NUTRITION 101
Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha and kimchi might seem like a trendy new health fad but they have been a staple part of traditional diets for thousands of years.
One kind of fermented food that I have experimented with is water kefir. I am no expert but after a little experimentation I ended up with a full blown kefir factory in my kitchen with jars gently bubbling on every surface.
There is definitely something about hitting your 50's, at least for me that was the case. Suddenly I became more focussed on the whole business of ageing or more importantly not ageing. I don't mean worrying about wrinkles or the sudden appearance of grey hair (grrrrrrr). I mean how to age well in a 'be disease free, able to leap around full of energy embracing life 100% AND with a full set of marbles'.....sort of way.
The old adage goes ‘breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dine like a pauper’. Certainly when I was training considerable importance was placed on eating a good well-balanced breakfast; the prospect of skipping breakfast was viewed with horror and regarded as a complete no-no. However, interestingly I have readjusted my thinking on this in recent times…..
When I was studying nutrition the mantra we were taught was ‘little and often’ - 3 meals and 2 snacks was considered to be the right way to eat and very important to ensure that blood sugar remained balanced. This was an approach that I followed for very many years both with my own diet and with my clinic clients....however, is this still the case now?
I saw a great programme this week from the BBC – “How to Stay Young”. They investigate all sorts of experiments and research from across the world to see what we can do to support a healthy ageing process. One of the thing they highlighted was the possible connection between the centenarians of Okinawa and the purple sweet potatoes that they eat
So I have just come back from the supermarket and it made me realise just how hard it can be to make healthy choices. In my clinic, clients frequently tell me that they have ‘no time to be healthy’ or that in a busy week their healthy routine just flew out of the window….
Like all good boy scouts the only way to succeed is to be prepared...
In my view eggs have been given a very bad rap for years. Eggs are widely considered to be a food that will give you high cholesterol and a food that should be positively avoided if you already have high cholesterol.
When I see people in clinic I often recommend meal ideas that includes eggs. However, when I do this nearly everyone will ask how many eggs can they eat in a week to be ‘safe’.
Be in the know, sign up for regular
health tips & recipes.
