Have we lost the Balance?

 

Have we lost the balance?

In spite of being a nation addicted to recipe books, celebrity chefs and TV cooking competitions it is said that a large percentage of us no longer have the necessary skills to put together nutritionally balanced meals on a daily basis.

Is anyone to blame?

Certainly children are not receiving as much ‘food education’ as in the past and we all admit that we don’t allocate enough time for meal preparation. However I also believe that those very recipe books and TV programmes that are supposed to get us cooking are giving us too many confusing options.

Back to Basics

I am always reading recipe books  searching for new ideas and inspiration and when recently looking through a friend’s book collection came across Hamlyn’s ‘Complete Cook’. The recipes for main courses were categorised under their major protein source: Fish & Seafood, Meat, Poultry & Game. Each recipe included a seasoning or sauce for the protein and you were left to chose your own accompaniments which could be chosen from the vegetable dish section and the pasta, noodle and rice section if you wished. The book also included a variety of traditional recipes from around the world to include huevos rancheros, paella, caribbean black-eyed beans & rice, szechuan noodles … There were also plenty of well balanced vegetarian dishes although they did needed to be searched for among the vegetable, pasta, noodle and rice dishes.

read more

One for the Road?

In the 1904 St Louis Olympics British Born Thomas Hicks won the gold medal with the help of a boosting drink of raw egg white and brandy! However as the cocktail did also include the now banned stimulatory neurotoxin strychnine I think we can dismiss the idea that it was the alcohol that acted as a  performance enhancer!

The Portuguese Runner Antonio Pinto winner of the London Marathon for the 3rd time in 2000  and owner of a vineyard is said to drink a bottle of his own red wine every day.

How do you know if or when alcohol might be having a detrimental effect on both your training and health?

 

THE FACTS

DRINKING IN EXCESS

Drinking excessively the night before training or an event is likely to result in reduced energy levels and poor performance.

Dehydration

Alcohol interferes with the mechanisms that regulate the body’s water levels. Ability to cool the body through sweating is inhibited. The blood becomes more viscous slowing oxygen delivery to the muscles.

read more

Lack of Sleep can promote Weight Gain

Getting good nights sleep could be the answer to your struggle with weight loss.

Foods for a better nights sleep

Bananas

Bananas are a treasure trove of sleep enhancing nutrients. They contain magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin B6 needed to convert the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin which induces peaceful sleep.  Also the potassium in bananas works together with magnesium to help relax overstressed muscles.

A banana is a high carbohydrate bedtime snack which can promote a good nights sleep by releasing insulin  needed to drive tryptophan into the brain for conversion to serotonin.

A banana with an oatcake makes a good snack as oats are also high in magnesium and vitamin B6

read more

Are Smoothies a Healthy Alternative to Fizzy Drinks?

Across the world fruit smoothies are being promoted as a guilt free beverage to replace fizzy drinks. Not only do they taste good but it is claimed that a 250 ml serving can give you up to 2 of your 5 a day.  To profit from the popularity of smoothies the big drinks manufactures have been acquiring juice companies. Innocent is now part of Coca Cola UK.

Are smoothies better for us than fizzy drinks?

In a recent report Professor Barry Popkins of the University of North Carolina has warned that smoothies and fruit juices are the ‘new danger’ in the battle against obesity. “Pulped up smoothies do nothing good for us but give us the same amount of sugar as 4 to 6 oranges or a large coke”.

read more