Is fruit the frenemy?

Continuing on with my theme of 'New Year, New You', I thought I'd approach the topic of our 5-a-day. We all know that we should be eating at least 5 different types of fruit and vegetables a day, and in general I manage that, but the problem is that intake for me comes mainly in the form of fruit. I had never considered this to be a problem until I began to read articles suggesting that our 5-a-day should come mainly in the form of vegetables, as fruit can be very acidic and sugar-filled. Of course, I am talking about natural sugar, but it is claimed that too much fruit can be harmful to our teeth and, if you believe in the theory of the alkaline diet, potentially harmful to the natural pH of our bodies.

Do not, for one second, think that this blogpost is demonising fruit or saying it is bad for you - it isn't! Fruit is packed full of vitamins and crucial in our diets - I am simply examining claims that fruit can cause acid erosion to our teeth, and that a larger variety of vegetables in our diet is more important that a variety of fruit. Whilst I think that we should eat an equal amount of colourful fruit and vegetables (colour denotes lots of vitamins and nutrients), I do agree with the dental adverts that are cautioning us to drink fruit juice in moderation. Although some juices are completely natural, be sure to always check to nutritional information on the back of the carton as some can be full of sugar! The emphasis here is on getting your 5-a-day from fresh, natural sources and not in a packet/packaging.

This may be a very quick blogpost while I take a break from work, but my point here is to consider including more vegetables in your diet, rather than just eating 3 apples and thinking that you've had your 5-a-day. As I mentioned above, most of my 5-a-day come from fruit, and I'm slowly trying to change that, but I thought I would show you how I manage to fit in roughly 5 fruit and veg a day. These aren't my full meals, just when I eat the fruit or veg:

Breakfast - 1 Kiwi

1 apple

Mid-morning snack - Banana

Lunch - 1 salad (with my sandwich or as my main meal)

Tea-time - More banana on my Ryvita

Dinner - 2 different types of vegetable, e.g broccoli and spinach

Now, you may be thinking 'Oh look at her all high and mighty on her throne of fruit and vegetables!', but of course there are days when I don't manage this. The main goal is to have a generally healthy diet, and if this blog has taught you just one thing through my posts, I hope it's that you can allow yourself to have treats without it being the end of the world! So keep trying to include fruit and veg whenever you can in your daily diet, and I promise you will start to feel the health benefits - clearer skin, fewer colds...and just generally a happier body!

Until next time,

Nati xXx

So Long, Sugar!

We all know we should cut down (and ideally cut out) sugar from our diets, especially the white, refined stuff, so here's a few quick sugar replacements that I've tried and what I think of them - consider giving one a go!

1) Stevia

Literally just tried this in my coffee. Made from the stevia plant which is native to South America, it is said to be 200 times sweeter than sugar and carbohydrate-free. It comes in tiny little pellets, with one meant to be equivalent to one teaspoon of sugar. I had to have two because I didn't taste any sweetness with just one, but in general I'm rather impressed - it did taste a little unusual when I got to the end of my mug, but nothing too bad!

2) Agave nectar

Anyone who follows me on Twitter will know that I absolutely LOVE this! Completely natural, and made from the agave plant, you can either get the light & mild syrup (my preferred type) or the darker one (seen in the picture below). It comes as a syrup and is very sweet, so you really only need a small squeeze to sweeten tea or coffee. I also use it in baking and it works just like regular sugar, so it really is a wonderful, multi-purpose sugar replacement!

3) Sweet Freedom Natural Sweetener

This is made from fruit, and although very sweet it is my least favourite of the three, as I found it made my coffee taste a bit funny, and it didn't really work well in cakes and other baking. Everyone has different tastes though, and this is low G.I, so perhaps try it out and see if you like it!

Nati xXx

New Year, New You?

Every January, when a new year rolls around, most of us make the same resolutions - eat healthily, lose weight, go on a diet - and with that comes the endless array of programmes dedicating to fat-fighting, and diets that claim to do the same. This year, I thought I'd take a look a look at some of these diets, and cheekily give my own personal opinion on them! Here we go...

The Alkaline Diet

This is based on the theory that in our Western diets we eat too many acidic or acid-producing foods, which cause a whole array of health problems, such as low energy and poor digestion. The idea is that a slightly alkaline diet keeps us healthy, and so we should include more green veg and fruits such as bananas in our diets, instead of acid-producing dairy and wheat products. Full-blown participants of this diet use test strips daily to test the pH of their bodies in order to stay on track.

The Paleolithic Diet

Also known as the caveman diet, this is based on the theory that our bodies cannot handle or digest processed foods that we eat nowadays very well, and that we should eat like our ancient ancestors. The basis of the diet is game meat, fish, veg, fruits, nuts and eggs.

The Dukan Diet

A very famous diet already, based also on the principal of eating like cavemen, and reducing our diet to protein and veg. This diet involves 4 phases :

1- An attack phase, where you only eat protein

2 - A cruise phase, where you eat protein and veg

3 - A consolidation phase, where other foods are slowly re-introduced

4 - A stabilization phase

My opinion: Despite all having a different spin on being a 'diet', and the Dukan being quite specific, in their entirety (and behind the weird names and spiel) what each of them advocates is eating lean protein, fruit and veg - which is basically common sense when it comes to a healthy diet!

Whilst I'm in no way saying that diets aren't helpful and useful tools for weight loss when continued healthy eating and exercise haven't worked, I do want make the point that if you simply what to fulfill your New Year's resolution of being healthier and perhaps losing a few pounds, then consider making a few simple changes to your daily diet instead of following the latest 'diet' craze. Balance is key, so take a look at what you normally eat and see if you could make it a little healthier - perhaps by switching to brown bread, fitting your 5-a-day in, or eating less dairy. Some people think that eating healthily is all about restricting what you eat, but don't think of it like that! Think of it as eating good foods, in good quantities, and feeling good about yourself!

Let this be the year that you make the most important resolution: to look after yourself!

Nati xXx

(Late) September Health Hits.

Hello everyone! Hope you're all good and getting ready for autumn and winter...although it doesn't feel like it's coming with this heatwave! I can't believe summer is over already, I wish I could do it all over again! Anyway, here are just a few new health tips I've learnt over the past few weeks, and I hope you find them useful :)

1) Cloves have been shown to be packed full of antioxidants, and therefore great for you as the season of colds and coughs begins. Try adding some to a mug of hot water, honey and lemon for a warming treat.

2) Feeling down or stressed, and wanting to reach for a sweet treat? Although a biscuit or French Fancy might raise your mood for a short while, it can lead to a sugar drop later, making you feel worse than you started out! Instead, try snacking on a banana, which contains trytophan. It's an amino acid that gets converted into the hormone serotonin - the happy hormone! Also try eating nuts and seeds (in moderation), as they contain vitamin B which regulates and improves your mood.

3) Why exactly is wholegrain so wonderful?

I'm always going on about how we should only eat wholegrain and not refined, white carbs, but I've never exactly given an explanation as to why it's so much better for you, so here goes! When white bread or pasta is made, it becomes 'refined'. This means the bran and germ layers of the grain are removed, thus removing fibre, nutrients and antioxidants from the wheat. What you are left with, therefore, is a carb that is basically nutritionally empty, and not really that great for you. Wholegrain products, however, contain all the important parts of the grain. These are:

1 - the germ, which is full of nutrients

2 - the bran, which is full of fibre

3 - the endosperm, which is full of energy

The fibre helps to keep your digestive system healthy, and wholegrain has also been found to have beneficial effects for your heart and keeping your weight steady.

4) Why you shouldn't skip the salad dressing

Eating fats, such as olive oil, in salad dressings actually helps the body to absorb those wonderful carotenoids that are found in carrots, tomatoes and salad leaves, so don't leave it out! These carotenoids counteract cancer-causing free radicals in the body, so are pretty useful. Try a little lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and you're all set :)

So there a few healthy tips for you as winter approaches. I've been a bit busy lately, hence the delay between posts, and will be even more so as uni starts, but follow me on Twitter (if you're not already), and I promise to keep you going with nutritional nuggets of information and health hints!

Nati xXx

Eating Italian.

Once again, I have to start this blog by apologising for my delay between posts; the combination of more holiday-ing and getting ready for uni has meant my blog has been on the back burner, but I'm here!

So here's just a little about my trip to Italy. I feel that it's a little hypocritical to put it in my 'nutrition' and 'health' blog because basically all I ate was carbs, carbs, and ice cream...Did I mention the carbs? It was fantastic though! I went to Rimini on the North-Eastern coast with some of my girlfriends, and it was 6 days of the beach, eating and nightlife - the perfect way to end the summer.

In terms of the food, I'd just like to mention how FRESH and FLAVOURFUL everything tasted compared to much of the food in England. Going to the supermarket and walking through the fruit and veg section was a sensory overload, because they were all so vibrant and actually smelt like fresh produce should! Pasta sauces tasted like mama was cooking them in her casa, and the mortadella (a cold meat I loved as a kid) was succulent and simply amazing! Obviously I was out of my health habitat because 'spelt' and 'soya' are somewhat foreign concepts to the Italians (absolutely no offence intended), but I didn't mind when every plate of pizza and pasta were full to the brim with taste.

As with my holidays in Spain and California, although I wasn't sticking to my strict healthy eating regime that I have at home, all the swimming in the sea (I promise I didn't just lie in the sun all day...) and lack of snacking due to the warm weather meant that I didn't feel too bad about eating slightly bigger meals. I had a fantastic time, and after a great summer I couldn't be less excited by the good old British winter....bring on spring!

Next up will be a round-up of September health news! xXx

Quick Cadiz.

Anyone who knows me will know that I love Spain - the weather, the people, the tapas! I have a special adoration for Andalucía; I went there last year and again 2 weeks ago, to Puerto de Santa Maria, just outside of Cádiz. Just like in California, being by the sea there was an abundance of fresh fish (although the Andalusians seem to preferred it battered and fried), and a speciality of the region is cázon de adobo, which is marinated shark. I'm a massive fan of tapas, as I feel they really bring everyone together and inspire conversation, so I was right at home during this holiday! Here are some of my foodie highlights:

- Gazpacho: that famous cold tomato soup, which actually contains more veggies like cucumber and peppers. It was perfect in the sweltering 40 degree c heat of Seville!

- Albondigas de cázon: shark meatballs! They were so meaty and delicious in a rich tomato sauce.

- Anchoas a la plancha: grilled anchovies. During my time in Spain I really began to love fish (plus it's so healthy and good for you), and these were gorgeous with just a squeeze of lemon.

- Pulpo con patatas y pimentón: octopus with potatoes and spices. This was great for a break from deep fried fish, with a nice kick.

- Tuna tartare with soy and wasabi: What more do I need to say? It's universally translated as DELICIOUS!

Overall, I was really impressed by the food I had in Spain. It was really fresh, simple and great to share. Sorry for the lack of foodie photos in this post - I was too busy soaking up the sun and having fun with friends to be the biggest tourist ever and snap picks of every plate of food! However, continuing on the theme of tapas, I tried a great tapas restaurant today in Soho called 'Tapas Brindisa', and I highly recommend it for a little taste of Spain! Here's the link so you can have a look-see:

http://www.brindisa.com/restaurants/tapas-brindisa-soho/

Hasta la vista :) xXx

California Cuisine.

After a fairly long absence, which has involved a few holidays, lots of sun, (and lots of food), I'm ready to jump back on the blogging bandwagon! In this post I'm gonna talk a bit about my time in California, and what I ate while I was there....here we go!

California

I was staying in Del Mar with my aunt, which is about 20 mins from San Diego, and right by the coast. I've been many times before, and as much as I adore it, when it comes to the cuisine I feel it presents the dichotomy of American food. California is often looked upon as one of the more healthy states; with such great weather people want to be beach ready basically all year round, so they have to eat well to achieve that. In part, this is true. There is a lot of emphasis on lean meats -I definitelyate a lot of chicken and turkey, and not so much red meat. As Del Mar is by the coast, there were obviously some fantastic fresh fish restaurants, such as Joe's Crab Shack, where you literally get a whole crab to rip apart and devour:

This restaurant, however, was a perfect example 0f some of America's eating faux-pas'; the crab came with a big pot of melted butter next to it...

Obviously there were fast food restaurants wherever you turned, so if you want to eat healthy when you go to the States, you need to have a fair amount of will-power. I found that wasn't the main problem though...it was the portion sizes! Even getting a normal turkey sandwich astounded me, because just one half looked like a whole sandwich you would buy in England piled on top of itself! The best bet was tobuy one and share it with a friend, because otherwise you could easily end up eating too much for just one person. Many restaurants were good about putting calorie amounts next to foods on menus, which is something they should do more often in England, but that didn't solve the fact that it looked like I was eating enough for 3 at every meal time.

Some of the great things I had while over there were Jamba Juice (the 'just fruit' smoothies though, no yoghurt), where you could add 'energy' or 'detox' shots for example:

...fresh oysters at The Fish Market, and I also tried a great variety of breakfast cereals, one of which contained added Omega 3 - any of you who follow my Twitter will know about my fish-oil obsession! Also, although there was an abundance of fast food, I do think that it is somewhat offset by the generally healthier lifestyle in California. I found that in the 3 weeks I was there, I spent a lot more time outside, either hiking, body-boarding, swimming or just walking, so I was burning off (some of) the calories I was consuming. Moreover, the warm weather meant that I was eating less than I would athome, especially because I was busy all the time too.

There are ways to eat healthiER even when eating fast food. For example, at In-And-Out you can ask for your burger 'protein style', which means that instead of a bun, you get your patty in lettuce, cutting out the carbs and cutting down the calories. They are also a lot more accommodating over there, so you can completely cut out any fillings and sauces you don't want - it's almost like tailor-made takeaway. As with in England, if you want to be healthy, you really have to take responsibility for yourown diet and will-power, but obviously it's harder when most of the food options in the States seem to be fast food!

I'm not going to claim I was completely virtuous during my stay - I was on holiday and wanted a break from continuously watching what I eat - but I can happily say I didn't gain any weight! I say that not to brag, but because I'm genuinely surprised after the amount of food I ate! I became a massive fan of the California burrito (I won't even MENTION how unhealthy it is), and also Boba (or bubble tea) - which is milk tea, with mini tapioca balls in the bottom...MMMM!!

For those of you in London, head to Bubbleology near Piccadilly Circus, and give it a try! However, if I lived there I think it would be pretty easy to eat healthily, simply because the supermarkets are so huge that there is so much variety, and the fruit and veg is ALWAYS fresh and vibrant. Exercise is also a very big part of life in California, so you easily become wrapped up in the lifestyle, and actually want to be out in the sun doing something active.

As I just mentioned, being so close to the border meant Mexican food was very readily available, and one of the best things I had was a blackened salmon burrito (hold the sour cream, but dollop on the guac) - it was made fresh for you, and absolutely delicious! I've never been a massive fish fan, but I really began to like it. My Aunt also cooked us salmon with a mango relish which was simply divine, accompanied by green beans and cous cous, and took us out for probably the best sushi I've ever had at Sushi Ot'A.

So overall I would say that while California cuisine didn't blow my mind, there were some real highlights, and although America gets a really tough rap as being solely fast food and fat, if you try then you can easily eat healthy and have a happy holiday :) Next up is a report on Cadiz! xXx