Think Nutrition - www.thinknutrition.ie

04/05/2026

Thirty years ago, the average British garden was home to hedgehogs crossing the lawn at dusk, swallows nesting under the garage eaves, glow-worms flickering along the hedgerow in June, common toads patrolling the beds after rain, and house sparrows quarrelling over crumbs on the breakfast table.

That garden still exists. It is just empty.

Every species that disappeared had an address — your roof, your hedge, your lawn, your pond, your wall. Every cause is identifiable. Every solution is within reach.

Hedgehog: a 13 cm gap at the base of a fence panel. Hedgehog populations have declined sharply across Britain over recent decades, largely due to habitat fragmentation. A connected garden corridor costs nothing to make.

Swallow: a 10 cm gap left open under the eaves from March to September. Swallows return to the same nest every year and find the door closed. Nesting ledges can be fixed inside garages as an alternative.

Glow-worm: turn off external lights between 10 pm and 5 am from May to September. A single garden floodlight is enough to cancel the female's bioluminescent signal completely. Glow-worm colonies have contracted significantly in Britain, and light pollution is among the clearest identified causes.

Common toad: a permanent body of water of around 2 square metres, with no fish. Toads return to their natal pond each spring. If it no longer exists, they have no fallback.

House sparrow: a nest box with a 32 mm entrance hole and a patch of uncut, untreated lawn nearby for foraging.

Butterflies: one square metre of nettles left in a corner. Peacock, small tortoiseshell, and red admiral all breed exclusively on nettle. A tidy nettle-free garden offers none of them a future.

Violet ground beetle: stop using slug pellets and mulch instead of rotovating. Ground beetles live and hunt in the soil surface layer and are killed directly by cultivation and poisoned indirectly by metaldehyde.

The garden of thirty years ago was not destroyed by a single event. It was emptied by an accumulation of small decisions. Each one of them can be reversed. 🌿🦔🐸🦋

04/05/2026

Even if our diet is completely free of meat, eggs, and dairy, we can still absorb too much cholesterol from our digestive tract.

Our liver can make cholesterol from scratch through a long series of reactions, which can then be packaged and end up as LDL in our bloodstream to deliver cholesterol throughout our body. We don’t want to have too much, as it can lodge in our artery walls, become oxidized, and trigger inflammation that can lead to atherosclerotic plaque and kill us.

To prevent this from happening, our liver has LDL receptors that pull LDL from our blood and get rid of cholesterol through our bile by dumping it into our digestive tract, presuming that dietary fiber will trap and ultimately flush it away.
If the cholesterol doesn’t get trapped, however, it can be reabsorbed and repackaged as LDL, then re-enter our bloodstream. The same absorption happens when we eat cholesterol. However, saturated fat is the most important dietary determinant of cholesterol because it reduces the number of liver receptors that remove LDL, so more LDL ends up staying in our blood.

Throughout evolution, we ate such an enormous quantity of plant foods that our ancient ancestors may have consumed grams of fiber in the triple digits each day. That’s more than five times that of the average American today. So, when we get five times less fiber than nature intended, much of that excess cholesterol our body tries to get rid of gets reabsorbed and can circulate back through our system. That’s why one component of the Portfolio Diet is foods like oatmeal, high in the sticky fiber that helps trap cholesterol.

Learn more about evidence-based ways to lower your LDL cholesterol in the new book, Lower LDL Cholesterol Naturally with Food, at see.nf/portfolio

PMID: 29807048, 38688104, 18985059, 9101427, 9104571
USDA, Portfolio

04/05/2026

This is hilarious!

A wild bear climbed into a California hot tub and refused to leave 🐻

One quiet day in California turned into an unforgettable moment when a homeowner discovered an unexpected guest relaxing in their backyard hot tub. A large bear had climbed inside the bubbling water and looked completely comfortable.

The animal stayed there calmly, enjoying the warm water and refusing to leave until the bubbles finally stopped. Wildlife experts say bears sometimes wander into residential areas while searching for food or curiosity.

Moments like this show how unpredictable wildlife encounters can be. It also reminds people living near forests and mountains that nature is always closer than we think.



References:
BBC Wildlife
National Geographic
California Department of Fish and Wildlife

04/05/2026

Honey bees aren’t just tiny insects—they help feed the world. Honey Bee
Our bee populations are under threat, and every small act of kindness can make a difference.
A simple bowl of grated apple and water can become a lifesaving stop for tired bees.
Every flower they visit helps nature bloom, farms grow, and ecosystems thrive.
Protect the pollinators today—because a world without bees is a world without balance. 🐝✨

22/03/2026

Antioxidants: The secret to coffee's amazing health benefits.

"Would you believe that a cup of coffee contains more antioxidants than a shot of kale juice? In an exhaustive study of the antioxidant content of hundreds of foods, beverages, and supplements, the coffee brewed from roasted arabica beans demonstrated up to 22 mmol/100 grams of antioxidants. This is compared to 4 mmol/100 grams of antioxidants in red curly kale. The only substances that contain higher concentrations of antioxidants, are spices and supplements. For example, there are 317.96 mmol/100 grams of cloves, but you wouldn’t consume 100 grams of cloves in one sitting (and we would advise you against trying to do so).Source: purity coffee."

Source: Purity Coffee 2024

Maybe you’ve already heard the news that drinking coffee is actually one of the healthiest choices you can make all day. But with all the coffee options that are vying for your attention, how do you know what to look for to get the healthiest blend possible? For many, starting with organic ground ...

18/03/2026

Big shout out to my newest top fans! Ann Bowe

17/03/2026

So next time you see "No Added Sugar" on a package, flip it over and check the actual ingredients. You might be in for a surprise .

17/03/2026

Yum

CHEESY PENNE WITH CHERRY TOMATOES,
SPINACH AND BROCCOLI!
I love this quick & easy recipe ....
Must express something to keep getting my recipes.... Thank you
Recipe in (c.o.m.m.e.n.t).

17/03/2026

Nuts

A standard serving of nuts is 1 ounce (oz), which is approximately 1/4 cup or a small handful. This amount generally equates to 160–200 calories and consists of roughly 15–25 nuts, depending on the variety, providing a nutritious source of fat, protein, and fibre.

17/03/2026

Too Little Salt for Your Memory

A new study suggests that very low sodium intake may be linked to faster memory decline in older adults.

If you are choosing salt go for Sea salt, pink Himalayan salt, low-sodium salt, kosher salt, and iodized salt, these are good alternatives.

Adults: No more than 5–6 grams per day (around one teaspoon).
Children: Lower levels based on age (1–3g/day).
Key Tip: Most dietary salt comes from processed food
Irish Heart Foundation

Sources:

Higher sodium intake is associated with episodic memory decline in cognitively unimpaired older males: A 6-year longitudinal study
Neurobiology of Aging (2026)
Dietary Sodium Intake and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults
Neurobiology of Aging (2026)

Association of Dietary Sodium Intake With Late-Life Cognitive Decline
Alzheimer’s & Dementia (2025)

Irish Heart Foundation

A new study suggests that very low sodium intake may be linked to faster memory decline in older adults.