Lagom is the latest export from Sweden. But what does it mean and how can it help us to live a healthier lifestyle?
Lagom means ‘just the right amount’. It’s not about denying yourself things, it’s simply about considering them and making sure you don’t eat too much, or too little.
So if you’re typically a binge eater or exerciser, who then follows it by weeks of doing nothing, adopting a more balanced, Lagom lifestyle could work for you.
Form over speed
It is important to keep proper form during strength exercises or weight lifting to avoid injury. Shift your focus from the number of repetitions and make sure you have the correct form.
Research has shown that a single serving of 4 brazil nuts almost immediately improved cholesterol levels compared with people who ate no nuts at all.
Levels of LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol were 20 points lower just 9 hours after a meal containing brazil nuts. But beware, these nuts can be high in selenium, don’t regularly eat more than 1 or 2 on a daily basis.
Although this is a common belief, for most people there’s no evidence to suggest gluten does them harm.
People who eat gluten-free may feel better due to other changes in their diet. They often eat more veg and adopt a more varied diet.
Try switching up your carbs, rather than ban them completely. For example have oats for breakfast, have a sandwich for lunch then quinoa or rice for dinner.
High blood pressure is the number-one risk factor for death and disability worldwide. It puts strain on your heart, can damage sensitive blood vessels in the eyes and kidneys and can cause bleeding in the brain.
It is now widely accepted that increased blood pressure isn’t just a natural result of ageing, but rather it can remain stable throughout life, or even decrease after middle-age.
Commonly prescribed medication can reduce the risk of heart attack by 15% and the risk of stroke by about 25%. But in a recent study, three portions of whole grains a day were shown to help people achieve the same benefit without taking pills.
People who consumed a few spoonfuls of flaxseeds every day for six months lowered their blood pressure to a degree that could be expected to result in 46% fewer strokes and 29% fewer instances of heart disease over time. It is 2-3 times more effective at lowering blood pressure than exercise (not that you shouldn’t do both).
Sprinkle a spoonful over cereal, soups, salads and stews everyday.
The theory of raw eating is that cooking destroys enzymes and nutrients in food. In fact, some foods actually release more nutrients when they are cooked.
Therefore it is best to eat a good mix of both cooked and raw foods.
Filtering out the biggest caffeine-related myths:
Juice and smoothies are seen as a good way to get a lot of nutrients in one go. However, when you juice a fruit, you remove the fibre.
Juices also have a lot of free sugars, which are high in calories.
You don’t need to ban juice, but just stick to the recommended daily intake of 150ml. Get the rest of your nutrients from whole fruit and veg.
Ounce for ounce, fat has more calories than any other nutrient, so it has been long shunned by dieters. But we just need to know which fats to eat.
Try to eat sources of unsaturated fat, which don’t raise cholesterol – such as oily fish, avocados and nuts – and keep portions small.