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 …
STARCH LINGO: RAPIDLY DIGESTED STARCH, RESISTANT STARCH AND SLOWLY DIGESTED STARCH
Carbohydrates include the maltodextrins, starches and sugars that we are able to digest and absorb to provide our bodies with fuel such as glucose, plus dietary fibre that provides bulk for laxation and importantly is also a fuel for our gut microbiome. Starch is mostly found in traditional staple foods such as cereal grains, roots …
MICROBIOME LINGO: PREBIOTICS, PROBIOTICS AND SYNBIOTICS
Our microbiome is a collection of around 100 trillion bacteria (mostly), fungi and viruses that live both on the surface of our body’s and inside our gastrointestinal tract – from mouth to anus. A typical adult’s microbiome weighs around 1 kilogram, equivalent to some of our essential organs. Believe it or not, there are about …
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