Prostate cancer: duplicity, deception and betrayal
10 September 2018 September has been designated ‘International Prostate Cancer Awareness Month’ by various NGOs including the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA). As I’ve discussed in previous articles (see Diabetes: ‘awareness’ vs action, Preventing bowel cancer, Keep your brain young with greens and Cancer prevention: myths, cons and big fat lies), I am deeply…
Eating for 2… or 200 trillion?
In my last several blog posts, I’ve been focusing on the fascinating and burgeoning field of microbiome research. As previously discussed, our diets and medication usage profoundly affect the composition and diversity of the teeming microbial communities that inhabit our gastrointestinal tract, which in turn profoundly affects our physical and psychological health. But the human-microbiome…
Pumpkin Bean Dip
You can use this delicious combination of sweet, baked pumpkin and nourishing white beans as either a dip or salad dressing. Ingredients: 2 cloves garlic, peeled 400 g drained white beans (e.g. great northern, cannellini) 400 g baked pumpkin 1 tbsp natural peanut butter 2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground allspice 2 tbsp chopped…
Ketogenic diets: Part 6 – The gut microbiome
What impact do ketogenic diets have on the gut microbiome, and what are the implications for our health and longevity?
Red Lentil Wraps
I heard about these delicious, nutritious and super-simple wraps while listening to Corinne Nijjer’s fabulous podcast – thanks Corinne! (Don’t forget to check out my interview with Corinne, while you’re there :).) A quick Google revealed several variants of the basic recipe. Here’s my take on this modern classic. Ingredients: 3/4 cup split red lentils…
Of bugs and brains – how your gut microbiome affects mental health
As I discussed in last week’s blog post, Drugs and gut bugs, research on the human gut microbiome is burgeoning at an astonishing rate. One of the most fascinating areas of research is the complex interplay between our bugs and our brains – the constant back-and-forth signalling between our gut microbiota and regions in our…
Beetroot Couscous Burgers
You’ve figured out by now that I love burgers, right? The fantastic thing about making plant-based burgers is that you can just mash up whatever grains or legumes you happen to have cooked with some roasted vegetables, herbs and spices, roll them into balls, bake them, and voilá – vegie burgers! I happened to have…
Drugs and gut bugs
I’m sure you’ve noticed that the gut microbiome is currently one of the hottest fields of research, emerging from relative obscurity to superstar status in the last 15 years. In fact, a staggering 12 900 articles focusing on the gut microbiota were published in medical and scientific journals between 2013 and 2017, 4000 of them…
Plantain, Aduki Bean and Peanut Stew
In case you haven’t noticed, I am seriously obsessed with plantains at the moment! I’m getting a steady supply of cheap plantains through my organic co-op, which are inspiring my kitchen creations. Today I felt in the mood for an African-style plantain stew with peanuts. Aduki beans aren’t exactly a mainstay of African cuisine, but…
Statin drugs – are they worth the risk?
Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs remain the most prescribed drugs in Australia, with almost 23 million prescriptions written for the top 3 drugs in this class (atorvastatin, rosuvastatin and simvastatin) in the 2016-17 financial year. A meta-analysis of clinical trials published in JAMA Cardiology on 1 August 2018 found that statins and other cholesterol-lowering drugs significantly reduce…