BEETROOT, CARROT & APPLE SALAD

AN APPLE A DAY

 

 

 

APPLES – THE HIDDEN TRUTH

 

Munching on an apple is certainly a better alternative than chocolate and cake but surprising new research is showing that that there could be a lot more to these common fruits than we realised.

 

Apples have been discovered to contain an ingredient that is getting obesity researchers very interested.  This compound, found in all apples, is ursolic acid which is contained within the apple skin. 

 

Studies so far have only been done on mice, rather than humans, but the results are surprising and very encouraging.  As in groups of mice which ate higher quantities of calories but were also given a small dose of ursolic acid (less than would be found in an apple) gained less weight and were also stronger and able to do more exercise.  In fact the mice in this group demonstrated a better overall body composition.  Not only that but the mice tested with ursolic acid also had a faster metabolic rate and greater fat burning ability. 

 

Some go so far as to suggest that ursolic acid can also help with muscle growth and development, or at the very least assist against atrophy which everyone experiences as they age. 

 

Although there are only limited trials on humans so far, one such study from Korea does support the findings of weight loss and increased strength and muscle capacity when tested over 8 weeks.  Despite the shortage of research to confirm these early findings, once these results are released into the fitness community more studies should quickly be available as if there’s one thing that fitness professionals and serious body builders can’t get enough of it’s a way of increasing muscle definition while accelerating fat loss. 

 

It’s worth bearing in mind that aerobic exercise also stimulates the release of certain fat burning hormones.  So it could be proved that a combination of ursolic acid and exercise may have benefits for fat loss and increased strength – although more research is needed. 

 

So an apple a day keeps the Doctor away – that we know (maybe) – but anticipated new research may also provide proof that an apple a day could help you drop a dress size.  Fingers crossed.   

 

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NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES - THE FACTS

 

 

 

COULD YOU BE DEFICIENT – AND NOT KNOW IT?

 

It’s true that the majority of the population are not going hungry.  Nevertheless, did you know that even eating a calorie rich diet can leave you deficient in essential nutrients if the foods you choose deliver empty calories with little or no nutritional value?  This could result in weight gain or even anaemia in extreme cases. 

 

Vitamin D

The best source of Vitamin D is free, though not always available as, as you may already know this comes in the form of natural sunlight.  There is a pre-existing compound present on the skin’s surface and the effect of the sunshine meeting your skin results in this compound producing what is known as a Vitamin D precursor.  This precursor, when it arrives at your liver and kidneys is processed into active Vitamin D.  Vitamin D plays a part in maintaining bone health, so vital to women as they age as they may be at risk from Osteoporosis. 

There are other serious conditions that Vitamin D helps to combat but unfortunately people who live in areas that don’t get direct sunlight are most likely to be short of this vital and naturally occurring vitamin.  There are some foods which do contain small amounts of Vitamin D, such as fatty fish, some cereals and eggs.  So for anyone who feels that they may need to supplement their levels ensure that some of these foods are contained in your diet to boost your Vitamin D levels.  

 

Calcium

Some estimates suggest that as many as half of us do not get enough calcium.  This will be an effect on vegans or anyone who doesn’t eat dairy products.  Calcium absorption also decreases with age so the elderly are at risk of possible calcium deficiency.  Calcium and Vitamin D work in conjunction to maintain strong bones but as there are some foods available which are supplemented with calcium there are alternatives sources to be found.  Calcium is naturally occurring in:  salmon, nuts, broccoli and avocado. 

 

Iron

Many people are highly deficient in iron – in fact it may even be the most common form of nutritional deficiency.  Iron deficiency or anaemia will cause feelings of fatigue.  Rich sources of iron are leafy greens and spinach, meat, tomatoes and pulses.  It is advised not to take iron supplements unless your Doctor has confirmed that you are experiencing a shortage as too much iron can also result in problems – so for women of child bearing age or pregnant women get yourself checked out if you feel there may be an imbalance. 

 

Vitamin B12

Strict vegans and the elderly may present with low levels of Vitamin B12.  B12 is found naturally only in meat and dairy items.  Why is Vitamin B12 important?  It is important because it is vital in the production of healthy red blood cells.  You will also need B12 to manufacture sufficient myelin.  Myelin is the casing which reinforces nerve within the human nervous system.  As we all have nerves this is an essential element. 

 

As we all know by now – though may need a little jog as a reminder from time to time – the best way to avoid the risk of nutritional deficiencies is to eat a whole food diet that includes a variety of foods and includes lean sources of protein, fibre and some healthy fats. 

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BREAKFAST BONANZA

 

HAVE YOU WOKEN UP TO THE BREAKFAST REVOLUTION YET?

 

Times are changing round the breakfast table.  It all used to be so simple; some cereal or toast and marmalade and you were all set.  But were you?  Were you really, or were you just starving a couple of hours later?

 

A long overdue shift from those sugar soaked boxed breakfasts has finally hit the ground running and we’re all trying to catch up and not miss out on fresh new ideas to give us an a.m. lift.

 

Have you discovered seeds yet?  There are flax seeds, chia, pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds, and all surprisingly delicious.  Then there are the nuts, walnuts, almonds, brazils, pecans and don’t you forget coconuts.  You can blitz those together with fruits, yogurt and even spinach, broccoli and kale to give your zhurzhed up juice or smoothie a lift.

 

No-one can have failed to notice the rise of the Nutribullet.  As retailers are reporting a more than 50% rise in juicer sales in 2014.  So what benefit does the Nutribullet offer?  The selling proposition of this market leader juicer over others is its 600 watt motor which is said to completely pulverise all ingredients, including seeds and fibre, thereby extracting all of the nutritional value into the resultant juice. 

 

Don’t get too carried away though with all the food powders and supplements that manufacturers are gagging to foist on you.  As although a better understanding of nutritional values is to be encouraged we in the west are lucky enough to derive most of the nutrients we need from those naturally available within our foods so all these layered extras are really just gimmicky. 

 

So whether you’re a porridge persona or a smoothie smoocher there’s a world of choice and it’s all out there waiting for you.

 

When it comes to food, not just breakfast food, but food in general we are all starting to wake up and ask what’s really in this?  Whether you’re looking for micro-nutrients and high potency minerals or just to shift up a gear and get on board with starting out with a healthy choice, that’s a real healthy choice - not those 1990s breakfast bars pumped full of sugar – there’s a host of variety. 

 

Many countries favour savoury foods over cereals and pastries, in Asia for instance it’s not uncommon to have protein rich soup at breakfast.  This provides not only an early vegetable hit but it’s also hydrating. 

 

Now trending is the new two-step breakfast, which is something for now and inclusive of a mid-morning snack.  Some outlets and even fashion forward hotels have already introduced two-step breakfast bags before the rest of us have even heard of them. 

 

Taking a healthy approach to any element within your daily diet is the smart way to eat as it means that the glucose created from your food is released slowly, drip feeding you a morning supply of energy to help you coast your way to lunchtime. 

 

Here are some ideas to give your day a power packed start:

 

Nutrient dense soups (like lentil)
 

Porridge with nuts & berries
 

Vegetable smoothie with nuts
 

Smoked salmon with avocado
 

And don’t overlook eggs.  Eggs are a formidable choice for a capsule full of nutrition.  They are the real deal – high in protein with vitamins A, D B2 and B12, with minerals and all essential amino acids. 

 

For other ideas to kick-start your day see our:
GET THE MOST FROM YOUR TOAST recipes  http://fitthefacts.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/get-most-from-your-toast-part-i.html
 

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WEIGHT LOSS TIPS

 

 

 

5 WAYS TO HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT

 

Oh dear, you went on holiday, Christmas came along, best friends hen do and wedding, weekend break.  It’s all conspiring against us in the war against putting on weight. 

 

Despite the fact that research has shown that the typical Christmas weight gain tips the scales at only 1lb, for some it’s a demotivating factor, while for others it’s all the trigger they need to pitch in on their new year’s resolution to get serious about sensible eating.  So, let’s look at a few tips to maybe help us to wise up and slim down. 

 

LOW FAT

Low fat yogurt it appears helps with weight loss as those who ate it, according to a study in the International Journal of Obesity (2005), lost significantly more weight and body fat when measured against others.  Indicators also seem to point to dairy products limiting overall weight gain even going so far as to suggest that those who choose dairy can consume more calories overall while keeping weight off than those who don’t. 

 

EXERCISE

For the last couple of years the buzz has all been around science getting excited about High Intensity Interval Training (HiiT).  This is a period of very high frenetic activity, be it on a static bike, treadmill or free style star jumps, for bursts of say 30 or 40 second, interspersed with a 20 second rest and then these intervals are repeated for an overall duration of 10 or 20 minutes.  The intervals don’t have to be the same type of exercise, you can alternate between equipment or running on the spot as long as you are working at maximum cardio capacity across the 30 seconds. 

 

Researchers became aware that as a result of this style of training very high levels of energy continue to be burned up by the body afterwards, for surprisingly periods.  This is known as the ‘afterburn’ effect and it has become widely believed to be a very beneficial tool to assist in weight loss.   You don’t need an organised class to perform this style of workout, you can test it out yourself at home just by running on the spot and timing yourself with the stopwatch on your phone.  There are DVDs available though, which have a counter so you can concentrate on working your hardest without being distracted.  Lock and load**

 

WEIGHT LIFTING

Hopefully you enjoy a trip to the gym, if so that’s good news as weight training or working on resistance machines significantly increases the amount of lean body weight, or muscle mass.  An increase in muscle mass is almost certain to have the knock on effect of revving up the metabolism as muscle is the most metabolically active element of the body.  A faster metabolism will increase your overall daily calorie usage. 

 

FIBRE

We hear a lot about fibre – so we know that it’s good to have plenty in our diet but eating foods high in fibre actually give the stomach the feeling of being fuller.  In fact a study in ‘Nutrition Reviews’ (2009) shows that those who consume fibre rich food in their meal eat less food at that meal, in fact less overall across the whole day.  Try it out. 

 

GREEN TEA

Another metabolic booster is green tea due to the catechins it contains.  There are several studies which support the theory that the properties in green tea have a significant impact not only on weight loss but also weight maintenance.  Or in other words, helps to get it off and keep it off.

 

**WARNING – if you are new to exercise or unfit, it is not recommended that you launch straight in with anaerobic or high intensity routines.  If at all unsure of the safety in respect of your physical ability always seek professional or medical advice before beginning on this style of programme.

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CONSULT A DOCTOR BEFORE BEGINNING ANY EXERCISE PROGRAMME.  THE INSTRUCTIONS AND ADVICE IN THIS ARTICLE ARE IN NO WAY INTENDED TO BE A SUBSTITUE FOR PROFESSIONAL OR MEDICAL ADVICE. 

 

NOT ALL EXERCISES ARE SUITABLE FOR EVERYONE AND ANY EXERCISE PROGRAMME COULD OR MAY RESULT IN INJURY.  ANY USER PARTICIPATING IN EXERCISE AS A RESULT OF THIS ARTICLE ASSUMES THE RISK OF INJURY RESULTING FROM PERFORMING SUCH EXERCISE(S).  FIT FACTS DISCLAIM ANY LIABILITY OR LOSS IN CONNECTION WITH ADVICE OR EXERCISE(S) ARISING.

 

SWEET POTATO & WALNUT BROWNIES

 

Preparation:     30 minutes
Cooking:           20 minutes
Servings:          16 brownies


You will need:

Sweet potato
1 over-ripe banana (sub 100g Dates if preferred)
1 tbsp. milled flax
2 tbsp. ground almonds
2 tbsp. Greek yogurt
4 tbsp. wholemeal flour
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
Honey or maple syrup (to sweeten)
Walnuts to decorate
Pinch salt

 

To make:

Start by cutting the sweet potato in to small chunks and boiling or steaming until soft enough to mash.  This will take around 20 mins.  You could do this in advance as it needs to be left to cool down - though doesn't have to be completely cold. 

Heat oven to gas 4 or 180 fan - but you don't need to do this until the sweet potato is cool enough to begin mixing.

Next mix together with either the banana (if preferred) which you can do by mashing with a fork - or if using the dates you may need to whizz the mix through a processor.  Add all remaining ingredients, stirring slowly to combine.  Use enough yogurt to make your mixture spreadable but not too wet.

The sweet potato and banana/date mix will be quite sweet but by adding the flour and cocoa some of this sweetness will be lost so you can add a touch more to your brownies by incorporating 1 - 2 tablespoons of either honey or maple syrup. 

Line your tin and spread the mixture evenly across, decorate with the walnuts and bake for 20 mins or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Leave the brownies in the tin too cool and set. 

 

If you try cutting while still hot from the oven you'll end up with a gloopy mess.

SUPERFOODS - THE FACTS (Part III)

JUST HOW SUPER ARE SUPERFOODS?

 

 

QUINOA

Qunioa, can be used as a staple in the same way as white rice, it’s gluten free like white rice but around 3 times the price. So why spend more?  Why choose quinoa, does it have any advantages?  Quinoa has around twice as much calcium, as rice, 5 times as much potassium and a whopping 8 times the iron.  Added to which is it’s protein packed and boasts around 7x the fibre content of while rice.  But that’s just the start as it also scores much lower on the Glycaemic Index, meaning that it doesn’t have such an adverse effect on raising blood sugar levels.  So does all this make Quinoa a superfood?  Well a significantly lower impact on blood sugar does make it a good ingredient, add to that it’s nutrient rich credentials and that it’s high in protein and fibre; so now might be a good time to make that switch.

 

WHEAT GRASS

Have you tried wheat grass?  Do you even know what it is?  It is the young grass of the wheat plant – turned into juice form.  Perhaps you have it every day.  It is said to increase stamina and performance levels in athletes or those training to, for instance, run a marathon.  The science around this is quite convoluted and complicated concerning haemoglobin and iron.  Or, put more simply the claims are that taking a regular shot of wheat grass will increase a person’s red blood cell count.  Red blood cells oxygenate the blood more efficiently thereby increasing athletic performance.  However, in trials people who consumed wheat grass regularly and then had their blood oxygen levels measured in a lab showed no significant increase.

 

KEFIR

Kefir is a fermented milk drink which many people swear by they believe it helps them with gut or intestinal conditions.  Kefir is not a new thing in fact it’s thought to have been around quite a while.  Actually around 5,000 years.  Unlike other yogurt drink products sold aids which contain one active bacteria, kefir has around 20 strains and is also a source of protein, potassium and calcium.  While many believe it has fantastic and valuable health properties the medical community does not currently endorse these claims as not enough studies or trials have proved anything conclusively and you are still advised to seek medical advice for conditions relating to digestive disorders or gut health.   

 

OMEGA 3 FISH OIL

With around 73,000 deaths per year in the UK from heart attacks and stroke it is a wonder that we don’t hear more about Omega 3 every day.  The oil contained within oily fish is an anti-inflammatory which can effectively reduce the risk of dangerous blood clots.  It is also known to have many other proven health benefits and is linked to heart health, hypertension and increased brain function.  This really does tick the superfood box,

 

 

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SUPERFOODS - THE FACTS (Part II)

 

 

JUST HOW SUPER ARE SUPERFOODS?

 

SWEET POTATOES

Sweet potatoes are said to be nutrient rich and may actually help fight malnutrition.  Micronutrients and vitamins are essential and these are found in abundance in the orange sweet potatoes we get in this country.  Did you think that all sweet potatoes were orange?  Well many produced in Africa, due to poor soil conditions, develop with white flesh which is a source of merely carbohydrates rather than the beta carotene rich vitamin A resource present here. 

                                                       

BLACKCURRANTS

Look for a spectrum of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables if we want a high concentration of antioxidants.  We know that antioxidants are a powerful defence against cell eroding free radicals and we know that delicious juicy berries are also an excellent source.  So which berries score top when it comes to antioxidants?  Of all berries tested for antioxidant levels, the clear winner was the blackcurrant.  It would appear that colour density is a clue to which berries are packing the greatest punch.  With strawberries, the lightest in colour and having the lowest levels, through blueberries, raspberries and onto blackberries delivering the biggest hit. 

 

It is now being discovered that there is a direct benefit to athletes from the absorption of more antioxidants.  There is a newly emerging information shows an increase in muscle performance, and blood flow by increased dilation of blood vessels.  Intensive exercise produces higher levels of free radicals which will increase muscle fatigue.  So by absorbing antioxidants into the bloodstream ahead of training the free radicals are deflected which in turn increases the muscle’s ability.

 

SPIRULINA

Have you heard of spirulina?  This is a green powder – also available in tablet form – which is extremely high in protein and sold as a health supplement.  But what actually is it?  It is largely produced in Greece for the health industry.  It grows in tanks and is a form of algae or very basic bacteria, so basic in fact that it is believed to be one of the earliest forms of life on Earth.

 

Spirulina is also used as a food supplement in space stations to supplement the diet of astronauts, due to its astronomic level of protein, vitamins and minerals.  So should we all be eating it every day?  There are many claims around supposed miracle cures offered by this product including its anti-ageing benefits.  However, beyond being extremely nutritious none have been scientifically proven and those eating a normal and healthy western diet probably wouldn’t need to use this as a supplement.

 

BROCCOLI

Broccoli is the best selling green vegetable in the UK.  Probably due to its affordably, availability and pleasant taste.  However, broccoli, (together with other brassicas), also contains a miracle ingredient called Glucoraphanin which is known to have anti-cancer properties.  Once inside the body Glucoraphanin converts into Sulphoraphane, a cancer resisting agent.  No one test, study or research project can testify 100% that broccoli can fight all 200+ types of cancers but there are so many pointers to indicate that this could well be a truly superfood.  So, get it on your menu today – if not sooner. 

 

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