This is a super hot topic in health care in some parts of the world at the moment. In this episode I look at how these drugs work and the pros and cons of taking them for weight loss purposes.

Obesity, in some instances, is in essence a form of ‘malnutrition’ because of the nature of food consumed and how rates have increased rapidly over the last 40 years.

Body Mass Index definition: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/health-21264134

Heart disease risk reduced by weight loss jab: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd188m73vn1o

Ultra processed food and your brain: 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/junk_food_brain

Supersize Me: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Size_Me

Obesity health risks: https://www.healthline.com/health/obesity/how-obesity-affects-body

The genetics of obesity: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41576-021-00414-z

The story behind semaglutide: https://www.vox.com/22553793/gila-monster-lizard-venom-inspired-obesity-drug-semaglutide

Weight loss stats on semaglutide: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9486455/

Semaglutide can stop working and even if it works it may need to be taken forever:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/why-weight-loss-drugs-stop-working-how-to-break-past-ozempic-plateau#Hitting-a-weight-loss-plateau-after-a-year

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CGM has changed lives for the better people with Type 1 Diabetes but nowadays people without diabetes use it as a tool. In this episode I look at the pros and cons of CGM and how it can be used as a lens into our general health and how it is linked to our gut microbiome amongst many other systems.

Links:

CGM early days review: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4717493/

Prof Partha Kar: https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/girft-diabetes-lead-awarded-obe-in-new-year-honours/

Red meat and gut bacteria: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/gut-microbes-affect-harmful-compound-red-meat#

Akkermansia Muciniphilia: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8726741/

Gut bugs and metabolic disease: https://joe.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/joe/248/2/JOE-20-0473.xml#

Alcohol and blood glucose: https://blog.supersapiens.com/3-ways-alcohol-affects-your-glucose-levels/

Exercise and blood sugar: https://www.sugarfit.com/blog/workout-spikes-exercise-induced-gluconeogenesis/

Glucose spikes - the dangers?: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7530333/#:

The view of Harvard on CGM without diabetes:https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-blood-sugar-monitoring-without-diabetes-worthwhile-202106112473

Walking after meals: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/walking-after-eating

Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10401445/#

THE HEALTH FIX - the ultimate health manual tailored to you: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Health-Fix-Dr-Ayan-Panja/dp/1914239326/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

25wktvbz

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In this episode I look at smart phones. They have changed the way we live beyond imagination 

but are they doing us any harm in terms of the way we think and behave?

Links:

Life before smartphones:

https://medium.com/be-unique/before-smartphones-were-a-thing-87208717b8d7

Teenage brain: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/Pages/Whats-Going-On-in-the-Teenage-Brain.aspx

Teenagers and smart phones: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-smartphones-really-destroying-the-lives-of-teenagers/

Alpha brain waves: https://www.healthline.com/health/alpha-brain-waves#bottom-line

Multitasking and switching focus: https://neuroscience.stanford.edu/news/why-multitasking-does-more-harm-good

Phones and attention: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-36256-4#

Alpha waves: https://www.healthline.com/health/alpha-brain-waves

Dopamine fasting: https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/dopamine-fasting-smartphone-addiction

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Addictions can ruin lives but why do they occur in the first place and what can we do to acknowledge them better?

In this episode Iook at why they can be so hard to conquer and touch on different aspects of addiction.

Links: 

How the addicted brain works:

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/how-an-addicted-brain-works

Sugar - why most of us could easily have a sweet tooth: https://theconversation.com/a-taste-for-sweet-an-anthropologist-explains-the-evolutionary-origins-of-why-youre-programmed-to-love-sugar-173197

Addiction and childhood: https://www.jkacap.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.5765/jkacap.2017.28.1.4#

Heroin detox in Thailand: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-13674101

Dr Gabor Maté on trauma: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/apr/12/the-trauma-doctor-gabor-mate-on-happiness-hope-and-how-to-heal-our-deepest-wounds

Gambling addiction: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/addiction-support/gambling-addiction/

A personal story: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/30/studied-neuroscience-understand-addictions-not-cure

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Becoming a parent is a gift but it has its challenges. In this episode I look at some factors to be mindful of including the difference between the child and adult brain plus micro tips to help navigate your way through the maze of parenthood. 

Links: 

Parenting styles: https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/style/parenting-styles-explained/

Brain development in children: https://www.luriechildrens.org/en/blog/early-childhood-brain-development-and-health/

Parenting styles and psychological complaints: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4873100/

Hoffman Process for understanding how early life connects to your adult behaviours: https://www.hoffmaninstitute.co.uk/about-the-process/

Unconditional love: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/peaceful-parents-happy-kids/201504/how-give-unconditional-love-your-child-and-yourself?amp

Steve Biddulph’s advice: https://www.toorakcollege.vic.edu.au/blog/steve-biddulph-key-takeaways

The Health Fix: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Health-Fix-Dr-Ayan-Panja/dp/1914239326/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

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Skin - it’s known as our largest ‘organ’ and most of us have had some kind of skin issue.

This is my 101. Enjoy!

Guttate psoriasis: https://www.healthline.com/health/psoriasis-guttate

Pitiryiasis rosea: https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/pityriasis-rosea-symptoms

Scarlet fever: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176242

Slapped cheek syndrome: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/slapped-cheek-syndrome/

Omega 3 and skin: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7892455/

Probiotics and skin: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9386980/

Acne: https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/acne/ss/slideshow-acne-dictionary

PCOS: https://www.healthline.com/health/polycystic-ovary-disease

Rosacea: https://www.rosacea.org/patients/all-about-rosacea

Non IgE cows milk protein allergy: https://www.allergyuk.org/about-allergy/allergy-in-childhood/cows-milk-allergy/

Dermatitis herpetiformis: https://www.coeliac.org.uk/information-and-support/coeliac-disease/dermatitis-herpetiformis/

Elimination diets: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/elimination-diet

Atopy: https://www.healthline.com/health/atopy

Demodex: https://www.healthline.com/health/demodex-folliculorum

MI allergy: https://www.webmd.com/beauty/what-to-know-about-methylchloroisothiazolinone-allergies

Contact dermatitis: https://www.healthline.com/health/contact-dermatitis

Melanoma and ABCDE: https://www.melanomauk.org.uk/the-abcde-rule

Sunlight and cancer: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4571149/

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Health screening has exploded over the last 20 years. Is it a money making exercise or actually worth it? In this episode I look at the pros and cons and how you can decide what may be worth doing and the reason people decide they need it.

Links:

UK ethics of health screening: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-nsc-ethical-framework-for-screening/uk-nsc-ethical-framework-for-screening

Health Screening - a recent paper: 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK436014/

RCGP screening statement around extra work for NHS GPs from screening companies: https://www.rcgp.org.uk/representing-you/policy-areas/screening

Karen Brady’s story: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2006/apr/20/healthandwellbeing.health1

The pros and cons of PSA testing: https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information-and-support/prostate-tests/psa-blood-test

Genomic (DNA) testing for propensity to disease (eg breast cancer): https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/genetic-and-genomic-testing/

MTHFR: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326181

Our Future Health: https://ourfuturehealth.org.uk/

Bill Turnbull's prostate cancer story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-62755001

My book THE HEALTH FIX - paperback: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Health-Fix-Dr-Ayan-Panja/dp/1914239326/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

"The only health manual you'll ever need..." Dr Rangan Chatterjee. "...lifechanging..." Dr Rupy Aujla

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There isn’t a week in practice when I don’t get asked about food intolerances and how to test for them. It’s a contentious topic that needs 

some deconstructing.

In this episode I look at what is and isn't intolerance and how to proceed if you think you have a food intolerance.

Links:

Food intolerance vs allergy - official guidance: https://www.allergyuk.org/resources/food-intolerance/

IgG testing: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5004213/

Elimination diets: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/elimination-diet

SIBO and IBS: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29761234/

Gluten sensitivity: https://www.coeliac.org.uk/information-and-support/coeliac-disease/about-coeliac-disease/gluten-sensitivity/

Deeper dive on mucosal tolerance: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-biology2/chapter/mucosal-surfaces-and-immune-tolerance/

Milk digestion over the years: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35896667/

My book The Health Fix: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Health-Fix-Dr-Ayan-Panja/dp/1914239326/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

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Lyme Disease rates have doubled in the last 30 years in the USA and rates are rising across the world in affected areas. In this episode I look at Lyme, other tick-borne illnesses and the mystery symptoms they can give rise to, as well as strategies to treat and prevent them.

Lyme disease factsheet:

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/borreliosis/facts/factsheet

The Bullseye rash: https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/rashes.html

The life cycle of a spirochaete: https://www.nature.com/articles/nrmicro2714

B.Burgdorferi - the major cause of Lyme disease: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532894/

B.mayonii - another strain causing Lyme disease: https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/mayonii/index.html

Dr Horowitz Lyme questionnaire: https://caudwelllyme.com/do-you-have-lyme-disease-the-horowitz-questionnaire

Differentiating arthritis from Lyme Diseases: https://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/ra-or-lyme

Dr Horowitz interview:

 https://lymeconnection.org/support_and_resources/meet_the_lyme_disease_experts.html/title/dr-richard-horowitz-latest-treatments-in-lyme-disease

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Cholesterol has become an obsession for so many people over the last 50 years. In this episode I look at the story of cholesterol and why it is important and when to worry about it.

Links:

The history of cholesterol: https://www.escardio.org/Journals/E-Journal-of-Cardiology-Practice/Volume-19/history-in-medicine-the-story-of-cholesterol-lipids-and-cardiology

Food and cholesterol: https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/11-foods-that-lower-cholesterol

Monacolin K (in both red yeast rice and statins): https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/monacolins

Numbers need to treat (NNT):

https://www.cebm.ox.ac.uk/resources/ebm-tools/number-needed-to-treat-nnt

Diet and statins: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/aug/29/mediterranean-diet-better-than-statins-for-tackling-heart-disease-study

ApoB and Lp(a): https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-health-care-professionals/for-physicians/physician-education-and-resources/physician-interviews/2023/october/lipid-management-part-3-apo-b-and-lipoprotein-a

Homocysteine and heart disease: https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-021-01977-8

Flawed study or is it because not all LDL is bad? https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/behind-the-headlines/cholesterol-and-statins

TG:HDL ratio (Triglycerides to HDL): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2664115/#:~:text=3%20The%20ratio%20of%20triglycerides,lower%20than%20this%20value4.

NICE recommendation for statins:

https://www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/news-from-the-bhf/news-archive/2023/january/nice-recommends-statins-should-be-a-choice-for-more-people-to-prevent-heart-attacks-and-strokes

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TW: Sensitive topic: one in six people worldwide are now affected by infertility and rates have soared over the last 30 years. 

In this episode I look at the reasons behind it and what we can do about it on an individual and societal level.

Childlessness: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/oct/02/the-desire-to-have-a-child-never-goes-away-how-the-involuntarily-childless-are-forming-a-new-movement

Rising infertility in men and women: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reproductive-problems-in-both-men-and-women-are-rising-at-an-alarming-rate/

1:6 with infertility: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/03/one-in-six-people-worldwide-affected-by-infertility-who-reports

Birth rates in South Korea and reasons behind them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvpkEEmnZNU

Exercise and fertility: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10310950/

Female fertility and nutrition: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8634384/

Sperm counts and time of day: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32195611/

Semen and antioxidants: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5203687

Fertility support: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ivf/support/

Infertility counselling: https://www.bica.net/

Buy THE HEALTH FIX now: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1914239326?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_S32SMEDYMC4SBPSJ4CGV

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