
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SWEET HISTORY
“Sugar and spice and everything nice that’s what little girls are made of…” Robert Southey Long before the recent association of sugar with words such as “toxic” or “poison”, sugars and sweetness were used as terms of endearment or affection amongst people of all ages: Cupcake Honey (bun / pie) Peaches Sugar bun / babe …
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