Chronically Well

If you're aiming to adopt an anti-inflammatory diet, don't forget your crucial spices!
I'm with Dr Murray on this on - ginger is one of my favourites too, for it's warming flavour and powerful anti-inflammatory effects.
I use ground ginger in smoothies, whole ginger root in juices, sliced ginger root in tea or chai and of course plenty of finely chopped ginger in curries.
How do you like to use ginger?

Which sweeteners are in your food? Beware if one of them is xylitol - the often lackadaisical FDA in the US has just banned it over serious health concerns.

FDA bans food additive found in citrusy sports drinks and sodas Brominated vegetable oil, which is used in some fruit-flavored drinks, is potentially harmful for humans.

https://www.theguardian.com/global/article/2024/jun/27/ultra-processed-foods-need-tobacco-style-warnings-says-scientist

Ultra-processed foods need tobacco-style warnings, says scientist UPFs should also be heavily taxed due to impact on health and mortality, says scientist who coined term

If, like me, you sometimes bake food wrapped in aluminium foil, you may want to read this and rethink.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22063217/

One suggestion I've come across is using baking parchment inside the foil layer, but if course there are plenty of other options. For example, we like to steam our fish, and jacket potatoes are great with a crispier skin (ie no foil during cooking).

How about you - what are your favourite foil-free cooking methods?

Aluminium contents in baked meats wrapped in aluminium foil - PubMed In this investigation, the effect of cooking treatments (60min at 150°C, 40min at 200°C, and 20min at 250°C) on aluminium contents of meats (beef, water buffalo, mutton, chicken and turkey) baked in aluminium foil were evaluated. Cooking increased the aluminium concentration of both the white and...

A surprising finding, perhaps.
What do you think?
Do you take a daily multivitamin?

Daily multivitamins do not help people live longer, major study finds Analysis of 400,000 healthy adults finds no health benefits from taking daily multivitamins

I'm so grateful for Dr Michael Mosley, who has taught so many of us so much about how we can take control of our own health. And I'm sad that he's gone.
Here is a lovely article paying tribute to him and his wife Dr Clare Mosley, and their contribution to Britain's health.

Clare Mosley is right – we should be applauding risk-takers like Michael The GP’s dignified response to the news of her husband’s death is a perfect tribute to a man who went to extreme lengths to educate us all

Fascinating article highlighting the importance of dietary variety for gut health.

The best foods to eat for gut health Contrary to popular belief, ‘five a day’ isn’t the key to a healthy gut. Here’s what you should really be eating and why it matters

Foods rich in Omega 3 oils are an important element of the anti-inflammatory diet recommended on the recovery program.
I consume freshly pressed linseed oil every day and oily fish several times a week, as well as some others from this list. How about you?

Boost Your Health with Omega-3s! 🥑🐟

They are known for their powerful anti-inflammatory properties and are vital for brain function, heart health, hormone health, gut health, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, mental health support, and so much more. The list is endless. 🧠❤️

Experts say we need to aim for a minimum of at least 1,000 mg (1 gram) of omega-3s daily. Are you hitting your target? Let us know! 👇

Fun fact: While plant-based sources like flaxseeds and chia seeds are rich in omega-3s (ALA), our bodies aren’t the best at converting ALA to the more beneficial forms (EPA and DHA). Less than 10%!
So, if you’re plant-based, you might need extra or consider algae-based supplements for the full benefits. 🌱

Tune in to our new free Masterclass, where you can learn how to use Food As Medicine to heal your gut, boost your mood, and shift stubborn weight. Free ticket here: https://bit.ly/3QJ91xw ✨

Check out this fascinating information on blueberries.
I keep frozen blueberries in the freezer and eat a handful in a smoothie several times a week, but I think I may increase this now!

Berries may slow brain aging by as much as two and a half years. Eating just one cup of blueberries a day has been shown to improve long-term memory in older adults. You can even correlate the cognitive improvements with enhanced brain activation by using state-of-the-art brain scan technology to actually visualize the improved blood flow to those same regions of the brain caused by the blueberry consumption.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study on children compared about one cup of blueberries to two cups and none at all. What did the researchers find? Blueberries improved cognitive performance, and the more berries, the better. And, the improvements weren't seen after 12 weeks of eating berries, but within hours of just a single meal with blueberries.

If you eat blueberries week after week, you also get chronic benefits, such as reduced artery stiffness and a boost in your natural killer cells, which are one of your body’s natural first lines of defense against viral infections and cancer.

Berries are some of the most healthful foods we should include in our daily routine. This is why they have their own special category in Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen checklist. Download the free Daily Dozen app today, and start ticking off your daily servings of berries.

Learn more and see the study references on NutritionFacts.org:
"Benefits of Blueberries for the Brain" at https://buff.ly/2PeNjAm
"Benefits of Blueberries for Artery Function" at https://buff.ly/2GrESMj
Daily Dozen at https://buff.ly/311l9nc

A timely reminder - last year's sun cream may have expired! ☀️

Plant-based isn't always healthy! Read on ...

5 Best Plant-Based Foods to Eat for Best Health & Weight It seems like everywhere we turn we are hearing about plant-based diets. They are growing in popularity. And this means LOTS of new plant-based foods on the market - plant-based meats, plant-based cheese, plant-based chicken nuggets, and more. But are those plant-based faux meat foods really going t...

A yogi's guide to health.

Something for bedtime later...

Drop us a 😴 for a bedtime bodyscan ⬇️

I hope you've been able to enjoy some sunny weather recently. It's time to dig out your sunscreen already!
But what if it's been sitting around for a while: should you throw it out? Mayo Clinic recommends discarding sunscreen that is past its expiration date, or within 3 years of purchase if you buy some with no stated expiration date.
And don't forget to reapply during the day.

Consumer Health: Does expired sunscreen still work? - Mayo Clinic News Network May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, which makes this a good time to check the expiration date on last year's [...]

Bowel Cancer UK says that over half (54%) of bowel cancer cases could be prevented through a healthier lifestyle. Read here to discover more about how to reduce your risk.

Reducing your risk | About bowel cancer Find out how you can reduce your risk of developing bowel cancer by having a healthier lifestyle.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/a-chemical-found-in-common-artificial-sweetener-may-cause-dna-damage-cancer

More concerns about the safety of an artificial sweetener. We'd all be wise to avoid sweeteners completely!

Common artificial sweetener may cause DNA damage, cancer Researchers discovered that sucralose, a chemical found in Splenda, is "genotoxic" and causes DNA damage. The findings show that sucralose is harmful to gut health, and may lead to oxidative stress, inflammation, and even cancer.

Some tips, myth-busting and first aid links from the Red Cross to get you through the next few days.
https://www.redcross.org.uk/stories/health-and-social-care/first-aid/beat-the-hot-weather-top-tips-for-staying-cool

Beat the hot weather: top tips for staying cool Heard that curry cools you down in a heatwave? It won't. Chill out and stay safe with the British Red Cross hot weather mythbuster.

Timely advice based on a recent study by Kings College London.
https://www.drweil.com/blog/bulletins/how-to-make-sure-sunscreen-works/

How To Make Sure Sunscreen Works | Skin Protection | Andrew Weil, M.D. Does sunscreen really protect your skin? Not the way most people use it, a new study shows. Learn how to keep your skin safe.

https://www.drweil.com/blog/bulletins/mediterranean-diet-may-protect-pregnant-women/
Great study by John Hopkins University shows reduced risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnant women eating a Mediterranean diet.

Mediterranean Diet May Protect Pregnant Women | Andrew Weil, M.D. Research by investigators at Johns Hopkins University suggests that a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, fish, nuts, and olive oil— known as the Mediterranean diet — may benefit pregnant women.

I love studies like this that identify how precisely plant foods are beneficial to health and help to protect against disease. 😁

A new study from the USA found that women with had 27% less risk of death when they ate two servings weekly of . Yes, strawberries are rich in vitamin C, anthocyanins (which make them red) and ellagic acid—all of which are known cancer fighters. But this delicious fruit’s real secret may be a powerful antioxidant called fisetin. Fisetin was highly toxic to breast cancer cells in a test tube, killing up to 70% of them in 48 hours. It also suppressed their invasion ability by an incredible 79%. Strawberries are delicious in cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, fruit salad and your favorite . All for just 49 calories per serving!
Sources: Pubmed ID 33188079, 29749427, 30108501 + comments

Just 3 servings or more weekly of green peas (and/or beans) was linked with an incredible 50% reduced risk for colon cancer, according to an observational study from Europe. Intriguingly, this was the most powerful risk reduction of any fruit or vegetables analyzed in the study. Green are indeed rich sources of vitamin C, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, fiber and plant-based protein. But it’s probably their lectins at work against . When scientists isolated the lectins from this amazing green vegetable, they suppressed the growth of human colorectal cancer cells by 63% in a test tube. Peas (and beans) are healthy sources of protein, so consider adding more to your regular diet. Sources: Pubmed ID 9583427, 29885391

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2306132-vitamin-d-supplements-really-do-reduce-risk-of-autoimmune-disease/

Interesting. Vitamin D supplementation is an important element of the "Overcoming MS" protocol - it has been shown to have a therapeutic effect for people with that auto immune disease. But this is the first time that I've come across research showing a preventive effect against auto immune diseases.

Vitamin D supplements really do reduce risk of autoimmune disease It has long been suspected that vitamin D could help reduce the risk of developing an autoimmune disease, and now we have evidence this is the case – at least for people over 50

If you haven't discovered Dr Chatterjee's podcast yet, I highly recommend it. It's full of thought-provoking and inspirational conversations about ways to "Feel better, live more". The episodes are quite long, so I listen in chunks while working in the kitchen. Thank goodness for bluetooth headphones!

https://drchatterjee.com/why-disease-isnt-inevitable-with-dr-ayan-panja/

Why Disease Isn’t Inevitable with Dr Ayan Panja - Dr Rangan Chatterjee CAUTION: Please be aware that this podcast contains reference to su***de. Today I’m pleased to welcome back Dr Ayan Panja, who’s a close friend and now a regular podcast guest – as well as an accomplished podcaster himself. He’s a busy NHS GP, brilliant health communicator, and my partner in...

"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."
- Marcus Aurelius

Gratitude is a choice, and it can help set up the body and mind for a better day.