Wembley on Sunday night - the biggest footballing event in England for 55 years. If the semi-final is anything to go by, the nation’s blood pressure might be a bit raised. But your blood sugar levels don’t have to go the same way. By thinking about some low carb snacks you can enjoy the game without risking a spike in your blood sugar levels.
Download 'Football Food' to use on Sunday or any day.
You might have seen in the news today that as a country we consumed up to 15% more calories during lockdown compared to before the pandemic. As a nutritional therapist I don’t encourage calorie counting. However, if you have found that the combination of eating more and moving less over these last months has not been kind to you then do not despair!
One simple way to better health is to eat more colourful vegetables. By ‘eating a rainbow’, that is a range of red, yellow, orange, green, blue/purple and white/brown vegetables, you will get lots of fibre which will help to fill you up. They will also provide you with a range of essential vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (which help to protect you from a variety of conditions). A range of vegetables also helps to support the health of your gut microbiome (or good bacteria) by giving them what they like to eat!
So look through this list of suggestions for coloured vegetables. Maybe you could try to eat one from each group every day for a week? Let me know how you get on. I'd love to hear from you!
Summer party drinks are often filled with sweet, alcoholic spirits and mixers that can lead to weight gain and unbalance blood sugar levels. It’s not always easy to know what to drink instead without feeling deprived. Here are a few delicious and refreshing alternatives for you to try.
Print out the download and keep it handy for when friends are round or you are heading out to enjoy the sun.
This week (14-20 June) is Diabetes Week so I wanted to share a tool that helps you to identify your individual risk of type 2 diabetes.
https://riskscore.diabetes.org.uk/start
All you will need is your height, weight and waist measurements.
If you find out that you are in a higher risk category then it would be a good idea to arrange a check up with your GP.
And for personalised advice on how best to prevent or manage type 2 diabetes contact me for a health review.
This week I am so excited to share a conversation I recorded with Lynne Reedman, who is the Founder and Service Lead at DUET diabetes (www.duetdiabetes.co.uk). We talk about how food affects those living with type 2 diabetes and there are some top tips of what to eat and what to avoid.
Enjoy!
You might have noticed that I like strawberries. They remind me of warm days, long evenings and birthday treats. There’s nothing like eating a bowl of juicy strawberries outdoors in the sun. So, as we approach the bank holiday weekend and the weather is finally starting to warm up, I thought it was time to celebrate the strawberry!
Strawberries contain high levels of vitamin C along with manganese, flavonoids, folate and other beneficial antioxidants.
Because they have a high antioxidant content, strawberries may help to reduce the risks of cancer, vascular disease, dementia and diabetes.
So having a portion of seasonal strawberries can be really good for you as well as tasting amazing.
I love to eat them at room temperature for the best flavour.
Or try this if the temperature rises: mix 500g full fat Greek yogurt with one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Pour into a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and top with 2-300g of sliced strawberries. Place in the freezer for at least 3 hours and then break into chunks for a tasty treat. Best to allow it to soften a bit before eating. It can be stored in the freezer for up to a month.
Well, I can’t change the travel advice at the moment but I can help you get a taste of it to brighten up the chilly, damp days we seem to be having this week.
The Mediterranean diet has some great health benefits but I don't mean pasta and pizza. I’m talking about a diet rich in vegetables, nuts, seeds, oily fish, beans, pulses and olive oil. You can also include moderate amounts of poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt, even a little red meat and red wine occasionally!
So think eggs and mushrooms with spinach for breakfast, Greek salad with feta cheese and extra virgin olive oil for lunch and seared salmon with steamed green vegetables for dinner.
Or try this recipe for chicken breasts stuffed with sage, walnuts, olives and garlic (serves 4):
4 small chicken breasts, preferably organic
150g pitted olives
Garlic to taste (I use 3-4)
A handful of fresh sage leaves
100g of walnuts (or pine nuts)
Light olive oil
Slit open the chicken breasts down one side or make a few deep scores across the top.
Put the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and blitz with a stick blender (or you can finely chop them). Add enough olive oil to make a soft paste.
Stuff the chicken and put any extra mixture over the top.
Roast in a preheated oven (180o) for around 20 minutes or until cooked through.
Serve hot with a pile of steamed vegetables or cold (cut into slices) with a salad.
And lets all hope the weather improves!
Who wants a tasty, healthy meal that takes little effort? To mark National Vegetarian Week here’s an easy vegetarian recipe that is suitable for those living with type 2 diabetes and pretty much anyone else!
Roasted vegetable traybake with chickpeas and halloumi
Chop a butternut squash, a yellow pepper, a large courgette and 2 medium onions into even sized pieces and place in a large roasting tin.
Mix together 2 tablespoons of tomato puree, 3 tablespoon of light olive oil, the juice of a lime, a couple of cloves of garlic (crushed), 1 teaspoon of ground cumin and 1-2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper or paprika (to taste). Pour over the vegetables and mix well. Add a little extra olive oil if needed to coat the vegetables.
Place in the oven (200oC) for around 40 minutes stiring halfway through. Remove from the oven and stir in a jar of green olives (drained) and a drained tin of chickpeas. Top with sliced halloumi and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes.
Play around with other veggies to suit your taste: aubergine, cherry tomatoes and sweet potatoes all work well as does adding fresh herbs such as parsley or coriander. Clear plates all round with minimal washing up!
#personalisednutrition #nutritionaltherapy #feelingbetter #lifestylemedicine #nationalvegetarianweek #thevegetariansociety #type2diabetes
As we all emerge tentatively from the latest lockdown and head toward what will hopefully be some better weather we might all be taking a look at what has been going on beneath the layers of jumpers and jogging bottoms.
If lockdown hasn’t been too kind to you and there has been a bit too much finishing off the Easter eggs whilst catching up on box sets and not enough leaving the house then you might have a few extra pounds that weren't there before.
But there’s no need to despair. With a few simple tweaks you could get back on track. Why not try these ideas today?
- Increase the amount of veg on your plate
- Have protein with every meal
- Go easy on the carbs, this includes pasta and bread as well as the sweeter things like chocolate biscuits
Whether you want to get your weight back on track, find out the best way to eat for you, or address other health worries then why not try nutritional therapy? I will design a totally personalised programme that can get you energised, achieve a healthy weight and leave you feeling great.
Book a free call to start your journey today.
#personalisednutrition #nutritionaltherapy #feelingbetter #lifestylemedicine
As we can meet with friends and family outdoors I imagine we will all be smelling BBQs firing up over the weekend. Here are a couple of simple side dishes that will help to balance the meat with some freshness and colour. By loading up your plate with veggies, beans and pulses you will be helping to support your gut health by increasing fibre and providing food for the healthy bacteria that live there. Colourful food also increases levels of antioxidants, which help protect cells from environmental damage, stress and day-to-day living.
Coleslaw
- ½ a white or red cabbage (red has higher levels of healthy antioxidants)
- one red or white onion
- 2 carrots
- One green apple (optional)
- mayonnaise mixed with natural yogurt or creme fraiche
Use a sharp knife, or a food processor if you have one, to finely slice the cabbage and onion. Grate the carrots and cut the apple into thin sticks. Mix together in a large bowl then mix in enough yogurt/mayonnaise to lightly coat the veggies.
Bean salad with zingy dressing (thanks to my lovely sister for sharing her recipe)
Mix 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Add a teaspoon of whole grain mustard and a crushed clove of garlic. Whisk together and season to taste with a little salt, pepper or herbs of your choice.
Mix the dressing through two tins of beans or pulses (e.g. chickpeas, red kidney beans, cannellini beans) to coat. Add some chopped red pepper for extra crunch.
