Blaming weight gain on a slow metabolism is a common catch cry from many struggling to lose weight. Most people though would be better blaming the food they’re eating, or the exercise they’re not doing, as the real culprit. First, let’s consider the term ‘metabolism’. It means the process by which the body converts food […]
Caffeine shows promise in Parkinson’s disease
A novel study just published in the journal Neurology has found that people with Parkinson’s disease given a daily dose of caffeine gained improvements in their movement symptoms. Medical researchers have known for some time that people who drink coffee have a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, but such observations cannot prove if there […]
Weighing in on the best diet for weight loss
In the search for the solution to the growing waistlines of Australians, many popular diets have been tried and eventually discarded. So what is the best diet for weight loss? There are literally hundreds of dieting books and programs to choose from, with many popular ones substantially departing from mainstream nutrition and medical advice. So […]
Using stealth to eat more vegetables
It’s not just in the world of warfare that stealth technology is being employed. The idea of stealth has now been applied to the humble vegetable. Covertly adding puréed vegetables into foods can not only increase the nutritional quality of the meal, but also help reduce the amount kilojoules eaten which is good news for […]
Green light for nuts during pregnancy
Avoiding peanuts during pregnancy is a common precaution that many expecting mothers take even though current public health recommendations show there is no need for this. New research just published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology not only endorses the safety of eating nuts during pregnancy, but links peanut exposure to less allergies […]
Hot chocolate: a tasty brain booster
A new study, published in the high profile journal Hypertension, has given a tantalising hint into how cocoa, found in drinks like hot chocolate, may protect against cognitive decline. As we age, the body does not perform as well as it did in our youth. Declining brain function, which is termed cognitive impairment, is probably […]