2nd January 2019
juice cleanse

Why I’ll never do a detox

It’s January and as sure as night follows day or hangover follows NYE, everywhere you look there are detoxes. Detox diet plans, detox fasts, detox juices and detox supplements. What’s the juice on these plans and why would I never do one? Science or sales patter? The first thing about detox plans, whatever they are selling (and make no mistake, this is all about product sales and marketing with scant regard for any actual science), is that hardly any actually explain what a “toxin” is, let alone how their product will eliminate  or ‘flush’ it from your body. If they do offer a scientific (or more accurately pseudo-scientific) explanation, it often differs from one brand to the next and few […]
17th August 2017
protein

In defence of protein

Lately, I’ve seen a fair few articles raising concerns over the amount of protein in our diets.  In fact, I googled “Are we eating too much…” and the most popular predicted next words were “protein” and “meat”.  Are we really eating too much protein?  How much do we really need?  Do some people need more?  Does it really damage our kidneys and bones and give us cancer?  Here’s the lowdown on all things protein-based.   Quality AND quantity   Protein is one of the three macronutrients (the other two being carbohydrate and fat).  It’s made up of smaller units called amino acids, of which there are around 20, with 9 being essential in the diet as our body cannot make […]
31st December 2016

Why New Year diets don’t work

I’m sure we’ll all be happy to see 2016 consigned to the compost bin of time but is Jan 1st 2017 the best time to decide to lose weight with the new diet trend you read in a blog?  I’m all for making healthier choices but while these popular diets might offer initial success, you’ll find the weight loss tapering off and unhealthy habits creeping back in.  Here’s why most fad diets fail.   What happens when you diet? Generally, you reduce the number of calories you eat and often you eat lots of new healthier foods like vegetables, salads, high protein and high fibre foods and cut out foods with lots of added sugar and salt.  You may exclude […]
22nd August 2016

What happened to the Childhood Obesity Strategy?

The recently published Government report on Childhood Obesity made for disappointing reading for most health campaigners with criticism being levelled at the reduction of a 50-page document to 10 pages of suggestions and proposals, issued in the parliamentary recess, in the middle of the Olympics, while ministers were away and therefore unable to discuss the content in parliament.   Overall, there were numerous key omissions versus last year’s Public Health England recommendations, notably on supermarket price promotions and marketing but also in the area of early years’ nutrition.  Why is this important?   PHE’s evidence-based report showed that marketing, whether via TV, brand characters, advergames or product placement within the supermarket, can influence children’s food preferences in favour of less […]