Nutrition
MOOD AND FOOD
The human gut (gastrointestinal tract) can be viewed as the petrol tank of the body, supplying the body with fuel (nutrients and energy). Like the rest of the body, your brain is always switched on and needs a constant supply of fuel, which comes from the food we...
HOW HEALTHY IS COFFEE ?
Coffee is the second most popular drink in the world, after water. People drink coffee for the taste and the boost provided by the caffeine. Although coffee drinkers usually don’t consciously think or care whether it is healthy or not, coffee has over time become a...
LEGUMES
Legumes make up a large variety of foods and refers to plants which develop their seeds in pods. Legumes come in different varieties, with even peanuts and soybeans forming part of the legume family. The varieties of legumes which have dry, edible seeds within a pod...
FOOD INTOLERANCE
Food intolerance – a digestive system response - and food allergies – an immune system response - are quite different from other adverse gut related conditions, such as food poisoning that results from spoiled or tainted food, which usually affects all people eating...
USE FOOD TO REDUCE INFLAMMATION
Persistent chronic inflammation has been linked to many major diseases, including heart diseases, diabetes, depression, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer. A growing number of studies that have shown that certain foods can fuel inflammation, while other foods can...
BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND BROCCOLI
Brussels sprouts and broccoli are reputably the most unpopular cousins of the cruciferous vegetable family. In terms of taste these two cousins may not be everybody’s favourite, but they are filled with large amounts of nutrients, with few calories. Brussels sprouts...
MINDFUL EATING
The four tried and trusted pillars of a healthy lifestyle – move more, stress less, love more and eat well – may not always yield the desired results in weight management. To augment the eat well part of one’s lifestyle, some people have benefitted from the practice...
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GENETIC MAKEUP, INSULIN SENSITIVITY AND TYPE OF DIET ON WEIGHT LOSS
Overweight or obese and wanting to lose weight? Which diet would be best to follow – a low-fat or low-carbohydrate diet? If you have a genetic predisposition to do better on one of these diets, what difference would it make? What role does your level of insulin...
COCONUT OIL – OVERHYPED?
The use of coconut oil to replace other fat and oils in the diet seems to have become very popular amongst the health conscious, due to claims such as it is fat burning and assists with weight loss, also raising the good HDL cholesterol in the body, and reducing...
The Ketogenic Diet
Your car uses either petrol or diesel to burn as fuel and cannot switch between the two without disastrous consequences. The human body, on the other hand, uses glucose as fuel, but is adaptable enough to be able to switch to fat as fuel when necessary. How does it...