PBHO

Diet and COVID-19; is there a link?

Diet and COVID-19; is there a link?

Healthcare professionals have been promoting the role of healthy diets from the very start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was on the basis of prior evidence that a nutrient-dense diets, full of vitamins, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and other bioactive compounds...

Is dairy necessary for good health?

Is dairy necessary for good health?

The scientific answer to this common nutrition question is simply no. Even the mainstream medical community is communicating this fact in top medical journals. The predominant reason we continue to believe dairy is necessary is due to very successful marketing and...

Optimising prostate health on a plant-based diet

Optimising prostate health on a plant-based diet

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that sits behind the bladder and in front of the rectum and secretes fluid into semen. Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common cancer in men in the UK. There are different stages of PC, all arising from a precancerous stage, which...

Can Your Diet Be Healthy And Good For The Planet?

Can Your Diet Be Healthy And Good For The Planet?

Diet-related diseases are at an all-time high and the latest IPCC report on climate change has been called a ‘code red for humanity’. These two issues are intimately related. Our food system is at the centre of three global crises: health, climate and biodiversity. We...

Diet or exercise? Which is best for weight loss

Diet or exercise? Which is best for weight loss

We all know that in order to lose weight we need to use more calories than we consume, which ultimately means either eating less or moving more, or preferably in combination. We also know that telling people that it’s just as simple as eating less and moving more...

Low Carb Plant-based Diet – What To Eat?

Low Carb Plant-based Diet – What To Eat?

Low carbohydrate diets are attracting a lot of publicity and a large following from the general public currently. There seems to be an ongoing debate both in the medical literature and at conferences pitting ‘low carb high fat’ against ‘vegan’ (or plant-based), but...

Plant-based Diet And Energy Density

Plant-based Diet And Energy Density

What is energy density and why is it important? Energy density means the amount of energy per weight of food, so think number of calories per mouthful or per pound.  A high energy density diet tends to lead to weight gain, while a low energy density diet tends towards...

Do humans need meat for good health?

Do humans need meat for good health?

The simple answer to this question is a definite NO, and these are the reasons why. What our ancestors have taught us? Humans are opportunistic omnivores. We can eat a range of foods and therefore have a choice. Our ancestors were foragers, mainly gatherers, and...

Benefits of a plant-based diet for brain health

Benefits of a plant-based diet for brain health

We all wish to maintain a healthy brain throughout life, but sadly decline in brain function is all too common. Cognitive impairment refers to a decline in brain function, including forgetfulness, poor concentration, difficulty making decision, which can then lead...

How to get healthy fats on a plant-based diet

How to get healthy fats on a plant-based diet

When following a plant-based diet, the absence of animal fats and cholesterol provide a great advantage to health. However, there are certain foods in a plant-based diet which contain high levels of saturated fat, which contributes to elevated LDL-cholesterol levels,...

How to reverse type 2 diabetes with plant-based diet

How to reverse type 2 diabetes with plant-based diet

Giving someone a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes isn’t a great day in the office for your average GP. It means explaining that the person concerned is now at risk of complications of diabetes, and also at increased risk of other health problems including high blood...

Prediabetes, diet and lifestyle

Prediabetes, diet and lifestyle

‘Prediabetes’ is the term used for when someone has modestly raised blood sugar levels, higher than the healthy range, but not high enough to be in the diabetic range. Identifying people in this situation is important because if we know about it at this stage before...

The benefits of a plant-based diet

The benefits of a plant-based diet

A plant-based diet is one that focusses on the consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, whilst minimising or avoiding animal-derived and processed foods. There isn’t a precise definition of this term, which includes vegan (100%...

Do vegans suffer more bone fractures?

Do vegans suffer more bone fractures?

Concerns have been raised by two recent scientific publications on the risk of bone fractures in people following a vegan diet. Before dismissing these new findings, we should carefully assess the results and consider some important take home messages. This does not...

Vegan iron sources

Vegan iron sources

One of the most common misconceptions by those unfamiliar with plant-based nutrition, and also a common worry for those new to a vegan diet is that it is difficult to meet iron needs without consuming meat. Different type of iron in food There are two types of iron:...

What is a whole food plant-based diet?

What is a whole food plant-based diet?

A whole food plant-based diet is a way of eating which not only eliminates all animal products, but focuses on natural, minimally processed plant foods. This makes it different from a standard vegan diet in the sense that this predominantly focuses on excluding...

The truth about soya

The truth about soya

Soya is one of the healthiest foods to incorporate in a plant-based diet and in fact in any diet. Yet, there remains widespread confusion about its impact on health. This is in part due to some studies in non-human animals that have shown harmful effects and of course...

Vegan foods high in zinc

Vegan foods high in zinc

What is zinc? Zinc is a mineral essential to cell division, playing a key role in growth during pregnancy and from birth through to adolescence. It is also important for the preconception period, as it plays a role in hormone balance and ovulation, and in men it is...

The truth about food intolerance tests

The truth about food intolerance tests

A growing market There are a growing number of companies claiming to be able to diagnose food intolerances by analysing your hair, or stool samples, or to tell you the composition of your gut microbiome and how you can improve it. Food intolerance is not the same as a...

Supporting your immune system with a plant-based diet

Supporting your immune system with a plant-based diet

The importance of our immune system The immune system is critical to all aspects of our health. Although we think about good immunity in relation to our ability to fight infection, a healthy immune system is actually crucial for the prevention of most chronic...

Plant-based protein sources

Plant-based protein sources

The most common question those following a plant-based diet are asked is ‘where do you get your protein from?’ And the simple answer is ‘everywhere!’ Plants are the primary source of protein, and it is from plants that all animals ultimately consume their protein. For...

How a whole food plant-based diet can help to optimise fertility

How a whole food plant-based diet can help to optimise fertility

What is infertility? Infertility affects a significant number of individuals and couples trying to conceive, with rates in the UK and the developed world rising. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines infertility as ‘a disease of the reproductive system defined...

Vegan foods high in calcium

Vegan foods high in calcium

​There are many plant-based sources of calcium Calcium is a nutrient that many people fear is lacking in a vegan diet, as dairy is often peddled as the best source. However, there are many plant-based sources of calcium, and as long as a selection of these is included...

Is Vegan Healthy?

Is Vegan Healthy?

It has been clear for some time that the best diet for both human and planetary health is one without animal products, but is a vegan diet inherently healthy? Plant-based vs. vegan First of all, it is important to distinguish between a vegan diet and a plant-based...

Plant-based diet and cancer

Plant-based diet and cancer

Many people still believe that cancer is genetic and that it’s an inevitable part of life. Of course, this is true for a minority of cancers, which are caused by the genes we may have inherited from our parents, but only in less than 10% of cases. Cancer cells do have...

Tips for reducing added sugar

Tips for reducing added sugar

Sugar - the bittersweet truth Most of us know that consuming too much sugar is not good for our health. Food companies however, add sugar to a wide variety of foods which are consumed regularly by most people - drinks, cereals, snacks, yoghurts, sauces and processed...

Andrea

"I had some health problems last year and did some research around a WFPB diet. I came across the 21 day plant-based challenge in January and signed up. I found it effortless and haven’t looked back!  I’ve lost a stone and a half, and my symptoms are gone. My son has...

Brain health and diet

Brain health and diet

Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning - thinking, remembering and reasoning and is usually diagnosed when there is an impairment of a person’s ability to carry out daily activities for more than six months. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of...

Fibre; why is it so important?

Fibre; why is it so important?

Fibre and its health benefits There are a range of health benefits associated with fibre, including reduced cholesterol, healthy bowel movements, a reduced risk of colon cancer, and optimised fertility. Our bodies don’t have the ability to break down fibre effectively...

The link between your gut microbiome and IBD

The link between your gut microbiome and IBD

What is inflammatory bowel disease? IBD is a chronic, inflammatory, auto-immune condition of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. There are two major clinical forms, ulcerative colitis (UC) and crohn’s disease (CD). Whereas in UC, the inflammation and ulceration is...

Should you take a Vitamin D supplement?

Should you take a Vitamin D supplement?

The importance of vitamin D Although classed as a vitamin, vitamin D is actually a hormone, and unlike other vitamins, the main source is not the food we eat, but the sun, specifically the sun’s UVB rays. It plays several important roles in the body. It aids calcium...

13 tips to destress during lockdown

13 tips to destress during lockdown

HOW TO MANAGE LOCKDOWN ANXIETY The Covid Pandemic has been a challenging and uncertain time which has escalated feelings of anxiety and helplessness. To help ensure your mental and physical wellbeing during lockdowns, the following strategies have been shown to help...

Martin

"I have been on a 90% plant-based diet and lifestyle on and off now for a couple of years. After reading more of your evidence based medical studies and individual case studies throughout your emails, I am now personally more convinced and confident than ever of the...

The top foods proven to support your immune system

The top foods proven to support your immune system

Here is a list of PBHO’s top diet tips based on the scientific evidence: Eat the rainbow Nitrate rich vegetables Optimise nutrients eg Selenium, Zinc Herbs and spices High fibre foods Nutritional yeast Green tea Vitamin D 1) EAT THE RAINBOW: Fruits and vegetables are...

Why should you focus on a plant based diet?

Why should you focus on a plant based diet?

Why does PBHO focus on a plant-based diet? Unhealthy diets are now responsible for 1 in 5 deaths in the UK and these deaths are mainly from cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. The reason the UK diet is so unhealthy is because we eat too much processed...

Are plant based meat alternatives really better for you?

Are plant based meat alternatives really better for you?

There has been a lot of talk as to whether we should be eating plant-based meat alternatives due to them falling into the processed food bracket. There are both pros and cons but let’s start on a positive note… The Pros They can be very useful for those wanting to...

3 healthy lifestyle habits to strengthen your immune system

3 healthy lifestyle habits to strengthen your immune system

What is the connection between diet, health and COVID-19? We are facing an unprecedented global health crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been many lessons learnt to date. One important observation has been that people with underlying health conditions are...

6 key lifestyle habits we should all prioritise in our lives

6 key lifestyle habits we should all prioritise in our lives

Lifestyle medicine is an exciting new specialty area which offers a truly holistic approach to your care. Up until now, you may have only been offered medications or surgery and of course, both of these can be right. But what if there was another option? Lifestyle as...

How are we are different from other healthcare services?

How are we are different from other healthcare services?

Welcome to Plant Based Health Online (PBHO) - a brand new online healthcare platform and the first of its kind in the UK. Perhaps you are wondering if our services are relevant to you. Or if there really is a need for another healthcare service? PBHO is different. We...

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