Healthwise Clinic Natural Health Blog

The word “obesity” may become less in evidence if a new government initiative takes hold.

Ann Milton, who is England’s public health minister stressed she was speaking in a personal capacity, and said: “If I look in the mirror and think I am obese I think I am less worried [than] if I think I am fat.”

She said too many staff working in the NHS were worried about using the word “fat” , but suggested it could help encourage “personal responsibility”.   Use of the word “obese” when “fat” is the everyday word was presumably taken up so as not to stigmatise people who were overweight As obesity (fatness?) threatens a high proportion of the population including children,  a more proactive approach has been considered necessary.

Interestingly Professor Steve Field, of the Royal College of GPs, said he agreed with Ms Milton and already tried to use the term fat as much as he could.

“I think the term obese medicalises the state. It makes it a third person issue. I think we need to sometimes be more brutal and honest.

“You can be popular by saying the things people want to hear and in the NHS we too often do that when we should be spelling things out clearly.”

But Professor Lindsey Davies, president of the UK Faculty of Public Health, which represents public health professionals, warned against using ‘fat’ when dealing with patients.

“People don’t want to be offensive. There is a lot of stigma to being a fat person.”

She said health professionals started using the term obesity to encourage patients to think about the condition in a different way.

“Obesity is something that happens to people rather than something they are. The language you use all depends on the relationship you have with a patient.

“I would probably be more likely to say something like ‘can we talk about your weight’ rather than obesity, but that is a judgement you make on a patient-by-patient basis.”

I know from personal experience it was when the scales tipped a lot in the wrong direction, and the waistband was  just too tight that I got motivated to do something about weight.  It can take a lot of discipline to undo the comfort food / trigger patterns.  I certainly noticed the unbelievable amounts of chocolate available on sale when at the supermarket checkout, or when buying petrol.  After a while though the eating patterns get reestablished, and temptation is easier to resist.

About one in five adults in the UK is obese, a figure that has tripled since 1980.  One of the danger zones is a large waist contributing to an “apple” shape.  If your waist is around 40 inches and you would like to look sleeker and feel better telephone the clinic 01628 668339 and ask for an appointment with Andrew Loosely. He can tell you what to eat for your particular condition (which is much more accurate than simply your body type) as well as help you plan your diet to suit the season.  What you eat in summer is different from the appropriate food during other seasons.  As well as losing weight you get the maximum all-round health benefit.

And the best way to keep the weight off?  Enjoy healthy food, take gentle exercise, avoid stress and have a happy life!

Related articles

• Use fat instead of obese – minister (bbc.co.uk)

Seaweed as you will know from Andrew Loosely’s last newsletter is a great addition to soups and casseroles.

It is rich in minerals and can help to reduce weight.  Andrew particularly recommended it during March which is the natural time to lose weight.  All good!

I see in the press that seaweed’s weight-losing abilities are now going to be used as an addition in junk food!  The thinking being that nobody can do without their junk food, so the best plan is to make it secretly help you to lose weight.

I suppose this is for two reason

The idea of eating seaweed is weird.  After all you could be at the beach and look down at the seaweed and you would be unlikely to think of having a quick munch!

Seaweed may not be on sale in places where you can buy junk food.  It is mostly in health food shops.

Seaweed to help you lose weight in junk food

Seaweed is presented in thin sheets and in fact doesn’t look like what we think of as seaweed at all.  It is not universally available in mainstream supermarkets here in the UK.

More information about edible seaweed.

Read more about the team from Newcastle University who conducted the research to put the seaweed into bread and their plans for more seaweed- based junk food products

But the best thing would be to make sure you are on Andrew Loosely’s newsletter so you get health tips for the season delivered to you .. real health nuggets not chicken nuggets!

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A woman in the US apparently wants to be the world’s fattest woman.

It is a strange world where so many are starving, and others are overeating.

There have been many comments on the article, as you would expect.

The reasons for overeating are usually complex and emotional.

Adding lemons to your diet in spring is the secret traditional chinese medicine tip to lose weight.

In Spring your body is detoxing naturally – yes really!  This excellent news means this is the perfect time to lose weight.

Why add lemons to your diet?

Lemons break down mucus build up

Lemons also help to reduce blood fats

which leads to you losing extra weight and being healthier.

However, you don’t need too much of the sour taste in Spring as it will upset the Liver which is the organ associated with Spring.  About half a lemon a day – or posssibly even one whole one – is easily enough.  If you have too much of the sour taste you can damage your tendons and soft tissue.

One of the best ways to get the benefits of lemon is to squeeze the juice of a lemon into boiled and slightly cooled water, and drink.  Go on, try it!

organic carrots taste better than non-organic

So the Food Standards Agency has decided that there is no additional nutritional benefit from eating organic food.  Nutritionists and organic experts have been surprised that at least a third of the research they had to look at was rejected, and are questioning the results.  When we read the reports we were surprised there was no mention of the effect that growth hormones, pesticides and strong fertiliser has on the food…and on the humans who eat it.

What is an “ordinary” shopper to think?  Someone who would like to eat real food but does not want to have to pay the earth for it?

Personally, it makes me rely on my own experience.  Experts have been proven to get things wrong time and again  (think about high finance and those who govern countries).

The carrots you see here were apparently organic.  Although I can see they are a bit skinny I can’t tell by looking at them that they are organic. Nor do I know if they were more nutritious for me than the carrots out of the supermarket plastic bought the week before.

All I do know is that they looked worse and tasted much better.  The plastic-wrapped carrots were bright orange, big and fat, were very clean, but  had almost no flavour at all.  The organic carrots are skinny and pale but had  real taste.  Therefore I enjoyed my meal more and relaxed longer over it.

We all know about the health dangers of stress,  but, just as important are the health benefits of happiness.  Food you can really taste and enjoy brings more happiness!  Simple.  You can even enjoy preparing this food because you know it will taste better.

The skinny little carrots would not win a beauty contest but they made me happier… and that has got to be good for my health.

So the members of the Food Standards Agency can continue to munch on their non-organic bright shiny  food which will win the good-looks prizes.  I will settle for the quieter quirkier organic food which I know tastes better, and makes me feel good.

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Andy Murray was the hottest British tennis star yesterday at Wimbledon on the hottest day for three years. The match was hotly contested, and the temperature meant that the crowd was hot, too.

The heat means everyone needs to take in more water.  Most people on Henman Hill probably had a plastic bottle of water with them.

However, n the heat there is a chance that the bottles will warm up. When the plastic is warm toxins are leached from the plastic into the drink.  By a coincidence the more environmentally-friendly the plastic, the more likely this is to happen.

Wimbledon tennis stars like Andy Murray and Stanislas Wawrinka take their drinks from a cool cabinet.  Between the games we see the players drinking from plastic bottles filled with water or isotonic drinks.  But the crowd is more likely to drink from a warmed bottle rather than miss the tennis action.  Without knowing it they are risking taking in damaging toxins.

We are being encouraged to take water with us in this heat but many people don’t realise there is a potential health hazard, too.

Prevent toxins being leached from plastic with a few simple guidlines:

Don’t fill an old water bottle with new water

Don’t use an unopened bottle which has been in heat and  cooled down as the damage is already done

Use a cool bag if you are going to be out and about in the heat and your water bottle might heat up (obtainable in many supermarkets)

Throw half consumed-bottles into recycling.

Drink from glass if possible.

This advice is important for all ages, from babies to the elderly but is especially vital for women who are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant.

The new roof at Wimbledon esnures we get the hottest tennis action when it is raining or late into the evening, but we all need to keep our water intake cool.

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Dandelions are a wonderful source of nutrition.  Pick the leaves while they are still small and you will be doing wonders for your blood and even your mood.

Young dandelion leaves are full of nutrition

The dandelion leaves should not have been contaminated with any harmful substance like fumes or weedkiller, and it is probably a good idea to wash the leaves anyway.

Dandelions can be munched on, raw, added to salads and made into delicious and nutritious soups.  They are particularly helpful in purifying and strengthening the blood.

Dandelions also help to calm feelings of irritation and anger which, you may remember, are emotions associated with the spring.  I have often noticed that gardeners who get angry about dandelions appearing in the lawn are the ones who would benefit from eating the leaves.  If they could just stop and eat it would do them far more good!

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The sun is out at last! Spring has arrived and the leaves are starting to turn green.

Our bodies are regaining energy after the winter but they still need to be gently supported in the Spring. So don’t immediately turn to cold food even thought the sun is out.

Soups can be made easily and quickly and are the perfect spring time meal. Lighter than the rich winter casseroles, soups help your body to make the most of the natural detox going on at the moment. They are a great way to get lots of nutritious goodness. And for an extra twist to really help your body add a little spice. It will boost your energy.

To find out

come to Andrew Loosely’s talk at Healthwise

We are getting a good response to Andrew Loosely’s talk on 24th March. It seems everyone is interested in losing weight and learning about the natural health approach to diet. Of course it is a great deal more pleasant to work with your body, rather than punish yourself.

People are very surprised to hear that it is easier to lose the additional toxins and the weght in the spring. Usually weight loss is a number one New Year resolution and – just as common – the weight is difficult to shift. The natural health way means that you are in tune with the season.

Only 22 days to go till the talk

Andrew Loosely will be giving a talk on Nature’s Diet – a healthy way to eat on Tuesday 24 March at Healthwise Clinic.

Surprisingly, we should all be having some bitterness in our diet at the moment, because it helps the natural detox. “Spring is the time when our bodies naturally detox so it is the perfect time to lose weight” says Andrew.

Coughs, colds, skin problems and cholesterol can be worse in the Spring, and you can discover what to eat to solve these health problems. Find out more

And of course it is better for your body than an extreme procedure or starvation diet. Come along and share the lemons!

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