Dr John Briffa's blog, A Good Look at Good Health — writing on food, cholesterol, weight, energy and the science behind everyday health, from the drbriffa.com archive. Filter by topic, browse by category, or search the library.
Healthy Eating
In May of last year I wrote about a study which tested the effects of a so-called paleolithic diet ” a diet based on the foods eaten prior to about 10,000 years when it’s believed some of our ancestors converted from being to hunger-gatherers to agriculturalists. The paleolithic diet is one which contains ‘primal’ foods […]
Healthy Eating
Over the last few years there has been intense debate in nutrition circles about what the ideal diet is for weight loss. There are lots of different dietary approaches that may be advocated, but the most contentious debate has been about whether a diet low in fat, or one low is carbohydrate, is best if […]
Brain and Behaviour
When people change their diets for what they think is the better, they usually have some aim in mind such as weight loss (the usual one) or improved health and wellbeing. Making dietary changes can, however, involve time and effort, not to mention a sense of sacrifice and/or deprivation. Obviously, for changes to be sustainable, […]
Exercise and Activity
Back in March one of my blog posts focused on the effects of green tea constituents known as catechins had on the metabolism of fat in the body. A recent study has found that green tea catechins stimulated fat-burning in the body, something which is an obvious boon to individuals seeking to attain or maintain […]
Healthy Eating
I make no secret of the fact that I favour protein-rich diets, particularly where weight loss and weight maintenance is concerned. Only last month I highlighted a study which found that a protein-rich diet was better for maintaining weight loss than a diet rich in carbohydrate. In this particular study, the protein-rich diet had been […]
Healthy Eating
Of the many different dietary strategies that can be used to lose weight, I favour a relatively low-carbohydrate, protein-rich diet. Some of the rationale about the low-carb element of such a regime is that carbohydrate (say from sugary and starchy foods) is the dietary element that most disrupts blood sugar, which tends to knock on […]
Healthy Eating
I was out of the UK two weeks of January, but if I’d been here I have a feeling I’d have witnessed a fair few magazines touting healthy regimes for the New Year on the ‘detox’ theme. A key element of such regimes is usually a good intake of water. This, it is often said, […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
Diabetes is a condition characterised by elevated levels sugar in the bloodstream, derived primarily from sugars and starches in the diet. One obvious approach to this condition would be, then, to cut back on carbohydrate intake. I have known many, many diabetics take this approach and reap the reward in terms of better blood sugar […]
Healthy Eating
I came across a report yesterday regarding a study (as yet unpublished, as far as I can make out) which assessed the effects of eating chocolate on subsequent appetite. What this study appears to have shown is that dark chocolate, gram for gram (and pretty much calorie for calorie) is most satisfying than milk chocolate. […]
Exercise and Activity
There’s a common thought out there that overweight individuals are eating too much, or not exercising enough (or both). However, when it comes to matters that pertain to body weight, things are not necessarily as simple as they seem. For instance, my experiences in practice have led me to believe there are individuals wandering this […]