Category Archives: Diet

January 13, 2017

WHAT TO EAT TO BEAT THAT COLD!

cold

Diet is the first port of call in the fight to stay healthy, and prevention is better than cure. Here are my top tips to keeping your immune system strong throughout the cold season:

  • Fill up on a rainbow of fresh fruit and veggies so you’re getting all the vitamins you need. Immune-boosting vitamin C is the star of the show here. It’s especially high in kiwis, peppers, kale and leafy greens, citrus fruits, broccoli and berries.
  • Garlic has antibacterial properties and has the antioxidant allicin, which helps counteract the effects of free radicals in the body.
  • Chilli also has antioxidant properties as well as acting like a decongestant.
  • Ginger is a good warmer as well as soothing the stomach.
  • Stay hydrated and eat foods rich in soluble fibre such as avocado, tomatoes and other fresh fruits and veggies, plus insoluble fibre like brown rice and wholegrains.
  • Zinc is another immune system booster. Fresh beef and baked beans are good sources.
January 2, 2017

ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH VITAMIN D?

sun

With doctors fearing the return of rickets due to low levels of the sunshine vitamin, how can we sun-starved Brits get enough this winter?

How to get more sunshine
Although it’s important to protect yourself in the sun, you need to build up your vitamin D levels with bursts of unprotected sun between April and October to build reserves for the winter. Try getting 10-15 mins of sun exposure to your arms, hands or back, two to three times a week. Longer exposure doesn’t provide additional benefits, so make sure you apply a high SPF afterwards.

Take a supplement
The Department of Health advises those who have low or no exposure to sun, those with darker skin, over 65s and all children aged 6 months to five years to take a vitamin D supplement. In addition, it is recommended that, in winter months, everyone should consider taking a 10 microgram supplement if their diet is unlikely to provide it.

Eat well
Although you might only get a small portion of vitamin D from your diet, it’s still important to eat a mix of foods rich in the stuff, especially during the winter. Top up on oily fish, egg yolk, fortified cereals, red meat and dairy products.

December 23, 2016

HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU EAT?

Portion_Hand

Portion control is key to weight control. But how much is too much? The answer is in the palm of your hand. The best way to judge how much you need of each the food groups is by measuring it in your hand.

Fruit = cupped palms
Small fruit such as berries and grapes can be piled into cupped palms.

Cheese = both thumbs
Protein-rich, but still fairly high in fat, you should only have around 30g of cheese at each serving.

Uncooked pasta & rice = clenched fist
a 75g portion of uncooked pasta provides around 200 calories. Choose wholemeal or brown over white.

Butter = thumb tip
Butter and other spreads (i.e. peanut butter) should be a portion no bigger than a thumb tip. And don’t have more than 2 portions per day.

Vegetables = clenched fist
A clenched fist works out as the 30g you need to eat for one serving. Make sure you go for variety.

White fish = whole hand
White fish, such as haddock and cod, is low fat and lower in calories than meat or oily fish.

Chocolate = index finger
Try to choose darker, high-cocoa content varieties, which contain antioxidants, as an occasional treat.

Meat = palm
Aim to keep a portion of meat to the size of your palm, not including your fingers. Choose lean options, such as steak pr good quality, low-fat beef mince. But don’t eat more than 500g per week.

Oily fish = palm
You should eat around 250g of oily fish, such as mackerel, salmon and tuna, twice a week.

Potato = clenched fist
A baked potato has a round 200 calories and is high in vitamin A. Sweet potato is a healthier option.

Nuts = palm
A great snack option, nuts and seeds are filling and contain important unsaturated fats.

November 21, 2016

WHAT’S BEST? GUACAMOLE VS HOUMOUS.

Goucamole&Hummus

The verdict: Guacamole
The reason: If you’re just looking to curb your calories, then guacamole is your best dip, boasting 64 calories in 4 tbsp (compared to 100 for houmous).

Both are high in nutritional value though, with vitamin C and heart-protecting niacin in guacamole, and folate and zinc in houmous.

September 26, 2016

FOOD TO BOOST YOUR MOOD.

Beat_Stress

Get the sleep you need
Salmon, like halibut and tuna, is packed with vitamin B6, which is needed to make the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. Also try: kale, bananas, whole grains, peanuts, soya beans.

Stop stress
Carbs help the brain make serotonin – a chemical responsible for maintaining mood balance. Opt for complex carbs, such as oats, as these won’t add to your stress-induced blood sugar spike like refined carbs do. Also try: blueberries, dark chocolate.

Alleviate anxiety
The high levels of vitamin C in oranges will lower blood pressure, as well as suppressing presence of the stress hormone cortisol in your system. Also try: asparagus, milk, turkey.

Lift a low mood
Curcumin, found in turmeric, has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, making it an antidote to wear and tear, and a mood booster. Also try: lentils, crab, Brazil nuts.

Boost energy
Spinach leaves are high in magnesium and iron, both key in energy production. Squeeze over lemon juice to help absorb the iron. Also try: pumpkin seeds, sweet potato, almonds.

Chill out
Adding chilli to your meal could help curb your anger and put you in a better mood. Your body reacts to the chemical capsaicin – which makes chillies hot – by releasing endorphins, helping you to cool down. Also try: kiwis, barley, peanuts.

 

August 26, 2016

THE SECRET SUPERFRUIT.

Pineapple

Pineapples are loaded with nutrients and powerful enzymes that will benefit your health no end. The real star of the show is the enzyme bromelain, which this tropical fruit is full of.

It has powerful anti-inflammatory benefits that can have an effect on reducing arthritis and healing time from sports injuries, wounds and stings.

Bromelain can also lessen hay fever symptoms, increase the absorption of antibiotics, reduce blood clotting and some studies have shown it can even help in controlling the growth of tumours.

It also gives the metabolism a short-term boost by speeding up digestion.

Pineapple is fibre-rich, so great for digestion, and high in vitamin C, essential for a healthy immune system.

It’s a good source of thiamine, copper – essential for healthy blood cells – and potassium, which helps control blood pressure.

Don’t overdo it though, it’s quite a high-sugar fruit.

August 15, 2016

HEALTH CURES: LINSEEDS.

Linseeds

Beat constipation
Linseeds – also called flaxseeds – are full of fibre, minerals and vitamins, and soothe the lining of the intestines – all of which makes them great for constipation. Soak a teaspoon in water overnight and drink the next morning to get your digestive system moving.

July 25, 2016

CLASSIC DIET TRUTHS… FACT OR FICTION?

Scales

Grapefruit helps you to lose weight
It was once believed that grapefruit contained fat-busting enzymes, but the truth is in it’s ability to reduce levels of the hormone insulin in our blood. This, in turn, causes us to feel less hungry and we are therefore more likely to eat fewer calories.

Spicy foods speed up your metabolism
Research has proven that eating spicy foods, such as chilli sauce and hot mustard, with your meal can increase your metabolism and therefore increase the number of calories you burn. This small metabolisim-boosting effect may be useful when losing weight, but only as part of an overall mix of weight-loss efforts. Strength training (i.e. lunges, squats and exercising your biceps and triceps) can increase your metabolism by 15%.

Missing meals helps you to shed pounds
Not true. When we miss a meal our bodies go into primitive survival mode and cleverly slow the rate at which we burn calories. Skipping a meal also makes you feel hungrier at the next one, so you’re more likely to eat more to compensate for the meal you did not have. Eat three balanced meals a day, plus healthy snacks in between, to keep your metabolism and appetite steady.

Separating proteins and carbohydrates makes you slimmer
Not so. Our bodies are perfectly capable of digesting the nutrients in a mixed meal. However, research shows that we naturally eat less when we eat just one type of food per meal, because we get bored so stop eating sooner. As a result, people who follow ‘food-combining’ diets where they separate protein from carbs often tend to lose weight successfully.