Bored Health

If anyone had any doubt about the differences between Nutritionists and Dietitians Catherine Collins put them straight on Radio 4 recently - 'if your urine is too dark or you are thirsty then drink squash and coffee' she told the Radio 4 listeners

She insinuated her clinics are full of people maimed by incompetent Nutritionists. In our nutritional therapy clinics we regularly see people who feel they have to pay £95 an hour because they have been failed by their NHS GPs and dietitians, left to suffer for up to 20 years with missed obvious clues to their underlying symptom causing conditions.

I guess that's another difference with dietitian Catherine Collins and a good nutritionist , instead of hyperbolic whinging on the radio that all Doctors and dietitians should get some basic nutrition training or be thrown in jail, qualified Nutritional therapists get on with the job of healing people.

The final difference between Nutritionists and dietitians is the most important one. Patients rarely get 'sent' to a nutritionist, they don't have to come, sent by their doctor. Patients choose to come, choose their therapist, choose to pay and choose to follow a nutritionist's advice. Patients usually arrive at our clinics after a personal recommendation from someone who's life we have already transformed.

Yes it is a constant thorn in our side too, that there are some truly awful practitioners out there that call themselves nutritionists. Surprisingly we can't get wait to get regulated (as long as leave us the tools to do the job). However although regulation will weed out some of the Personal Trainers that call themselves nutritionists and a host of other 'jack of all trade' alternative therapists it won't solve the kind of problems that provoke Collin's vitriolic attacks. GP's are heavily regulated, it doesn't stop them missing things that experienced qualified nutritional therapists regard as blatantly obvious. You can't know everything - that's why you have specialists.

It's great that dietitians are finally regulated and now required to participate in regular professional development but old habits die hard and there are still the odd few that are able to do more harm than good. (Ice cream and custard creams for osteoporosis!!??!!) Frustated by the constraints of dietetics as a therapeutic tool some dietitians have gone on to learn about nutritional therapy and are now some of the most dynamic practitioners out there.

A modicom of common sense maybe useful here. Choose a nutritional therapist who specialises in nutrition, with experience, with insurance, with recognised qualificatons and preferably with a personal recommendation.

Nutritional therapy is performance based. If therapists don't get people well, patients won't come back, they won't tell their friends and they won't pay the money. Chances are they won't be in business for very long.

If you want a dietitian make sure you get a good one

Always go to your Doctor first (it's free!) if they can't help you give us a call!

Tony Bishop-Weston - Nutritionists London Foods for Life

Want to lose body fat, get fit, and build a better-looking body fast? Here are 4 things anyone can do to accomplish these goals: 1. Energize yourself. Without high energy levels, you're not going to do the things necessary to lose body fat and get fit quickly. For optimal energy you'll need to get at least 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night. You'll also need to avoid junk food, processed sugars,

Of course most restaurants don't want you to know what's in their food. If you did you think twice about eating it. Pizzas, Kebabs and curries have been shown to have more than a whole days allowance of saturated fat. Chinese food can not just have over the odds on saturated fat but up to 19 teaspoons of sugar per dish.




Yvonne Bishop-Weston Nutritionist London on GM TV this morning says "People can't make healthier choices if the nutritional information is kept secret. The simplest idea is to extend the Food Standards Traffic light system - If people then have a dish with a red rating for saturated fat or sugar they then know they factor that in for other food they eat that day.



Leading takeaway chains still offer little if any nutritional information to help customers make healthy choices, a study has found. None of the major takeaway restaurants give nutritional details on menus or menu boards, despite Britons eating almost two billion of their meals a year, the National Consumer Council (NCC) said.

Customers find it difficult to work out how much fat, salt and sugar they are eating, and cannot compare meals to choose healthier options, the NCC said. The survey of seven restaurant chains named Pizza Express as the worst offender for offering no nutritional information at all in its stores or online. Wimpy, Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza only offered information on their websites.

Only Burger King made details available before ordering in the form of a leaflet at the counter. KFC and McDonald's printed information on the back of tray liners. The NCC found that nutritional information was often hard to find, complex and difficult to understand. None of the information allowed consumers to compare the relative healthiness of different meal options at a glance.

A poll of customers by the NCC found three quarters would find nutritional information useful in takeaway restaurants, while 61% would use it to choose healthier meals. The study found a KFC meal of a Tower Burger, regular BBQ beans, yoghurt and cola contained nearly a whole day's salt and more than two thirds of the recommended daily amount of sugar.

In comparison, a KFC drumstick and breast, regular fries, Munch Bunch raspberry yoghurt and a regular diet cola provided less than half a day's salt and a sixth of the daily amount of sugar.

The Cabinet Office Food Matters study released this week recommended looking at ways to help consumers have access to healthier choices when eating out and having more information about the health and environmental impacts of their diet.

Recent studies have warned that single take-away meals such as curries or Chinese dishes can include more saturated fat than an adult should eat in an entire day. NCC policy expert Jeff Allder said: ``It's important that people can choose a healthy option if they want one, especially with consumers' growing appetite for fast food and the rise of obesity and diet-related illnesses.

``If people are going to change their eating habits they need clear, up-front information about what they are eating. The largest takeaway chains should take a lead from supermarkets, which provide a lot of information at a glance.''

Cost-Effectiveness and Patient Tolerance of Low-Attenuation Oral Contrast Material: Milk Versus VoLumen -- Koo et al. 190 (5): 1307 -- American Journal of Roentgenology

For years, countless people have had to force down about 1,200 cc of a barium contrast drink before having CT scans of their abdomen and pelvis to diagnose bowel disorders and abnormalities. The barium coats the insides of the esophagus, stomach and intestine, appearing dark while the intestinal wall appears brighter. The contrast from the barium allows radiologists to better visualize the bowel wall and more clearly delineate the bowel cavity and soft tissue. Barium drinks, however, can come with unpleasant side effects like constipation, diarrhea, nausea and cramping. The acidy-burning taste of the chalky, milky liquid can make getting it down one of the most unpleasant parts of the diagnostic test.

Children especially balk at drinking the barium–based drinks.

Clever researchers at St Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City thought , "hmmmm - constipation, diarrhea, nausea and cramping?.....same syptoms many people have if they drink milk" They wondered if milk might work just as well.

And it does!

No statistically significant differences were seen between whole milk and VoLumen with respect to degree of bowel distention and mural visualization for all segments of bowel studied

Almonds are among the healthiest foods known to man. They also happen to be one of the few "perfect" weight loss/fitness foods, simply because they're loaded with healthy fat, fiber, and complex carbs, not to mention vitamins and minerals. When it comes to healthy snacks, it's tough to beat almonds! Here's a great article about using almonds in place of carb-rich foods for faster, healthier

Closely related species of Pairie dog don’t live together (Photo credit Imperial College) Ever wondered why family feuds result in fighting relatives keeping their distance … often for a very long time? Well, reseachers at Imperial College, UK have observed that steering clear of your rels may have evolutionary beginnings. Mammals cannot share their habitat with closely related species because the need for the same kind of food and shelter would lead them to compete to the death. This idea that closely related species would be unlikely to be found together because they compete ferociously was first put forward by Charles Darwin in 1859. This study provides the most evidence so far for Darwin’s prediction, thanks to the new complete ‘family tree’ for mammals, developed by Imperial biologists last year, and new comprehensive data on the location and make-up of different mammal communities worldwide. The new research focused on communities of three different types of mammals: new world monkeys (including marmosets, tamarins and spider monkeys), possums, and ground squirrels (including marmots, prairie dogs and chipmunks). For further information, click on: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_28-5-2008-10-20-29?newsid=37114 Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com

Tags: Ancestry, biodiversity, Evolution

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Logo by Ricardo at My Biotech Life

Gene Genie Genetics Carnival #33  is hosted by Mo from Neurophilosophy.  

Mo has a great series of genetics related articles from all the best genetics blogs in the world.  In this edition, there is a strong emphasis on cancer. There’s also a focus on leukodystrophy, and a special section on personalized genetics.

Well worth a read!

Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com

Tags: Blogroll, cancer, Genetics Blogging, genetics carnivals, leukodystrophy

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(Image credit: medicineworld.org) 

This week b5 media’s Health and Wellness channel is focusing on celebrities health.  Our focus is not on ‘tittle tattle’  and hot gossip about Angelina, Brad or ’Tomkat’ but rather a serious look at health issues that high profile individuals share with all of us. 

In the genetics world, our ‘celebrities’ are the likes of Craig Venter and James Watson - pioneering geneticists but basking in the eye of the media.

The race to sequence genomes has resulted in some major PR, particularly for Craig and James. 454 is sequencing James Watson’s genome and Craig has announced some of his results in PLoS.  TV star Larry King, cosmologist Stephen Hawking, Google co-founder Larry Page, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and junk bond trader Michael Milken have all paid a vast sum of money to have their genomes sequenced.

However, this is causing a degree of discomfort within the scientific community.  They are worried that only the rich will benefit and it’s sending out the wrong messages to the public.

I have a different perspective.  Research has to start somewhere.  The very rich have always been the first to buy pioneering technology whether it’s a car, the latest computer or mobile phone.  Their money will assist  in further driving down the cost of the technology to such a price that will be affordable to us mere mortals.

Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com

Tags: angelina, brad, Celebrity, craig-venter, DNA sequencing, genetics, Genetics and Celebrities, Genome sequencing, james-watson, larry-king, larry-page, michael milken, paul-allen, stephen-hawking, tomkat

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b5 media’s very own Kristina Chew, PhD - the mastermind behind Autism Vox - is going to be on Good Morning America on abc tomorrow morning!

Both Kristina and Ari Ne’eman, the president of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN), were interviewed about autism, and the director for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Tom Insel, will be in the segment as well.

Be sure to watch Kristina, Ari Ne’eman, and Tom Insel on Good Morning America tomorrow. You may just learn a thing or to about autism and mental health from three really good sources!

Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com

Tags: , Autism, Autism Vox, Good Morning America

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It’s celebrity health week at b5 media’s Health and Wellness channel!

We will be taking a look at health issues which not only affect ourselves but also our celebrities.  Often, a celebrity who is suffering from a health related problem can do so much to support the cause and bring disease warning signs to the attention of the public.  Cancer survivors such as international singers Kylie Minogue, Olivia Newton-John, cyclist Lance Armstrong and singer Sheryl Crowe have all shared their battles with us, to great effect.

Their celebrity status earned through achievements in sports, entertainment, government and the arts brings the spotlight center stage to their anti-cancer message.

Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com

Tags: cancer, Genetics and Celebrities, kylie, lance armstrong, olivia newton john, sheryl crowe

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