A newly published (1) review study has found that exercise may help to encourage healthy eating via changes in parts of the brain that have influence over impulsive behaviour.  It seems as though physical activity can help to suppress the hedonic urge to over-eat.  This is an important finding since, in the Western world, we are surrounded by situations where over-eating is common and easy to do without much conscious thought. The finding that physical exercise seems to encourage a healthy diet is really interesting.  It is also known that when exercise is added to a weight-loss diet the treatment of overweight/obesity is more successful with the healthy eating programme adhered to for a longer term. The evidence (1) suggests that regular exercise is needed to change the way the brain works.  One function within the brain which seems to be positively influenced by exercise is the part dealing with ‘inhibitory control’, this part helps us to keep impulsiveness in check and can also help to suppress inadequate, excessive or inappropriate behaviour toward a goal.  It might be that exercise helps us to resist unhealthy food choices.  Exercise can also make the brain more sensitive to signals of fullness, which may be able to help with appetite control. In our current environment where unhealthy food is, maddeningly, easy to get hold of any way to be able to strengthen the intention and resolve to keep healthy is positive. Incorporating exercise into our daily lives need not be hugely difficult.  Personally….

A new study (1,2) has suggested that protein, not sugar, stimulates cells keeping us thin and awake.  I have written previously about the fact that sugar and foods that release their sugar quickly into the blood stream (high glycaemic index, or GI, foods) are deleterious for our health and waistlines and can lead to an increase in blood fats as well as blood sugar levels so I am unsurprised by this study as it backs up much of what has been previously written about the benefits of protein over sugar. A press release from the University of Cambridge (1) says: A new study has found that protein and not sugar activates the cells responsible for keeping us awake and burning calories. The research, published in the November issue of the scientific journal Neuron, has implications for understanding obesity and sleep disorders. Wakefulness and energy expenditure rely on “orexin cells”, which secrete a stimulant called orexin/hypocretin in the brain. Reduced activity in these unique cells results in narcolepsy and has been linked to weight gain.  Scientists at the University of Cambridge compared actions of different nutrients on orexin cells. They found that amino acids – nutrients found in proteins such as egg whites – stimulate orexin neurons much more than other nutrients. “Sleep patterns, health, and body weight are intertwined. Shift work, as well as poor diet, can lead to obesity,” said lead researcher Dr Denis Burdakov of the Department of Pharmacology and Institute of Metabolic Science. “Electrical impulses emitted by….

There has been much written about the importance of protein in the diet, especially when it comes to weight loss.  It has previously been suggested that protein content plays an important role in determining overall energy (calorie) intake, and therefore obesity, but until a newly published study (1) was released, experimental verification had been relatively scarce. A doctor that I very much respect, Dr John Briffa, writes a blog where he frequently mentions the importance of protein for helping keep hunger at bay and balance blood sugar levels to prevent cravings and overeating.  In fact, in a recent post he writes about the fact that our ancient ancestors ate a relatively low carbohydrate diet and, of course, the carbohydrate that they did consume was not in the form of processed foods like bread, pasta, sugar or convenience meals.  The carbohydrate came from fruit, vegetables and tubers. Unprocessed protein in the form of meats, fish (especially oily fish which also delivers long chain omega 3 fatty acids), beans, pulses, nuts/seeds and eggs is important in our diets.  Protein can help balance the blood sugar to prevent cravings (and hence over eating), mood issues and much more.  Protein is also important since the amino acids it provides the body with are vital for the production of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) such as serotonin which impact our mood. In this new study (1) researchers found that, when subjects were fed a 10% protein diet, they consumed 12% more energy (calories) over four days than….