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Low-carbohydrate diet shown to have considerable potential to protect against type 2 diabetes

By on 4 July 2014 in Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome, Healthy Eating, Low-Carbohydrate

Type 2 diabetes is a condition characterised by generally elevated levels of blood sugar (glucose), usually as a result of ‘insulin resistance’ (insulin not doing its blood sugar-lowering job very well). Between a state of health and type 2 diabetes, the medical profession has defined a state known as ‘impaired glucose tolerance’ (IGT). Here, insulin […]

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Update on my complaint about the NHS Choices article on carbohydrate: more questions than answers

By on 22 May 2014 in Food and Medical Politics, Healthy Eating, Low-Carbohydrate, Unhealthy Eating!

In February, I wrote a blog post which aimed to draw attention to, in my view, the bias and lack of balance in an article on the NHS Choices website entitled ‘The Truth About Carbs’. I complained about this article, and had filled out the requisite form here. You’ll see that any complaint can be […]

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I complain to NHS Choices website about its stance on carbs. 2 months later and still no response…

By on 20 February 2014 in Food and Medical Politics, Low-Carbohydrate

Back in December, I wrote a blog post about this article on the NHS Choices website. In short, I felt the ‘article’ put a very biased, unbalanced and potentially misleading case for carbohydrate in the diet. The day after writing the blog post, I decided I would make a formal complaint about the article to […]

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Can we trust the NHS and dieticians to tell us the truth about diet?

By on 20 December 2013 in Healthy Eating, Low-Carbohydrate, Unhealthy Eating!, Weight Loss

On twitter, someone recently drew my attention to this article on the UK’s NHS (National Health Service) Choices website regarding dietary carbohydrate. Entitled ‘The Truth About Carbs’ it starts: “Carbs” has become a dirty word in recent times, especially in the weight loss world, due in no small part to the popularity of low-carb diets […]

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Study suggests that cutting back on sugar and starch may preserve mental functioning as we age

By on 25 October 2013 in Brain and Behaviour, Cholesterol and Statins, Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome, Low-Carbohydrate

I suspect many individuals dread the idea of losing their mental faculties as they age. I think nutrition probably plays a very important role in how well the brain ages and how well its functioning is preserved. This week saw the on-line publication of a study that suggests that a key factor here may be […]

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Why does adding ‘calorific’ nuts to the diet not usually cause weight gain?

By on 11 October 2013 in Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome, Healthy Eating, Low-Carbohydrate, Weight Loss

Much of our thinking about weight control has been dictated by the calorie principle – the idea that our body weight is determined by the balance of calories taken into and burned by our bodies. Within this overarching concept, calorific foods tend not to be favoured. One food that falls foul here is nuts. Just […]

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New study suggests specific phasing of food can help women with PCOS

By on 15 August 2013 in Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome, Low-Carbohydrate, Women's Health

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a condition characterised by multiple cysts in the ovaries which can impair ovulation and therefore fertility. One common feature of the condition is raised levels of the ‘male’ hormone testosterone, which can lead to ‘masculinising’ side effects such as ‘hirsutism’ (abnormal, excessive hair growth), scalp hair loss, and acne. Another […]

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Low-carb diets can help maintain the metabolism after weight loss

By on 15 May 2013 in Healthy Eating, Low-Carbohydrate, Unhealthy Eating!, Weight Loss

With rates of overweight and obesity generally on the up, it’s perhaps no surprise that many of us will seek to lose weight at one time or another. My experience is that the great majority of people who want to lose weight will be able to, but the issue can be the sustainability of that […]

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Do low-carb diets really make people sleepy?

By on 9 May 2013 in Brain and Behaviour, Low-Carbohydrate

I came across this story today. Published yesterday in the Daily Mail, it reports research in which, apparently, high-fat meals were found to induce sleepiness in individuals, compared to high-carb ones. I have looked for this study on-line and can find no trace of it (only references to it). What this sometimes means is that […]

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BBC journalist appears disinterested in the science on low-carbohydrate eating

By on 19 April 2013 in Low-Carbohydrate

Recently, I had a request from a BBC journalist to contribute to a piece on low-carbohydrate diets. Here’s her request: Essentially, I am really after the evidence as to whether the Atkins (and other low-carb diets) work (as a diet, and also are they good for our health?) – are you able to summarise the […]

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