907a3d4a

Gazpacho Soup

Sat, 07 May 2022 22:20:53 GMT

Gazpacho Soup

Ingredients

1 cucumber
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
1kg vine ripped tomatoes, cored and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
75g state crusty bread, chopped
2 1/2 TBSP quality sherry vinegar

To garnish -

chopped fresh basil and mint leaves, croutons and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Method

Place the cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and spring onions in a large bowl. Add the bread and season well with salt and pepper. Add the sherry vinegar and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and mix together with your hands, pressing down to squeeze out the juices. Cover and chill. Leave to marinade for at least 30 mins or overnight
Put the vegetable mixture into a blender and whiz until smooth. Check the consistency. If it is still rather thick and not very rich, add another glug or two of olive oil until you reach a consistency you like.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. You might need a little more vinegar.
Cover and chill again, until really cold and you’re ready to serve.

To garnish -

chopped fresh basil and mint leaves, croutons and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Nutritional highlights:

High in vitamins A & C - essential nutrition to support the immune system, skin, eyes and digestion.

Creamy Green Veggie Pasta

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 15:32:02 GMT

Creamy Green Veggie Pasta

Ingredients (serves 1)

1/2 a ripe avocado
1 handful of peas (defrosted)
1 handful of shelled edamame beans (soy) - find in the frozen section (defrosted)
2 handfuls of fresh spinach
2 TBSP pesto
Salt and pepper to taste
Pasta of choice

Method

Blend the sauce ingre dients together in a high-speed blender.
Cook whatever pasta you like as per the instructions on the packet. Drain, but reserve one mug of the hot pasta water.
Add the cooked pasta back to the saucepan and pour over the green sauce, adding some pasta water to slacken the sauce if it's too thick.
Heat through gently for a couple of minutes.
Serve in a bowl with freshly grated parmesan or Engevita Yeast Flakes if you're vegan.

Nutritional highlights:

High in folate, potassium, calcium and phytonutrients to support healthy blood pressure, cell renewal, muscle and nerve health and protection against cell damage.

Carrot Cake Porridge Squares

Sun, 27 Mar 2022 12:29:12 GMT

Carrot Cake Porridge Squares

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground all spice
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
2 eggs
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 medium carrots, grated
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or any other nuts/seeds you have

Method

Preheat oven to 190C/375F and grease and line an 8×8 baking dish.
Put all of the ingredients - apart from the carrots, raisins and nuts - into a blender and blend until smooth.
Add the carrots, raisins and nuts to the mixture, mix thoroughly and pour into the baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, for around 40 minutes minutes, until lightly golden brown.
Cut into squares and store in the fridge.

Nutritional highlights:

These squares are a good balance of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats which help to support blood sugar balance and consistent energy.

Lovely for breakfast on-the-go, as a snack or even dessert.

Chocolate Cherry Baked Oats

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 17:53:53 GMT

Chocolate Cherry Baked Oats (serves 1)

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup milk of your choice
1 teaspoon of either maple syrup, honey, or 1/2 a banana
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 scoop of protein powder (chocolate, vanilla or unflavoured)
Pinch of sea salt

To top:

Handful of whole frozen or fresh cherries (pitted)

Method

Blend everything (apart from the cherries) together in a high-speed blender until you have a smooth batter.
Pour the batter into a ramekin and add your cherries on top.
Bake for 30 minutes in a 180°C oven.

Great served with plain yoghurt on top!

Nutritional highlights:

Oats contain prebiotic beta-glucan which can help lower lower cholesterol and support your immune system.

Pear and Plum Muffins (makes 12)

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 01:04:30 GMT

Pear and Plum Muffins (makes 12)

Ingredients

2 cups of self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs or 3 medium
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup light olive oil
1 cup Greek yoghurt
1 cup diced ripe plums
1 cup diced ripe pear

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add sugar and whisk together thoroughly.
In a large bowl mix the eggs, vanilla, olive oil and Greek yoghurt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to just combine. Don’t over-mix as muffins will become dense.
Add the chopped fruits and stir lightly.
Spoon into paper-lined muffin tins and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and springy to the touch.

Nutritional highlights:

These muffins don’t contain butter, but instead olive oil and high protein Greek yoghurt.

The Best Food and Drink to Help You Sleep

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 15:40:49 GMT

The Best Food and Drink to

Help You Sleep

There are two basic forms of insomnia:

1. Sleep-onset insomnia – where a person has difficulty falling asleep.

2. Sleep-maintenance insomnia – where a person suffers from frequent or early awakening.

Causes:

The most common causes are psychological, such as depression and anxiety. If psychological reasons don’t seem to be causal, then perhaps foods, drinks and medications could be accountable.

What can you do to help?

It’s essential to remove stimulants such as caffeine – found in soft drinks, coffee, teas, chocolate and even coffee flavoured foods.
For hyper-sensitive people, small amounts found in decaffeinated tea and coffee, can affect sleep quality.
Alcohol and nicotine, particularly late in the afternoon/evening can worsen sleep.
Be mindful that some over-the-counter cold and headache medications can contain caffeine. Also, anti-histamines can interfere with normal sleep, so should be avoided where possible.
Food colouring and additives can have a stimulant effect, so be wary of heavily processed foods.
Food sensitivities and allergies. Try keeping a food/symptom diary to help pin-point culprit foods and drinks.
Ensure all meals and snacks contain protein, healthy fat and slow-release carbohydrates – for steady energy and blood sugar balancing.

Protein sources: Meat, fish, eggs, dairy, soy.
Healthy fat sources: Avocado, olives, nuts, seeds, olive oil, coconut oil.
Carbohydrates: Wholegrain bread, pasta, grains, oats, brown rice, starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes, white potatoes and squashes.

Foods high in the amino acid tryptophan may help to promote sleep:

- Turkey

- Milk

- Almonds

- Cottage cheese

- Chicken

- Eating one or two kiwi fruit an hour before bedtime may help sleep quality

Try not to eat too much, or too late at night - so that you aren’t still digesting at bedtime. Be wary of fatty and spicy foods that can cause digestive discomfort such as acid reflux.

Non-Dairy Milks

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 15:40:48 GMT

Non-Dairy Milks

A growing number of people are opting for plant-based alternatives to dairy milks. Reasons may include dairy allergy, lactose intolerance, sustainability, health and lifestyle choices.

Consumers may associate these alternatives to provide full nutritional substitution for cow’s milk, which may not be true in all cases.

Are plant-based milks better for you?

Nutritionally , there is no advantage to having other milks if cow’s milk is tolerated.

When choosing plant-based milk, it’s important to look for fortified options. Nutrients such as calcium, vitamin B12 and iodine are sometimes added, bringing them up to similar levels found in cow’s milk.

Generally, plant-based milks do not contain the same levels of calories, fat or carbohydrate as whole cow’s milk. Apart from soya milk, many milks do not contain comparative levels of protein.

Dairy foods are one of the main sources of iodine in the UK diet. Therefore, people who have restricted dairy consumption, can be at risk of iodine deficiency. Iodine is essential for thyroid health, which is responsible for metabolism, growth and development.

Other sources of iodine include seaweeds such as wakame and kelp, as well as seafood in general.

Cow’s Milk

Pros:

· Complete protein source.

· Complete food source, providing optimal macro nutrients (carbs, proteins and fats).

· Contains defence proteins, which can protect against some fever and respiratory infections.

· Cheap and readily available.

Cons:

· Milk allergy is one of the most common allergies.

· Lactose intolerance – caused by deficiency of the enzyme “lactase” in the digestive tract, which can lead to digestive issues.

· Non-vegan.

· May adversely affect cholesterol levels.

· Negative environmental effects

Soy Milk

Pros:

· Complete protein source.

· Most nutritionally comparable to cow’s milk.

· Source of isoflavones, which have anti-cancer properties.

· Suitable for vegans.

· Lactose and dairy free.

· Low in saturated fat.

Cons:

· Women with oestrogen-sensitive cancers should limit soy intake.

· Soy is a common allergen.

Coconut Milk

Pros:

· Can increase HDL (high-density lipoprotein) levels, which help in reducing the harmful LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels.

· Suitable for vegans.

· Lactose and dairy free.

Cons:

· Low in protein.

Rice Milk

Pros:

· Suitable for vegans.

· Lactose and dairy free.

· Suitable for people suffering from common nut or soy allergies.

Cons:

· Higher in sugar and carbohydrates compared to the others.

· Low in protein.

· Concerns around carcinogenic levels of arsenic found in rice products.

Almond Milk

Pros:

· Suitable for vegans.

· Lactose and dairy free.

· Source of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), considered helpful in weight loss/weight management.

· Good source of antioxidant vitamin E.

· Low calorie.

Cons

· Not suitable for people who suffer from tree nut allergies.

· Low in protein.

Understanding Food Labels

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 15:40:47 GMT

Understanding Food Labels

When it comes to food shopping, reading food labels can be time consuming and confusing. Luckily, we do have legislation in place that protects consumers from false claims, however there are still ways we can get misled by wording and branding.

Labelling food can either be mandatory or voluntary. Things like common allergens present in the food, “best before” and “use by” are mandatory. Other labels such as the Traffic Light system is voluntary, which highlights content as being high (red), moderate (amber), and low (green).

Traffic Light

Although Traffic Light labelling can provide helpful immediate nutritional information, it only captures fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt content.

Red - should not be eaten regularly, or in large amounts.
Amber - can be consumed most of the time as part of a healthy, varied diet.
Green - can be consumed regularly as part of your daily diet.

Be aware that protein, fibre and micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) content isn’t taken into consideration here. So, for example, fruit juices can contain comparable amounts of sugar (although naturally occurring), to fizzy drinks, but fruit juice also contains beneficial micronutrients that fizzy drinks do not.

Claims
These are legally regulated and include “high in” and “source of” claims.

For example, this can be seen in our keen interest in protein, and subsequent development of protein-rich products – from crisps, snacks and cereals to drinks.

“High in protein” - at least 20% of the energy per 100g of the product must come from protein. “Source of protein” - 12% of the energy per 100g must come from protein.

“Low-fat”, “reduced fat” and “light” products

“Low-fat” and “reduced fat” - these versions of foods aren’t always the healthiest. Sometimes fat is replaced with extra sugar and/or salt, for flavour. It’s beneficial to compare the sugar and salt content in the original product, against the reduced or low-fat version.

“Light” - for a food to constitute as being “light”, it must have 30% less fat or sugar than a similar product to which it’s being compared to. So, if the original product is particularly high in fat and/or sugar, even a 30% reduction can mean it’s still a food to be mindful of eating in large or frequent quantities.

Serving Size
It’s very important to take note of the nutritional information calculated on a single “serving” or “portion” size. This may differ to the way the product is packaged. For example, some chocolate bars are sold as twin bars, but the nutritional information is actually only for one bar.

Ingredients list
If the product has two or more ingredients, then an ingredients list is mandatory. Each ingredient is listed in weight order from biggest to the smallest. So, if the first few ingredients are sugars and fats, then they will be making up the majority of that product. Look for ingredients you recognise as being real food, and not a long list of chemicals.

Nutrition Myths

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 15:40:46 GMT

Common Nutrition Myths

1. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) will help you lose weight

FALSE

There are some scientific studies that show evidence of ACV being beneficial to your health, but losing weight - or more specifically fat, is highly unlikely.

Unfortunately, there is no magic food or supplement that is going to do that for you.

Organic cold-pressed ACV (that contains the “Mother”), has some probiotics which can support digestion. There is also some research that suggests a possible positive role for ACV in relation to blood glucose management, however overall evidence is not conclusive.

If you are trying to lose weight, focus on quality whole foods such as lean cuts of meat, fish, eggs, non-GMO soy protein, quinoa, lentils, beans and pulses. Consume at least 5 portions (one portion is two handfuls), of different coloured vegetables every day. Limit high calorie alcohol, processed foods, sugary drinks, sweets, cakes and biscuits. Take regular exercise and consider seeking advice from a personal trainer, to help you devise a programme that will work for you and your lifestyle.

2. You should eat a balanced meal when you've finished your workout

TRUE

After exercise your body seeks to replenish used glycogen (muscle storage form of glucose) stores and repair muscle tissue. To aid recovery it’s crucial to eat carbohydrates to replace used glycogen and protein to repair/build new muscle tissue.

Adults are advised (as per UK govt.) to eat 0.75g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day. If you exercise frequently, approx. 1.2-2.0g should be ample.

3. Regular detoxes will flush out toxins in your body

FALSE

The liver is perfectly capable of detoxifying the body, and fad detoxes and juice cleanses are not required. Support your liver by reducing your toxic load – limit alcohol, eat organic where possible to reduce pesticide and chemical exposure, consume cruciferous vegetables daily (broccoli, cabbages, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and beetroot) and drink 2 litres of filtered water every day. Sweating can also further support detoxification through the skin, so regular exercise and saunas are a good idea.

4. You can lose weight faster by doing fasted cardio

TRUE

Some training sessions may be used to train the body to adapt from using glucose as fuel, to body fat. This is done by restricting carbohydrate intake.

An easy way to do this is by training in the morning before eating anything. Or by training after a low-carb, protein-rich breakfast.

It’s important to note however that training completely fasted can increase strain on your immune system and muscles, and will reduce the quality of more gruelling or lengthy training sessions.

5. Eating little and often boosts your metabolism

FALSE

Consuming smaller, more frequent meals has little effect on boosting metabolism. It may even lead to consuming more calories throughout the day. Constant grazing has been shown to have a negative effect on digestion as various biological processes can only occur during fasted states. For example, the migrating motor complex (MMC) is a process that occurs in the stomach and small intestine during fasting, which sweeps residual undigested food/matter through the digestive tract. Therefore leaving around 3 hours between meals is more beneficial.

Is Eating Organic Better For Me?

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 15:40:44 GMT

Is Eating Organic Better For Me?

The global marketplace of organic produce has increased rapidly over the last few decades and so has our demand. Annually, approximately £69 billion is spent globally on organic products.

Consumers are increasingly choosing organic over conventional food products for personal health and wellbeing, environmental concerns and animal welfare reasons.

What is organic food and what does organic mean?

Organic food is produced without the use of man-made pesticides, chemicals and fertilisers and with higher levels of animal welfare and routine use of antibiotics, thereby reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance. It works alongside nature to be more environmentally sustainable to the land and wildlife.

Is organic healthier?

Organic crops often contain higher antioxidant levels, in dairy products higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, and in organic meat products healthier (less inflammatory) fatty acid profiles.

However, in macro nutrition terms (protein, fat, carbohydrate and dietary fibre), there seems to be very little difference between organic and non-organic foods.

More importantly is what organic foods do not contain. Organic foods have lower levels of toxic heavy metals such as cadmium and synthetic chemicals. Long-term consumption of pesticides can cause disruption to hormones as well as other negative health impacts. In fact, a number of widely used pesticides have been banned due to health risks. From a regulatory perspective, as long as individual pesticide concentrations in foods are below the Maximum Residue Level (MRL), then dietary intake of pesticides is not considered a health risk.

Are there ways we can eat organic without breaking the bank?

It’s often thought that eating organic costs more, but this isn’t always the case. Buying organic produce directly from farmers markets or through delivered fruit/vegetable and meat and dairy boxes can be a more economical way to buy organically and what’s in season. You could also bulk buy wholegrains, beans and pulses. Eating locally sourced food as well as less meat can be more economical.

Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen

If you are concerned about pesticides, prioritise buying the dirty dozen organically.

Check out the most up to date list of produce affected by chemicals:

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

Immune Supporting Foods to eat Post-Vaccine

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 23:03:54 GMT

Immune Supporting Foods to eat Post-Vaccine

1. Feed your beneficial gut bacteria (70%+ of your immune system is in your gut), by eating onions, garlic, leeks, oats, cabbages, ground flaxseed and fermented foods like kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi.

2. Vitamin D has many roles within the body and supporting the activity of various immune cells. It has been shown to have antimicrobial as well as anti-inflammatory properties. The most effective way to boost vitamin D is by ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, when sunshine reacts with our skin cells. However, when sunlight is scarce, opt for vitamin D rich foods such as oily fish - tuna, mackerel, salmon, anchovies, sardines and herring, fortified cereals and milks, beef liver, cheese, egg yolks and dark green leafy vegetables.

3. Quercetin is a bioflavonoid antioxidant that can protect lung tissue and has antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Food sources include apples (particularly the skin), grapes, green tea, black tea, leafy green vegetables such as kale, peppers and red onion.

4. Zinc is an essential micronutrient involved in regulation of both the innate (first-line, immediate), and adaptive (long-lasting, immunity following disease exposure) responses. Food sources include shellfish such as mussels, oysters and prawns, red meat, nuts and seeds.

5. Magnesium is an often-deficient mineral, but is very important in supporting immune system cells such as Natural Killer Cells and Lymphocytes. It is a vital source of energy for our cells - adenosine triphosphate (ATP), without this energy our cells cannot function properly. Foods sources of magnesium are dark chocolate (70%+ cocoa solids), beans, lentils and pulses, avocados and whole grains.

907a3d4a

Gazpacho Soup

Gazpacho Soup

Ingredients

Method

Nutritional highlights:

Creamy Green Veggie Pasta

Creamy Green Veggie Pasta

Ingredients (serves 1)

Method

Nutritional highlights:

Carrot Cake Porridge Squares

Carrot Cake Porridge Squares

Ingredients

Method

Nutritional highlights:

Chocolate Cherry Baked Oats

Chocolate Cherry Baked Oats (serves 1)

Ingredients

Method

Nutritional highlights:

Pear and Plum Muffins (makes 12)

Pear and Plum Muffins (makes 12)

Ingredients

Method

Nutritional highlights:

The Best Food and Drink to Help You Sleep

The Best Food and Drink to

﻿ Help You Sleep

Non-Dairy Milks

Non-Dairy Milks

Understanding Food Labels

Understanding Food Labels

Nutrition Myths

Common Nutrition Myths

Is Eating Organic Better For Me?

Is Eating Organic Better For Me?

Immune Supporting Foods to eat Post-Vaccine

Immune Supporting Foods to eat Post-Vaccine

Help You Sleep