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.
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- Agriculture 1
- Biology 1
- Blood glucose 1
- Book list 5
- Book review 3
- Carbohydrate 9
- Carnivore diet 1
- Chronic disease 17
- Chronic inflammation 1
- Circadian rhythm 1
- Continuous glucose monitor 1
- Dietary guidance 1
- Electrolyte 1
- Environment 1
- Evolutionary mismatch 6
- Exercise 3
- Fat 1
- Fermented food 7
- Fibre 2
- Food 4
- Fruit juice 1
- Gardening 4
- Genetics 1
- Heart disease 12
- Holobiont 1
- Human Metabolism 14
- Human development 1
- Human evolution 11
- Human health and disease 19
- Human microbiome 8
- Human nutrition 12
- Immune suppression 1
- Immune system 1
- Industrially processed ingredients 3
- Inspiring stories 1
- Insulin resistance 3
- Ketogenic diet 9
- Low carbohydrate diet 1
- Macronutrient 5
- Meat-based diet 1
- Medicine 1
- Mental health 8
- Microbiome 9
- Microbiota 9
- Microbiota diversity 1
- Micronutrient 4
- Mountain biking 3
- Multiple sclerosis 1
- Nature 2
- Nutrient density 9
We evolved to consume every kind of fat
When we consume real food, we consume fat and every type of fat. There are no exceptions.
Healthy carbohydrates
This is a simple graphic that highlights the difference between healthy and unhealthy dietary carbohydrates. I tend to follow this guidance but point out where I do make exceptions
“…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
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.
Plant- and animal-based proteins are not the same
I’m in the second half of a century well lived and suffer from age-related muscle loss. This is natural and easily managed by eating enough bioavailable protein and exercising properly. I recently read a great paper about how to get enough bioavailable protein to retain and build back muscles and strength. I describe it here.