Sugar: Not so sweet for your mood
Updated 26 December 2022 It’s that time of year again. Christmas carols blaring from the stores tell us that “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”, but most of the people maxing out their credit cards inside those stores don’t look like they’re taking the advice to “be of good cheer”. According to a…
Pomegranate and Tahini Stuffed Pumpkin
I’ve been in a bit of stuffing mood lately! This week, it was pumpkin’s turn to get stuffed. Ingredients: 1 small Jap or Kabocha pumpkin 1 cup course bourghal (cracked wheat) 1/2 cup sultanas 2 1/4 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth 1 medium onion, diced1/4 -1/2 cup additional water or low-sodium vegetable broth 2…
Breastfeeding protects against diabetes and high blood pressure and helps set babies’ body clocks
In over 25 years in clinical practice, I’ve seen a LOT of pregnant women. In the course of our conversations about the process of growing, giving birth to and nourishing a baby, virtually every pregnant client has asked me one question: “What formula should I give my baby if I’m unable to breastfeed?” I must…
Spicy Stuffed Squashes
I spotted these Brobdingnagian yellow squash at my local organic farmers’ market, and visions of stuffed squash immediately began dancing before my eyes. You could substitute extra-large zucchinis or even golden nugget pumpkins if you’re unable to find yellow squash that are large enough to stuff. Ingredients: 3/4 cup wholemeal couscous1 1/4 cups boiling water4…
Exercise is the best medicine for preventing falls and broken bones
The three major health fears that plague women as they get older are developing breast cancer, becoming demented, and breaking a hip. For context, the risk of a woman dying of breast cancer by her 85th birthday is 1 in 43 while dementia is now the leading underlying cause of death in Australian women. As…
No benefit of omega-3 supplements for depression or anxiety
There’s a theory among evolutionary psychologists that the human brain is hard-wired to worry about not having enough. Most particularly, not enough food. It makes total sense in view of our species’ history; paleoanthropologists have found consistent evidence that our ancestors faced frequent food shortages, indicated by changes in bones that take place during growth…
More elderly people are taking antidepressants, but they’re just as depressed
4 November 2019 A study published on 7 October 2019 in the British Journal of Psychiatry has called long-overdue attention to a growing problem: burgeoning overprescription of antidepressant drugs to older people despite a lack of evidence of benefit. The study, titled ‘Changing prevalence and treatment of depression among older people over two decades‘, found…
Beyond the Impossible – how do plant-based meat alternatives stack up?
On Saturday 19 October 2019, I presented a talk at the Brisbane Vegan Expo called ‘Love Your Guts: How to have a happy, healthy gut on a vegan diet’. After delving into the research that documents how and why a plant-based diet promotes a healthy and diverse gut microbiota which in turn promotes our physical…
The truth about diabetes – and why you’re not hearing it
The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer famously wrote that “All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as self-evident.” As the Diet Wars rage on, with proponents of diets across the spectrum from carnivore and ketogenic, through Mediterranean to vegan, all duking it out across…
Looking on the bright side of heart health
If you’ve ever seen the Monty Python’s Life of Brian, you’ll no doubt vividly recall the final scene of the film, in which Eric Idle attempts to cheer up a despairing Brian (played by Graham Chapman) and other fellow crucifixion victims by belting out a rousing rendition of “Always Look on the Bright Side of…