Category Archives: Diet

September 15, 2017

FROZEN FOOD COULD BE YOUR SECRET HEALTH WEAPON.

Nutritious, cheap and speedy – yet our relationship with frozen food seems to be thawing. Frozen food often gets lumped together with processed food, but that reputation isn’t always fair.

Freezing food is like pressing a pause button, slowing down food’s degradation and nutrient loss. This process helps to maintain the original nutritional value and can often be more nutritious than when fresh.

Freezer Heroes

Chilli, garlic and ginger – these all fare brilliantly in the freezer, keeping their flavour and intensity.

Salmon – frozen salmon is usually cheaper than fresh and tastes exactly the same.

Mango – forget the faff of peeling and chopping fresh mangos. Frozen mango tastes great and can be blended without defrosting.

Peas – studies show that frozen peas have higher levels of vitamin C than fresh, they taste great and are so convenient.

Ice cubes with a twist – freeze grapes or slices of lemon and lime to use as ice cubes with added vitamins.

 

August 14, 2017

FEEL-GOOD FOOD.

Dark green leaves
They have a great strong flavour as well as boosting dopamine – the ‘happy hormone’ in our brain.

Apples, berries and bananas
All of these contain the antioxidant quercetin, believed to help the brain prevent dopamine loss.

Eggs
Rich in filling protein, they also contain the amino acids that help stimulate dopamine production.

Salmon
Oily fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, essential in preventing fatigue, memory problems and mood swings.

Cheese
This provides you with the amino acid tyrosine, which helps increase dopamine levels. Switch your Cheddar for cottage cheese, for a low-fat alternative.

July 14, 2017

SUGAR IN NUMBERS.

30 the number of minutes it takes to go from a sugar rush to a full on sugar crash. This sugar spike and crash makes you crave more, leading to a very sweet but vicious cycle.

6 the maximum number of teaspoons of table sugar we should consume per day. Watch out for hidden added sugar in foods, as these all count.

31.7g the amount of sugar in a tall skinny chai tea latte.

1,120 that’s how many calories you lose if you cut your daily teaspoons of sugar by 10. That’s just one pain au raisin and a tall skinny mocha.

8.2g save this amount of sugar by switching your Starbucks tall skimmed latte for a Starbucks tall soya latte.

22.5g this amount of total sugars per 100g is considered high, so avoid products with this on their label. Anything below 5g is considered low.

12% researchers found that a 15 minute walk can curb cravings for sugar laden chocolate bar by this much. So get moving around 4pm!

3x this is how much more sugar kids are eating over the RDA.

1:1 as they have the same sweetness, it’s easy to swap table sugar for naturally occurring low-cal xylitol. Simply switch the ingredients, without changing the amounts.

150ml the maximum amount of fruit juice we should drink in a day, to minimise our sugar intake. Although it contains vitamins, there is little fibre in it to prevent a blood sugar spike, so only drink with meals.

June 21, 2017

HOW TO BEAT THE SNACK ATTACK #5.

Here’s how to kill off unhealthy cravings whenever they hit…

Problem – late evenings.
Even though we’ve eaten dinner and we aren’t really hungry, many of us still snack. The trigger is often boredom or stress, but another reason may be that you haven’t eaten enough during the day.

Solution – eat regular meals.
Sensible and regular eating throughout the day will make it easier for you to avoid mindless evening grazing. You could also try cleaning your teeth or filling your evening with an evening class, for example.

June 2, 2017

SUGAR ALTERNATIVES.

Sugar increases our risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer. New guidelines advise cutting our intake to 6 teaspoons a day (25-30g). A can of fizzy drink contains about 9 teaspoons!

And, while sugars are found naturally in fruits, veg and milk, it’s the added sugars – sucrose, syrups, fructose and fructose corn syrup – that do most damage to our health.

Sugars with lower glycaemic index (GI) are metabolised slower, helping you to avoid sudden spikes and dips in blood sugar.

Here is a lowdown of the pros and cons of the alternatives:

Stevia: GI = 0
This is low in fructose and almost calorie free. However, it’s a lot sweeter than sugar and can leave a bitter aftertaste.

Xylitol: GI = 7
Naturally present in fruit and veg, it’s one of the most popular low GI alternatives. It has fewer calories and can prevent tooth decay. However, like fibre it’s not fully digestible, so can cause bloating.

Honey: GI = 30 (raw)
Raw and Manuka honey contain antioxidants and have antimicrobial benefits. Raw honey has a much lower GI than processed. Avoid processed honey as it can contain up to 53% fructose.

Agave nectar: GI = 30-40
This has a relatively low GI. It’s reputation as a healthy sweetener has been questioned however. It’s high in fructose – containing up to 70% – which is higher than demonised high-fructose corn syrup.

Coconut sugar: GI = 35
Contains iron, zinc, calcium, potassium and inulin, which may slow glucose absorption. It’s calorie content is similar to sugar’s.

Maple syrup: GI = 54
This contains manganese, iron and calcium and has a lower fructose level than honey, so is easier to digest. However, it is often highly processed with high GI.

May 24, 2017

HOW TO BEAT THE SNACK ATTACK #4.

Here’s how to kill off unhealthy cravings whenever they hit…

Problem – early evening.
If you haven’t eaten since lunch, you’ll be genuinely hungry, so waiting for dinner to cook can make you particularly prone to unhealthy snacking.

Solution – chew gum.
To help you last without raiding the fridge, try sugar-free minty gum. Alternatively, drink a large glass of water, which should curb your hunger for up to half an hour.

April 10, 2017

HOW TO BEAT THE SNACK ATTACK #3.

salmon

Here’s how to kill off unhealthy cravings whenever they hit…

Problem – afternoon slump.
It’s normal to feel a bit sleepy around 2-4pm because this is the time we get a natural dip in our 24-hour biological clock. But the problem is that the sleepiness can lead to sugar cravings, because we are unconsciously looking to lift our energy levels.

Solution – low-carb lunch.
Eating a lunch that’s not too carb heavy can minimise the post-lunch dip. You can also beat an afternoon sugar craving with a handful of nuts or seeds rich in good fat and contain a chemical that stimulates the release of an appetite-suppressing hormone.

March 13, 2017

HOW TO BEAT THE SNACK ATTACK #2.

Egg

Here’s how to kill off unhealthy cravings whenever they hit…

Problem – elevenses.
Dipping blood sugar levels at 10:30-11am can leave you distracted, grumpy and reaching for the biscuit tin.

Solution – choose your breakfast wisely.
Think about switching to a breakfast that releases energy more slowly, like porridge or eggs, which will keep your blood-sugar levels steadier for longer.

March 1, 2017

THE TRUTH ABOUT PROTEIN.

protein_powder

The word ‘Protein’ stamped on packaging is a sure-fire way to make a sale, as the nutrient has been marketed as the answer to getting a strong, lean physique.

And protein shakes are considered the ultimate post-workout accessory. But how much should we really be eating?

Protein provides the building blocks for everything from muscles to skin and hair, so there’s no doubt it’s vital.

When you exercise, you beak down muscle and need protein to rebuild it, especially if you’re doing resistance training.

How much you need depends on how often and hard you work out, the type of exercise you do, your size…It’s far from an exact science.

If you take the average woman who goes to the gym, whether she’s doing cardio or weights, it’s believed 1–1.2g of protein per kg body weight a day is enough. Compared with 0.8kg per kg body weight for the average person who doesn’t wok out.

Most people achieve this easily. Often people forget things like bread and pasta contain protein. There’s nearly 6kg in 100g of wholewheat pasta, for example. Other sources include red meat, poultry, fish, cheese and eggs.