Americans have been following dietary guidelines, coincident with the rise in obesity

Statistical review of US macronutrient consumption data, 1965–2011

Abstract

Background

For almost 50 y, the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has measured the caloric consumption, and body heights and weights of Americans. The aim of this study was to determine, based on that data, how macronutrient consumption patterns and the weight and body mass index in the US adult population have evolved since the 1960s.

Methods

We conducted the first comprehensive analysis of the NHANES data, documenting how macronutrient consumption patterns and the weight and body mass index in the US adult population have evolved since the 1960s.

Results

Americans in general have been following the nutrition advice that the American Heart Association and the US Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services have been issuing for more than 40 y: Consumption of fats has dropped from 45% to 34% with a corresponding increase in carbohydrate consumption from 39% to 51% of total caloric intake. In addition, from 1971 to 2011, average weight and body mass index have increased dramatically, with the percentage of overweight or obese Americans increasing from 42% in 1971 to 66% in 2011.

Conclusions

Since 1971, the shift in macronutrient share from fat to carbohydrate is primarily due to an increase in absolute consumption of carbohydrate as opposed to a change in total fat consumption. General adherence to recommendations to reduce fat consumption has coincided with a substantial increase in obesity.

Full text: http://www.nutritionjrnl.com/

Graham

There is a lot of controversy in nutrition !

There is a lot of controversy in nutrition and it often seems like people can’t agree on anything.

But there are a few exceptions to this.

Here are the top 10 nutrition facts that everyone actually agrees on (well, almost everyone…).

1. Added Sugar is a Disaster

We all know that added sugar is bad.

Some think sugar is a simple matter of “empty” calories, while others believe it to cause diseases that kill millions of people each year.

It is definitely true that added sugar (sucrose and high fructose corn syrup) contains empty calories.

There are no nutrients in it and if you eat a lot of sugar then you’re likely to become deficient because you aren’t getting enough foods that actually have nutrients in them.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg.

There are other, much more serious dangers of sugar that are now reaching mainstream attention.

Sugar, mainly due to the high fructose content, is being implicated as a leading cause of obesity, cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes.

How does fructose do this?

Well, fructose is metabolized strictly by the liver, over time causing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, insulin resistance, elevated triglycerides, abdominal obesity and high cholesterol.

Then fructose makes our brains resistant to a hormone called leptin, which effectively makes our brains WANT to get fat.

This way, eating an excess of added sugars sets up a relentless biochemical drive in the brain to keep eating sugar, getting fatter and eating even more sugar.

Bottom Line: Added sugar provides empty calories and is believed to be a leading cause of diseases that kill millions of people each year.

2. Omega-3 Fats Are Crucial and Most People Don’t Get Enough

Omega-3 fatty acids are extremely important for proper functioning of the human body.

For example, DHA, an Omega-3 fatty acid derived from animals, makes up about 40% of the polyunsaturated fats in the brain.

Being deficient in Omega-3 (very common) is associated with a lower IQ, depression, various mental disorders, heart disease and many other serious diseases.

There are three main sources of Omega-3 fats… ALA (from plants mostly), DHA and EPA (from animals).

The plant form, ALA, needs to get transformed into DHA or EPA in order to function correctly in the human body.

There is some evidence that this conversion process is ineffective in humans.

Therefore, it is best to get Omega-3 fats from animal sources… including fish, grass-fed meat, Omega-3 enriched or pastured eggs, or fish oil.

Bottom Line: A large part of the population is Omega-3 deficient. Avoiding a deficiency in these essential fatty acids can help prevent many diseases.

3. There is no Perfect Diet For Everyone

We are all unique… and subtle differences in genetics, body type, culture and environment can affect which type of diet we should eat.

Some people do best on a low carb diet while others may do fine on a vegetarian high-carb diet.

The fact is, what works for one person may not work for the next.

To figure out what you should do, a little self experimentation may be needed.

Try a few different things until you find something that you enjoy and that you think you can stick to. Different strokes for different folks!

Bottom Line: The best diet for YOU is the one you get results with and that you can stick to in the long term.

4. Artificial Trans Fats Are Very Unhealthy and Should be Avoided

Trans fats are also known as partially hydrogenated oils.

They are made by mixing unsaturated fats with hydrogen gas at a high heat to make them resemble saturated fats.

This process is very disgusting and it amazes me to think that someone thought these fats would be suitable for human consumption.

Trans fats raise the bad cholesterol and lower the good cholesterol, cause abdominal obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance.

In the long term, consumption of trans fats raises the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, depression and many more diseases.

I recommend you avoid trans fats as if your life depended on it.

Bottom Line: Trans Fats are chemically processed fats that cause all sorts of damage in the body. You should avoid them like the plague.

5. Eating Vegetables Will Improve Your Health

Vegetables are good for you.

They are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and an endless variety of trace nutrients that science has just begun to uncover.

In observational studies, eating vegetables is associated with improved health and a lower risk of disease.

I recommend that you eat a variety of vegetables each day.

They are healthy, fulfilling and add variety to the diet.

Bottom Line: Vegetables are rich in all sorts of nutrients. Eating vegetables each day is associated with improved health and a lower risk of disease.

6. It is Critical to Avoid a Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D is a unique vitamin. It actually functions as a steroid hormone in the body.

The skin makes Vitamin D when it is exposed to ultraviolet rays from the sun.

This is how we got most of our daily requirement throughout evolution.

However, today a large part of the world is deficient in this critical nutrient.

In many places, the sun simply isn’t available throughout most of the year.

Even where there is sun, people tend to stay inside a lot and use sunscreen when they go out, but sunscreen effectively blocks Vitamin D generation in the skin.

If you’re Vitamin D deficient, then you’re actually deficient in a major hormone in the body, and a deficiency is associated with many serious diseases, including diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis and others.

The best way to know is to see a doctor and have your blood levels measured.

Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to get enough Vitamin D from the diet.

If getting more sun is not an option, taking a Vitamin D3 supplement or a tablespoon of cod fish liver oil each day is the best way to prevent/reverse a deficiency.

Bottom Line: Vitamin D is a crucial hormone in the body and many people are deficient in it. Reversing a deficiency can have powerful health benefits.

7. Refined Carbohydrates Are Bad For You

There are a lot of differing opinions about carbs and fat.

Some think fat is the root of all evil, while others believe carbs are the key players in obesity and other chronic diseases.

But what pretty much everyone agrees on is that refined carbohydrates are at the very least worse than unrefined (complex) carbohydrates.

There are some nutrients in high-carb foods like grains that can be beneficial.

However, when you process the grains you remove most of the nutrients and then there’s nothing left but the bad stuff, massive amounts of easily digestible glucose.

Eating refined carbs will cause rapid spikes in blood sugar, followed by a surge of insulin in the blood which triggers fat storage and contributes to insulin resistance and various diseases like obesity and diabetes.

I personally don’t think that grains are necessary at all, the nutrients in them can be acquired from other healthier and more nutritious foods in greater amounts.

But it is very clear that whole grains and unrefined carbohydrates are at least a lot better than their refined, processed counterparts.

Bottom Line: Refined carbohydrates like processed grains are unhealthy. They are lacking in nutrients and lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin, which can cause all sorts of problems down the line.

8. Supplements Can Never Fully Replace Real Foods

“Nutritionism” is the idea that foods are nothing more than the sum of their individual nutrients.

It is a trap that many nutrition enthusiasts tend to fall into.

But it’s simply not true.

Nuts, for example, aren’t just shells loaded with Omega-6 fatty acids in the same way that fruits aren’t just watery bags of fructose.

No, these are real foods with a massive variety of trace nutrients.

The vitamins and minerals, the ones you can also get from a cheap multivitamin, are just a small part of the total amount of nutrients in foods.

Therefore, supplements… at least the supplements we have today, are NOT able to replace the nutrients you get from real foods.

Now I will admit that supplements can be beneficial, especially for nutrients that are generally lacking in the diet like Vitamin D and Magnesium.

But no amount of supplements will ever make up for a bad diet. Not a chance.

Bottom Line: It is much more important to eat real, nutritious foods than to count on supplements to provide the nutrients you need.

9. “Diets” Don’t Work, a Lifestyle Change is Necessary

“Diets” are ineffective. That is a fact.

They may lead to short-term results, but as soon as you start eating junk food again you will gain the weight back. And then some.

This is called yo-yo dieting and is extremely common.

Most people that lose a lot of weight on a diet end up gaining it back whenever they “stop” the diet.

For this reason, the only thing that can give you actual long-term results is to adopt a lifestyle change.

Bottom Line: Adopting a healthy lifestyle is the only way to ensure long term weight loss and a lifetime of improved health.

10. Unprocessed Food is Healthiest

Processed food is unhealthy.

As the food system has become more industrialized, the health of the population has deteriorated.

During food processing, many of the beneficial nutrients in the food are removed.

Not only do they remove healthy nutrients like fiber, but they also add other very harmful ingredients like added sugar, trans fats and refined wheat.

Additionally, processed foods are loaded with all sorts of artificial chemicals that have absolutely NOT been proven safe for long term human consumption.

Basically, processed foods have less of the good stuff and a LOT more of the bad stuff.

The most important thing you can do to ensure optimal health is to “eat real food.”

If it looks like it was made in a factory, don’t eat it!

All these words above come from Kris Gunnars and his excellent Authority Nutrition site.

Hippocrates (Born 460 BC Died 357 BC) said "Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food." ...... what a wise person and doesn't it make sense?

All the best Jan

More scientists doubt salt is as bad for you as the government says

For years, the federal government has advised Americans that they are eating too much salt, and that this excess contributes yearly to the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

But unknown to many shoppers urged to buy foods that are “low sodium” and “low salt,” this longstanding warning has come under assault by scientists who say that typical American salt consumption is without risk.

Moreover, according to studies published in recent years by pillars of the medical community, the low levels of salt recommended by the government might actually be dangerous.

“There is no longer any valid basis for the current salt guidelines,” said Andrew Mente, a professor at McMaster University in Ontario and one of the researchers involved in a major study published last year by the New England Journal of Medicine. “So why are we still scaring people about salt?”

But the debate over dietary salt is among the most contentious in the field of nutrition, and other scientists, including the leadership of the American Heart Association, continue to support the decades-old warning.

The result is that as the federal government prepares its influential Dietary Guidelines for 2015, bureaucrats confront a quandary: They must either retract one of their oldest dietary commandments - or overlook these prominent new doubts.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines cover an array of nutritional issues including cholesterol, fat and sugars. They have broad effects on American menus, shaping school lunches, guiding advertisers, and serve as a touchstone for reams of diet advice.

Dennis Bier, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine said that as the editor of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, he has been trying to stay neutral in what he considers the “hot buttonest” of topics.

“When you are making recommendations for 300 million people, you have to be concerned about any data that suggests harm,” Bier said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said that the federal guidelines will consider comments from the public and the advice of its science panel. Known as the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, that panel in February generally reaffirmed the current salt warning.

No matter what the government comes up with on salt, however, Americans may be left confused.

The scientific question: How much is too much?

There is one area of consensus: Both sides agree that eating too much salt, especially for people with high blood pressure, can be dangerous.

The critical disagreement concerns how to define “too much.”

Under the current dietary guidelines, too much is more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day - the amount of sodium in a teaspoon of salt. (For people over 50, and for African-Americans, the current recommended intake is even lower - 1,500 milligrams per day.)

If the U.S. salt warnings are correct, Americans are indeed endangering themselves on a massive scale. Americans typically go way over the limit, ingesting about 3,500 milligrams per day.

If the skeptics are correct, on the other hand, most Americans are fine. In their view, a typical healthy person can consume as much as 6,000 milligrams per day without significantly raising health risks. But consuming too little - somewhere below 3,000 milligrams - also raises health risks, they say.

To understand how divided scientists are on salt, consider that even authorities with the American Heart Association, one of the organizations promoting the current salt limits, don’t agree.

“The totality of the evidence strongly suggests that Americans should be lowering their sodium intake,” said Elliott Antman, the president of the American Heart Association. “Everyone agrees that current sodium intake is too high.”

This is the long-established view. It is based on the observation that, in some people, reducing salt consumption can lower blood pressure. Because high blood pressure is common and raises the risk of cardiovascular troubles, strict salt limits will benefit society, according to this view.

None of this is persuasive to people like Suzanne Oparil, a former president of the American Heart Association.

For one thing, the blood-pressure reductions that come from abstaining from salt are relatively small on average, because individuals vary widely in their reactions. (An average person who reduces his or her salt intake from median levels to the U.S. recommended levels may see a drop in blood pressure from 120/80 to 118/79, according to American Heart Association figures.)

“The current [salt] guidelines are based on almost nothing,” said Oparil, a distinguished professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “Some people really want to hang onto this belief system on salt. But they are ignoring the evidence.”

How could something as simple as salt stymie scientists for so long? The answer is that, despite the dietary claims that are made for all kinds of foods, actually substantiating how eating influences human health is notoriously difficult.

While the diets and lifestyles of test animals are easily controlled, humans and their whims introduce an array of murky variables, making people less-than-ideal subjects for what scientists call randomized controlled trials, their preferred form of research. This is especially true when these experiments go on for years, as diet research often does.

In the absence of such experiments, scientists are forced to consider lesser types of evidence. And in recent years, the debate appears to have tilted in the skeptics' favor.

In 2013, the Institute of Medicine published a major review of the evidence connecting salt consumption and health outcomes. There was insufficient proof, the panel concluded, that heeding the U.S. recommended limit on sodium consumption improved health outcomes.

Then, this past August, the New England Journal of Medicine published the results of a massive research effort known as the PURE study. It indicated that people who conform to the U.S. recommended limits actually have more heart trouble.

To explain their findings, these researchers pointed to studies suggesting that low sodium may stimulate the production of renin, a hormone that may have harmful effects on blood vessels.

While food studies are often financed by the industry, the PURE study in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Institute of Medicine study were funded by governmental and other sources.

 Read more:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Graham

Are You Sitting Comfortably ?

Are you sitting comfortably ? If you are then please give thought to this ........

"Is sitting down damaging your health? Experts warn we need more exercise at work. Are you sitting comfortably? Well, you jolly well shouldn't be. Experts say that office workers are damaging their health by spending too much time sitting down.

As a result, we're risking diseases including heart disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia, as well as obesity, back ache, depression and muscle degeneration.

The British Heart Foundation has teamed up with Get Britain Standing to launch the UK's first On Your Feet Britain campaign later this month. And, their research shows, we're in dire need of it, with 45% of women and 37% of men saying they spend less than 30 minutes a day walking round at work.

Almost two fifths of office workers are so tied to their desks that they've confessed to emailing someone right next to them, over half regularly eat lunch at their desk and nearly a third sit for so long they even put off going to the toilet.

"This survey shows too many office workers are stuck to their desks. We all know a sedentary lifestyle is bad for us, we just don't realise how bad it is," says Gavin Bradley, founder of Active Working CIC and the Get Britain Standing campaign.

"Leading a sedentary lifestyle at work could be negatively impacting your performance and increasing your risk of developing health problems later in life. Spending less time sitting down and more time moving could benefit your health and make you more productive."

The research shows that the average person sits for almost nine hours a day, nearly three-quarters of this being at work. And medical research has shown that this has serious effects on the metabolism.

Even just sitting for four hours a day can cause the enzymes responsible for burning harmful blood fats to shut down, calorie burning to decrease and blood sugar levels to rise. Insulin and blood pressure levels also fall, and leg muscles switch off.

And while you may believe that the bad effects of all this sitting are countered by weekly trips to the gym, the unfortunate news is that they're not.

The most obvious answer is to get a standing desk - all the rage in California for the last couple of years. Some even add extra bells and whistles for exercise, such as the Fluidstance Level, a balance board for use with a standing desk, designed to keep you moving.

Most people swear by standing desks - at least at first. However, studies have shown that where the height of a desk is adjustable, most people end up sitting most of the time, indicating that it's quite hard to keep up the effort.

So, if you're a bit suspicious of this expensive kit, what can you do to counteract the ill-effects of too much sitting down? The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) has developed a series of exercises that can be done at your desk. The idea is to do them little and often.

The chest stretch
Sit forward from the back of your chair, and with your thumbs pointing to the ceiling open your arms out to the side until you feel a stretch in the front of your chest. Make sure your shoulders are back and down. Gently draw your shoulder-blades together; hold for 20 seconds and repeat three times.

The sit-stretch
Perch on the edge of your seat and stretch one leg out in front of you. Rest your heel on the floor with your foot pointing up. Lean forward gently from your hips and look straight ahead, so you feel a gentle stretch. Hold for 20 seconds, repeat three times and swap legs.

The chair-twist
Sit slightly forward and twist your head and upper body to the right. Take your left arm and cross it over your body so that it meets your chair's right armrest. Rest your right hand on the back of the chair and keep your feet flat on the ground. Hold for 20 seconds, repeat three times and then swap sides.

The leg-up
Stand in front of your desk and put your left hand on it for balance. Standing on your left leg, raise your right heel towards your right buttock. Grab hold of your right foot with your right hand, so you feel a stretch along the front of your thigh. Hold for 20 seconds, repeat three times and then swap legs.

Wall-press
Stand with your feet hip-width apart in front of the wall, and rest your palms against it at shoulder height and a little more than shoulder-width apart. Take as couple of tiny steps back, tighten your tummy muscles and slowly bend your arms at thee elbows. Lower yourself until you're a couple of inches away from the wall, and then push back up. Aim for three sets of ten.

Read the original article here 

Although this article has been written with office workers in mind, are we all a little guilty of sitting around too much, perhaps we should all aim to move more?

All the best Jan 

Courgette & anchovy salad

A light green side salad pepped up with lemon zest and salty anchovies - great served with meat and fish dishes alike. It goes well with lamb cutlets with pistachio and herb dressing.

Ingredients - Serves Two
¼ tsp fennel seed
juice and zest ½ lemon
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 large courgette, thinly sliced on the diagonal
50g rocket
2 anchovy fillets, halved

Method.
1. Toast the fennel seeds in a small frying pan over a low-medium heat for 1 min, or until they release their aroma. Bash them lightly using a pestle and mortar. Mix the lemon juice, fennel seeds, oil and garlic in a large bowl, then stir in the courgette. Season and set aside to marinate for 30 mins.
2. Toss through the rocket and transfer to a platter. Top with the anchovy fillets. Scatter with lemon zest and serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil.

This salad works out at 4 grams carb per serving, see the original recipe here

Bon Appetit

All the best Jan

Lamb cutlets with pistachio & herb dressing

Simplicity is key with this romantic dish, it's ready in under 20 minutes, so you can spend more time with your partner / guest. If you are counting carbs, it's a winner at just 2 grams carb per serving.

Ingredients - Serves Two
4 French-trimmed lamb cutlets (you can ask your butcher to do this)
2 tsp olive oil
½ tsp chilli flakes
For the dressing
25g pistachios
1½ tbsp olive oil
handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, torn
2 dill sprigs, roughly torn

Method
1. For the dressing, put the pistachios in a frying pan over a low-medium heat, and toss them around until golden and toasted. Roughly chop, then tip them into a bowl with the olive oil and herbs. Season lightly with salt and set aside.
2. Rub the lamb with the oil. Bash the chilli and a little salt to a rough powder, then sprinkle over the lamb. Heat a barbecue to hot, or a griddle pan over a high heat, and cook the cutlets for 2 mins on each side for medium, or longer if you prefer your meat well done. Transfer to a serving plate and spoon on the pistachio & herb dressing. Serve with a simple courgette & anchovy salad.

...... and how about a nice glass of rosé wine to accompany the meal ?

Original recipe here

All the best Jan

More than 100 top doctors attack government record on NHS

Letter from senior health professionals says coalition has left NHS in weakest position ever and calls on people to use votes to reinstate service

• Read the letter in full

Leading doctors in the NHS have accused the coalition government of a catalogue of broken promises, funding cuts and destructive legislation which has left the health service weaker than ever before.

In a letter to the Guardian, more than 100 senior doctors pass a damning judgment on the government’s stewardship of the NHS, which they say is under pressure because of unnecessary market-oriented changes.

“As medical and public health professionals our primary concern is for all patients. We invite voters to consider carefully how the NHS has fared over the last five years, and to use their vote to ensure that the NHS in England is reinstated,” they write.

The signatories to the letter include Dr Clare Gerada, former chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners; Prof John Ashton, retired director of public health; epidemiologist Prof Michael Coleman; Simon Capewell, professor of public health at the University of Liverpool; Trisha Greenhalgh, professor of primary care at Oxford; Martin McKee, professor of European public health, and Raymond Tallis, emeritus professor of geriatric medicine at the University of Manchester.

The letter, which the doctors have written in a private capacity, challenges the government on its NHS record and deplores the current pressures facing the health service.

Entering the last election, David Cameron assured voters that the NHS was safe in Conservative hands. The doctors, however, say the NHS “is withering away and if things carry on as they are then in future people will be denied care they once had under the NHS and have to pay more for health services. Privatisation not only threatens coordinated services but also jeopardises training of our future healthcare providers and medical research, particularly that of public health.”

Just a week ago, 100 senior business leaders wrote to the Telegraph, claiming a Labour government would “threaten jobs and deter investment” in the UK. The NHS is a potentially difficult issue for the Tories and a strong suit for Labour.

Earlier on Tuesday, the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said he would meet the funding challenge thrown down by the NHS chief executive, Simon Stevens, last year. Stevens said in October that the health service faced a funding gap of £30bn by 2020, of which £22bn could be met through efficiency savings.

Hunt told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme: “We will give whatever they need. It might be more than £8bn, it might be less.”

Within hours of Hunt’s pledge, an earlier draft of the doctors’ letter was leaked to the Daily Telegraph, which claimed that Labour had orchestrated it. Julian Smith, the Tory candidate defending Skipton and Ripon, told the paper: “This Labour stitch-up is another desperate attempt to weaponise the NHS. The truth is that only today Andy Burnham said he didn’t support the NHS’s own funding plan. Under this government, we’ve got more doctors, more nurses and more patients being seen than ever before.”

But Gerada, who organised the letter, denied that the Labour party was responsible. “It has not been orchestrated by Labour, it has been put together by me and a few other medical leaders,” she told the Telegraph. “I’m not doing this from a party political point of view. My views on the health service and the Healthand Social Care Act go back and are well known. This letter was drafted by me and some others.

“I am a Labour party member now, but I’m not an activist in the Labour party. This is a view of many doctors who have serious concerns about the state of the NHS as it is now.”

A Labour spokesperson said: “It’s little surprise that doctors have written this letter – they are deeply concerned about the direction of the NHS under David Cameron and the consequences for patients of another five years of Tory government. The NHS needs Labour’s better plan for 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 more GPs, paid for with a £2.5bn a year time to care fund, and guaranteed GP appointments within 48 hours.”

The letter attacks Andrew Lansley’s NHS shakeup, which was passed by parliament in 2012 as the Health and Social Care Act. It is “already leading to the rapid and unwanted expansion of the role of commercial companies in the NHS. Lansley’s Act is denationalising healthcare because the abolition of the duty to provide a NHS throughout England, abdicates government responsibility for universal services to ad hoc bodies (such as clinical commissioning groups) and competitive markets controlled by private sector-dominated quangos,” the doctors write.

The squeeze is hitting patients, they continue: “People may be unaware that under the coalition, dozens of accident and emergency departments and maternity units have been closed or earmarked for closure or downgrading. In addition, 51 NHS walk-in centres have been closed or downgraded in this time, and more than 60 ambulance stations have shut and more than 100 general practices are at risk of closure.”

Thousands of NHS beds have closed since 2010, they say, while mental health and primary care are in disarray and public health has been “wrenched” out of the NHS and is now the responsibility of local authorities.

The way forward is clear, the doctors say. “Abolish all the damaging sections of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 that fragment care and drive the NHS towards a market-driven, ‘out-for-tender’ mentality where care is provided by the lowest bidder. Reversing this costly and inefficient market bureaucracy alone will save significant sums. Above all, the duty on the secretary of state to provide a health service throughout England must be reinstated – it still exists in Scotland and Wales.”

http://www.theguardian.com/

Graham

Easy Tomato Cucumber Salad

"This is my all-time favorite summer salad. It’s easy to put together and highlights fresh homegrown tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs. With its simple red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing, this salad comes together in just a few minutes. Easy tomato cucumber salad is perfect for a barbecue or picnic.

This salad is so versatile. It’s easy to double or triple the recipe for a crowd and always gets rave reviews. You can use whatever fresh herbs you have — basil, mint, parsley or even cilantro. I used basil today, but half basil and half mint is another favorite combination.

The key to this salad is letting the onions and cucumbers sit in the vinegar for a few minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients. This takes the edge off the raw onions and adds a nice tangy kick to the cucumbers. However you make it, this easy tomato cucumber salad is the perfect taste of summer.

INGREDIENTS

Serves: 6-8 servings
½ purple onion, thinly sliced
2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 large tomatoes
¼ cup good olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
Add onion and cucumber to large bowl and toss with vinegar. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Cut tomatoes into thin wedges and add to bowl with cucumbers and onions. Add olive oil, basil, salt and pepper and toss."

Original recipe idea here

All the best Jan

David Cameron British Prime Minister a Low Carber ?

Here in the UK it's Parliamentary Election Time, the media is full of it ..... and many are already fed up with it ! However for the politicians, the race to No 10 Downing Street has started - and it pays to be as fit and healthy as you can to stay the course. It has recently been reported that Prime Minister David Cameron has been cutting out carbohydrates in his efforts to lose weight. Now readers of this blog will be aware that living the Low Carb High Fat lifestyle is good for diabetics and the control of blood sugar numbers but it can also greatly assist in weight loss and other health benefits. So it is very refreshing to read that higher profile people like David Cameron and The Pope. Film stars like Halle Berry. Sportsmen, including the Australian Cricket team are adopting this reduced carbohydrate lifestyle. 

I understand David Cameron has always been partial to eating great tasting bread, you may be too, so if you too feel it difficult to 'give up' bread then you may just like this lovely low carb broccoli bread idea, it's amazing, simplicity itself to make and could become a low carb star in No 10 and your house! 

Read more about David Cameron on Diet Doctor and Mail Online

All the best Jan

The Pope - A Low Carber - May Enjoy This Low Carb Luxury Lasagne?

As readers of this blog know 'Low Carb' is becoming increasingly popular. Many sportsmen/woman are choosing this healthier lifestyle, as are tennis players and the Australian Cricket Team.

However it has recently been disclosed that now The Pope and David Cameron, The British Prime Minister, are eating less carbohydrates in their diet.

"A lot of smart people seem to be cutting down on the carbs these days. After gaining some weight Pope Francis has apparently been told by his doctors to cut back on pasta" see Diet Doctor and Time Magazine.

For anyone who is looking to cut out pasta why not try the low carb equivalent 'aubergine' (eggplant). Have a look at this recipe idea below.

Ingredients serves two

250 grams ground/minced beef 

1 aubergine/egg plant

1 red onion

A splash of olive oil

300 ml of double cream

One 400 grams tin of chopped tomatoes

A cup of fresh grated cheddar cheese

Half a red pepper chopped

Half a green pepper chopped

A handful of button mushrooms

Salt, pepper and mixed herbs to taste 

Method:

Fry the finely chopped onion with the olive oil in a large frying pan, Americans call this a skillet I believe. When soft add the minced beef and brown. Add the chopped peppers, mushrooms and chopped tomatoes. Allow to come off the simmer and add the double cream, and stir well. Cut the aubergine into thin slices around 6mm/ around a quarter inch thick. Layer up, one layer of aubergine and one layer of the beef mix, in your oven proof dish, adding some salt, mixed herbs and pepper. Place in oven set at 200c for around thirty minutes. Remove and cover with grated cheddar cheese. Place back in the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. 

A truly great meal, very easy and lowcarb, enjoy !

All the best Jan

Plant sterols, found in Benecol and Flora proactive, are associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease

This study was published in Steroids 2015 Mar 23

Study title and authors:
Increased plant sterol deposition in vascular tissue characterizes patients with severe aortic stenosis and concomitant coronary artery disease.

Luister A, Schött HF, Husche C, Schäfers HJ, Böhm M, Plat J, Gräber S, Lütjohann D, Laufs U, Weingärtner O.
Klinik für Innere Medizin III¸Kardiologie, Angiologie und Internistische Intensivmedizin.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25814070

Phytosterols are present in very small quantities in fruit and vegetables. The phytosterol content of plant sterol-enriched margarines (Benecol, Flora proactive etc) are higher by an order of magnitude of up to 841 times than the average vegetable (see here). Campesterol and sitosterol are types of phytosterols.

Oxyphytosterols are phytosterols that have gone rancid.

Cholestanol is a derivative of cholesterol.

The aim of the study (of 104 patients) was to evaluate the relationship between phytosterols, oxyphytosterols, lathosterol, cholestanol and cholesterol in patients with severe aortic stenosis (artery blockages), some of whom also had coronary artery disease who were scheduled for elective aortic valve replacement.

The study found:
(a) The ratio of campesterol-to-cholesterol was increased by 26% in plasma of patients with coronary artery disease compared to those without coronary artery disease.
(b) Sitosterol concentrations were increased by 38.8% in the tissues of patients with coronary artery disease compared to those without coronary artery disease.
(c) Campesterol concentrations were increased by 30.4% in the tissues of patients with coronary artery disease compared to those without coronary artery disease.
(d) Oxidized sitosterol-to-cholesterol ratios were up-regulated by 22.7% in the plasma of patients with coronary artery disease compared to those without coronary artery disease.
(e) Oxidized campesterol was increased by 17.1% in the aortic valve cusps (the triangular fold or flap of a heart valve) of patients with coronary artery disease compared to those without coronary artery disease.
(f) Neither cholestanol nor the ratio of cholestanol-to-cholesterol was associated with coronary artery disease.

Luister concluded: "Patients with concomitant coronary artery disease are characterized by increased deposition of plant sterols, but not cholestanol in aortic valve tissue. Moreover, patients with concomitant coronary artery disease were characterized by increased oxyphytosterol concentrations in plasma and aortic valve cusps".

Is it wise to consume margarines high in phytosterols (such as Benecol and Flora proactive) when the study suggests that phytosterols are associated with a higher risk of coronary artery disease?

http://healthydietsandscience.blogspot.co.uk/

Graham

Five Foods To Help Give You A Spring Glow and A Spring In Your Step

If we feel good we so often look good - there's a Spring in our step and we feel "all's well with the world". What we eat is so important to our health, and also "when it comes to your skin, the phrase "you are what you eat" couldn't be more true.

With that in mind, it'll come as no surprise that eating fatty foods and sweets won't do your face any favours.

But never fear, because there are a handful of foods which are specifically great for your skin (and health).

Intrigued? Here are some of them...

1) Bell Peppers
Why? They naturally boost your body's collagen levels, which helps to keep your skin firm. In other words - no wrinkles, no dimples, no saggy skin.

2) Mushrooms
Why? They contain selenium, which is an important mineral that helps protect your skin from sun damage.

3) Shellfish
Why? Because it contains zinc, which is another immunity-boosting mineral that can help protect skin cells from long term damage.

4) Strawberries
Why? They are crammed with vitamin C and flavanoids, both of which are important for keeping skin healthy.

5) Sunflower Seeds
Why? Because they're packed with vitamin E which helps to protect your body's cells and in turn can provide a healthy glow."

Original article here

Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE The Low Carb Dietitian also has some great health and beauty information in her book, read more here

Please note we have no commercial interest in promoting Franziska or her book, we do so because we believe in and live the LCHF lifestyle.

All the best Jan

Hitler finds out he has gained fat on a low-carb diet !

How long before the Sid Bonkers DCUK barmy army of low carb antis quotes this as science and fact ? LOL Contains some bad language. Eddie

Marinated Liver with Zucchini/courgettes fries recipe.

Very low carb, very healthy, and as cheap as chips, not made from spuds as you can see. Check out this and other great recipes here. Eddie

Katie Hopkins the mouth marches on !

1. Katie Hopkins ‏@KTHopkins  Apr 4

   North of half a million followers. The Hopkins' army marches forth. Common sense and brutal truths win the battle in order to win the war.

   94 retweets367 favourites

Eddie Mitchell‏@lowcarbdiabetic

@KTHopkins That's because shit stinks, half a million flies can't be wrong!

0 retweets0 favourites

Butterflied Herb Chicken Breast

Butterflied Herb Chicken Breast

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
4 organic chicken breasts (about 3 pounds)
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons coconut oil (more, as needed)

With your knife parallel to the cutting board and your free hand pressing on top of the chicken breast, carefully slice the chicken breasts in half width wise until you have almost reached the edge. Once sliced, unfold the breast and repeat with additional chicken. Pat dry with a paper towel and set aside. Mix together the ginger, thyme, pepper, salt, garlic and rosemary in a small bowl then sprinkle spices on both sides of all the chicken. Press spices into chicken and let sit for about 10 minutes. Heat coconut oil in large pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot place the chicken in the pan and cook for about 20 minutes, or until fully cooked, flipping halfway through. Add more oil as needed. Before removing chicken from stove make a small slit with a knife in the center to check for done-ness. You may need to cook chicken in separate batches or use two pans. These are great served hot with some roasted vegetables or save in the fridge to have with salads for lunch.

Original recipe here 

All the best Jan