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
My line of work inevitably brings me face-to-face with individuals who feel a fair proportion of their weight is surplus to requirements and are thoroughly fed up with living it large. I have known many would-be slimmers who, keen to force themselves into calorie deficit, are tempted to subsist on very slim pickings for breakfast […]
Healthy Eating
We British do seem to have an insatiable appetite for foreign cuisine, and one country whose traditional fare seems to have made a successful migration to these shores is Japan. While taste and fashion are likely to be driving forces in the rising popularity of Japanese food in these parts, my suspicion is that another […]
Herbal Medicine
Nutritional science seems to churn out a perennial crop of research demonstrating the health benefits to be had by consuming a decent daily quota of vegetables. Certain vegetables on which particular praise has been heaped by researchers are those of the brassica class, such as broccoli and cabbage. Research suggests that one specific constituent of […]
Healthy Eating
In my last column a couple of weeks ago I gave some attention to the notion that it’s not just our size, but also our shape, that determines the likely health effects of any excess body baggage we happen to be carrying. Increasing evidence suggests that individuals with an overflow of fat around the midriff […]
Observer Archive
Many of us will have ushered in the New Year with the best of intentions, and may well be reigning back on our intake of food or upping our exercise output in an effort to lighten our load. Those whose focus is on shedding surplus weight are quite likely to be monitoring their progress with […]
Healthy Eating
New Year’s Eve looms, and many of us will be brewing up for the bout of heavy drinking this night of celebration traditionally entails. Such intoxicating pleasures tend to come with some pain too, however, usually in the form of the hangover from hell the morning after the night before. Alcohol in excess has a […]
Healthy Eating
As a big believer in the concept that food is something to be enjoyed and savoured, I am not one to encourage particular dietary restraint at this time of year (it is Christmas, after all). However, I am also mindful of the fact that the sort of overindulgence typical over the festive season can leave […]
Healthy Eating
One lingering memory I have from childhood is the influx of festive fare into our home on the run-up to Christmas. December would see bottles of advocaat and Asti Spumante (I kid you not) appear in the garage, and netting bags full of nuts would take up much-needed room in the kitchen cupboards. Another seasonal […]
Herbal Medicine
England’s triumphant World Cup campaign, though glorious, brought back a few painful memories of my own endeavours on the rugby pitch. Playing out on the wing, I was generally spared any bone-crushing and blood-spilling injuries, but do recall spending many a winter’s afternoon perishing with cold while waiting for play to come my way. I […]
Healthy Eating
Recent estimates that a whopping 40 per cent of us will be obese within the next generation have led to renewed calls from the dietetic establishment for us to cut back on calories. Standard slimming theory dictates that the only way to lose weight is simply to consume fewer calories than the body burns as […]