The Benefits of Eating Cruciferous VegetablesWhen we think of cruciferous vegetables, we generally visualise vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and sprouts. However, we should add vegetables such as horseradish, watercress and mustard greens to our list of cruciferous vegetables. These powerhouses are packed full of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and are extremely high in fibre. Studies in the United States, the UK and Australia have shown that these humble vegetables are proving to be beneficial in staving off canc...
The Benefits of Consuming MushroomsMushrooms have been known for their medicinal properties for millennia. Rumour has it that the ancient Egyptian pharaohs considered mushrooms the food of kings and wouldn’t allow mere commoners to eat them. It’s estimated that there could be up to 2,000 types of edible mushrooms dotted around the globe but only a handful are commercially produced. Today’s supermarkets are full of mushrooms of all shapes and sizes, from your humble button mushroom to exotics ones, such as enoki, maitake and m...
The Benefits of Drinking Lemon WaterScientific evidence shows that the lemon tree has been around for over 8 million years, starting its life in the foothills of the Himalaya. The ancient Egyptians drank lemon water, believing it counteracted the effects of poison. The ancient Greeks used it for medicinal purposes and for purifying their water. It is thought that the Romans were the first to use lemons for culinary purposes. Today, lemon trees are cultivated throughout the world and mainly used in cooking. Hydration Staying ...
The Benefits of High Intensity ExerciseWe all have busy lives – work, kids, pets, parents, socialising etc. Many of us find it difficult to fit regular exercise into our daily schedule, that’s where High Intensity Internal Training – or HIIT for short – comes into its own. HIIT consists of short periods of intense exercise which you alternate with periods of lower intensity or rest. A whole workout will last between 10 to 30 minutes. A 2011 study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting showed that ju...
4 Reasons to Reduce your Sugar IntakeThere are many reasons why we should reduce our sugar intake but here we’ll concentrate on four important ones which help us maintain a healthy mind and body. Reduce Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Eating too much sugar doesn’t cause type 2 diabetes but it does cause weight gain which can increase your chances of becoming diabetic. Also, according to Dr David Ludwig, a professor in nutrition and paediatrics at Harvard University, “A diet with lots of fast-digesting carbohydrates, like sugar, re...
Vitamin D and good SleepVitamin D and sleep go together like strawberries and cream. The one without the other, makes us feel deprived. If we don’t get enough vitamin D, we will probably suffer insomnia or other sleep disorders. A staggering 50% of the world’s population is deficient in vitamin D. Studies have clearly shown that people with low levels of vitamin D experience poor quality of sleep and shorter sleeping hours. This vitamin is essential for our well being but is difficult to obtain solely through di...
Is Peanut Butter Healthy?Peanut butter is one of world’s most used spreads for sandwiches, cakes and biscuits. It’s simple to make as it has only one ingredient – peanuts. These are either raw or roasted and just put into a food processor until they turn into a paste. Peanut butter can be great if you choose a good brand or make it yourself, AND use it in moderation. Peanuts are a legume, which is why people who find it hard to digest foods such a soybeans and lentils, have difficulty digesting peanuts. Commercial...
Don’t Consume Cheese at Night. Is this true?Most of us were told by our parents or grandparents that eating cheese late in the evening would either give us nightmares or keep us awake all night. Were they right? In 2005, the British Cheese Board were tired of the old wives’ tales and decided to put them to the test. They gave 200 volunteers 20g of various cheeses to eat 30 minutes before they were due to go to bed. No one had nightmares and most had a great night’s sleep. One odd fact that came out of this study was that different c...
3 Healthy Christmas FoodsChristmas is a time when we tend to eat whatever we like without thinking about the consequences. With a little forethought, we can still enjoy traditional Christmas food without feeling sluggish and guilty after the festive season is over. Crudité and Dip Make your crudité look like a Christmas wreath. Using only green, white and red vegetables, you’ll stun your guests with this healthy starter. It’s full of dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and protein. Curly kale – for the base French ...
Anti-aging with Resveratrol?Resveratrol is a plant compound and polyphenol. This phytonutrient is found in red wine, in the seeds and skin of grapes, in dark coloured berries such as blueberries and mulberries, and, it’s also found in peanuts. It acts as an antioxidant, possibly protecting our body and cells from all manner of diseases, from heart disease to cancer. Anti-aging There’s strong evidence to suggest that resveratrol may activate the genes responsible for protecting us against the diseases associated with a...
4 Benefits of Eating GreensIt’s estimated that over 40% of adults in the Western world have vitamin and mineral deficiencies, especially vitamins A, C, D, E, K and calcium and magnesium. This deficiency can lead to various illnesses and a general feeling of malaise. It can easily be rectified by eating a selection of greens every day. Fibre and a Healthy Digestive System Greens are packed with fibre which helps us to: - Maintain a healthy digestive system Avoid diseases of the bowel and colon Manage our weight I...
Nutrients for EnergyWe could all do with a little bit more energy... Carbohydrates Carbs are at the forefront when it comes to energy. Our bodies easily convert them into glucose which gives us the energy to function. Research has shown that during a workout, two thirds of our energy comes from carbs. Fats Fats and carbs work in harmony to ensure that our bodies have energy to rest, work and play. Most of our fat intake should come from foods such as avocado, oily fish and nuts. Fats help to keep bloo...
Vitamins that Improve VisionWe have all heard about carrots giving us the ability to see better at night... lol Certain vitamins can possibly improve eye health, particularly those problems associated with aging, such as macular degeneration and cataracts. Vitamin A Vitamin A performs many functions in regard to eye health. It helps to maintain a clear cornea It helps you to see in dull light It helps prevent xerophthalmia, a disease which is actually rare in developed countries. However, if contracted, it can eventu...
Boosting the Immune System with VitaminsAn immune system boost sounds good... A healthy immune system is essential for fighting everything from the common cold to cancer. A healthy lifestyle and eating foods that contain immune boosting vitamins is an easy way to boost your immune system. Vitamin A Vitamin A is not only an anti-inflammatory, it’s also plays a vital part in improving our immune function. Scientific research has unearthed its positive effects on fighting tuberculosis. People with immune system problems are frequ...
Can blue Light Affect our Sleep?Can blue light affect our sleep? The short answer to this is ‘yes’. The modern world and its technology is full of man-made blue light, from our energy saving light bulbs to our TVs, computers and smart phones. We are being bombarded with blue light, from when we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep, and this is seriously affecting our circadian rhythms and therefore our sleep. What is Blue Light? Natural blue light is everywhere and, before the advent of electricity and gas, it was ...
3 Reasons to eat ApplesBelieve it or not, there are a staggering 7,500 varieties of apple around the world, although only 100 varieties are presently cultivated. We have archaeological evidence of apples being eaten as far back as Ancient Egypt, where one rich lady was sent on her way with a plate of sliced apples. Apples are an Excellent Source of Fibre Just one medium sized apple contains 17% of our recommended daily fibre intake. The fibre of an apple is made up of insoluble and soluble (pectin) fibre. ...
The Benefits of Eating Cruciferous Vegetables
When we think of cruciferous vegetables, we generally visualise vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and sprouts. However, we should add vegetables such as horseradish, watercress and mustard greens to our list of cruciferous vegetables. These powerhouses are packed full of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and are extremely high in fibre. Studies in the United States, the UK and Australia have shown that these humble vegetables are proving to be beneficial in staving off canc...
The Benefits of Consuming Mushrooms
Mushrooms have been known for their medicinal properties for millennia. Rumour has it that the ancient Egyptian pharaohs considered mushrooms the food of kings and wouldn’t allow mere commoners to eat them. It’s estimated that there could be up to 2,000 types of edible mushrooms dotted around the globe but only a handful are commercially produced. Today’s supermarkets are full of mushrooms of all shapes and sizes, from your humble button mushroom to exotics ones, such as enoki, maitake and m...
The Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water
Scientific evidence shows that the lemon tree has been around for over 8 million years, starting its life in the foothills of the Himalaya. The ancient Egyptians drank lemon water, believing it counteracted the effects of poison. The ancient Greeks used it for medicinal purposes and for purifying their water. It is thought that the Romans were the first to use lemons for culinary purposes. Today, lemon trees are cultivated throughout the world and mainly used in cooking. Hydration Staying ...
The Benefits of High Intensity Exercise
We all have busy lives – work, kids, pets, parents, socialising etc. Many of us find it difficult to fit regular exercise into our daily schedule, that’s where High Intensity Internal Training – or HIIT for short – comes into its own. HIIT consists of short periods of intense exercise which you alternate with periods of lower intensity or rest. A whole workout will last between 10 to 30 minutes. A 2011 study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting showed that ju...
4 Reasons to Reduce your Sugar Intake
There are many reasons why we should reduce our sugar intake but here we’ll concentrate on four important ones which help us maintain a healthy mind and body. Reduce Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Eating too much sugar doesn’t cause type 2 diabetes but it does cause weight gain which can increase your chances of becoming diabetic. Also, according to Dr David Ludwig, a professor in nutrition and paediatrics at Harvard University, “A diet with lots of fast-digesting carbohydrates, like sugar, re...
Vitamin D and good Sleep
Vitamin D and sleep go together like strawberries and cream. The one without the other, makes us feel deprived. If we don’t get enough vitamin D, we will probably suffer insomnia or other sleep disorders. A staggering 50% of the world’s population is deficient in vitamin D. Studies have clearly shown that people with low levels of vitamin D experience poor quality of sleep and shorter sleeping hours. This vitamin is essential for our well being but is difficult to obtain solely through di...
Is Peanut Butter Healthy?
Peanut butter is one of world’s most used spreads for sandwiches, cakes and biscuits. It’s simple to make as it has only one ingredient – peanuts. These are either raw or roasted and just put into a food processor until they turn into a paste. Peanut butter can be great if you choose a good brand or make it yourself, AND use it in moderation. Peanuts are a legume, which is why people who find it hard to digest foods such a soybeans and lentils, have difficulty digesting peanuts. Commercial...
Don’t Consume Cheese at Night. Is this true?
Most of us were told by our parents or grandparents that eating cheese late in the evening would either give us nightmares or keep us awake all night. Were they right? In 2005, the British Cheese Board were tired of the old wives’ tales and decided to put them to the test. They gave 200 volunteers 20g of various cheeses to eat 30 minutes before they were due to go to bed. No one had nightmares and most had a great night’s sleep. One odd fact that came out of this study was that different c...
3 Healthy Christmas Foods
Christmas is a time when we tend to eat whatever we like without thinking about the consequences. With a little forethought, we can still enjoy traditional Christmas food without feeling sluggish and guilty after the festive season is over. Crudité and Dip Make your crudité look like a Christmas wreath. Using only green, white and red vegetables, you’ll stun your guests with this healthy starter. It’s full of dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and protein. Curly kale – for the base French ...
Anti-aging with Resveratrol?
Resveratrol is a plant compound and polyphenol. This phytonutrient is found in red wine, in the seeds and skin of grapes, in dark coloured berries such as blueberries and mulberries, and, it’s also found in peanuts. It acts as an antioxidant, possibly protecting our body and cells from all manner of diseases, from heart disease to cancer. Anti-aging There’s strong evidence to suggest that resveratrol may activate the genes responsible for protecting us against the diseases associated with a...
4 Benefits of Eating Greens
It’s estimated that over 40% of adults in the Western world have vitamin and mineral deficiencies, especially vitamins A, C, D, E, K and calcium and magnesium. This deficiency can lead to various illnesses and a general feeling of malaise. It can easily be rectified by eating a selection of greens every day. Fibre and a Healthy Digestive System Greens are packed with fibre which helps us to: - Maintain a healthy digestive system Avoid diseases of the bowel and colon Manage our weight I...
Nutrients for Energy
We could all do with a little bit more energy... Carbohydrates Carbs are at the forefront when it comes to energy. Our bodies easily convert them into glucose which gives us the energy to function. Research has shown that during a workout, two thirds of our energy comes from carbs. Fats Fats and carbs work in harmony to ensure that our bodies have energy to rest, work and play. Most of our fat intake should come from foods such as avocado, oily fish and nuts. Fats help to keep bloo...
Vitamins that Improve Vision
We have all heard about carrots giving us the ability to see better at night... lol Certain vitamins can possibly improve eye health, particularly those problems associated with aging, such as macular degeneration and cataracts. Vitamin A Vitamin A performs many functions in regard to eye health. It helps to maintain a clear cornea It helps you to see in dull light It helps prevent xerophthalmia, a disease which is actually rare in developed countries. However, if contracted, it can eventu...
Boosting the Immune System with Vitamins
An immune system boost sounds good... A healthy immune system is essential for fighting everything from the common cold to cancer. A healthy lifestyle and eating foods that contain immune boosting vitamins is an easy way to boost your immune system. Vitamin A Vitamin A is not only an anti-inflammatory, it’s also plays a vital part in improving our immune function. Scientific research has unearthed its positive effects on fighting tuberculosis. People with immune system problems are frequ...
Can blue Light Affect our Sleep?
Can blue light affect our sleep? The short answer to this is ‘yes’. The modern world and its technology is full of man-made blue light, from our energy saving light bulbs to our TVs, computers and smart phones. We are being bombarded with blue light, from when we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep, and this is seriously affecting our circadian rhythms and therefore our sleep. What is Blue Light? Natural blue light is everywhere and, before the advent of electricity and gas, it was ...
3 Reasons to eat Apples
Believe it or not, there are a staggering 7,500 varieties of apple around the world, although only 100 varieties are presently cultivated. We have archaeological evidence of apples being eaten as far back as Ancient Egypt, where one rich lady was sent on her way with a plate of sliced apples. Apples are an Excellent Source of Fibre Just one medium sized apple contains 17% of our recommended daily fibre intake. The fibre of an apple is made up of insoluble and soluble (pectin) fibre. ...
