Nutrition and lifestyle are the keys to longevity

A blog by Michael Butler

Articles and opinions for my family & friends about how I am living a healthier life informed by scientific research undertaken since being diagnosed with heart disease. Starting with the principle that each of us is biologically unique, everyone can use nutrition and lifestyle to achieve their greatest potential.

Poor mental health may be another symptom of malnutrition

Have you noticed that mental illnesses such as depression and Alzheimer’s are on the rise in the same was as things like heart disease and type 2 diabetes? Well, they are. I recently attended a conference in which a compelling case was made for high carbohydrate diets causing mental illness in the same was as they do so-called chronic diseases. This article presents that case and describes a solution.

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Where does all the sugar come from?

Everyday foods like fruit juice, bread, croissants, pasta, potatoes, and rice are readily turned into blood sugar when we consume them. Much of that sugar is then turned into body fat. Eating these things all day and everyday goes a long way to explain why so many of us struggle with our weight. I explain how this happens here.

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Reversing multiple sclerosis: the inspiring story of Dr. Terry Wahls

“Food is the bedrock of health. Our food choices can either lead to disease or create health and vitality.” I defy you to read this story and not be inspired by one woman’s story of how she reversed the debilitating symptoms of multiple sclerosis with food. She now leads a healthy, relatively normal life

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Fruit juice can be OK… in moderation

Fruit juice must be good for us, right? Not so fast, fruit juice is not a natural food, it has been processed and changed from its natural fruity origin. It can be OK when consumed in moderation by someone who is metabolically flexible. Otherwise, be careful.

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“…a healthy brain requires a meaty diet”

It’s not often I read about the pros and cons of meat-based vs plant-based diets in a major newspaper. This was a good one

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Industrially processed carbohydrates

Have you ever wondered why, indeed did you even know that the sugar and starches many of us eat today are the main causes of weight gain and obesity? Even worse, if left unchecked, the metabolic damage they cause can include heart disease, high blood pressure, and Type-2 diabetes. I explain here how eating to much industrially processed carbohydrate drives up blood insulin and insulin resistance to produce those ill-effects.

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What’s in store for 2024?

There are many large myths surrounding nutrition and human health. This is a quick summary of what I’ve learned about the state of nutritional science since starting this blog and how I’m going to proceed in 2024.

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My book collection - part four

Three books about the ancient pinewoods of Scotland and temperate rainforests of Great Britain and Ireland. I find that time in nature is regenerative for me. I’ve used these books to identify places to hike and mountain bike through some of the most spectacular landscapes of the United Kingdom

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