Lifestyle Intervention is More Effective Than Drugs for Preventing Diabetes

More and more research is emerging to support the value of physical
activity and a healthy balanced diet as a part of your patients
programme. It is not always at the top of the list of changes to make
for your patients though. Maybe this can change their minds...

A pill for life? On yer bike...
In one study, 3234 non-diabetic patients with elevated glucose - a
high-risk population for developing diabetes - were assigned to either a
placebo, metformin or lifestyle modifications. Lifestyle intervention
was classified as a goal of at least 7% weight loss and at 150 minutes
of physical activity per week. The average length of time for follow-up
was 2.8 years. Results showed that after this time the incidence of
diabetes had been reduced by 58% in the lifestyle intervention group as
compared to the placebo whereas metformin group had reduced their
incidence of diabetes only 31%.1

This has been backed up by numerous other studies and one particular
study suggested that lifestyle interventions could reduce the incidence
of disease by 20% and delay the development of diabetes by 11 years as
compared to Metformin which only resulted in an 8% reduction in disease
and delayed onset of diabetes by 3 years.2

Another study of lifestyle interventions in people at high risk for type
II diabetes showed sustained lifestyle changes and a reduction in
diabetes incidence that remained after the individual lifestyle
counselling was stopped.

From the Nutri e-newsletter No. 113

Summer Survival Tips No.3 - Happy Snacking!

Healthy snacks are essential for energy-hungry children to keep them
going all day long without those blood sugar peaks and troughs. Here's
a round-up of some of the best snacks to offer your little angels this
summer!

*
Chopped fruit salad - Apples, grapes, strawberries, blueberries,
kiwi and pineapple all work well in fruit salads. Combining this with a
dollop of natural yoghurt will help to slow the release of the natural
fruit sugars to help promote stabilised energy levels.
*
Cereal bars - There are now some fantastic tasty cereal bars on
the market that combine oats with dried fruit and natural fruit juices
without any added sugar, sweeteners or anything nasty or artificial in
them. Organix cereal bars and Lyme Regis Fruitus Bars are probably two
of the best on the market at the moment and make a fantastic, portable,
healthy snack for your children (or yourself!).
*
Popcorn - We're not referring to the salt / sugar-laden popcorn
usually found in cinemas - this is the make-it-for-yourself-at-home
healthy version! Most health food shops sell packets of popping corn
that provides entertainment and nourishment all in one! Making your own
popcorn at home is so easy and one of those things that never ceases to
amaze children as the huge fluffy corn emerges out of the tiny kernel
with a loud 'pop'. You can eat it warm out of the pan completely
unadulterated or drizzle some molasses or manuka honey on top to
increase the nutrient value. Why not have a video screening at home
with real popcorn in the interval?!!
*
Veggies and Dips - Why not try making your own home-made houmous
or guacamole (with your children for a lovely messy activity!) and then
add some sliced carrot, pepper or celery sticks for lots of dipping.
This snack is bursting with lots of nutrients and excellent for blood
sugar balance.

*
Fruit kebabs - anything where children get involved with making
their own food is usually a huge hit so why not try chopping up lots of
different types of fruit on a large plate and let them make their own
fruit kebabs on wooden skewers (watch younger children with sharp
skewers). The more brightly coloured and varied you can make your
kebabs, the more nutritious they will be, packed full of vitamin C and a
powerhouse of antioxidants.
*
Toasted seeds with honey and soy sauce - Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in
a frying pan and add a mixture of sunflower and pumpkin seeds (120g) for
about 2 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the heat and add 1
tbsp honey and 1 tbsp soy sauce, return to the heat for 1 minute and
then leave to cool. This is an excellent snack for children to nibble
on and is packed full of those all-important essential fatty acids.
*
Grilled bananas on wholegrain toast drizzled with manuka honey -
this is rather a substantial snack, but you could cut it into smaller
squares for children to share as a tasty appetiser. Manuka honey is
fast gaining a reputation as a super food with its anti-bacterial
healing qualities now being recognised in some hospitals. Both
delicious and nutritious, manuka honey is an excellent food to include
in your children's diets.
*
Energy shake - liquidise together 1 ripe banana, ¼ pack silken
tofu (about 55g), ½ cup apple juice, 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, 1
tablespoon flaxseed oil and ½ level tablespoon lecithin granules to a
smooth consistency and drink straight away. This is a supremely
nutritious smoothie packed full of protein, vitamins, minerals and
essential fatty acids - almost a meal in itself - a delicious and
healthy snack!

From the Nutri e-newsletter No. 113

Generalised pain linked to low vitamin D levels in women

Dr. John Briffa writes in his e-newsletter:

In a past blog I wrote about how some individuals (usually women) present in practice with generalised pain in their bodies. Since getting interested in nutritional medicine, I discovered that the key underlying problem in many of these individuals was a deficiency of vitamin D. In practice, I have found that boosting vitamin D levels in these individuals often gives satisfying relief from chronic, generalised pain. I was therefore interested to read this week about a study which found that women suffering from generalised pain were at enhanced risk of vitamin D deficiency. For more on this study, as well as the sort of vitamin D levels that appear to be necessary to keep women pain-free, click this link

Two studies cast further doubt on the effectiveness of the BMI as a measure of health

Dr. John Briffa writes in his e-newsletter:

Previously I have written about the evidence which shows that the body mass index (BMI) is pretty useless for assessing health status. Problems here include the fact that it takes no account of the body's composition, nor where any excess fat may be distributed in the body. This week saw the publication of two studies which cast further doubt on the usefullness of the BMI. One of these found that significant numbers of people with BMIs in the "overweight" and "obese" categories were "metabolically healthy" as adjuged by measures such as blood pressure and blood fat levels. The other one also found that being "obese" is not necessarily a sign that all is not well within the body. This evidence provides further support for the notion that being "overweight" or "obese" is not necessarily a bad thing. For more on these studies, click this link.

Summer Survival Tips No.1 - First Up It's the Fruit Brigade!

The 'summer holidays' are here and we thought it might be helpful to
begin sharing a few foodie tips that might just help towards keeping
your children happy, calm and in tip-top shape all summer long......

First up, it's the best of the fruit brigade to feed your children:

Mangoes are a true wonder-food, loaded with beta-carotene, vitamin C and
E as well as phenols such as quercetin and small amounts of the full
spectrum of other vitamins and minerals. They are also an excellent
source of dietary fibre, which helps to eliminate wastes effectively
from the body and can relieve constipation. Mango hedgehogs are always
a (messy!) hit with children.

Pears make an excellent nutritious snack, rich in vitamin C and
potassium and although not well-researched scientifically, they are
considered to be one of the least likely foods to trigger an allergic
reaction. They are loaded with alkalising minerals, fibre and water,
all of which are helpful for poor digestion and constipation - symptoms
that often accompany food intolerances.

The saying 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' is now firmly grounded
in science and it is thus a good idea to encourage apples as part of
your child's staple diet. Apples are a wonderful source of fibre and
are perfect for a good gradual release of energy for children. If a
child finds eating a whole apple boring, why not try adding chopped
apple to fruit salad or cereal or try cooked apple for a change.

For a healthy, tasty snack try offering watermelons and / or orange
melons as they are a rich source of antioxidants and vitamin C. Try
blending watermelon, flesh and seeds, to make a quick refreshing drink
for your children and they will also get the nutrients that hide inside
the seeds such as zinc, which is essential for growth and immunity.

Kiwi fruits are fun for children to eat if you simply slice the top off
and let them scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon (just like a boiled
egg!). Weight for weight kiwis contain 50% more vitamin C than oranges
and that's just one of their immune-boosting antioxidants. They contain
other antioxidant phytonutrients, including flavonoids and carotenoids
and also contain potassium. Like most fruits kiwis are also a good
source of lubricating fibre.

Blueberries are increasingly renowned as a wonder-food and an appealing
fruit for little children. They are a dense concentration of
antioxidants such as vitamin C and anthocyanidins. The antioxidants in
blueberries have a particular propensity for protecting the eyes and the
skin and they may even help to support brain function.

Providing a variety of fruits is the key to a healthy diet, so use these
fruity tips along with your own favourites to provide as much variety as
possible; it's much healthier and they're much less likely to get bored too!

From the Nutri Supplement, No 111

Men with urinary symptoms may not have a prostate problem, but a nutrient deficiency

When a man has difficulty urinating, medical attention usually turns to his prostate gland. However, another possible cause of urinary symptoms is an "overactive bladder". Here, a prominent symptom tends to be "urgency", usually experienced as a strong desire to urinate quickly that can lead to some incontinence. My experience in practice is that this problem is usually related to a deficiency in a key nutrient. To discover which nutrient, and what other common manifestations a deficiency in it are worth looking out for, click this link.

From Dr. Biffa's Newsletter

Study confirms garlic's blood pressure reducing effect

Garlic is often promoted as having benefits for the cardiovascular system, and one mechanism by which it may exert some positive effects here is through an ability to reduce blood pressure. A previous review dating from 1994 yielded some encouraging results. Now scientists have brought the science up-to-date with a meta-analysis of all the relevant data including studies published since the last review. The results will make welcome reading to those who like to include garlic in their cooking or choose to supplement with this herb. For more on this, click this link.

From Dr. Biffa's Newsletter,

More dismal results from the great low-fat experiment

The low-fat dietary paradigm might be firmly entrenched in our collective psyche, but the evidence for any benefits from this way of eating is spectacularly thin on the ground. One example of this is the Women's Health Initiative trial in which tens of thousands of thousands of women were asked to consume their usual diet or a diet which, among other things, was lower in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Previously published results from this study revealed that, after about 8 years of low-fat eating, women were no better off in terms of cardiovascular disease or cancer risk. And they were not significantly lighter than their free-eating counterparts either.  Recently, further results were published from this study, this time the focus was diabetes. Can you guess the results? To have your worst suspicions confirmed, click this link

WARNING: Drinking too much water is bad for your health

Patrick Holford writes in his Health e-newsletter:

"Water is the body's most vital nutrient - and most people don't drink
enough. However, you can drink too much, as the recent case of a woman
who claims to have been advised to drink 5 litres of water on a dodgy
'detox' diet, and suffered brain damage for overhydration as a result,
illustrates.

Drinking 10 litres in an hour can even kill you.

Some ecstasy-related deaths have occurred due to people, paranoid about
dehydrating, actually overhydrating. This dilutes the blood and causes
water to flood cells and organs.Cells in the brain can then swell up,
increasing pressure inside the skull. If vital regions of the brain are
compressed this can cause symptoms ranging from headaches to problems
with breathing or seizures.

But equally dangerous is drinking too little.

Drinking eight glasses of water - the equivalent of about 1.5 litres
(2.75 pints) - makes an enormous difference to how you feel, especially
your energy and mental clarity. Water does help to dilute toxic
by-products of food metabolism in the blood, for elimination via the
kidneys, so drinking water helps support kidney function. It's also
important to keep your body hydrated so that toxins are not reabsorbed
into your body from the bowel.

In this hot weather 1.5 litres (2.75 pints) of water a day is really a
minimum, especially if you exercise, you will need this much water to
replace the liquid you are losing as sweat. The maximum amount of
liquids drunk should be equal to the amount the kidneys can reasonably
excrete in 24 hours, and in adults this is about 2 litres (3.5 pints)
per day.

So, be aware that drinking more than you need, which is about 1.5-2
litres (2.75-3.5 pints) a day under normal circumstances, isn't better
for you and may be worse".