Everyone Needs a Little Love…
A wise man once told me that “everyone needs a little love occasionally”. At the time, he was trying to console his young son through a difficult break-up, but that statement has never been more true.
It’s Not About The Diet
Stop pitting diets against each other. You’re missing the whole point.
We will probably be arguing about what and how we should eat for years to come. The over-riding factors seem to be a combination of uncertainty over what we think we know, and people’s desire to make money (and maybe help people). As an example, the “diet” book industry is worth millions of pounds, driven by confused people who are desperate to lose weight and (hopefully) be healthier. This confusion is amplified by the conflicting information churned out via social media. On top of that, people are inclined to promote and defend whatever dietary strategy got them their results. Though we may never have all the answers, what we are told often completely lacks (or flies in the face of) scientific evidence.
What If We Don’t Know What We’re Doing?
11 years ago I found out that I had passed my all my exams and was heading to Cambridge University, where I eventually specialised in Biochemistry. The first thing my dad said to me when I told him was: “Remember, this doesn’t mean that you actually know anything”. What I think he was trying to say was “congratulations” (and I’m sure he did say that as well). However, even now, I can hands-down say that this is the best advice I have ever been given.
Beating High Blood Pressure
Beat high blood pressure! I have been asked several times about approaches aimed at reducing high blood pressure without resorting to drugs. One of the best ways to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease is to prevent (or reverse) hypertension (high blood pressure). Importantly, there are many lifestyle changes that can improve blood pressure at least as well as drugs can, but with the added benefits of also preventing a number of other chronic diseases.
Are You In Control? Part 2
This is the second and final part of a series on what controls our food intake. Below, I’ll look at why we overeat, and how this increases our risk of obesity.
If you haven’t read the first part of this series, it is well worth your time, as I will build on information about hormones and the way we control food intake, which I introduced in that article.
Are You In Control? Part 1
One of the most interesting scientific papers to have been published recently has managed to fly under the popular media radar, despite throwing up a very important thought:
You are probably not in control of your food choices.
Lift Big, Sprint Short, Walk Daily
Recently I wrote about how to approach exercising for health. Regardless of age or previous level of physical activity, lifting, walking and sprinting have been shown to improve health and longevity.
Strive for Progression, Not Perfection
Have you ever sat down and just wondered why you even bother?
If so, it’s hardly surprising. Every day we are bombarded with reminders that we should be constantly striving to:
• Perform better at work, and earn more money.
• Be a better husband, wife, child, parent, and friend.
• Get more exercise, and lose weight.
• Eat more healthily. What constitutes “healthy” will also change almost daily.
Eat Food, Not Calories
Calorie counting doesn’t work. So just stop it. Now.
For many people, this may not be new. The internet is full of stories about how “a calorie is not a calorie”, and how inaccurate “counting calories” can be when trying to lose weight. However, we STILL get nonsense like this article in a magazine that claims to be for the benefit of women’s health.
It starts by telling you how your calorie counting probably isn’t getting you the fat loss you want, and how to count calories “better”. Elsewhere they even give us the great news of some cakes “under 200 calories”, and how many minutes we should spend on the treadmill to “burn off” various meals.
Science Cures Alzheimer’s
Not that long ago, the Internet told us about the “pill to cure Alzheimer’s”, which scientists had recently discovered. As usual, we can be safe in the knowledge that they found almost nothing of the sort.
HOWEVER, three recently published studies have received far less attention despite pointing towards a simple way to reduce the risk of dementia in old age. It’s free, and everyone can do it. Sleep.
