Dr Briffa's Blog - A Good Look at Good Health
A health-focused blog that makes sense of science, and offers accurate, trustworthy and practical advice about all aspects of healthy living.
A major nutritional dictum over the last few years has been the importance of getting five portions of fruit and vegetables past our lips every day. Despite the consistency of this message, the latest statistics show that only one in seven of us make the mark in this respect. Recently, the Government has had a [...]
The last couple of decades have seen doctors place increasing emphasis on the diagnosis and treatment of the thinning bone disease known as osteoporosis. Public awareness of this condition is so great, it seems that practically every middle-aged or elderly female patient I see in practice asks me about it, whatever their primary complaint. One [...]
It won’t come as to much of a surprise that not all doctors share my enthusiasm for natural medicine. One common criticism other conventionally-trained medics have of complementary therapy is that it is unscientific and unproven. Personally, I would caution doctors against camping out on this particular high ground. The fact is, many medical practices [...]
As Valentine’s day approaches, many of us will be venturing into speciality chocolate shops in search of an edible token of affection for that special someone in our lives. Top-notch boxes of chocolates have a sexy and seductive image, and are a classic accompaniment to a bunch of red roses or a romantic meal à [...]
Before the advent of modern medicine, traditional methods of healing using food and herbs were all the rage. Despite the fact that such folk medicine has become overrun by high-tech and drug-oriented health care, a few homespun remedies survive. One natural concoction that appears to have endured is honey and lemon ” a traditional elixir [...]
The combined efforts of the pharmaceutical and food industries have done a good job of convincing us is that having too much cholesterol floating around our bloodstream is one factor that is sure to speed our demise: only 15 years ago practically no one had heard of cholesterol, and now many individuals seem as fluent [...]
Many natural health practitioners recognise the concept of body toxicity; a build-up of potentially poisonous substances in the system that may spawn problems such as fatigue, headache, spots and bad breath. The dietary excesses common over Christmas and New Year tend to be particularly toxin-inducing, and many see this time as a good opportunity to [...]
As New Year is almost upon us, some of us will be giving some thought to the resolutions traditionally made at this time. Many will spy their diet as a target for change, and a common tactic here is to strip out foodstuffs well known for their disease inducing or weight-inflating properties. Fat laden or [...]
In a few short days from now, many of us will be sitting down to a festive meal of turkey with all the trimmings. One common accompaniment to the traditional Christmas dinner is the Brussels sprout. The presence of this vegetable on our plate is no assurance that we will eat it though: the Brussels [...]
Most natural health practitioners are enthusiastic about the healing properties of water. Those in the know often stress the importance of keeping the body topped up with fluid, and generally advocate that eight or so glasses of water pass our lips each day. However, while there is often much talk of the need to supply [...]
