Big Babies

Large babies or those who gain a lot of weight early are at greater than average risk of becoming obese as adults. Read more at the BBC health website here.

Maternal Diet

BBC health carries a simplified summary of new research from the University of Southampton on the influence of a mother being underweight or having poor nutrition in pregnancy on the long term outlook for her baby's health.

They are linking 'liver-sparing' blood flow in pregnancy with a potentially increased risk of heart disease and diabetes for the baby as an adult (an insight into the Barker Hypothesis- fetal origins of adult disease).

SPAM!

I've been infested with comment spam!

Don't go clicking on any dubious links in comments on recent posts. I've re-set word verification, so should be ok from now on. Sorry.

Step counting

I've been using step-counters (pedometers) at my own clinic for a while now, and I definitely feel that they are an effective educational and motivational tool.

Everyone needs some sort of baseline measure and an indication as to progress when trying to make lifestyle changes. Using a step counter allows clients to assess their activity in the way that food diaries help to assess dietary intake.

This Medscape article shows how a simple research project on the use of pedometers demonstrates their efficacy as a dietetic tool.

Foodie Ireland

This article by Rachel Cooke in the Observer describes her trip to Cork with the Irish chef Richard Corrigan from the Michelin starred Lindsay House in London.

While Corrigan's larger than life personality and unbounded enthusiasm for every morsel of food encountered along the way appears to have been exhausting for Cooke, the gastronomic journey they took sounds like heaven to me.

You'll also get the contact and supplier details for some wonderful local products, such as the delicious Macroom Oatmeal and Gubbeen Cheese.
Enjoy!

Long time no Blog....

Been deprived of my beloved iBook for a while- but it's back!!! Yay!

It's a little irritating to find myself such a fan of something techie and trendy, but I got a present of a pretty little pink iPod mini for my birthday, and I'm now a total addict.
I've always loved radio and having spent a lot of time in the car in a previous incarnation, I developed an appreciation of audiobooks and language tapes, and I now find myself loving podcasts.

Still in it's infancy in Ireland, podcasting is a fabulous addition to the audio- media scene here. Our Adam Curry figure has yet to emerge, but we're keeping our ears open.