The chemical imbalance myth: by Chris Kresser This is a wonderful article that Chris Kresser first published on his blog, The Healthy Skeptic, a little over a year ago. I linked to it at the time, but knowing that many people don’t follow links I asked him if I could republish it here and he graciously allowed me to share it. by Chris Kresser The chemical imbalance myth “A theory that is wrong is considered preferable to admitting our ignorance.” – Elliot Vallenstein, Ph.D. The idea that depression and other mental health conditions are caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain is so deeply ingrained in our psyche that it seems almost sacrilegious to question it. Direct-to-consumer-advertising (DCTA) campaigns, which have expanded the size of the antidepressant market (Donohue et al., 2004), revolve around the claim that SSRIs (the most popular class of antidepressants) alleviate depression by correcting a deficiency of serotonin in the brain. Other SSRI advertising campaigns make similar claims. It is, after all, a neat theory.
EndoBarrier Treatment | National Obesity Surgery Centre Our Practice The National Obesity Surgery Centre (NOSC) is the leading provider of weight loss surgery and treatments in the United Kingdom. NOSC combines the power of fourteen of the UK’s finest hospitals with sixteen of the most skilled and experienced consultant surgeons in the country. Our experience is unrivalled, we offer numerous weight loss and diabetes treatment options (both surgical and non-surgical), and provide advanced technologies like the EndoBarrier® treatment for diabetes and weight loss. NOSC surgeons must meet our own documented standards of care insuring you receive the safest and highest level of care available. Learn More Type 2 DIABETES & WEIGHT LOSS The Dual Challenge UK residents living with type 2 diabetes are in a constant struggle to manage their health. Type 2 diabetes tends to get worse over time and can lead to serious health complications. Learn More About Endobarrier Introducing EndoBarrier® Therapy. Learn More
Is Sugar Fattening? Buckle your seat belts, ladies and gentlemen-- we're going on a long ride through the scientific literature on sugar and body fatness. Some of the evidence will be surprising and challenging for many of you, as it was for me, but ultimately it paints a coherent and actionable picture.Introduction: What Exactly are Sugar and Starch? In this post, I'll be using the word 'sugar' to refer to three things: 1) sucrose, or table sugar, 2) high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and 3) fruit and honey sugars. Sucrose is composed of one molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose, linked together, and it is therefore 50:50 glucose:fructose. When you eat sucrose, this bond is rapidly broken, releasing free glucose and fructose, which are then absorbed. Glucose is the form of carbohydrate that predominates in the blood, and along with fatty acids, it's one of the two primary fuel sources for the body. Primate and Human Evolutionary History with Sugar Observational Studies in Humans Conclusions
New Study Demonstrates that Sugar has to be Palatable to be Fattening in Mice Dr. Anthony Sclafani's research group just published a study definitively demonstrating that high palatability, or pleasantness of taste, is required for sugar to be fattening in mice (1). Dr. Mice and rats love sweet food and drinks, just like humans. The investigators showed that mice lacking these proteins have a normal food intake and body fatness when fed standard lab chow, but unlike normal mice both mutant strains are almost completely resistant to fat gain when given a sugar solution. But here's the coup de grace. Our results suggest that nutritive solutions must be highly palatable to cause carbohydrate-induced obesity in mice... I couldn't imagine a better way to test this hypothesis, and even I wouldn't have expected such a striking outcome. * Reward. Palatability is a related concept-- it is simply the pleasantness of a food; how much a person enjoys eating it. The reward system is what motivates you to get food and put it to your lips, every time you eat.
Action for Happiness Food Nutrition Facts - Healthy Living Tips at WomansDay Every child has heard the healthy-eating mantra "You are what you eat." But there may be a closer resemblance between good-for-you grub and your body than you thought. We found 10 foods that mirror the body parts they provide nutrients for—for example, brain-boosting walnuts actually look like a brain. Coincidence? Maybe. 1. Slice a carrot in half crosswise and it's easy to see that the veggie resembles an eye—look closely and you'll even notice a pattern of radiating lines that mimic the pupil and iris. 2. The folds and wrinkles of a walnut bring to mind another human organ: the brain. 3. Long, lean stalks of celery look just like bones—and they're good for them, too. 4. The lightbulb shape of an avocado looks like a uterus, and it supports reproductive health as well. 5. Studies have offered evidence that clams, which bear a resemblance to testicles, are actually good for the male sex organs. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Thankfully, not all doctors buy into drug company marketing hype We doctors often like to think of ourselves as knowing and rational but we’re fallible and sometimes gullible just like everyone. Just look and see how easily we lap up drug-industry sponsored research and PR relating to all ‘wonder-drugs’ and other advances. Often, drugs are licensed and marketed on the basis of their impact on what are known as ‘surrogate markers’ such as blood pressure, blood sugar levels or cholesterol levels. However, even when a drug appears to benefit health, its benefits will almost certainly be touted on the basis of its ability to lower ‘relative risk’ of something. However, not all doctors are taken in by this sort of guff. Suddenly, the firepower of statins looks less like a bazooka and more like a peashooter. In my view, one of the best ways to calculate the true value of a drug or treatment is via the ‘number needed to treat’ (NNT). I’ve made up the figures quoted above for ease of example, but in reality they are not far from the truth.
A brief guide to healthy snacking I came across this story today which refers to a study conducted by psychologist Brian Wansink and his team at Cornell University in the US. Professor Wansink is the author of the book ‘Mindless Eating’, and has a special interest in the often-unconscious factors that determine what and how much we eat. If you haven’t read his book, I thoroughly recommend it. In this experiment, individuals were allowed to eat Pringles-type potato chips from a tube. they call attention to and encourage better monitoring of eating they suggest smaller consumption (portion size) norms they break automated eating sequences by introducing a pause All of this makes sense, but what practical tactics exist for ensuring snacking does not turn into excessive eating or gorging? Out of sight… Back in September 2010 I wrote a blog post about combating ‘mindless eating’ by ensuring that snack foods are not kept visible. Don’t buy it If it’s not there, you can’t eat it. Go nuts A bit at a time
US blogger sues dietetic body for ‘attempting to curtail his freedom of speech’ Steve Cooksey is a regular guy. Awhile back, he was taken sick and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He decided to take matters into his own hands by educating himself about how best to help himself, and ended up eating a low-carbohydrate/paleo/primal diet (meat, fish, nuts and veggies, mainly) and taking more exercise. Steve has a website here. Here’s a little video which summarises the situation: Anyway, it seems that Steve is not taking the Board’s warnings lying down. There’s more than a whiff here of the North Carolina Board of Dietetics and Nutrition wanting to protect its patch. The Board and bodies like them may well see Steve Cooksey as a threat to their profession.
Interviewing Doctors, Researchers, Scientists, Bloggers and More. | The Livin La Vida Low-Carb Show Aussie health podcasters and Paleo enthusiasts Sarah Stewart, Steve Hayter, and Dr. Brett Hill are our special guest co-hosts in Episode 805 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show.” Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:05 — 28.5MB) We go all the way down to the land down under of Australia today with Sarah Stewart, Steve Hayter and Dr. Brett Hill from the “That Paleo Show” iTunes podcast guest hosting today’s episode. Join in on the “That Paleo Show” LLVLC 30 Day Challenge: Listen to Sarah, Steve and Dr. NOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: LINKS MENTIONED IN EPISODE 805 - SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR: Glycosolve with berberine and banaba leaf - SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR: Get the brand new Dark Chocolate Orange ChocoPerfection Bars - Sarah Stewart on Twitter - Steve Hayter on Twitter - Dr. TRANSCRIPT: Hi Everyone, Welcome to another awesome episode of Jimmy Moore’s Livin La Vida Low- Carb. Here’s the thing, the next 30 days are going to happen regardless, that’s a fact.
What Are Your 4 Pounds Made Of? People generally eat between 3 and 5 pounds of food each day. If we prioritize natural, whole foods, the 4 pounds we choose will fill us up while boosting health and lowering body fat. If we choose “junk food”… I don’t know what you had for lunch today, but I had 18 apples. What do you think of that? But check this – a typical fast food value meal has the same amount of calories as 18 apples. 18! Not pretty. Yet I’ve had buddies knock back 2 value meals while watching Monday Night Football. What does this tell me? Remember: Real food regulates appetite – so you don’t overeatReal food controls blood sugar/insulin – so you can avoid energy swings and diabetesReal food provides the best nutrition – so you can remain healthy for lifeReal food has a sane amount of energy – so that you can’t accidentally overeatReal food has a longstanding relationship with our body – so that our bodies know what to do with it Energy density This leads me to the world of energy density. Seeing a trend?
INTRODUCTION TO THE PALEOLITHIC DIET by Dr. Ben Balzer, family physician There are races of people who are all slim, who are stronger and faster than us. They all have straight teeth and perfect eyesight. Arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, depression, schizophrenia and cancer are absolute rarities for them. The diet is usually referred to as the "Paleolithic Diet" referring to the Paleolithic or Stone Age era. The basic principles of the Paleolithic Diet are so simple that most high school students can understand them. All major dietary components are covered- (i.e. vitamins, fats, protein, fats, carbohydrates, antioxidants and phytosterols etc). For millions of years, humans and their relatives have eaten meat, fish, fowl and the leaves, roots and fruits of many plants. Around 10,000 years ago, an enormous breakthrough was made- a breakthrough that was to change the course of history, and our diet, forever. · they could store for long periods (refrigeration of course being unavailable in those days)
Raspberry - Rubus idaeus | Medicinal use, description and other useful informations about Raspberry RASPBERRYRubus idaeus Common name: RaspberryLatin name: Rubus idaeusOther names: European Raspberry, Framboise, Red Raspberry.Family: RosaceaeHabitat: Raspberry is native to temperate regions of the world - Europe and northern Asia. It can usually be found in rich, moist forests, under trees and in denser stands in clearings. Description: Raspberry is a low perennial, deciduous plant. Traditional Medicine Mouse-over image