Alcohol, children and England’s Chief Medical Officer.

I must have been about 5 or 6 when I had my first taste of alcohol. It was red wine, a small sip, and my family were on holiday in France. I remember that we were staying in a flat near a beach and my parents had friends over for lunch, a full table, and my sister and I were the only children. I was given some wine to try and I remember feeling repulsed by the taste. Had I know what sour and rancid meant then I think I would have decided that the wine was exactly that.

Now I see that England’s chief medical officer has advised parents that “Children aged under 15 should never be given alcohol, even in small quantities”. If you look at the consultation document, page 13 onwards, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/29_01_09_consultationonchildren.pdf, you will see that alcohol has been linked to violence, skipping school, teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, vomiting and drug use. Sir Liam Donaldson said childhood should be an “alcohol-free time”, as ministers prepare to publish guidance on the issue for the first time, and suggests that 15 and 16 year olds drink once a week and then in the company of their parents and limit intake to one glass of wine or the equivalent.

I don’t doubt that the negative effects of alcohol are many and serious, but given the social climate in Britain in 2009, how likely is this to work? Not one of the situations listed on page 13 onwards of the consultation report is something that your average teenager thinks will apply to them, certainly not unless they had a serious alcohol problem. It’s quite normal to try many different things when you are a kid, it seems part of growing up, but I don’t think that being told not to drink alcohol is going to work. Of course the powers that be are right to inform and advise us as they do, but is it practical?  

Alcohol is part of daily life in Britain, and even though I am now a non-drinker, I can appreciate the allure of a glass of rich red wine with roast lamb, or a cold beer on a hot day.

If only we stopped there.

Diets and repeated dieting.

 Last week I gave a talk at Whole Foods in Kensington, London. The talk had originally been billed as being about ‘Supereating’ and how to incorporate this into a day to day diet. You may be aware that Supereating is a guide to pairing or combining foods so that the inherent nutrients work together in a synergistic manner. For example, the absorption of zinc can be enhanced by B6, so if you were looking to increase your zinc levels, rather than head to the health food store and buy a bottle of pills, you can eat zinc-rich foods ( such as oysters or poultry ) but have a piece of wholemeal bread too. So a chicken sandwich may be ideal. Less than 10 people signed up for the talk, which may seem like a small number but it’s a new topic and I am not a celebrity so its quite normal.

However, on changing the subject of the talk to ‘Healthy Weight Management’ all at once some 47 people signed up. Now this may be because the talk was imminent which encouraged people to express an interest. My personal status hadn’t changed, I wasn’t on the cover of Heat magazine ( Celebrity Big Brother can lay claim to that honour for the next couple of weeks ), my new single isn’t due out nor is my latest novel/movie/television show, so why the sudden increase in numbers?

It seems obvious that despite our best intentions, losing weight remains the most popular topic when it comes to nutrition. Interestingly, amongst the 47 people who came along to the talk, I didn’t notice anyone who one would term as ‘fat’, so why the interest?  

Seeing as the audience had an interest in weight loss I asked how many people had ever been on a diet. Needless to say most if not all had. Then I asked how many people had dieted more than 5 times, and several people indicated that they had indeed followed five or more diets.

But if a diet works, then why would we need to diet again? The answer may be simple, but diet’s don’t work in the long term. In isolation they do, of course they do, as they give us a template ( be it strict or otherwise ) but as soon as they are over, what then? Having sensed possible famine, the metabolic rate can change to meet the new input of calories, much like learning to get by on a reduced salary. Your metabolic rate has no idea ( nor does it care ) whether you have decided to lose some weight because you are going to a wedding and want to look slim in front of the family, nor if you let yourself go over Christmas because you deserved it. It simply reacts to how much energy you take in and how much you expend. Therefore diets and dieting can vastly increase the chances that you will have to diet again. And again.

My advice for anyone who wants to avoid this miserable cycle of weight loss and weight gain, boom or bust, feast or famine, is don’t diet, learn how to eat instead.

 

 

 

 

 

BBC Breakfast, the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council, bad therapists and a free event this week at Wholefoods, London, W8. All in one blog.

I was on the sofa at BBC Breakfast this morning discussing the merits of a new register designed to help protect the public from ‘cowboy’ complementary alternative therapists. Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) has been set up to offer a degree of regulation on therapists ( not the therapies ) which is a huge step in maintaining and improving standards throughout the sector.

A register has been opened today, and the first people invited to place apply for inclusion are nutritional therapists and masseurs. Next month and onwards other doctrines will be invited to apply for registration ( ranging from Reiki to aromatherapy ). The co-chair of the CHNC, Maggie Dunn, was on the sofa at 06.40 ( see it here at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7828593.stm ) and then I was on with the lovely Dr Rosemary Leonard and 07.40 ( no link to that available ). I should start off by saying that I am delighted to see a register in place. It’s important to understand that the CNHC register is there to register the therapists and not to endorse or regulate the therapies. Therefore some of the therapies that people on the register undertake may not be quite as factual/evidence based as others. For example, I believe that it is widely accepted that what we eat affects our health. The Department of Health’s Chage 4Life campaign is centered around diet and exercise, as well as the 5 a day drive to get us all eating plenty of fresh produce.

The CNHC register will be opened to doctrines that are not as widely known, nor as generally accepted.  For example, Reiki ( see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reiki for an explanation ) is a ‘spiritual practice’ that uses ‘healing energy’. Bear in mind that the register is there to ensure that the therapist is insured, appropriately trained and runs a professional practice, not to say whether Reiki ‘works’, yet the inclusion of some doctrines surely implies that they do have efficacy? It is not for me to say what works and what doesn’t, but I simply don’t understand how some complementary therapies can work. That’s not to say that we can’t enjoy them, or that the process isn’t beneficial, but how much of the experience is down to the actual treatment, or the overall experience? For example, aromatherapy is a very pleasant treatment, but is it the relaxation involved and the ‘me time’ that is the main source of the benefit or is it the smell of the oils?

The new register does allow therapists to demonstrate that they are appropriately qualified, insured and run a proper practice, which is a huge step forward.

Meanwhile, I am going to be at Wholefoods in Kensington High Street, London, W8 between 6 and 7 pm this Wednesday 21st January talking about ‘Healthy Weight Management’. Please come along, you can book by calling 020 7368 4541, ask for the Q Desk. The talk is part of a Free Pampering Day which starts at 4 and goes through until 7.30pm. We will have a team from The Food Doctor offering tastings on our foods, including the new Easy Grains. I will be around too, so please say hello and come to the talk at 6 ( upstairs on the first floor ).

Slumdog Millionaire, Change4Life and Revels.

I think there must be something wrong with me.  Now I think about it I am sure there are plenty of things that are wrong with me, and I am very lucky to have people all around who are only to happy to tell me how wrong I am.

Despite all my obvious faults, it’s a movie that is the source of my failings this time. Over the weekend, I went to see Slumdog Millionaire having bought the requisite bag of Revels, some green tea and a bottle of water.Despite winning Golden Globes, I felt that the movie was ordinary, and even using every cinematic trick there was, it managed to remain flat and uninteresting whilst the love interest was unconvincing and dull. Not even the orange Revels could distract me from noticing that the hero was mostly unmoved by winning a life-changing amount of money.

The message of the movie wasn’t lost on me ( love is more important than money, that the world of popular culture is often corrupt and that holding on to one’s dignity is more important than personal gain ) but I don’t think that the messages were delivered with the subtlety that would have suited. Instead, the movie bashed you on the head with its moral take on the story and bullied you into feeling things.

When the director seems to think that the audience are not bright enough for gentle and clever messages about life, but instead need them pointed out with neon signs, then the movie loses some integrity. You aren’t stupid, you don’t need these things spelt out for you just in case you miss them. Do you?

I was struck by the same approach in the new Change4lfe advertisements that are running on television and in newspapers. Why do we need to have health messages delivered in the form of animation? Is it because the message about healthy eating isn’t getting through to those that need it the most?  Take a look at the website, http://www.nhs.uk/change4life and you will see that the message is excellent, and there is nothing controversial or ground-breaking about what is needed, but like Slumdog, I am questioning the delivery.

If you do a web search, Change4life, you will see that in the ten days since its inception, the campaign has attracted some harsh comments from members of the community who feel that their needs have been overlooked. In addition, the British Heart Foundation have called for food manufacturers to change the way they advertise food ( In fact the BHF said “It’s time for the government to show that it truly has the stomach to lead the fight against obesity” displaying the same level of subtlety as Slumdog ).

The Change4Life campaign is laudable, and the Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo says that “We are trying to create a lifestyle revolution on a huge scale – something which no Government has attempted before”. Multinational brands are working within the campaign including Cadbury, Kellogg’s, Kraft and PepsiCo are all taking part alongside major supermarkets Asda, Tesco and The Co-operative Group and people will be able to call a dedicated helpline and speak to specially-trained advisors for advice on exercise, nutrition and support services. Pretty good stuff then – well supported and excellent partners, who could ask for more?

Despite my predilection for Revels, I am happy to support the Change4Life campaign, but do wish that the delivery message had been a little more subltle.

 

 

 

 

Colds and ‘flu – how to boost your immune system with Supereating.

I started this blog a year ago, with some trepidation, as I was unsure if anyone would read it. I needn’t have worried as in one year 55,681 people have read the blog which is very pleasing.

I can see how many times a particular blog has been read, and despite  weight loss being the most common reason why many people choose to make changes to their diets, its seems that the concept of Supereating is almost as popular as a topic.

Supereating is brand new way of eating that maximises the nutrients in food by pairing foods that complement one another. Nutrients work as ‘team players’, never in isolation,and some nutrients encourage the action of others whilst some hinder.

This week we are told that record numbers of people are suffering with colds and ‘flu ( a nine year high in fact ) should one ‘feed a cold, starve a fever’? Last week, findings published in the Journal of Nutrition suggested that the contrary to the old adage “starve a fever”, those with fever should actually ensure that they eat too. But what should you eat? Can Supereating help? I would say this, but the answer is ‘yes’. The immune system is reliant upon many factors, not least nutrients, and there is a direct link between being run down, or under-fed, and the efficient workings of the body’s defences.

All nutrients play a role in the immune system, but here is a list of those that I consider to be vital, a quick description of what they do, and lastly, a typical days eating that combines the nutrients in food, maximising those that work together.

Vitamin A

 

Involved with antibody production and cell replication (so that cells divide normally and do not mutate) and supports the thymus gland

 

Friends – protein, fat, zinc iron

Foes – plant sterols, low fat diets

 

Eggs, liver, cheese, apricots, sweet potato, butternut squash, peppers especially red and orange.

 

Vitamin B₆

 

Works to support both B and T cells

 

Friends – folic acid and B12

Foes – overcooking or frozen food

 

Chicken, lamb, eggs, avocado, cabbage, cauliflower, legumes and brown rice

 

Vitamin C

Has many roles to play in the immune system: it can increase antibody production and is a component of both interferon and complement

Foes – excessive water intake

Limes, lemons, sweet potatoes, berries, peppers, cauliflower, kale, soft fruit

 

Vitamin E

Can increase the concentration of T cells

Friends – vitamin C and selenium

Foes – low-fat diets, plant sterols

Avocados, almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, olive oil, eggs, tuna

           

 

Zinc

Required by the thymus gland in the manufacture of T-cells

Friends – vitamin B6 and protein

Foes – excess cellulose, phytates, high calcium intake, alcohol, refined sugar

Chickpeas, seafood, chicken, oats, brown rice, pumpkin seeds

 

Selenium

Involved in the action of both NK and T cells, also in the production of antibodies

Friends – iodine

Foes – low intake of copper and iron

Liver, halibut, cod, tuna, salmon, prawns, mushrooms (not barley as it contains phytates), sole, mackerel , brown rice, onions, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, cashew nuts, kidney beans

 

Iodine

Stimulates NK ( Natural Killer ) cells

Friends – selenium

Foes – soya, raw cruciferous vegetables, red rice, millet and cassava

Seaweeds, kelp, seafood and garlic

 

Organosulphides

Stimulates macrophage and lymphocyte action.

Friends – probiotics

Foes –  none

Garlic, onions, chives, shallots and leeks

 

 

Probiotics

Stimulate immune response in the gastrointestinal tract, and also help produce vitamin K, which is required for blood clotting

Foes – refined sugar, alcohol, excess yeast in foods

Plain yoghurt, miso soup, fermented foods such as sauerkraut

 

A perfect immune-boosting day’s Supereating

 

Breakfast          Plain yogurt with pumpkin seeds and blueberries

 

Mid-morning      Oatcake with cashew butter, salmon pâté

 

Lunch               Salad made with cooled steamed asparagus, mixed salad leaves, soft-boiled eggs, sliced yellow and red peppers, sprinkled with sesame seeds;    dressing of plain yoghurt mixed with lemon juice, olive oil and

                        crushed garlic

 

Snack               Soft fruits mixed with flaked almonds

 

Dinner               Grilled chicken or king prawns, steamed cauliflower, broccoli with brown rice

 

Supereatin ( Quadrille, £12.99 ) is in bookshops now. You can also order a copy online from www.thefooddoctor.com

Supereating, The Mail on Sunday and BBC Radio London.

The latest title from The Food Doctor, Supereating, is now in the shops. Supereating is a new concept in nutrition and addresses an aspect that has been overlooked in the mainstream, which is how the nutrients interact with one another. We are aware of some of the basics, such as vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron, and so when taking iron supplements we may be instructed to take it with orange juice.  However there are many other similar combinations that are required to help the absorption of activity of nutrients, some acting together in a positive way, whilst others have a negative effect on each other. Furthermore, elements in foods may hinder absorption or action, such as oxalates and phytates ( found in grains for example ), which hinder mineral absorption. So if you are eating grains, it would make sense to eat them with a food that might enhance mineral absorption to compensate for the potential reduction caused by oxalates and phytates. This might be as simple as including a sauce made from plain yogurt on vegetables, or having some miso soup before the meal as both contain probiotics which encourage the absorption of calcium, magnesium and iron, thus making up for the action of the phytates. It may sound complicated but its not, and in the book I cover daily menus with simple explanations.

The Mail on Sunday will be publishing an extract this weekend ( January 4th ) so do look out for that. On the same day I will be sitting in for Lesley Joseph and Christopher Biggins on BBC Radio London ( 94.9 FM or listen on DAB or online ) from 9am until 12 midday. I will be presenting the show with the lovely Anne Diamond so do please listen if you can, and feel free to call in as well.