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iHeartRadioDrink tea and carry on
People all over the world have been drinking tea for centuries, and for good reason. A growing field of research has shown that tea has a role to play in reducing the risk of many chronic diseases. And on top of that, a good cup of tea has a real calming and relaxing effect – just what we need in these stressful times. So put the kettle on, sit back, and relax, as I explore in this latest podcast the health benefits of tea.
Links referred to in the podcast
Tea and risk of type 2 diabetes meta-analysis
Green tea and cancer prevention review
Green tea and weight loss review
Tea and risk of depression meta-analysis
Blueberries and heart health
Shedding light on vitamin D and your immune system
Vitamin D is well-known for its role in building strong bones. But increasingly, research is revealing the importance of vitamin D in protecting against a host of health problems. Serving a dual role as both a hormone and a vitamin, it is the sun that is the main source of vitamin D with few foods being reliable sources of it. In this podcast, I outline the key roles played by vitamin D, profile the growing number of health areas linked to it especially as it relates to immunity, and discuss how you can keep your vitamin D levels up. That last point is especially important in today’s times with self-isolation now trending as 2020’s word of the year.
Links referred to in the podcast
Vitamin D supplementation and acute respiratory infections
Gratitude and healthy eating
All things sweet: sugar and your health
Sugar. We eat too much of it, but how worried should you be about what it is doing to your health? While there can be considerable debate in many areas of nutrition science, along with conflicting recommendations on what we should eat, sugar is one food that everyone unites on in acknowledging that we eat too much of it. In this podcast, I explore the different ways that added sugar can sneak into food, explore the truths (and lies) about some of the health claims made about it, and give you tips on how to eat less of it – all with no ‘12-week sugar detox program’ needed.
Links referred to in the podcast
Sugar and body weight meta-analysis
Sugar and hyperactivity in kids meta-analysis
Whole fruit and energy intake
The science of soy: health, harms and hyperbole
Soy. It’s one of the most polarising of foods. A casual search of the Internet will uncover first one article lauding it for its health benefits, while the next article will class it as food of the devil with eaters of it condemned to a hell of hormone-related disease. To help you make sense of the conflicting messages about soy, I’ll dig deeper into some of the key health areas linked to eating soy foods. And then I’ll clarify just how much credence you should give to both the health claims and the health alarms about it.
Links referred to in the podcast
Umbrella review of soy and isoflavones consumption and health
Meta-analysis of soy and cardiovascular disease
Effect of soy on reproductive hormones in men
Effect of soy on thyroid function
Soy-based infant formula
Diet and cancer risk
Do you need that protein supplement?
The protein powder supplement market is big business. Popular in the world of sport where muscle growth is a priority, the marketplace is dominated by glossy pictures of cut models and an ever-expanding list of claims for how these products will pack on the muscle. So, do the bros at the gym have it right in that you need these supplements if you’re serious about the gainz, or could plain old boring ‘food’ do the same job? In this podcast, I dig deeper into the world of protein and muscle growth and see what the research says about protein supplements and then put this into context for what it means for the typical sportsperson.
Links referred to in the podcast
Review and meta-analysis of protein supplementation and muscle growth
Review of nutrient timing in exercise
Soy protein supplementation in resistance training
Pea protein supplementation in resistance training
Vegetarian versus omnivore athletes
Diet intervention in young adults with depression
Got iron? Foods, functions and insufficiencies
Iron. It’s one of our most important essential minerals and sits at the heart of oxygen transport and energy metabolism in the body. In this podcast, I put the spotlight on iron, outline its key functions and explore the food factors that control how much of it we absorb. Because iron deficiency ranks as one of the world’s most common nutritional disorders, I go into detail of the consequences of this, how deficiency is tested for and importantly, how it can be managed with diet and supplements.
Links referred to in the podcast
Iron status in vegetarians
MJA review of iron and vegetarian diets
Feeding vegetables to fussy eaters
Eating for two: you and your gut bacteria
There is nothing bigger in the world of nutrition and health at the moment than the gut microbiota. With potential far-reaching health implications, one of the best ways to keep your gut microbes happy is to feed them well. In this podcast, I look at some of the health areas being linked to the gut microbiota. And then explore in greater depth one area, which is that of body weight regulation as the focus for this episode. And then I’ll drill down into letting you know the types of foods and nutrients that feed your gut microbes best.
Links referred to in the podcast
Probiotic supplementation and weight loss
Change in microbiota with diet changes in African Americans
Rapid changes in microbiota with diet changes
How fermented foods benefit your health
Fermented foods are a hot food trend right now. But it has been an overnight success thousands of years in the making. In this first part of an ongoing series theme on all things gut health, gut bacteria and the gut microbiome, I explore the world of fermented foods, describe the popular ones and most importantly: look at what science has to say about their health benefits.
Links referred to in the podcast
Sauerkraut and IBS
Kimchi and blood lipids
Kefir and health benefits review
Sourdough bread and gut discomfort
Association between gut microbiota and personality
Dairy and bone health review 2018
Dairy and bone health review 2019
Coffee and its surprising health benefits
Coffee. For some, it is deserving of its own essential food group. But is coffee more than just a way to achieve functioning human capacity first thing in the morning? You may have seen media headlines in the past warning about health risks of coffee. But now that the science has matured, coffee turns out to be one of the most surprisingly positive health stories of recent years. Forget about the latest superfood trend, coffee is where it is at. In this podcast, I’ll look closer at those health benefits and give you the validation you’ve been seeking to justify your caffeine habit.
Links referred to in the podcast
Review of coffee and health
Caffeine use in Parkinson’s disease
Sports Dietitians Australia fact sheet on caffeine
Caffeine and the risk of miscarriage
Intermittent fasting in sport
Blue Zones: secrets of the world’s long-lived
What’s the secret to a long, healthy life? The answer here does not lie in exotic Himalayan berries, green smoothies, or jumping on the latest fad diet bandwagon. Instead, take a step back and learn from the habits of those in the world who already have the answer. Called ‘Blue Zones’, these are areas in the world where more people enjoy remarkably longer, healthier lives than anywhere else on the planet. In this podcast episode, I’ll outline their key health habits and of course bring in what science has to say about it and then put it practical terms for how to implement this in your own life.
Links referred to in the podcast
Fruits, vegetables and happiness
Diet and telomere length
The user’s guide to intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is currently one of the world’s most popular health trends. Characterised by alternating periods of food absence followed by periods of normal eating, promoters of intermittent fasting claim that it is the ‘metabolic key’ to unlocking weight loss, reducing inflammation, cutting the risk of diabetes and heart disease and maybe….even extending your life. This show covers what intermittent fasting is, how to do it, and what the evidence says about that long list of health claims.
Links referred to in the podcast
Intermittent fasting vs traditional dieting for weight loss
Review of the effects of intermittent fasting on health, ageing and disease
Fasting during cancer treatment
Children’s food choices after watching a healthy cooking show
Making sense of nutrition confusion
If you want to be less confused about just how to make sense of conflicting nutrition messages that you hear about each day then you’ve come to the right place. In this podcast, I’ll unpack what makes nutrition appear to be such a confusing area. But importantly, I’ll help set you straight in knowing how to make sense of it all.
Links referred to in the podcast
Industry conflict of interest in research
Review of dietary patterns and health
Avocado and oxidised LDL clinical trial