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<channel>
	<title>Dr John Briffa's Blog</title>
	
	<link>http://www.drbriffa.com</link>
	<description>A health-focused blog that makes sense of science, and offers accurate, trustworthy and practical advice about all aspects of healthy living.</description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:32:59 +0000</pubDate>
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		<managingEditor>john@drbriffa.com ()</managingEditor>
		<webMaster>john@drbriffa.com()</webMaster>
		<category />
		<ttl>1440</ttl>
		<itunes:keywords />
		<itunes:subtitle />
		<itunes:summary>A Good Look at Good Health</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author />
		<itunes:category text="Society &amp; Culture" />
		<itunes:owner>
			<itunes:name />
			<itunes:email>john@drbriffa.com</itunes:email>
		</itunes:owner>
		<itunes:block>No</itunes:block>
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		<image><link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog</link><url>http://www.drbriffa.com/images/feedlogo.jpg</url><title>Dr John Briffa</title></image>
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		<title>Do regular exercisers really benefit by eating a load of bread and pasta?</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/20/do-regular-exercisers-really-benefit-by-eating-a-load-of-bread-and-pasta/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/20/do-regular-exercisers-really-benefit-by-eating-a-load-of-bread-and-pasta/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:57:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Exercise and Activity]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Low-Carbohydrate/Carbohydrate Restriction]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=792</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have been doing some lecturing this week, and part of the information I imparted concerned the potential advantages of eating a diet relatively low in carbohydrate. It’s not uncommon for individuals to ask about the potential effect of low-carb eating on sporting performance. This question is usually rooted in the notion that those engaging [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/20/do-regular-exercisers-really-benefit-by-eating-a-load-of-bread-and-pasta/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Low vitamin D levels linked with increased risk of type 1 diabetes (again)</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/19/low-vitamin-d-levels-linked-with-increased-risk-of-type-1-diabetes-again/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/19/low-vitamin-d-levels-linked-with-increased-risk-of-type-1-diabetes-again/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:07:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Nutrients and Supplements]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=790</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Type 1 diabetes is a condition characterised by raised levels of sugar in the bloodstream, and it’s underlying cause is a lack of insulin (usually secreted by the pancreas). The condition is ‘auto-immune’ in nature, which means that it is caused by the body’s immune system reacting to and damaging it’s own tissues (in this [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/19/low-vitamin-d-levels-linked-with-increased-risk-of-type-1-diabetes-again/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>More bad news for the makers (and takers) of cholesterol-reducing drug ezetimibe (Zetia)</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/16/more-bad-news-for-the-makers-and-takers-of-cholesterol-reducing-drug-ezetimibe-zetia/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/16/more-bad-news-for-the-makers-and-takers-of-cholesterol-reducing-drug-ezetimibe-zetia/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:18:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Cholesterol and Statins]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Food and Medical Politics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Nutrients and Supplements]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=789</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Previously, I have written about the drug combination of simvastatin and ezetimibe (sold as Vytorin in the US). Both of these drugs reduce cholesterol, but through different mechanisms. Taken together, these drugs do do a good job of reducing cholesterol levels And we all know that the lower we get the cholesterol levels down the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/16/more-bad-news-for-the-makers-and-takers-of-cholesterol-reducing-drug-ezetimibe-zetia/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Faster walking associated with reduced risk of death</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/13/faster-walking-associated-with-reduced-risk-of-death/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/13/faster-walking-associated-with-reduced-risk-of-death/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:49:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Exercise and Activity]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Specific conditions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=788</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Exercise is generally good for health, and one form of exercise that I advocate strongly is walking. Regular walking has been associated with protection from chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It also is an activity that tends to take people outdoors. This may have spin-off benefits in terms of, say, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/13/faster-walking-associated-with-reduced-risk-of-death/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Statin side-effects that the pharmaceutical industry appears not to want you to know about</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/11/statin-side-effects-that-the-pharmaceutical-industry-appears-not-to-want-you-to-know-about/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/11/statin-side-effects-that-the-pharmaceutical-industry-appears-not-to-want-you-to-know-about/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:52:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Brain and Behaviour]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Food and Medical Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=787</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There is generally unbridled enthusiasm in the medical establishment for cholesterol-reducing drugs known as statins. While they do have the ability to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes, they don’t appear to reduce overall risk of death in individuals who have no history of cardiovascular disease when they start [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/11/statin-side-effects-that-the-pharmaceutical-industry-appears-not-to-want-you-to-know-about/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Slower eating leads to higher levels of appetite-sating hormones</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/09/slower-eating-leads-to-higher-levels-of-appetite-sating-hormones/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/09/slower-eating-leads-to-higher-levels-of-appetite-sating-hormones/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:09:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Healthy Eating]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Unhealthy Eating!]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Weight Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=786</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There’s a fair chance that at least once in your life you’ve been advised to eat slowly. I think this is good advice, at least in part because slower eating generally means more thorough of chewing of food (which aids digestion and reduces the risk of symptoms such as indigestion, reflux and heartburn). However, another [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/09/slower-eating-leads-to-higher-levels-of-appetite-sating-hormones/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Chocolate found to protect skin from light damage</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/06/chocolate-found-to-protect-skin-from-light-damage/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/06/chocolate-found-to-protect-skin-from-light-damage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:16:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Healthy Eating]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Nutrients and Supplements]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Sunlight]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=785</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I generally advise against eating refined sugar. I, personally, eat hardly any, but I do eat some. Practically all of this comes in the form of 85 per cent cocoa chocolate. I, for quite some time now, have been recommending dark chocolate as a sweet treat of choice. Firstly, dark chocolate is generally lower in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/06/chocolate-found-to-protect-skin-from-light-damage/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Higher protein diets found to have benefits for bone</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/05/higher-protein-diets-found-to-have-benefits-for-bone/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/05/higher-protein-diets-found-to-have-benefits-for-bone/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:43:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Healthy Eating]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Specific conditions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=784</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I make no secret of my leaning towards high-protein, relatively low-carb diets. I am well aware of the relatively unhealthy reputation that such diets have. However, when one looks at the research one generally finds that the criticisms of such diet are based on theoretical and ideological concerns. They are not, generally speaking, based on [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/05/higher-protein-diets-found-to-have-benefits-for-bone/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Can drinking tea help mitigate against the effects of stress?</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/03/can-drinking-tea-help-mitigate-against-the-effects-of-stress/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/03/can-drinking-tea-help-mitigate-against-the-effects-of-stress/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:51:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Brain and Behaviour]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Healthy Eating]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Stress]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=783</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Probably all of us know that life events and ‘stress’ can change our mood, but there’s less acknowledgement, I think, that what we can have impact here too. One example relates to blood sugar imbalance: if blood sugar levels plummet it can switch on the body’s stress response, which in turn can induce feelings of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/03/can-drinking-tea-help-mitigate-against-the-effects-of-stress/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Adverse effects of drugs are “neglected, restricted, distorted and silenced”</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/30/adverse-effects-of-drugs-are-neglected-restricted-distorted-and-silenced/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/30/adverse-effects-of-drugs-are-neglected-restricted-distorted-and-silenced/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:50:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Food and Medical Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=782</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When someone takes a medicine, it is generally in the hope that it will do some good. However, whether it does or doesn’t is only half of the story: even the seemingly most innocuous of drugs can have adverse effects on health. In an editorial in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Dr John Ioannidis of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/30/adverse-effects-of-drugs-are-neglected-restricted-distorted-and-silenced/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Vitamin D associated with signficantly reduced risk of death from stroke</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/29/vitamin-d-associated-with-signficantly-reduced-risk-of-death-from-stroke/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/29/vitamin-d-associated-with-signficantly-reduced-risk-of-death-from-stroke/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:22:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Nutrients and Supplements]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Specific conditions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=781</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Regular readers will know that I have a particular interest in the role of sunlight in health, in large part due to its ability to stimulate vitamin D production in the body. Vitamin D, in turn, has been found to be association with a very wide variety of disease processes including cancer, diabetes, and multiple [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/29/vitamin-d-associated-with-signficantly-reduced-risk-of-death-from-stroke/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>World Health Organization study links mobile phone use with enhanced risk of brain and other tumours</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/27/world-health-organization-study-links-mobie-phone-use-with-enhanced-risk-of-brain-and-other-tumours/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/27/world-health-organization-study-links-mobie-phone-use-with-enhanced-risk-of-brain-and-other-tumours/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:00:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=780</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mobile phones are undeniably convenient, but that fat that they emit electromagnetic radiation means that they have at least some potential to affect individuals who use them. For a long time, the party line was that mobile phones are safe. This is a message the industry has been particularly keen to cultivate. However, at least [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/27/world-health-organization-study-links-mobie-phone-use-with-enhanced-risk-of-brain-and-other-tumours/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<item>
		<title>Could our ancient ancestors have given today’s champion athletes a run for their money?</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/23/could-our-ancient-ancestors-have-given-todays-champion-athletes-a-run-for-their-money/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/23/could-our-ancient-ancestors-have-given-todays-champion-athletes-a-run-for-their-money/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:31:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=779</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Anyone familiar with my health ‘philosophy’ will know that I am a big believer in using our ancient past to inform our modern-day dietary and lifestyle habits. Logic dictates that, say, the foods we’ve eaten for longest in terms of our time on this planet are the foods that we’re generally going to be the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/23/could-our-ancient-ancestors-have-given-todays-champion-athletes-a-run-for-their-money/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<item>
		<title>Are we really becoming steadily more sedentary?</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/21/are-we-really-becoming-steadily-more-sedentary/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/21/are-we-really-becoming-steadily-more-sedentary/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:15:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Exercise and Activity]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Unhealthy Eating!]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Weight Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=778</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Body weight, and specifically fatness, is determined by a complex interplay of factors including diet, exercise and sleep habits. In some posts, I have highlighted the effect that one hormone – insulin – has in this piece. In short, insulin stimulates the manufacture of fat in the body, while impairing it’s breakdown. It also facilitates [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/21/are-we-really-becoming-steadily-more-sedentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is there such as thing as a ‘metabolic advantage’?</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/19/is-there-such-as-thing-as-a-metabolic-advantage/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/19/is-there-such-as-thing-as-a-metabolic-advantage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:38:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Healthy Eating]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Low-Carbohydrate/Carbohydrate Restriction]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Weight Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=777</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last Friday my blog focused on a study which found that fat intake (total fat, as well as levels of, saturated, unsaturated and polyunsaturated fat) appeared to have no impact on change in body weight over a period of several years. Partly in an attempt to explain how this can be so, I outlined the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/10/19/is-there-such-as-thing-as-a-metabolic-advantage/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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