Health

Promising to rid your body of the "toxins" resulting from poor diet and lifestyle, the claim is these diets will leave you cleansed and revitalised — and perhaps a few kilos lighter to boot.

But do these programs, which often involve consuming expensive powders and potions, really do anything to improve your health?

So what do nutritionists recommend to munch on? It turns out that quality carbohydrates are important pre-workout and lean proteins post-workout, experts say.

What to eat before exercise

Before you exercise, eat carbs, but not too much, said Nancy Cohen, a professor in the department of nutrition at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

But new research shows that we may have been underestimating the role of the humble goosebump.

Professor Rod Sinclair, dermatologist at the University of Melbourne, explained he had been "following a hunch" that goosebumps were not just an evolutionary by-product.

It turns out that Professor Sinclair's hunch may have been on track, as his new research shows the "goosebump muscle" could hold the key for skin cancer, baldness and burns treatment.

"As we do more research we find that nothing is for nothing. It's almost as though there's a grand design to the body.

The PNG Council of Churches has seven main line churches and 16 affiliated bodies.

Minister for National Planning Charles Abel thanks all the churches on behalf of the Government as the churches represent the number one partner for Government particularly in education and health.

Abel stressed that the Government relies heavily on churches through education and health which is a fantastic partnership and they’re working to improve this engagement.

It's no wonder the festive season is a peak time for weight gain many of us spend the entire year ahead trying to reverse.

For most of us, it's a time to relax and unwind — and sometimes an opportunity to indulge in booze.

"It's common knowledge that many people up their alcohol intake over the summer period," psychologist and public health expert Dr Bosco Rowland said.

It is, after all, the season to be jolly.

But according to Dr Rowland, it's also a timely reminder of the dangers of excessive drinking, and why it's important to drink responsibly.

How much is safe to drink?

Consuming more than four portions a week is a risk, suggests the study of nearly 1,000 French people, published in the journal Thorax.

The researchers believe it could be a preservative called nitrite used in meats such as sausages, salami and ham that aggravates the airways.

But experts say the link has not been proved and more investigations are needed.

Rather than worry about one type of food, people should be eating a healthy and varied diet, they advise.

There may come a time when you, or someone close to you, will be told that the only option now is to go to the Philippines or Australia or Singapore. 

When faced with reality, only those who can afford are flying abroad for cancer diagnosis and treatments while even more remain in the country and lose the battle.

Project manager of PNG’s Walk the Talk against Cancer, Barbara Toiya, says the real need now is to bring in the cancer facilities.

This should be ultimate goal in PNG’s fight against cancer.

A one week movie-marathon at the cinema? A tattoo? Holiday get-away? Well ok, maybe that handbag that keeps saying “hi” every time you pass the shop; not literally though.  

The team found both the platypus and echidna produce a long-lasting form of the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).

GLP-1 is normally secreted in the gut of both humans and animals, stimulating the release of insulin to lower blood glucose levels.

But GLP-1 typically degrades within minutes.

Lead researcher Frank Grutzner said his team was surprised to find the hormone was produced not only in the platypus' gut, but also in its venom.