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.
Ease heartburn
Turmeric helps your gallbladder produce bile to break food down faster, so it doesn’t hang around in your digestive system long enough to cause uncomfortable heartburn. Dissolve some in hot water after a meal, then drink.
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.
Combat a cough
Sage is anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and immune boosting, so it’s ideal for easing coughs. Place two sage leaves in a cup and pour boiling water over them. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes, then strain and drink.
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.
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.
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.
Bust a headache
Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and is a traditional remedy for headaches – especially migraines, because it can also help nausea. Grate about a teaspoon of fresh ginger, pour boiling water over it, leave to infuse for 10 minutes, then drink.
It has been revealed that the average salt consumption by adults has dropped by almost 1g in the last decade. This is an encouraging result, as high levels of salt can cause blood pressure to rise, which in turn can increase the possibility of strokes and other health issues.
However, despite this good news, adults are still eating about 8g per day which is over the recommended amount of 6g for good health. Most of the salt being consumed is in the foods we buy, and the reduction may be as a result of pressure on the industry to minimise salt levels.
How can you reduce your salt intake?
Zap fat
Cinnamon can help balance blood sugar and keep you feeling fuller for longer. Dissolve a teaspoon in warm water and drink with your breakfast.