Newly diagnosed cancer patients should be prescribed fitness plans

Newly diagnosed cancer patients should be given exercise and nutrition plans in order to boost their chances of recovery and survival, charities say.

•  Laura Donnelly, health editor

2 JULY 2019 • 12:01AM

The report suggests that a diagnosis of cancer is a 'teachable moment' to encourage better health habits  CREDIT: PA 

Experts said that those about to embark on treatment should be given personalised recommendations about their lifestyles, in order to “maximise” their resilience to treatment.

The report by Macmillan Cancer Support, the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the National Institute for Health Research Cancer and Nutrition Collaboration called for the introduction of “prehabilitation" as soon as possible after a diagnosis. 

Their experts said that a diagnosis could provide a “teachable moment” for patients to quit unhealthy habits, such as smoking or excess drinking.

And they said that all patients could improve their long-term chances of recovery and survival, by getting in optimum shape before treatment began.  

The recommendations follow a series of studies which have shown exercise can cut the chance of an early death.  US research from Yale University found daily brisk walk of just 25 minutes was found to almost halve mortality among breast cancer sufferers.

The new report suggests those diagnosed with cancer should be encouraged to eat healthily, with lots of fruit and vegetables, limiting alcohol to 14 units a week or less, keeping to a healthy weight, stopping smoking and taking regular exercise of 150 minutes a week if possible.

It says: "People are less vulnerable to the side effects of cancer treatment if they are as healthy as possible, physically and psychologically.”

In some cases, improvements in fitness and nutrition could mean patients became strong enough to access treatments which might not have otherwise been tolerated, it said. 

The report said healthy eating was particularly important because the disease and treatment for it increase the risk of malnutrition. 

The organisations said that giving those diagnosed with cancer help to improve their fitness and nutrition could also help patients to “reclaim a sense of control”.

June Davis, from Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "We want to see prehabilitation implemented soon after diagnosis so that people living with cancer feel empowered to improve their health and get the personalised care they need.”

Dr Giota Mitrou, director of research at World Cancer Research Fund, said: "We are very excited about this new report and fully support the idea that people living with cancer should receive evidence-based diet and exercise advice.”

 We know that diet, weight and physical activity have an impact on your risk of developing cancer, and now evidence suggests that having a healthy diet and exercising may improve a person’s response to cancer treatment, giving them a better quality of life.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/07/01/newly-diagnosed-cancer-patients-should-prescribed-fitness-plans/

Cutting cancer risks | 10 recommendations

https://healthticket.blogspot.com/2019/06/game-changing-cancer-drugs-which-can.html

Our cancer prevention recommendations

Cutting out high-calorie foods and sugary drinks. Drinking less alcohol. Losing weight.

What changes could you make to your life to reduce your risk of getting cancer?

Based on the latest scientific research about how to prevent cancer, our advice is practical and simple to understand.

Be a healthy weight

Keep your weight within the healthy range and avoid weight gain in later life

Balancing your weight

Move more

Be physically active as part of everyday life – walk more and sit less

Getting active

Enjoy more grains, veg, fruit & beans

Eat a wide variety of wholegrains, vegetables, fruit and pulses such as beans

Reshape your plate

Avoid high-calorie foods

Limit consumption of fast foods and other processed foods high in fat or sugar

Stay full for longer

Limit consumption of red and processed meat

Eat no more than three portions of red meat a week and eat little, if any, processed meat

What counts as processed?

Limit consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks

Drink mostly water and unsweetened drinks

What counts as sugar-sweetened?

For cancer prevention, don’t drink alcohol

If you do, limit alcoholic drinks and follow national guidelines

Tips for cutting down

Don’t rely on supplements

Eat a healthy diet rather than relying on supplements to protect against cancer

Learn more

Breastfeed your baby

If you can, breastfeed your baby for six months before adding other liquids and foods

Benefits of breastfeeding

Cancer survivors

After a cancer diagnosis, follow our recommendations, if you can

Get more advice

Our recommendations

How do we know that they work?

Independent analysis

https://www.wcrf-uk.org/uk/preventing-cancer/cancer-prevention-recommendations

Eating more rice could help fight obesity, study led by Japan researcher suggests

Eating rice may help prevent obesity, research suggests.

• MAY 2, 2019
• BLOOMBERG
• 

Experts found that people following a Japanese or Asian-style diet based on rice were less likely to be obese than those living in countries where rice consumption was low.

Researchers said low-carbohydrate diets — which limit rice — are a popular weight-loss strategy in developed countries but the effect of rice on obesity has been unclear.

They looked at rice consumption in terms of grams per day per person and calorie intake in 136 countries. They also looked at data on body mass index.

In the U.K., people were found to consume just 19 grams of rice a day, below dozens of other countries including Canada, Spain and the U.S.

The researchers calculated that even a modest increase in rice consumption of 50 grams per day per person could reduce the worldwide prevalence of obesity by 1 percent (from 650 million adults to 643.5 million).

Professor Tomoko Imai of Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts in Kyoto, who led the research, said: “The observed associations suggest that the obesity rate is low in countries that eat rice as a staple food. Therefore, a Japanese food or an Asian-food-style diet based on rice may help prevent obesity. Given the rising levels of obesity worldwide, eating more rice should be recommended to protect against obesity even in Western countries.”

Imai said rice was low fat, adding: “It’s possible that the fiber, nutrients and plant compounds found in whole grains may increase feelings of fullness and prevent overeating.”

The authors concluded: “The prevalence of obesity was significantly lower in the countries with higher rice supply even after controlling for lifestyle and socioeconomic indicators.”

Tam Fry, chairman of the U.K.’s National Obesity Forum, said: “We have known for centuries that Far Eastern populations tend to be slimmer than in the West because rice is a staple food, but few obesity specialists may have appreciated why.

“This novel research is the first to hypothesize that we could nail obesity by eating a modest amount more.”

The study was presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/05/02/national/science-health/eating-rice-help-fight-obesity-study-led-japan-researcher-suggests/

We are literally eating ourselves to death

One in five deaths globally are linked to poor diet, experts said recently, warning that overconsumption of sugar, salt and meat was killing millions of people every year.

April 16, 2019 Food, Health, Nutrition

By AGENCY

While adding salt to food, as seen in this filepic, enhances its taste, we are unfortunately oversalting our food to the extent of consuming 86% more sodium than is healthy.

The United Nations estimates that nearly a billion people worldwide are malnourished, while nearly two billion are “overnourished”.

But the latest study on global diet trends, published in The Lancet, showed that in nearly every one of the 195 countries surveyed, people were also eating too much of the wrong types of food and consuming worryingly low levels of healthier produce.

For example, the world on average consumes more than ten times the recommended amount of sugar-sweetened beverages, and 86% more sodium (salt) per person than is considered safe.

The study, which examined consumption and disease trends between 1990-2017, also cautioned that too many people were eating far too few whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Of the 11 million deaths attributed to poor diet, by far the largest killer was cardiovascular disease, which is often caused or worsened by obesity.

“This study affirms what many have thought for several years – that poor diet is responsible for more deaths than any other risk factor in the world,” said study author Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in the United States.

“Our assessment suggests the leading dietary risk factors are high intake of sodium or low intake of health foods.”

The report highlighted large variation in diet-related deaths between nations, with the highest-risk country Uzbekistan having ten times the food-based mortality rate of the lowest-risk, Israel.

In January 2019, a consortium of three dozen researchers called for a dramatic shift in the way the world eats.

The EAT-Lancet report said that the global population must eat roughly half as much red meat and sugar, and twice as many vegetables, fruits and nuts, in order to avert a worldwide obesity epidemic and avoid “catastrophic” climate change.

Authors of the recent study noted that economic inequality was a factor in poor dietary choices in many countries.

It found that on average, reaching the “five-a-day” fruit and vegetable servings advocated by doctors cost just 2% of household income in rich nations, but more than a half of household income in poorer ones.

“This study gives us good evidence of what to target to improve diets, and therefore health, at the global and national level,” said Oyinlola Oyebode, associate professor at Warwick Medical School in the United Kingdom, who was not involved in the research.

“The lack of fruit, vegetables and whole grains in diets across the world are very important – but the other dietary factor highlighted by this study is the high intake of sodium.” – AFP Relaxnews

https://www.star2.com/health/2019/04/16/salt-sugar-diet-nutrition/

Curious Cook: The Anthropocene diet – Part 1

How and what we are eating in an epoch defined by the impact of humans on the planet.

October 14, 2018 Food, Food News

By CHRIS CHAN

Age Of Humans

We are probably living in a new geological period called the Anthropocene Epoch, replacing the Holocene Epoch which was a relatively warm period which started around the end of the last glacial period around 12,000 years ago.

Like all geological periods, the Anthropocene is defined by observable, distinct changes to the ecosystems and geology of our planet – and it has been proposed that humans are causing a large enough geophysical impact on the planet’s ecology, oceans and geography to warrant defining this new geological epoch.

Anthropocene means Age of Humans, though it is unclear when this period started. It would have begun gradually as the impact of humans on the planet slowly became momentous. Initially, it probably started by increasing deforestation, followed by larger and larger scale commercial farming which in turn changed local fauna by the use of monoculture crops and pesticides/herbicides.

Similarly, towns, industrial sites, transport networks, etc, also introduced other significant impacts; eg. concreting of land, damming of rivers (for hydro-electricity and reservoirs), creation of rubbish landfill sites, air pollution from vehicles and factories, desertification, river pollution by sewage and industrial waste leading to ocean pollution, etc.

Add in global warming, changing weather patterns, mass extinction of many species of fauna, ozone layer depletion, etc, and it is evident we have entered the Anthropocene Epoch. And it might be the shortest epoch in our planet’s history if we cannot stop destroying our environment so zealously.

Berlin

I am writing this in Berlin, Germany, in a country known for efficiency, practicality and environmentalism. It is also a meat-loving country where selling tofu was banned until 1990. So it was a huge surprise to hear Berlin is now the vegan capital of Europe. Every supermarket carries vegetable protein substitutes for meat, and many Germans are cutting down significantly on their meat-eating habits. The consumption of meat in Germany has fallen every year since 2011 and is now under 60kg per person (which is still rather high).

This is in no small way due to major producers offering vegetarian/vegan versions of classic German delicacies, marketed unashamedly using the same techniques as meat-based products, but containing words such as “ohne fleisch” (without meat) or “vegetarische” (vegetarian). The number of vegetarian restaurants and dishes has also increased exponentially.

This contrasts starkly with the United States which is projected to consume more meat this year than ever – the average American will eat a staggering 100.8kg of meat this year (with no signs of any reduction in the future), while food experts suggest it is feasible to reduce consumption of meat in Germany 50% by 2040.

Flexitarian restaurants are popular in Berlin.

Flexitarian

A reader recently asked a question which sounded simple but actually had me thinking for days. It was about what makes a good flexitarian diet, in response to an article about ultra-modern foods. It is a timely question as many Germans have said they are moving to becoming flexitarians. At its simplest, a flexitarian diet is just replacing some meat in the diet with vegetarian components.

But being German, some locals have elevated things another level – for example, abstinence from meat entirely for two or three days a week and eating only organic meat the rest of the week. Others would insist on having meat for, say, 50% of their daily protein with the rest made up of non-meat substitutes. And yet another version would be avoiding meat entirely except for social occasions (which is what my daughters do). I consider myself a flexitarian and personally it just involves cutting down on meat in general with no fixed targets. So it seems that being a flexitarian means following a reduced-meat regime without any fixed rules, except the ones you like.

From The Neolithic To Now

Although following a flexitarian diet is very simple, it is something we should all consider doing. The only factor in being a flexitarian is the reduction of animal proteins/fats in food, and many appear to be gravitating to diets of this nature, despite huge pressures from the food industry.

Some people may jokingly argue that being flexitarian can also mean eating some vegetables along with meat, indicating a “flexible” approach to our food. They may not be wrong but it is worth investigating why humans desire meat so much in the first place.

For a start, meat is widely marketed as an important source of nutrition, and this is an easy message to sell (even though it is not wholly true) as humans generally prefer to eat meat. Our evolutionary roots as hunter gatherers leave us today with a propensity for animal flesh and fruits, because that was what we evolved to eat – evidence is ancient human stone tools dating back 2.5 million years used to butcher meat.

Humans figured out around 13,000 years ago it was easier domesticating animals than hunting them. And then around 11,000 years ago, they also found it easier to farm crops than forage plants from distant places. The start of animal husbandry and crop farming is known as the Neolithic revolution – and the availability of a consistent food supply helped create the first civilisations. Note that the earliest humans evolved around three million years ago, while our sub-species (homo sapiens) has been traced back around 200,000 years – so the Neolithic revolution actually happened very recently.

Oddly, human populations did not explode after the Neolithic revolution. This was because deadly diseases spread easier in denser communities, and kept population numbers in check. The world population did not grow exponentially until better sanitation arrived around the 19th century. At the time of the Neolithic revolution, the world’s population of homo sapiens was estimated at around one million to two million, reaching one billion in 1803 and then two billion by 1927 – but in less than 100 years since, it has increased 381% to 7.616 billion today.

Inefficiency Of Food Production

Feeding such a huge population means agriculture on a vast scale, with huge fields of crops such as wheat, corn, soy, etc. It also involves killing over 56 billion animals a year, plus countless billion tonnes of sea life. Despite the image of the food industry being efficient and productive, the reality is vastly different – mass food production is driven by economics, not nutrition.

If not for meat and dairy production, the food industry would shrink very significantly. This is because most of those vast fields of crops end up as food for meat/dairy production, not human consumption. In the US, 36% of corn and 70% of soybeans are grown for animal feed – overall, 67% of US agricultural land is used for meat/dairy production. And much of the rest of US corn is used to produce high fructose corn syrup, an unhealthy source of pointless calories.

Converting crops into meat is notoriously inefficient and polluting – 1,000 calories fed to a cow returns only 30 calories of meat, and each kilo of beef involves producing hundreds of kilos of greenhouse gases and uses thousands of litres of water. For more data, please read “Vegetarian and other dietary tales – Part 4”.

Agribusiness

One current geophysical impact on our planet is agriculture, which is largely controlled by the agribusiness industry. Agribusinesses are responsible for the supply and distribution chains of farming – it provides the crop seeds, animal breeds, pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers, feed supplements, medications, antibiotics, land-clearing machinery, farming equipment, marketing, etc.

The agribusiness industry is heavily dependent on meat production, as this provides two streams of profitable clients: (i) crop producers, and (ii) meat producers. It is in their interest to increase meat production and sales because the meat industry is actually the largest consumer of plant crops.

This is a plausible reason why we are continually encouraged to eat more meat, even though large-scale research indicates that consuming too much meat affect lifespans negatively.

Anthropocene Diet?

But even as some countries move away from excessive meat consumption, the marketing of meat simply shifts to other countries. The selling tactics work, as shown by the USA and other developing nations, because the food industry is so dominant. However, the reality is that if there is ever to be an Anthropocene diet, it would need to recognise the realities of nutrition and our environment, not just agribusiness profits. And that starts with eating less meat.

The next part investigates how we got to this curious state.

---

Curious Cook appears on the second and fourth Sunday of the month.

https://www.star2.com/food/2018/10/14/curious-cook-the-anthropocene-diet-part-1/

Going vegetarian? Here’s how to eat well

People adhere to vegetarian diets for many reasons, mostly related to religion and belief, health benefits, environmental issues, and even aesthetic and economic reasons.

October 11, 2018 Health, Living, Nutrition

By celeste lau wai hong

There are different types of vegetarian diets, largely defined by the dietary restrictions that are imposed:

• Vegan (total vegetarian): No meat, poultry, fish or any products from animals, including eggs, milk and dairy products and gelatine.

In Asia, a typical vegan also avoids onion and garlic.

• Lacto-ovo vegetarian: No meat, poultry and fish, but eggs and dairy products are allowed.

• Lacto-vegetarian: No meat, poultry, fish or eggs, but can consume dairy products.

• Ovo-vegetarian: No meat, poultry, fish or dairy products, but can eat eggs.

• Partial vegetarian: Pesco-vegetarians/Pescetarians avoid meat and poultry, but may eat fish, and pollo-vegetarians avoid meat and fish, but may eat poultry.

Some vegetarians rely too heavily on processed foods, which can be high in calories, sugar, fat and sodium.

Ironically, they may not eat enough fruits, vegetables, whole grains and calcium-rich foods, thus missing out on the nutrients they provide.

According to the American Dietetic Association, “Appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.”

The key word here is “appropriately planned”. There are vegetarian guidelines you can follow or you may consult a dietitian for a properly-planned vegetarian diet to help ensure you or your family will not miss out on important nutrients.

Vegetarians need to be mindful of some particular nutrients:

Protein: This helps maintain healthy skin, bones, muscles and organs.

Lacto-ovo diets, which include eggs and dairy products, can easily meet the daily requirement for protein.

However, for a vegan, the source of protein has to come from other plant sources, such as soy and soy products, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

Iron: This is a crucial component of red blood cells.

Dried beans and peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole grain products, dark leafy green vegetables, and dried fruit are good sources of iron.

Because iron isn’t as easily absorbed from plant sources, the recommended intake of iron for vegetarians is almost double that recommended for non-vegetarians.

To help your body absorb iron, eat foods rich in vitamin C, such as strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli, at the same time you are eating iron-containing foods.

Protein sources for vegans include soy and soy products, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains. — AP

Zinc: This mineral is not as easily absorbed from plant sources as it is from animal products.

Zinc is an essential component of many enzymes and plays a role in cell division and the formation of proteins.

Cheese is a good option if you eat dairy products.

Plant sources of zinc include whole grains, soy products, legumes, nuts and wheat germ.

Vitamin B12: This vitamin is necessary to produce red blood cells and prevent anaemia.

It is found almost exclusively in animal products, so it can be difficult to get enough this vitamin in a vegan diet.

Vitamin B12 deficiency may go undetected in people who eat a vegan diet.

This is because the vegan diet is rich in a vitamin called folate, which may mask deficiency in vitamin B12 until severe problems occur.

For this reason, it’s important for vegans to consider vitamin supplements, vitamin-enriched cereals and fortified soy products.

Calcium and vitamin D: Calcium helps build and maintain strong teeth and bones. Milk and dairy foods are highest in calcium.

However, dark green vegetables, like turnip, collard greens, kale and broccoli, are good plant sources when eaten in sufficient quantities.

Calcium-enriched and fortified products, including juices, cereals, soy milk, soy yogurt and tofu, are other options.

Vitamin D also plays an important role in bone health.

It is added to cow’s milk, some brands of soy and rice milk, and some cereals and margarines.

Exposure to sunlight is also a means of acquiring vitamin D. Exposing yourself to sunlight at least 30 minutes each day will help you get sufficient vitamin D.

However, if you don’t eat enough fortified foods and have limited sunlight exposure, you may need a vitamin D supplement (one derived from plants).

Omega-3: These fatty acids are important for heart health.

Diets that do not include fish and eggs are generally low in the active forms of omega fatty acids such as EPA and DHA.

The body can convert ALA in plant foods to EPA and DHA. Canola oil, soy oil, walnuts, ground flaxseed and soybeans are good sources of this essential fatty acid.

Vegans can also get DHA from algae/algae supplements.

It’s important for vegans to consider vitamin B12 supplementation as this vitamin is found almost exclusively in animal products. — TNS

Myths and facts about vegetarian diets

• A vegetarian diet is good for weight loss

Even though a typical vegetarian diet avoids animal meat and products, foods such as vegetarian pizza, deep fried soy products and many artificial mock meats eaten by some vegetarians might be high in fat, carbohydrates and calories.

Overweight or weight problems isn’t about whether you are vegetarian or not, it’s more about the total calories that you take and the energy output from your physical activities.

Some beans and nuts are higher in fats. Hence, a small handful of these are good sources of protein and fats.

Always be mindful of portion size and cooking methods. Do read food labels to understand how much you have taken in terms of calories and nutrients based on a serving size.

• A vegetarian diet is healthier compared to a non-vegetarian one

Vegetarians tend to consume less saturated fat and cholesterol, but more dietary fibre, potassium, magnesium and phytochemicals from plant sources that are good for heart protection.

Some evidence shows that vegetarians have a 19%-25% lower risk of cardiac related deaths compared to non-vegetarians.

In addition, many studies have shown that taking more fruits and vegetables helps in cancer prevention and there is some evidence that shows that a vegetarian has lower incidence of cancer compared to non-vegetarians.

However, there are some studies that show that avoiding red meat, but including fish in the diet can reduce the risk of certain cancers compared to a vegetarian diet (Oxford Vegetarian Study).

Plant-based vegetarians also reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by half (compared to non-vegetarians with the same body mass index).

Celeste Lau Wai Hong is a dietitian. This article is courtesy of Sunway Medical Centre.

https://www.star2.com/health/2018/10/11/going-vegetarian-how-to-eat-well/

Eat up fruits and vegetables to prevent breast cancer

New American research (July 2018) has found that women who eat at least five-and-a-half portions of fruit and vegetables every day may have a lower risk of breast cancer, especially aggressive tumours, than those who have a lower daily intake.

AUGUST 4, 2018

Along with other health benefits, eating lots of fruits and vegetables will help reduce the risk of breast cancer. — AFP

Led by researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the large-scale study looked at 182,145 women aged 27 to 59 years taking part in the long-term Nurses’ Health Study and Nurses’ Health Study II, two of the largest investigations looking into women’s risk factors for major chronic diseases.

The researchers analysed diet questionnaires submitted by the women every four years, as well as data provided on other potential breast cancer risk factors, such as age, weight, smoking status and family cancer history.

The results showed that women who ate more than 5.5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day had an 11% lower risk of breast cancer than those who ate 2.5 or fewer servings.

A serving was defined as one cup of raw leafy vegetables, half a cup of raw or cooked vegetables, or half a cup of chopped or cooked fruits.

In particular, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, and yellow and orange vegetables, were found to have a particularly significant association with lower breast cancer risk.

The team also studied whether fruit and vegetable consumption affected various types of breast cancers differently, finding that higher consumption of fruits and vegetables appeared to be particularly beneficial for lowering the risk of more aggressive tumours, including ER-negative, HER2-enriched, and basal-like tumours.

“Although prior studies have suggested an association, they have been limited in power, particularly for specific fruits and vegetables, and aggressive subtypes of breast cancer,” commented first author Maryam Farvid.

“This research provides the most complete picture of the importance of consuming high amounts of fruit and vegetables for breast cancer prevention.”

Previous work by the same researchers found that a higher intake of fibre is linked with a reduced risk of breast cancer.

But the benefits of fruits and vegetables found in this study appeared to be independent of their fibre content, suggesting that other components, such as antioxidants and other micronutrients, may also be important in reducing breast cancer risk.

“While a diet with lots of fruits and vegetables is associated with many other health benefits, our results may provide further impetus for women to increase their intake of fruits and vegetables,” said senior author Heather Eliassen.

The results were published online in the International Journal of Cancer. – AFP Relaxnews

https://www.star2.com/health/2018/08/04/eat-up-fruits-and-vegetables-to-prevent-breast-cancer/

Curious Cook: The gluttony of health diets, part 2

People often perceive diets as something of a choice between health and enjoying food, though proponents of diet fads will always claim their fads are a wonderful mix of both. The truth is somewhere in between ...

In Part 1, we discussed three categories of diet plans restricted by calorie, food group and time. Here are a few more diet fads.

March 25, 2018 

By CHRIS CHAN

Due to the regulatory functions of human organs, the body simply never needs
‘detoxing’, which means detox fads are simply absurd. Photo: VisualHunt

A choice

People often perceive diets as something of a choice between health and enjoying food, though proponents of diet fads will always claim their fads are a wonderful mix of both. The truth is somewhere in between – and much depends on why you choose to diet. If the motivation is better health or weight loss, then you probably have plenty of choices. If diet change is required for some disease/condition, then the options are probably limited to what is medically prescribed.

Three square meals?

As an aside, the modern practice of eating three square meals a day started less than a century ago – the impetus was the US government promoting breakfast as the “most important meal of the day” around the 1920s, possibly following popular advice from Good Health magazine, which was then edited by Dr Kellogg, the inventor of corn flakes. However, there is no biological necessity for humans to eat three meals a day – the Romans survived well with only one meal a day and so did many other civilisations on less than three meals a day.

There is therefore no compelling reason to start mornings with, for example, processed cereals – and even less sense in the over-consumption of sugary, deep-fried or processed foods during the day (all contributory factors of modern obesity and diabetic epidemics). But we have all been guilty of being silly with food – and this reflects in no small way the influence of our peers and the marketing prowess of the food industry.

And now, here are some more categories.

Category 4 – Supplementals

Some diets require utilisation of supplements – whether this is worthwhile is hugely linked to the reasons why the diet is chosen. If it is for specific reasons, for example high-fibre pills to promote intestinal function, then it may be helpful. The same applies if supplements are prescribed for medical reasons; eg. drugs to control cholesterol or blood pressure. Common also are compounds such as creatine, glutamine, etc, used to increase muscle bulk – these may work, though research on such compounds is often sponsored and therefore potentially biased.

However, many supplements are marketed purely to part fools from their money. These products are easy to identify, mainly from their lack of genuine scientific/health credentials and outrageous claims – such as cures for a variety of (usually serious) ailments, longevity aids, weight loss accelerants, etc. Some of these supplements are packaged as expensive drinks, pills, infusions, syrups, powders or as fresh, preserved or desiccated plants/herbs/fruits. It does not matter – the common factor is that benefits from such products usually range from small to zero and will usually be vastly overshadowed by the cost. In some cases, the result is a decrease in health – teas and pills claiming to “burn fat” and “promote weight loss effortlessly” encourage people to eat more, with the attendant consequences. In terms of effectiveness, ingesting weight loss pills is no different to wearing a new pair of sunglasses – both simply will not help if you choose to stuff your face with another dozen doughnuts.

Another weight loss supplement is anorectics, or appetite suppressants. They 

There is no biological necessity for humans to eat three meals a day. Photo: VisualHunt

claim to work by interfering with body hormones to reduce the sensation of hunger – most are based on green tea extracts, seaweed or a South African plant genus called hoodia. Non-pharmaceutical anorectics are seldom rigorously tested for efficacy (or safety) and medical anorectics have had a history of problems.

If anyone is considering the use of appetite suppressants, here is a free alternative: drink 500ml to 600ml of water a few minutes before any meal. The stomach distension due to the water will reduce appetite and cause one to eat less.

Category 5 – Combinational

Some plans recognise that dieting works better if the body is also active – this helps circulation, generate useful hormones, and promote overall physical well-being. So some diet plans specify the expenditure of a certain number of calories (or time) performing a series of daily exercises such as cycling, walking or running. The intensity of such exercises may also increase over time as the diet plan progresses.

A lot of evidence indicates that the combination of exercise and good dieting is the best way to maintain/improve health and alleviate certain ailments, provided the body is fit enough to undertake such physical activities.

Category 6 – Fanciful

There appears to be no limits to human imagination (or something less noble) when creating and marketing diet fads for gullible consumers. Top places for recent fanciful fads would probably include Clean Eating and the Alkaline Diet. Anyone following the Clean Eating fad would have voluntarily elected to become, in the words of a former female practitioner, a “gluten-free, sugar-free, oil-free, grain-free, legume-free, plant-based raw vegan”.

This same lady stopped Clean Eating when her periods stopped, her hair fell out and her skin turned orange. So apart from having lots of pretty pictures of food to post on social media, there appears to be no benefit from such an unhealthy restrictive fad.

As for the Alkaline Diet, it always bemused me that lemons were included as “alkaline” food items – a clear indication of a poor grasp of elementary chemistry. This actually is probably the least disturbing aspect of the Alkaline Diet – if you are curious, the pseudo-scientific premise of this fad was explored in the article, “What lies in our diets – Part 2”.

Other absurd notions include the “detox” fads. Due to the regulatory functions of human organs, the body simply never needs “detoxing”. Any perceived benefits are incidental and due to food restrictions – it is seldom mentioned that persisting with such restrictions can also damage health.

The common element of fanciful diets is pseudo-science – the implausible made to sound plausible based on misinformation, anecdotes, ignorance and evasion/distortion of facts. As such, if one is rational, fanciful diets are easy to identify. So why are these diets often popular, even though they can be dangerous? It may be that in this post-truth age, many people are oblivious (or even hostile) to facts and science – and these people, like flat-earth believers, will constantly support and elevate fanciful notions (and diets) as long as the ideas fit within their limited belief systems.

Reality (simple version)

The current situation is that, unlike dog food, there are too many diet options available. So before embarking on any diet, it helps to understand WHY you want to diet. Some reasons may be:

• Weight loss

• Better health

• Intestinal problems

From the reasons, you should quantify the benefit expected; for example:

• Lose 5kg weight

• Lower blood pressure by 10%

• Eliminate constipation

If, for example, the primary target is weight loss, then you need to find a diet with elements of Category 1 diets. If you also want to lower blood pressure, then look for a diet with Category 1, 2 and 5 characteristics. If fixing constipation is also required, then your ideal diet may have elements of Category 1, 2, 4 and 5. (For Categories 1 and 2, refer to Part 1.)

Other considerations are time-scales when you want results, budget available, time and resource availability, food preferences, etc.

Reality (real version)

The harsh truth is, despite the many thousands of diet plans out there, chances of finding one that immediately suit even three simple targets as above are minimal. That is because many diets are created for specific or very general purposes (or purely for marketing) – they are not designed around your requirements. Or there might be a perfect diet but it is hidden and undiscoverable in the thousands of options. To be fair, most sensible diets will probably work eventually, but they may not fit your timescale, budget or resource availability.

Food as medicine

Although many dietary and health problems are caused by over-indulging in food, it is still a fact that the same problems can often also be solved by food (which would probably be a better solution than medications) – it just requires eating a little differently. Some people treat dieting itself as a lifestyle and adhere rigidly to various regimes, such as veganism – while this might be noble (or drastic), it does not suit everyone, including myself.

People have idiosyncratic reasons and separate targets – so knowing the underlying characteristics of diets helps one to realise no diet plan is a miracle formula. One suggestion is, if weight loss is a target, then it helps to find low-calorie foods which are enjoyable and eatable at all times.

Weight loss always require diets with Category 1 characteristics and munching low-calorie foods such as cucumbers, celery or endives can help alleviate those inevitable hungry twitches. And whenever possible, always include some physical activity in any diet.

If anyone is interested in the ease of devising a personal diet, an unambitious, self-created diet is outlined in the article, “The perils of dieting – Part 2”.

It is so laid-back (but personally effective) that I have been using it periodically for years, even when bingeing – the plan allows over-indulgence because, well, that is what I sometimes have to do.

https://www.star2.com/food/2018/03/25/curious-cook-gluttony-of-health-diets-part-2/