Kwabs - Wrong or Right

I saw this guy for the first time on Later with Jules Holland, I liked hope you do too.
 Graham

Bob Blakeley - Cry Me A River

Bob Blakeley sung Cry Me A River on 'The Voice' and no one voted for him. Thanks to Mike Batt, Bob has recently released an album called Performance. I just love this music. 

 

All the best Jan

The Furey's and Davey Arthur - when you were sweet sixteen

Saturday night again and music night. Believe it or not, this cynical old git was many years ago an innocent, well near to. All I wanted was a job and a nice girlfriend. This is an old favourite. Eddie

Active Kids - Happy Kids

Here in the UK it’s been half term week and our schools have been closed. Hopefully the school children, teachers and all support staff have enjoyed a well deserved break. True this past weeks weather hasn’t been the best, and even in Monaco, last weekend for the Monaco Grand Prix, it wasn’t superb weather …although I’m sure everyone who went and took in the atmosphere of the Grand Prix had a fantastic time … and if you were looking out for me and Eddie sorry we didn’t make it there ! LOL

We’ve had a good week doing some blogging, of course, but also relaxing and spending time with family and friends.

History has been repeating itself as it does with many families. The grandchildren are all into a variety of sport and activities, and like parents before them our children are discovering ‘Active Kids are Happy Kids’, and taking their children (our grandchildren) to various activities. Between the five grandchildren some of the activities they enjoy are Ballet, ‘Twinkle toes’ (Dance and Music for Pre School), Art Club, Cubs, Swimming, Cycling, Football, Playing video games, reading books ….and generally having fun. Yes, it is important to get the mix right because we all need time to ‘blob out’ as I call it and sit quietly ….even if for a short while.

I love watching them enjoy themselves, I love walking with them, playing with them, reading with them YES you could say I LOVE THEM DEARLY it’s true! Each one with his or her personality and it’s great.

We’ve even been ‘On the Road to Rio’ and enjoyed a mini football tournament complete with medal presentation. Or simply enjoyed ourselves. A trip to a circus was memorable the clowns hilarious and the grandchildren thought it great fun.

Memories, special moments ….. you can’t beat it, besides which I like being active too. But tonight I will be sitting down enjoying a great LCHF dinner and a delicious dessert of strawberries and double cream which funnily enough the grandchildren love too.

All the best Jan

Mediterranean Chicken Tray Bake

Well I wish I could say that here in the UK we were experiencing some Mediterranean weather …but this past week has been a mixed bag of weather. It’s what we Brits have come to expect and we just love talking about the weather ….. or maybe good low carb food which does not spike blood sugar levels ! Now this is a lovely, simple and reasonably priced meal that tastes great.

 

Ingredients - Serves Four

2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks
1 red onion, cut into wedges
2 tsp olive oil
4 skin-on chicken breasts
½ x 150g pack full-fat garlic & herb soft cheese
200g pack cherry tomatoes
handful black olives

 

Method
1.Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
2.Mix the peppers and onion on a big baking tray with half the oil.
3.Transfer to the oven and cook on the top shelf for 10 mins.
4. Meanwhile, carefully make a pocket between the skin and the flesh of each chicken breast, but don’t pull off the skin completely.
5.Push equal amounts of cheese under the skin, smooth the skin back down, brush it with the rest of the oil, season, then add to the tray along with the tomatoes and olives.
6.Return to the oven and cook for 25-30 mins more, until the chicken is golden and cooked.

 

The carbs per serving is 9. So a great, meal if you are living the LCHF lifestyle. Why not serve with whole green beans, or buttery mashed swede.

 

Original recipe idea is here - have a good weekend

 

All the best Jan

 

'Keep taking statins' says drug body ! That's the MHRA the UK's number one drug shills !

People should continue to take statins because the benefits do outweigh the risks, according to fresh advice from the UK's drug safety body.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has intervened due to the ongoing debate around the harms of taking statins.

It is important to note that although the MHRA is a government organisation, it is not funded by tax payers - the regulation of medications part of the MHRA is funded by the pharmaceutical industry. This can be seen in the FAQs on their website. I think that people should be aware that the organisation that licenses medications in the UK is funded by the pharmaceutical industry. This obvious conflict of interest should be placed at the end of every statement that they publish. This information in red taken from here. Hat tip to Indy for the link. 

The drugs reduce levels of cholesterol in the blood, lowering the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

They are taken by about seven million people in the UK.

The MHRA said statins prevented 450 heart attacks, strokes, or deaths for every 10,000 patients taking the drugs over five years. (no proof that is a fact Eddie)

Potential side effects of statins include:

• Type-2 diabetes
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Nausea
• Insomnia
• Liver inflammation
• Kidney problems
• Blurred vision
• Nerve damage

More on this latest hard sell for statins here.

Eddie

Therapeutics Initiative highlights potential harms from statins

Physicians should exercise greater vigilance in prescribing statins to prevent heart disease and stroke, because the harmful side-effects may outweigh the potential benefit for many patients, according to a report from the Therapeutics Initiative of the University of British Columbia.

The Therapeutics Letter, which is sent to prescribing physicians and pharmacists throughout B.C., is the third report from the Therapeutics Initiative (TI) to address statins, which are the world’s most widely prescribed class of drugs. Therapeutics Letters summarize evidence from drug trials and other types of studies, and are reviewed by 60 experts and primary physicians before publication.

Available since 1987, the use of statins continues to rise, driven in part by guidelines from the U.S. government and medical groups that endorse the drug’s use as a preventive measure for a wider segment of the population, based on risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, age and gender. Two of the most widely known versions are Lipitor (made by Pfizer) and Crestor (made by AstraZeneca).

Statins inhibit an enzyme in the mevalonate pathway, a series of metabolic reactions that produce cholesterol. That pathway, however, also plays an important role in producing heme, certain proteins, sex steroids, corticosteroids, bile acids and vitamin D.

The most common adverse side effect of statins are muscle pain or weakness. The TI suggests that falls by the elderly might be traced back to statin use, and that these symptoms might also interfere with exercise, which is the best way to prevent heart attacks or stroke.

Other common side effects revealed by drug trials include reductions in cognition, cardiorespiratory fitness, energy and sleep quality, along with the onset of diabetes. Large observational studies have also have demonstrated a link between statins and liver dysfunction and kidney failure.

“It is clear that the magnitude of statin harms is greater with high doses than with low doses,” the letter states, “and that the added benefits of high doses is unlikely to exceed the magnitude of the harms in most if not all cases.” The letter warns that many of the negative side effects are subtle, so physicians need to be especially vigilant about their patients’ reaction to the medication.

The Therapeutics Letter noted that awareness of the harms of statins has been limited for several reasons: most of the scientific literature focuses on the benefits; some drug trials exclude people who aren’t tolerating the drug well; official warnings from the U.S. and Canadian governments have been released slowly and with little impact.

Therapeutics Letters, along with the TI’s other work, is funded by the B.C. Ministry of Health through a grant to UBC. The TI provides evidence-based advice about drugs but is not responsible for provincial drug policies.

The full Therapeutics Letter is here.

http://med.ubc.ca/

Graham

Featured food of the week Salmon

Salmon is rich in omega 3 and is highly beneficial in warding off cardio vascular disease, heart attack, strokes, and high blood pressure.

Please hop over to our recipe and low carb food idea blog here. 

Intake of fish rich in omega-3 fat (including salmon) is associated with decreased risk of numerous cardiovascular problems, including: heart attack, stroke, heart arrhythmia, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides in the blood. Intake of omega-3-containing fish is also associated with improved metabolic markers for cardiovascular disease. Some cardiovascular benefits from omega-3 fat in fish like salmon start with only one omega-3 fish meal per week. Most of the benefits, however, start to show up in research studies with somewhat higher fish intake, along the lines of 2-3 times per week. In most studies, one serving of fish is approximately 6 ounces. Studies of fish intake and cardiovascular risk sometimes measure benefits against total grams of omega-3 fats obtained in the daily diet. In many of these studies, a daily minimum of 2 grams of omega-3s is required for measurable cardiovascular protection. (Remember that this 2-gram amount is the amount contained in approximately 4 ounces of cooked salmon.)

More great salmon information can be found at the

Worlds Healthiest Foods site here. WHF is a not for profit goldmine of great food information.

All the best Jan

Spice Up Your Life with this Easy Taco Pie

You may have already seen this lovely recipe on Carolyn's great blog .....it's certainly one to share with friends and family. So whether you enjoy it mid-week or weekend please hop over using the link below and read more on this easy to make and low carb dish, only 2 grams of carb per serving. BTW I managed to buy some of the Hi-Lo bread today. Eddie and I will try it out and will report on it soon ...so watch this space.

Recipe here

All the best Jan

Dr Jason Fung a man who refuses to follow the old failed dogma, as preached by Hope Warshaw et al !

I have posted Jason Fung videos up before, well worth watching. I noticed a DCUK member posted up this video today, at the time of posting this thread, 11 views but no comments. I hope the DCUK thread does not disappear into the ether, this video could be the salvation of many a type two diabetic, or those with a weight problem. Check it out, this is great information. Eddie

Stop the press News sensation ETYM get a new member !

Just as a priest was lined up to read the last rites, on the artist formerly know as the Eat To Your Meter forum, now known as Grazers Grizzly Grotto, a new member has joined. Reports of an upmarket car, and a bag of cash for new members, have not been confirmed, but who knows. The other day when checking out the activity, only two posts had been made the day before, so you can understand why, a new member joining is a momentous coup for the forum.

This forum started out in a blaze of glory, very short lived unfortunately. A great pity, as the forum attracted some of the most knowledgeable diabetics in the UK. Almost all swiftly left, the death knell was sounded when they banned me, LOL. Seriously, what a fantastic opportunity was thrown away, by a couple of ego tripping idiotic forum owners, who these days can hardly be bothered to post themselves. The betus, it’s a funny old game !

The way to the Grotto is here.

Eddie

DCUK and the NICE 3% weight loss lunacy and the clique !

Some may have seen the story being pushed by our NICE organisation in the UK. NICE are supposed to be experts on all things medical and advise the NHS. The latest lunacy from NICE is the over weight and obese should be aiming for a 3% weight loss. So imagine a man weighing 300 lbs. who should weigh around 170 lbs. Clearly a reduction of 9 lbs is better than an increase of 9 lbs. but in the overall scheme of things matters not a jot. Maybe NICE think if this can be achieved across the nation, they can trumpet they are getting on top of the obesity and often linked type two diabetes epidemics, who knows.

Still with me ? great. So, where does the the low carb anti clique come in you maybe thinking. A DCUK member posted up a new thread with a link to the NICE story reported by the BBC in the link above. The member called the thread "I suppose it's a step in the right direction" he also posted a quote from the article "Plan to reduce calorie intake, but not ban specific foods or food groups" The bottom line, members realised the NICE latest guidelines are rubbish, and yet again the dreaded carbs do not get mentioned, yet again it's all down to cut some calories. But all is not lost for the carboholics, CatherineCherub rides in like a white knight to defend the dross. Well she would do that, she's a healthcare professional.

Noblehead long time clique member, and greatest liar in the history of the forum waded in "That's a great post Catherine It is a step in the right direction, 3% is doable for most people and it's only a starting point in which to begin, I'm a firm believer that the slower you lose weight the less likely you are to put it back on, any weight loss is beneficial to all-round health." So, Noblehead likes the advice from the medics eh, that's not what he used to say.

From Noblehead

"I have seen dieticians, read books, spoke to my diabetic care team, and none have offered any constructive advice on controlling weight. Reading this forum has been helpful, and reading other peoples experiences in controlling their diabetes and improving Hba1c's, has been inspirational !

I can't recollect at any time been given advice on reducing carbs to control weight. I have always been told to eat plenty of carbs at every meal, together with the usual meat and veg. Once I was told that a bowl of cereal for breakfast was insufficient, and should include 2 slices of toast also. Looking back I can now see how flawed this advice/information has been.

Cutting back on the carbs, reducing portion size and eating sensible foods, combined with plenty of exercise has changed my approach to diabetes. I am now eating approximately half the amount of carbs I ate only 3 months back, and at last my weight is starting to drop. Before I started to cut back I was 14st 12lb, and being only 5ft 9'' was well overweight, and my BMI was 31."

Check out the full story proving Noblehead to be a duplicitous liar, back in the days he thanked low carbers for saving his health here.

So folks there you have it, the slippery Catherine pokes her oar in yet again, backed up by Pinocchio, and of course Phoenix liked it. How long before the anti's get Sid Bonkers out of retirement to put the boot in ? stand by for lots of cut and paste from phoenix.

Also this week a thread was started called Forum Ghosts, commenting on why so many good and knowledgeable members have left the forum. Noblehead said "Seen 1000's of people come and go over the years, there's various reasons why members stop posting and all are personal to themselves, however there's still a few of us around from the early days of when the forum began" Yes Noblehead and the clique have been on the forum from the start, still lying, still misinforming people and still pushing carbs and often unnecessary medication at every opportunity. I am sure the low carb anti clique will be there until the end.

Last word to good good guy Tommothebear "I dip in now and then but can rarely be bothered to post any more as it just isn't worth the aggravation" said on the Forum Ghost thread here.

DCUK thread "I suppose it's a step in the right direction" here.

Eddie

Tim Noakes: Do Low-Carb Diets Improve Endurance Performance?

Famed researcher Tim Noakes thinks the answer could be yes.

Noted South African endurance sports expert Tim Noakes, M.D., is nothing if not an out-of-the box thinker and researcher. In the mid 1970s he was part of the group that first showed marathoners could suffer a heart attack, disproving a popular theorem of the times. In the 1980s, he was the first to recognize athletic hyponatremia, or excessive fluid consumption.

Now he has turned his attention to carbohydrate consumption. Noakes, author of the popular book Lore of Running, isn’t simply joining the swell of voices warning about too many sugary, over-processed foods. No, he’s questioning the marathon world’s favorite pasttime, carboloading for peak performance.

In an essay that appears in the online version of the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Noakes, Jeff Volek, and Stephen Phinney argue that the field of low-carb sports performance is woefully underinvestigated. They claim, in fact, that only 11 low-carb performance studies have been reported. Of those, nine found that the subjects performed better, or the same, on a low-carb diet as on a high-carb diet.

Moreover, only one of the 11 studies used subjects who were adapted to a low-carb diet. In other words, just as a minimalist runner needs time to adapt to thin-soled shoes, a low-carb eater needs time to adapt to a switch from the typical high-carb diet practiced by most runners. “Studies of elite athletes chronically adapted to low-carbohydrate diets have uncovered one unexpected finding–their extraordinary ability to produce energy at very high rates purely from the oxidation of fat,” Noakes and colleagues write.

In fact, Phinney published an endurance exercise paper in Metabolism in 1983.He found that, after a three-week low-carb diet, cyclists burned significantly more fat than they had on a typical carb-rich diet, and also exhibited a “four-fold reduction in muscle glycogen use.”

Humans store vast quantities of fat-energy in the body, but limited quantities of muscle glycogen, often referred to as "the preferred fuel source for vigorous exercise." This glycogen is generally depleted after 20 miles of running, hence the dreaded Wall in marathon races.

In Phinney’s 1983 study, cyclists endured the same amount of time on both the typical diet and the low-carb diet. It must be noted that they were exercising at just 62 to 64 percent of their Vo2 max, compared to the 75 to 80 percent that many runners maintain. As Vo2 max increases, so does the body’s dependence on glycogen as fuel, at least in classical exercise physiology.

Noakes et al base their hypothesis on the Paleo outlook.

“Because they live and train with chronically low blood insulin concentrations,” they write of low-carb eaters, “they have instantaneous access to those fat reserves at all times. Just as should occur in a metabolism crafted by our evolutionary history as predatory hunters.”

They conclude: “Now is the time to determine whether the conclusion that ‘there is very little or no evidence to support the use of high-fat diets’ is true."

The preceding quote within a quote comes from Asker Jeukendrup, Ph.D., the highly regarded Dutch exercise physiologist and sports nutritionist who is global senior director of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. 

The battle lines have been drawn. "We have tested some athletes with peak fat-burning closer to 80 percent of Vo2 max rather than the more traditional 65 percent," Volek told Runner's World Newswire. "There is a lot of variation among athletes, and so many questions to be answered since there has been so little low-carb research relative to the thousands of studies done on high-carb diets. We hope to balance those out with well-designed low-carb experiments in different athletes."

http://www.runnersworld.com/

Graham

Global population of obese and overweight tops 2.1bn !

The number of people in the world who are obese or overweight has topped 2.1 billion, up from 875 million in 1980, the latest figures published in the Lancet show.

And not one country is succeeding in treating it, said the research.

US, China and Russia had the highest rates and the UK was third in Western Europe, the 188-country study said.

Experts said the rise was due to the "modernisation of our world", causing "physical inactivity on all levels".

More than half of the world's 671 million obese people live in 10 countries, ranked in order:

• US
• China
• India
• Russia
• Brazil
• Mexico
• Egypt
• Germany
• Pakistan
• Indonesia

Source: The Lancet

The UK has the third highest rates in Western Europe, with 67% of men and 57% of women overweight or obese, it said.

More on this story here.

Academic in Wales claims UK has ‘subculture’ of 15,000 vampires – and launches academic study to assess their ‘satisfaction with life’

Dr Emyr Williams says real, blood-sucking vampires are a ‘global phenomenon’

An academic in north Wales claims that the UK is home to a secretive “subculture” of 15,000 people who live as blood-sucking vampires – and has launched a psychological study to find out more about their lifestyles.

Dr Emyr Williams, a psychology lecturer at Glyndwr University in Wrexham, said that real vampires are a “global phenomenon” detailed across a range of non-fiction books and research papers.

He has set up what is thought to be the first online academic survey in the UK specifically looking for respondents who are vampires, with the hope, he says, of “publishing a series of academic publications that will help a wide audience understand the vampire subculture”.

The questionnaire – which if you are a vampire can be filled out here– looks at “the issues of satisfaction with life, self-esteem and religious belief among the contemporary subculture”.

Dr Williams told the BBC that while plenty of work has been done on the phenomenon of vampiric behaviour before, it has never really been approached from “an academic perspective”.

He said: “Some books say there are between 10,000 and 15,000 people in the UK who call themselves vampires, with maybe another 30,000 being donors. So we’re trying to access as many of these people as we can to try and understand them better.

“I’m trying to find out about those people who live as vampires, not because they read it in literature and they’re role-players, but who genuinely think they are vampires and genuinely live that lifestyle,” he said.

Dr Williams said vampires in the UK swap blood and “psychic energy”, and that apart from one vampire killing in Anglesey 10 years ago they are “not dangerous”.

“The codes and the laws of ethics that they live by are so well-prescribed that if you were to break those codes and laws you would be out of the community,” he said.

And since the fictional works of Anne Rice and the popular Twilightsaga made vampires more “sexy”, Dr Williams said there is a greater interest among the general public in what it might be like to live as a vampire in real life.

“What want to do is shed light on this community so people can understand them so that fear can be reduced and they can start to be accepted more into society.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/

I've heard that being a vampire really sucks !

Graham

The Low Carb High Fat lifestyle, if it ain't broke don't try to fix it !

Roaming around some of the most well known Low Carb and Paleo blogs, over the last few months, I have seen some disappointing posts made. This comes at a time when saturated fats from healthy sources are getting the thumbs up, and sugar and high starch foods are getting thumbs down. Not so long ago, Jimmy Moore was posting up photographs of a breakfast meal containing a whole half pound block of butter and a few eggs, who in their right mind would eat a meal like that ? Now we have Tom Naughton of the Fathead blog pushing carbs and resistant starch. Richard Nickoley at Free The Animal blog, a once proud lowcarber and paleo man has completely lost the plot in recent times. These guys are doing the low carb and paleo lifestyles no good at all in my opinion.

Tom’s changed his mind of what constitutes the ‘Perfect Health Diet’ and carbs are back on the menu. If safe starches don’t work for you, it’s because you are doing it wrong, or you have the wrong gut bacteria, is the general idea. Total hogwash in my opinion. At first I thought Tom was playing the devils advocate to get the kettle whistling on his blog, but no, he actually believes this (this week). RN has been pushing RS for a while, and then we hear a book is on the way. Tom’s a convert, and low and behold he is working on a ‘Perfect Health Diet’ book for kids. The lunatic Evelyn Kocur has been pimping a book ‘Restriction Addiction’ although that much talked about project appears to have gone on the back burner. How long before Jimmy is telling us the keto diet very near killed him, and get those carbs and RS down ya neck with every meal. Obviously another book will be on the way ‘The Keto Killers’

Welcome to the crazy world of Paleo and Low Carb. We get enough nonsense from big pharma and junk food and the likes of the NHS, ADA, and most dietitians etc. etc. now we have so called diet gurus talking nonsense, anything that rings the cash register. These  ‘gurus’ want to add more confusion to the confused. For years I have wondered, why do people with no reported serious health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, thyroid problems etc. etc. spend a huge chunk of their lives discussing diet. It’s a mystery to me, or could the motivation be money?

Check out some real healthy and tasty low carb recipes below. Love us or hate us, we have not changed our beliefs or stance one iota in six years. We believe if something works don't try to fix it. And by the cringe has low carb high fat worked for us. Eddie

Beef & Mushroom Meatballs with Stroganoff Sauce recipe here.

Rhubarb Crisp Low Carb and Gluten free recipe here.

It's Not Genes: People Are Fat Because They Eat Too Much

I am Art Caplan, from the Division of Medical Ethics at the New York University Langone Medical Center in New York.

Why are your patients fat? Why are people fat generally? Struggling with weight is a problem. I personally have done better with it lately, but it is a challenge. We all know we are in the middle of an obesity epidemic in the United States. Indeed, worldwide obesity is an increasing problem.

If you look at the medical literature, the answer is clear. The problem is in our genes. Again and again, in media reports and in articles that catch the attention of editors at the most prominent medical journals, the answer to why we are all fat is that we have bad genes.

Think about it. You go to a cocktail party. You are chatting with people and you start talking about weight. The person says, "I'm one of those high metabolizers (or low metabolizers)," hinting that there is a genetic or biological basis for their size. Or people will say to me, "I must have inherited bad genes. I just can't seem to keep weight off."

We love the genetic explanation. That is why it was so interesting to see a paper recently in the British Medical Journal [1] that looked in a very different, but I believe a more fertile, direction for understanding the obesity problem.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge conducted a very simple study. They wanted to know how many fast-food outlets are in Cambridgeshire, the county that includes Cambridge and the university. They also looked at where people commuted to work, and whether there was any association between going by these fast-food places and obesity and diabetes.
Bad Food, Not Bad Genes

Guess what they found? If you put a bucket of fried chicken out every half-mile along the route people take to work and back, they are fatter. There is a correlation between fast-food outlets and being diabetic or being fat.

The point is this: Genes certainly play a role in how people handle food, but if you live in a culture that overwhelms you with opportunities to eat junk food and fatty food, even the best genes can easily be overwhelmed.

We are that kind of country, too. We promote eating more food. I took a ride recently from Moosic, Pennsylvania, to Wilkes-Barre. Having read this article, I decided to count how many fast-food places I could see from the road in a relatively rural area. The distance was 13 miles. I counted 19 kings, arches, colonels, and so on. Fast food is ubiquitous. Bad food opportunities are everywhere.

If we are going to get a handle on the obesity epidemic, then we need to stop saying, "All you have to do is control your diet, and somehow manage the responsibility that your genes gave you." Telling people they have a genetic basis for obesity is kind of an excuse, or an easy way out.

We also must begin to say, "Hey, those places you drive past, those places that are advertising and marketing? They are dangerous for you. You might want to avoid them." I think we have to ask people and patients, "How often do you go? How often are you eating there? Do you realize that even if a place has a salad on the menu, if you get 3 Big Macs and French fries, it does not matter that a salad is on the menu?"

We must start taking more seriously the dangers that are out in the environment. We also should think about telling our patients that a lot of fast-food promotion and fast-food presence is leading to some of the problems that their kids have.

Maybe a better philosophy is to make it a special treat to go to one of these outlets, rather than going simply because you have run out of ideas about what to do in terms of getting a quick and easy meal. It may be quick. It may be easy. But as this study showed, it is dangerous.

Let us not point the finger of blame at our genes or say, hey, exercise some self-control [without providing some kind of support]. Let us realize that in a world in which temptation is put out all around us, that is a problem we have to discuss with patients too.

I am Art Caplan, from the Division of Medical Ethics at the NYU Langone Medical Center. Thanks for watching.

Follow link to view video:    http://www.medscape.com/

If genetics are not involved and I don't have "the lean gene" I must have led an exemplary lifestyle then.

Graham (slim T2 diabetic)

GlaxoSmithKline to be investigated by UK fraud body !

GlaxoSmithKline, the British-based pharmaceutical firm, is to be investigated by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over its "commercial practices".

The company said it would "co-operate fully" with the SFO.

Earlier this month, Chinese authorities accused GSK staff of bribing government and hospital officials in the country.

GSK refused to comment on whether the SFO's investigation was connected to this incident.

The pharmaceutical giant is also facing a criminal investigation into similar allegations in Poland and Iraq.

If the allegations in either country are proved, GSK may have violated both the UK Bribery Act and the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

It is illegal for companies based in the US or UK to bribe government employees abroad.

In a statement, the Serious Fraud Office confirmed it had "opened a criminal investigation into the commercial practices of GlaxoSmithKline plc and its subsidiaries".

More here.

Margarine linked to divorce ?

"Margarine consumption linked to divorce." If you saw that headline on a newspaper or website, what would you think?

What if you read a little further and found a compelling graph showing the rates of divorce and margarine consumption tracking each other closely over almost 10 years.

Tempted to believe there could be a link?

"Maybe when there's more margarine in the house it's more likely to cause divorce," muses Tyler Vigen, "or there's a link with some of the molecules in margarine or something."

Vigen is the man behind the margarine graph, which he published on his website Spurious Correlations. The name gives the game away - he's a statistical provocateur.

More on this story here.

This is a classic illustration for most of the dietary bollocks that gets trotted out as science these days. You know the sort of story "Walls Pork Sausages lead to heart disease" etc. "Low carb diet sends man batshit" The trouble is, most dietitians believe all this sort of stuff. I luv it ! The fact is margarine is a killer ! Don't tell the British Heart Foundation, who flog Flora for all they are worth !

Eddie

Nick Clegg is toast !

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Is Beer Food?

by: BeerAdvocate 

We say, Hell yeah, beer is food! In fact, it should be considered one of the major food groups. Here are some reasons why: 

Of course beer is a beverage, as the majority of its composition is water; however, given that it's also made with cereal grains, hops and yeast, all of this combined goodness is oftentimes a meal in itself. Ever have a rich, luscious beer that just about fills you up on its own? You know what we're talking about. 

Monasteries and beer have a long history, and to this day many orders of monks still brew their own beer in order to have a tasty and nutritious drink to accompany their meals and to sell to the public but most importantly to sustain them during periods of fasting. Fortunately, drinking beer is not considered breaking the fast. Um ... break the fast, breakfast, monks drinking beer, we often drink beer for breakfast ... coincidence? 

The definition of food doesn't say anything about "chewing." 

Beer is food for the soul and mind. There's a reason why you feel good after you drink a delicious beer. The hops act as a mild sedative (hops can also be found in teas), the carbonation refreshes and livens the palate, the alcohol loosens the brain from the grip of daily life; and you relax. You feel good. And it only takes one beer to achieve this, if you allow it to. Pair beer with life! 

Many beers, especially those that are unfiltered and/or conditioned in their vessel, will contain yeast cells, which are living, single-celled organisms that are responsible for creating carbonation and alcohol in beer. And oftentimes they are still alive in your beer, providing rich amounts of Vitamin B. It's like having food within food! 

Pairing beer with food is always fun, but you should also consider beer to be the sauce of life, as it both complements and enhances flavors and your overall enjoyment of food. 

Not only can you pair beer with food, but you can also cook with beer: Add it to sauces, marinades and dressings; create a hearty stock for soups and stews; give flavorful moisture to grilled and roasted meats; use it to steam seafood and veggies or drizzle over fruits and desserts. The possibilities are literally endless, and the use of beer as an ingredient will without a doubt bring depth to your food and a new outlook on cooking. Checkout our Beer & Food section for some "cuisine a la biere" ideas. 

"The Beer Diet" is something you and your friends might have joked about, but there are actual books on the market that focus on cutting carbs to lose weight and then slowly increasing the carb intake. As beer contains carbs (from the grains) - low levels in comparison to other foods and beverages - some suggest that you can enjoy full-flavored and full-bodied beers by making them a part of your diet. So screw lite beers! And for the record, beer is not fattening. We Americans think it's fattening by association with our endless gorging on food and washing it down with beer. "Oh, I just ate a large pizza and some wings by myself and two pints of beer ... that's why I have a beer belly!" No ... it's because of the pizza and wings, you pig. 

Respect beer.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/

Beer diet! sounds good to me cheers.

Graham 

Credit to Indiana91 at DCUK for the link.

Adverse effects of statins. (BMJ rapid response)

Re: Adverse effects of statins and diabetes.

Statistics are highly relevant if you are the one who suffers an adverse or a positive reaction, whether from a medicine such as a statin or a vaccination. 

All parties need to be furnished with the full and honest facts. Surely this is not something to be argued with?

The use of statins is just one small part of the whole cholesterol debate which has divided opinion for the last thirty to forty years.

How much damage has been wreaked by the low fat diet fad (often accompanied inexplicably by a high carbohydrate diet) which has been aimed to stem the tide of obesity and associated diseases?

A wealth of evidence has established that cholesterol lowering statin drugs, widely used for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, do increase the risk of new-onset diabetes. (Type 2) (1)

How do efforts to reduce cholesterol levels in existing cases of diabetes effect these individuals? Type 2 diabetes constitutes a high risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease. Diabetes has therefore been a prime target market for statin therapy, including type 1 diabetes; a disease with an entirely different aetiology.

Statin therapy is not the only method involved in cholesterol management. Low fat ‘functional foods’ need urgent investigation too. Cholesterol lowering spreads and low fat margarines are recommended for inclusion within the diabetic diet. This adds a further cholesterol lowering element to the diet. Despite cholesterol lowering spreads not being recommended by organisations such as NICE. (2) These products are blatantly advertised in medical centres.

Commercialised/medicalised marketing of various low far spreads and margarines claim efficacy in cholesterol lowering and therefore being heart friendly. The link between the food and drug industries and these products is unacceptable. How much of the perceived problems of ‘good and bad’ cholesterol have been hyped by commercial interest and bias?

It is widely acknowledged that omega 3 essential fatty acid (EFA) plays a vital role in homeostatic functions within the human body, notably the eicossanoid balance. Omega 3 (balanced with the correct ratio of omega 6) is essential,
The modern diet has overemphasised the need to consume polyunsaturated fats in the belief that they were a healthy choice, particularly in cholesterol management.

The biological mechanisms (delta 5 and delta 6 desaturases) required for the uptake of essential fatty acids such as omega 3 and 6 are impaired in those with diabetes (particularly type 2 diabetes (T2DM), a population group at high risk of cardiovascular disease).

The successful absorption of EFAs also relies on adequate levels of certain vitamins and minerals. The poor absorption of EFAs is further confounded by consuming a high carbohydrate diet such as recommended to those with T2DM. High blood glucose levels also impair the absorption of EFAs.

Over nutrition triggers the onset of oxidative stress in the liver due to higher availability and oxidation of fatty acids, with development of hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, and omega 3 long-chain polyunsaturated FA depletion, with enhancement in the omegas 6/3 LCPUFA ratio favouring a pro-inflammatory state. (3)

Commercial food processing destroys a significant amount of EFAs, along with their oxygenating ability. Consumption of good quality omega 6 and 3 EFAs is a haphazard affair. Polyunsaturated oils are unstable and very quickly become rancid. Oxidized fatty acids are dangerous to our health. Lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress are important factors in this damage. (4)
Further damage is also caused by heating polyunsaturated fats in cooking (particularly frying foods).

A high fruit and vegetable consumption has a favourable effect on plasma antioxidant concentrations. (5) However, vitamin content of food is variable with age, conditions of storage and cooking methods. Modern farming methods and soil depletion have also left many foods nutritionally barren.

.Many omega 3 research trials did not consider the omega 3/6 essential fatty acid ratio which is vital to the eicossanoid balance. The correct omega 3/6 ratio is fundamental to holistic health for all. I believe that with simple dietary intervention diabetes complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy and cardiovascular problems could be ameliorated or prevented. Would it not be advisable to correct the inadequacies in the diet and lifestyle than rely on the actions of a cholesterol lowering drug such as a statin?

Further concerns of statin use have also been highlighted in the BMJ by Dr Ellen Grant who points out statins block the endogenous production of co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) (6) Others have also shared her concerns.(7)(8)(9) Studies conducted on CoQ10 levels provide a gathering body of evidence highlighting the importance of CoQ10 in diabetes management.(10)(11)(12) Further studies in the role of co-enzyme Q10 are obviously needed.

The vital importance of the homeostatic balance cannot be underestimated in human health. Unfortunately this is all but a small aspect of a diet related disease epidemic which is threatening world health. The statin debate which has arisen from the article by the BMJ editor Fiona Godlee (13) is very welcome and will hopefully bring positive developments in public health

(1) Do statins cause diabetes? Goldstein MR1, Mascitelli L. Curr Diab Rep. 2013 Jun;13(3):381-90. doi: 10.1007/s11892-013-0368-

x.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23456437

(2) Lowering cholesterol to reduce the risk of heart ... - 
Nicewww.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/11982/40712/40712.pdf
(3) Valenzuela R, Videla LA.The importance of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid n-6/n-3 ratio in development of non-alcoholic fatty liver associated with obesity. Food Funct. 2011 Nov;2(11):644-8. doi: 10.1039/c1fo10133a. Epub 2011 Oct 19.
(4) Moore, K., and L. J. Roberts 2nd. 1998. Measurement of lipid peroxidation. Free Radic. Res. 28: 659–671
(5) John J et al (2002) Effects of fruit and vegetable consumption on plasma antioxidant concentrations and blood.
(6)Ellen CG Grant,Rapid response. Inevitable adverse effects due to blockage of co-enzyme Q10?
http://www.bmj.com/content/348/bmj.g3306/rr/698281
(7) David L Keller Rapid response. Discussion of Dr. Grant's point regarding coenzyme Q10
http://www.bmj.com/content/348/bmj.g3306/rr/698414
(8) Sergio Stagnaro. Rapid response. Adverse effects of statins.http://www.bmj.com/content/348/bmj.g3306/rr/698206
(9) Andrew N Bamji. Rapid response. Adverse effects of statins.http://www.bmj.com/content/348/bmj.g3306/rr/698457
(10) Mitochondrial factors in the pathogenesis of diabetes: a hypothesis for treatment. Lamson, D.W.. Plaza S.M. Altern Med Rev, 2002. 7(2): p. 94-111.
(11) Brownlee, M., The pathobiology of diabetic complications: a unifying mechanism. Diabetes, 2005. 54(6): p. 1615-25.
(12) CoEnzyme Q10:The State of the Science in Diabetes Ryan Bradley, ND, MPHDiabetes Action Research and Education Foundation February 2007http://www.diabetesaction.org/site/PageServer?pagename=complementary_2_07
(13) Godlee F. Adverse effects of statins. BMJ 2014;348:g3306

Competing interests: None declared

http://www.bmj.com/

Graham

Political extremism is always bad news !

According to the BBC tonight, “One of the parties expected to do well, France's National Front, said it was leading in exit polls - but accused the French government of vote-rigging”

Leader Marine Le Pen said after seeing exit polls: "Clearly we are in the lead"

Let’s hope they do not win. History has taught us, when things get tough, the majority point the finger at the minority. This situation led to world war two. Over 50 million dead. Over six million innocent Jews murdered. Extreme right or extreme left has always failed. Straight thinking people believe in live and let live, regardless of colour, race or religion. Straight thinking people always win. History also proves this.

Never ever forget. Jewish children in a concentration camp. Almost all murdered probably, we will never know. Arguably the greatest crime the human race has ever committed.

Eddie