Scientists have been studying what makes one food high and another low for more than fifteen years. There is a wealth of information that can easily confuse. We have summarised the results of their research in the following table which looks at the factors which influence the G.I. factor of a food.

The key message is that the physical state of the starch in the food is by far the most important factor influencing the G.I. value. That’s why the advances in food processing over the past two hundred years have had such a profound effect on the overall G.I. factor of the food we eat.

Amylose and amylopectin. There are two sorts of starch in food— amylose and amylopectin—and researchers have discovered that the ratio of one to the other has a powerful effect on the G.I. factor of a food.

Amylose is a straight chain molecule, like a string of beads. These tend to line up in rows and form tight compact clumps that are harder to gelatinise and therefore digest.

On the other hand, amylopectin is a string of glucose molecules with lots of branching points, such as you see in some types of seaweed. Amylopectin molecules are therefore larger and more open and the starch is easier to gelatinise and digest.

Thus foods that have little amylose and plenty of amylopectin in their starch have higher G.I. factors e.g. Calrose rice and wheat flour. Foods with a higher ratio of amylose to amylopectin have lower G.I. factors including Basmati rice and all sorts of legumes.

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RER (respiratory exchange ratio) measures, or the measure of fat and glucose utilisation, need to be looked at for intensity and duration of exercise both for fit and unfit (possibly fat) people, to gain a better appreciation of the appropriate form of exercise for those most likely to be carrying excess fat.

More vigorous exercise obviously burns more total energy in a given time period, but the graph shows that, at least in the unfit, under normal conditions (i.e. no excessively restricted energy intake), higher intensity exercise is likely to be less effective for fat loss. In other words, for an unfit person, the total amount of exercise at this intensity—even if it could be carried out by an unfit person—would not result in substantial fat loss. For a fit person, however, high intensity exercise is associated with fat burning.

Similar difference between the fit and the unfit can be seen, suggesting that the longer the effort—at least at moderate intensity—the greater the proportion of fat used in the energy cycle. In the unfit though, some of the research quoted above suggests that this may be true only up to a point, beyond which there is likely to be a decrease in fat utilisation and an increased reliance on glycogen. As fatigue sets in glycolysis plays a more important part, and glucose is thus likely to become more important as an energy source for the unfit.

These suggestions have been shown in practice in research by Dr David Kelly from the University of Pittsburgh.10 Kelly exercised obese people over a week for either 50 minutes at 70 per cent of their maximum capacity, or for 70 minutes at 50 per cent of their maximum. Both treatments resulted in exactly the same calorie expenditure. But the RER and total fat oxidation were higher for the longer, less intensely exercised group. Their total fat utilisation was estimated to be 24.5 grams for the 70 minutes, compared to 131 grams for the more intensely exercised group. Because fat utilisation is known to decrease in the unfit with duration of exercise, this suggests that for unfit people, fat utilisation would be even greater in the less intense group if the same time period (i.e. 50 minutes) was used for exercise.

All this suggests a change in thinking about the right parameters of exercise for fat loss in unfit (which include most fat) people. The FITT (frequency, intensity, time and type) mnemonic may be appropriate for improvements in fitness, but this needs to be modified for changes in fatness—at least in fat, unfit people.

Even this model has reservations when it comes to prescribing exercise for specific population sub-groups (women, older people, children etc.). Interestingly though, the new FATT factors also agree with the physical activity requirements for wider health gains. Several recent long term studies have shown that high intensity exercise is not necessary for health, or metabolic improvements, such as decreased risk of heart disease. Regular, low intensity, long duration activities can be sufficient to provide these improvements. Recently, it has also been shown that in obese people, short (10-minute) bursts of exercise, four times daily, are more effective in fat loss (and even in fitness gained) than continuous (40-minute) bouts. This is primarily because it is easier for obese people to comply with the demands of shorter bouts.

Myth-information. ‘Digital tummy trimmers’ are designed to force the abdominal muscles to contract against a tight belt. At best, this may increase some isometric muscle strength in the abdominals. It will have no effect on subcutaneous fat.

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The usual definition of overfatness or overweight is up to 20 per cent over a recognised ideal body weight, or a body mass index (BMI) (or height-weight measure) of 25-29.9- BMI is a measure using weight divided by height squared (kg/m2); the normally recognised ‘ideal’ is a BMI of 20-25. Obesity is regarded here as a BMI of 30-39.9; and morbid obesity as BMI over 40.

Summary of main points.

• Almost 1 in 2 people in western countries are now defined as overweight or obese.

• People in some Western countries have been increasing body weight at the average rate of 1g/day over the last decade.

• ‘Overfatness’ is a more appropriate term than ‘overweight’.

• The fitness and nutrition booms have had little impact on levels of fatness throughout the world.

• The environment determines prevalence, and genes determine the presence of obesity.

• The traditional paradigm of ‘weight=energy in (food)— energy out (exercise) is no longer adequate for understanding obesity.

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Pollen is the male germ cells of the plant kingdom. Pollen in beehives and honey comes from flowers. It is believed that it comes to the beehive in two ways: it attaches itself to the legs of honey-collecting bees and then falls off their legs while they deposit their honey; also it is believed that it is deliberately collected by the bees to feed the young working bees which produce royal jelly—another amazing substance on which the queen bee lives exclusively.

Analysis of pollen has shown that it is indeed a food for gods—it is the richest and most complete food in nature!

Pollen contains 20 percent protein; all the water-soluble vitamins (with the exception of Bi2); a rich supply of minerals and trace elements, and enzymes and coenzymes. The other vital substances are so-called deoxiribosides and sterines, plus traces of steroid hormone substances and other plant hormones. Most researchers believe, however, that there must be some other as yet undiscovered substances in pollen which must share the credit for its acknowledged prophylactic and therapeutic value. It has been demonstrated that pollen does increase the body’s own immunity and also stimulates and rejuvenates glandular activity.

Pollen for prostate trouble

Extensive studies were made by three Swedish doctors, Professor Gosta Jonsson, Dr. Gosta Leander and Professor H. Palmstierna. They reported that strictly controlled tests on 179 cases of chronic prostate inflammation showed that Cernilton, a pollen preparation, together with conventional treatments gives in 60 to 80 percent of the cases better results than conventional therapy alone. By 1965 their studies included over 1,100 cases, with the same positive results.

Pollen for hemmorrhoids

Dr. Lars-Erik Essen from Sweden reports that he has used a pollen preparation, Cernitory, for the treatment of hemmorroids. He said that in many cases where treatments with the traditional chemical suppositories were ineffective, the pollen preparation brought about fast relief, even in advanced cases. The preparation is available without prescription in Swedish drug stores.

Pollen for a healthier digestive tract

Many researchers suggest that pollen has an extremely beneficial effect on the digestive tract and intestines. A French researcher, Dr. Remy Chauvin, reports that pollen seems to have an anti-putrefactive factor. It destroys harmful bacteria in the intestines and improves assimilation and elimination. In clinical tests the administration of pollen has relieved chronic constipation and colonic infection. Patients suffering from chronic diarrhea have also showed improvement.

It has been suggested that Bulgarians, Rumanians, Russians, and other East European peoples known for their enviable record of longevity have to thank lactic acid for their excellent health and youthful vitality. Their diets are high in soured foods (rich in lactic acid), such as sour milk, yogurt, black sour-dough bread, sauerkraut, and the like. Lactic acid has a beneficial anti-putrefactive effect on intestines and keeps the digestive tract in good health.

Probably the most beneficial effect of pollen is that, taken internally, it quickly produces the same anti-putrefactive effect as lactic-acid foods, and thus contributes to a healthy digestive system and good assimilation of nutrients—absolute prerequisites for good health and long life.

Other indications

Pollen in pure form or in the form of Swedish Cernitin preparations has also been used successfully for the following conditions:

As a general tonic, especially in convalescence and in conditions of neurasthenia.

In chronic bronchitis, asthma, multiple sclerosis, gastric ulcers, and arthritis.

In hay fever.

In treatment of symptoms of aging.

Pollen completely harmless

French doctor Remy Chauvin fed hundreds of experimental mice nothing but pollen for two years to discover possible harmful effects from pollen. Not only he did not see any adverse effects, but through several generations of mice there were increasing vitality and greater reproduction. He continued similiar experiments with children, adults, and old people. There has never been reported any example of the possible harmful effect of pollen on human beings.

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Keep in mind that high blood pressure is not a disease, but rather a symptom of other disorders in the body. Hypertension can be due to nervous tension, kidney disease, glandular disorders, obesity, hardening of arteries, etc. In general, it could be said that a great number of diseased conditions in the body will raise the blood pressure. However, by far the most common cause of high blood pressure is the hardening of the arteries. When arteries and arterioles become constricted by cholesterol or other deposits, they lose their elasticity and become brittle and hard, so the blood has difficulty passing through them and the heart has to work harder and increase its pressure in order to maintain circulation. In case of infections or other diseased conditions in various parts of the body, blood pressure is increased as a defensive measure in order to increase the flow of blood to the diseased area, to supply it with the nutrients, hormones and other vital substances needed for the healing processes, to accelerate the detoxification of the blood, and to speed recovery.

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1 The Vertex-Foot line = Equilibrium line—is an imaginary line erected through the middle of the iris from top to bottom, dividing the iris into an inner and outer segment (nasal and temporal segments: medial and lateral segments). Since the vertex lies in the upper part of the iris, and the foot in the lower part, it is named the Vertex-Foot line. If this imaginary line actually registers in the iris, through lightening or darkening, then the patient is subject to disturbances of

equilibrium. Hence, it is also referred to as—Equilibrium line.

2.The Throat-Neck line = ‘change-over’ line—also called the Disharmony line—divides the iris into an upper and a lower half. It runs from the throat area in the iris which lies medially (nasalwards) in both irides, to the neck which lies laterally (temporalwards).

In the upper half of the iris lie all the organs of the head, besides the heart, lungs and other respiratory organs. In the lower half of the iris lie all organs which are between the neck and the feet. In the upper half of the iris we also have the special sense organs, larynx, trachea and oesophagus. In the lower half of the iris we have chest, back, abdomen, abdominal and pelvic viscera, and extremities.

When this Throat-Neck line registers, there exists a disharmony between the head and the rest of the body, hence the term: Disharmony line. Hyperthyroidism, coupled with heart and lung disturbance, is a possibility.

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You have the same sort of choice to make if you suffer from this fairly common combination. Obviously, working off a depression by really strenuous activity just isn’t on when you suffer from fatigue too. Leave that method to the people who have enough energy even though they are depressed. Many women say they feel too tired for anything. They can’t even summon up the energy to dress up and go out for a special occasion. And because they know that in normal circumstances it’s the sort of outing they would enjoy very much, they end up feeling more depressed than ever.

The trouble with depression is that it reduces everything — your hopes, your appetites, your sense of humour, as well as your energy. Even your ability to make choices is affected because you just haven’t the energy to make decisions and they don’t seem worth making anyway. One useful trick might be to make all your decisions in the weeks after your period, when you’re not depressed. Talk it over with your friends and relations if you can and let them help you. If they advise you to make an enormous effort to get out and enjoy yourself when you’re low, try and take their advice. Forget the muddle you’re in, or the housework you can’t face, or the problems you can’t look at and just go. I know it’s difficult but if it works, it could just give you the energy you need to get on with your life again.

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Signs and symptoms

In a child who has not been immunized, whooping cough begins with a runny nose, low-grade fever (37.8°C to 38.3°C), and a cough that gradually worsens over the next two to three weeks. Then, the cough becomes characteristic: it is worse at night than during the day and paroxysmal (several coughs occur at once without inhaling in between). At the end of a spasm the child makes a “whoop” or strangling sound as air is sucked into the lungs; vomiting of thick mucus follows. The severe, strangling cough persists for another two to three weeks and gradually subsides in three to six more weeks. But the cough may return with new respiratory infections.

In an unimmunized child, the diagnosis is unmistakable. The diagnosis may not be obvious, however, in infants who never develop a “whoop,” and in an immunized child the diagnosis may be impossible. The child who has been immunized may have full or partial immunity, but without boosters the immunity declines over the years. A child who is partially immune may have a mild case of whooping cough that produces none of whooping cough’s identifiable characteristics. In the absence of characteristic symptoms, laboratory tests don’t help. All the organisms that cause whooping cough are difficult to grow on cultures and more modern techniques for the isolation of these organisms are not readily available. Because it may be difficult to diagnose and because both doctors and parents mistakenly believe the disease is rare, over 90 percent of cases of whooping cough are never detected, or even suspected.

Home care

A child who has whooping cough should be isolated from young brothers and sisters. If the vomiting is severe, feed the child several small meals a day.

Precautions

• Infants should be immunized against whooping cough. Risks from the disease far outweigh the risks from the immunization. Infants are not naturally immune to the disease, and the mortality (death) rate among infants who contract whooping cough is high.

• A child who has a mild cough may have a mild form of whooping cough, in which case he or she could spread the disease. Avoid unnecessary exposure to others.

• If your child has been exposed to whooping cough, take the child to a doctor.

• Report to a doctor any cough that is getting progressively worse at the end of two weeks.

Medical treatment

Your doctor will try to establish a diagnosis with the help of a complete blood count and cultures of the secretions from the nose and throat. Most often, however, the child’s medical history and the doctor’s clinical judgment are all that you can depend on. All infants with whooping cough are hospitalized, while older children may or may not be, depending on the child’s condition.

Your doctor may prescribe the antibiotic erythromycin for ten to 14 days to make the disease less contagious. If given early enough, the medication may shorten the course of the illness. If your child has been exposed to whooping cough, he or she can be given erythromycin by mouth, a booster shot of vaccine, or a large dose of human antipertussis serum.

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Coming home

When you come home from the hospital with a new baby, a brand-new period of your life begins. It may take several weeks, or even several months, for the mother to recover from the physical stress of labor and delivery. At the same time, the new baby is completely dependent on the parents for food, shelter, and comfort. To accommodate the mother’s physical tiredness and the baby’s constant needs, you may have to review what is most important to you as a family. For example, keeping the house spotless may have to take second place to caring for the baby and allowing the mother to get the extra rest she needs. Household jobs may have to be reassigned so that the mother can devote more time to the baby. Your social schedule may have to change as well. You may find that your preferences have changed, and you would rather stay home with the baby than go to a party or a movie. This certainly does not mean you must—or should—give up going out or never do the things you enjoy. It only means that your priorities will probably change when you have an infant in your household.

Feeding

In the first months of life, eating is a major concern of your baby. This activity will take up a lot of your time and a lot of your energy. But whether you breast-feed or bottle-feed your baby, feeding time is a time of closeness. You are giving the baby nourishment and thus meeting the child’s most basic need. At the same time you are holding and cuddling the baby, and he or she is getting to know your touch and your voice.

Burping the baby

As the baby nurses, from the bottle or the breast, air is swallowed along with the milk. Burping the baby helps to expel excess air and prevent discomfort. Interrupt the feeding once in the middle for a burp, and also burp the baby after a feeding. Expelling extra air in the middle of the meal ensures that the baby’s stomach will fill up with food, not air.

To burp an infant, put the baby over your shoulder, sit the baby up on your lap, or place face down across your lap. Pat or rub the baby’s back gently until you hear a good, solid burp. Some babies prefer one position while others need to be moved around until they burp. If burping is difficult, experiment with different positions and combinations of patting and rubbing. Some babies will protest the interruption of the meal, but burp them anyway at mid-meal. They will get more nourishment and your life will be easier.

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Why did I get diabetes?

Nobody can really tell why you get diabetes. We know that you probably were born with a tendency or chance to get diabetes and you got this tendency through nobody’s fault. Being born with a tendency to diabetes is like being born with a tendency to be tall or short, to have a particular hair colour or eye colour or a particular shaped nose or a tendency to go bald when you are a young man. We all of us inherit things from our parents as they did from their parents. A tendency to get diabetes is just one of those things. Why it should have come out when you are a child rather than when you become an adult nobody can tell at present. Possibly it was just bad luck. Certainly there is no reason to suppose it was anything that you did or your parents did or did not do, that brought it on. Sometimes people who do not know anything about it claim that a child gets diabetes from eating too much sugar. This is not so: perhaps if it were, almost everybody that you know would have diabetes.

Can you ‘catch’ diabetes like you ‘catch’ chickenpox?

No. It is quite impossible to ‘give’ diabetes to anybody else. It is not infectious and we do not think of it as a disease.

I was told I got diabetes from a shock. Could this be so?

Nobody can get diabetes just from a shock. It may be possible for someone who has a tendency to diabetes, and who was going to get it sooner or later, to develop it after some stress or strain like a shock. In this case perhaps the shock has brought the diabetes on.

Can the pancreas start functioning properly again?

Yes, for a short time. After a child first gets diabetes and has been stabilized it is common for the pancreas to function again, and that is why the dose of insulin may be quite small in the early stages. Children in general, however, require steadily increasing doses of insulin, and after a few years it is usual for the pancreas to stop working altogether. When this happens, the pancreas does not function again. It seems that the pancreas has a better chance of functioning again in older teenagers and young adults than young children. The reason for this is not yet clear.

In what way is diabetes in childhood and adults different from that of older people?

Adults, particularly young adults, may develop the same kind of diabetes as children. Older adults are more likely to develop a different type of diabetes, one that does not depend on insulin treatment and therefore is called Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes.

Although there are many ways in which diabetes is similar in children and adults there are also many differences. When a young person first gets ill with diabetes, he may lose weight and become extremely thirsty. This sort of illness is not so common in older people, many of whom are overweight when they develop diabetes.

Children are also more likely to develop ketones when they are ill, and although some adults do not require insulin for treatment, almost all children do. One of the major differences appears to be that when a young person develops diabetes his pancreas fails to produce enough insulin and eventually produces none at all, whereas in an old person the pancreas may produce insulin, but there is something wrong with the way in which it is produced or the way in which the body can use it. This explains why a child has to have insulin injections to replace the insulin which the pancreas should be making. On the other hand, an adult may be able to take tablets which can affect the way in which the body uses its own insulin or which may stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin more effectively.

What is meant by the term ‘honeymoon period’?

There is usually a time after diabetes is first stabilized when the pancreas makes a partial recovery. At this time it makes some of the insulin needed by the body, so the dose of insulin you inject can be quite small. When this happens, diabetes is usually fairly easy to control (provided you are not given too much insulin) because the body’s own insulin does a lot of the work for you.

This is a phase of partial recovery, and is sometimes called the honeymoon period. It is not a bad term, as it is like the holiday after a marriage and at the start of a lifetime of marital adjustment. Like all honeymoons, it eventually comes to an end – weeks, months or sometimes even years later. Then you have to work at a comfortable relationship with your diabetes.

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