Flying fit

On my flight back from Amsterdam this weekend I was presented with a packet of Dorman's cocktail mix (a bag of processed flour, sugar and milk proteins) with my glass of water and found myself wishing they were giving out Dorman's mixed nuts instead (delicious if too salty for me to recommend). So given the generally poor quality of aeroplane food how can you have a healthy flight?

For short flights try and eat before you get on the plane or if you're in a hurry grab some food in the terminal and eat on the plane. This means you can have something healthy and use the flight to catch-up on some sleep - most of us don't sleep enough so cat napping is a good use of a flight. Airports have a much better selection of food than they used to, I usually pick something up at Pret or EAT and fresh sushi is often available. A lot of airports now have juice bars so take the opportunity to top up your vitamin C and ward off plane germs with a fresh fruit or vegetable juice.

For long-haul flights aeroplane food is often unavoidable. Ordering the gluten-free or vegetarian options will usually get you a healthier option so worth doing even if your not veggie or gluten intolerant. Vegetarian food is often easier to digest than meat so can also be a good idea given it's often difficult to sit properly in a plane. Always skip the pudding, unless it's fruit, and instead pack some healthy snacks to keep hunger at bay. All the snacksbelow have a long shelf life so pack enough for the return flight:
Dried fruit (check no added sugar)
Unsalted nuts
Nairns oat cakes
Laar or Fruitus bars
Bounce protein balls

Avoid alcohol, tea and coffee as these will dehydrate you. Instead ask for water when the drinks trolley comes round and try and drink plenty of water before you get on the plane and as soon as you get off.

If your flight is long enough for more than just sleeping (the best use of a flight if you can get comfortable) use it to have some relaxing me time: catch-up on some non-work reading, listen to some of your favourite relaxing music or make the most of the inflight entertainment and watch your favourite sitcoms or enjoy a movie. Go for comedy over drama/horror - laughing is a great stress-buster and anti-ager whilst movies which evoke negative emotions such as fear or sadness can encourage the production of stress hormones in the body.

Always pack your flight socks and take a walk around the cabin when you wake up, also pack some anti-bacterial wipes to clean your hands before eating. Ear plugs or good sound-blocking ear-phones are a good idea to keep your trip much more relaxing - especially if you get sat near a toddler!
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Planet organic

I was asked recently if organic food was really more nutritious and therefore worth the money?

Whilst studies quoted by the Soil Association show organic fruit and veg do have higher vitamin levels my main reason for eating organic food is not for any extra nutrients but for what it is missing compared to regular food.

This includes antibiotics, toxic pesticides, growth hormone (why organic chickens are much smaller than non-organic) and hormone disrupting chemicals (also found plastic food packaging and tap water) which all have negative health implications. Whatever the research says I personally wouldn't want to consume any of these by choice and so try and eat organic whenever possible.

Organic food is undoubtedly more expensive, although the price is coming down, so if you need to prioritise make sure all your meat and dairy produce are organic and buy regular fruit and veg (but wash thoroughly before use). If you've got time and a spare corner of garden you can grow your own fruit and veg organically at home. When buying organic food look for the Soil Association stamp, as the leading UK organic regulator they have some of the more stringent criteria to get their seal of approval.

Hope you all enjoy the long weekend.
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Breaking through the plateau

I don't want to spend too many blogs talking about weight loss, as nutritional therapy is about getting someone in a state of optimum health, not just slim. However it is the topic I get asked the most about and being a healthy weight is vital for good health.

This week I've had a couple of questions about weight loss plateaus. These occur commonly after someone has experienced a few months or weeks of regular weight loss and then find the weight stops coming off despite continuing the same diet and exercise programme. Weight loss will naturally slow down as you approach your ideal weight, but if you plateau before that point how do you restart the weight loss?

Eat really regularly and combine carbs with protein in every meal and snack to keep your metabolism stoked up and blood sugar levels stable. If you cut carbs or calories too much your body is likely to adapt by slowing your metabolism which can lead to a weight-loss plateau. If you think snacking/eating regularly will make you gain weight check out www.bfl.com for inspiration!

Go super low GI - High GI carbs and sugars are the enemy to weight loss. It therefore can help to have a couple of weeks on very low GI carbohydrates (rather than low and medium). This means no added sugar, white flour, white rice, bread (other than rye), rice or corn cakes, potatoes and dried or tropical fruit. This leaves the following: rye bread, pulses (any type but no added sugar), rolled oats or no sugar oat cakes, ryvita, peas, wholegrain rice, quinoa or wholegrain spaghetti (rather than penne or other pasta).

Make sure you're drinking enough water - this is an input in the chemical reaction for producing energy in your cells and therefore needed to burn fat.

Refresh your exercise routine - the body adapts to anything it deals with on a regular basis so rather than upping your exercise it can be just as effective to change your routine and give your body a new challenge. If you only do weights or cardio try mixing the two or try some new classes down the gym especially ones that involve all muscle groups (such as body attack/martial arts/circuit training).

The same applies to food - try not to eat the same foods every day, this can become dull very quickly and also the lack of variety increases the chances of developing nutrient deficiencies. Even if you eat a varied diet you may want to consider taking supplements - B vitamins, magnesium and essential fats are all needed for fat burning so if you're not getting enough in your diet it may hamper weight loss.

Eat at least six portions of fruit and veg a day as the nutrients in these help you burn fat and detoxify.

Keep a food diary - you may have started with an excellent diet but it's easy for bad habits to creep back in. Watch out for caffeine, sugary snacks and refined carbs. Alcohol and soft drinks are also often overlooked as sources of calories, sticking to water and herb tea can make a big difference.

Make sure you get enough sleep - stress will stop you losing weight and if you're doing lots of exercise this is stressful on the body so you will need more sleep to recover. If I'm exercising regularly I naturally need an extra hours sleep a night - so aim to go to bed early enough to wake naturally (8-9hrs sleep).
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Spice up your life!

No it's not another Spice Girls comeback, thank goodness, but the follow-on to last weeks blog on beneficial herbs.

Adding spices to your food is an easy way to add some powerful antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and all round health boosters to your diet whilst adding flavour.

Here are my favourites spices and some ideas on how to use them:

Ginger - a warming antioxidant spice with anti-inflammatory and blood thinning properties. A great addition to stir fries, and included in Mondays soy chicken recipe. I also like to put it through the juicer when making veg juices and blend into smoothies - see recipe below.

Turmeric - from the same family as ginger so has similar health properties. Is traditionally used in curries but also works well with sweet foods. I like it stirred into porridge, muesli or fruit salad and blended into fruit smoothies (see recipe below).

Cinnamon - helps balance blood sugar levels and keep sugar-cravings at bay. Cinnamon gives foods the illusion of sweetness without having to add sugar so is a good addition to porridge or sugar-free muesli, and if you haven't kicked the coffee habit sprinkle on your cappuccino!

Chillies - a very warming spice! Boosts the metabolism and the immune system and has anti-inflammatory properties. However be careful not to start adding chillies to everything as they can be harsh on the stomach. Add fresh chillies or chilli flakes to casseroles to liven them up and have a medium to hot curry to help fight off a cold. If, like me, you unfortunately can't eat (or don't like) chillies then curcumin (pimento) has very similar properties.

Garlic - lots of research has shown the cardiovascular health benefits of eating garlic - lowering blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels whilst boosting circulation. Garlic is also great for the immune system and a tasty addition to most recipes, particularly tomato based sauces/casseroles and vegetable dishes. Blend one clove with three fresh tomatoes, a little salt, pepper and olive oil, and serve on (or dip in) toasted rye or spelt bread as a healthy alternative to bruschetta.

Breakfast smoothie:
Adapted from 'The source' by Dr Woodon Merrell:
100g mixed frozen berries
120ml pomegranate or cherry juice
60ml water
90ml soya or rice milk (unsweetened)
Half tsp finely grated/chopped fresh ginger root
Quarter teaspoon each of cinnamon and turmeric
Half tbsp of ground flax seed

Blend ingredients til smooth and enjoy.
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Some healthy brain washing

If most food adverts and film/tv product placements were to be believed the way to be slim, attractive and full of energy would be to live on a diet of chocolate biscuits, sugar laden breakfast cereals and fizzy diet drinks.

Sadly alot of people fall for this advertising and even the more intelligent viewer who knows it's nonsense can get lured into eating branded processed foods - even a nutritionist can succumb!

If I do ever find the 'rubbish' creeping back into my diet I turn to my antidote for junk food advertising: 'Slim 4 Life' by Jason Vale. This book is an easy, slightly trashy, read - the equivalent of Chick Lit for nutritionists! But it does a great job at brainwashing the reader into wanting to eat healthy food, sort of like the Alan Carr method but for junk food instead of cigarettes.

I don't agree with his approach 100 per cent, for example there is too much emphasis on juicing and the fruit only breakfast/food combining approach is not what I subscribe to. But he also makes some excellent points/observations - here are my favourites but you'll have to read the book to benefit from the brain washing:

The optimum diet for maximum health should be based in fruit and veg - these should form the bulk of your diet (rather than carbs as in the traditional food pyramid) and are the secret to lasting weight loss. Vegetable juices and fruit smoothies can be a useful way to up your intake.

Diets don't work - by this Jason means the traditional calorie restrictive diets and I totally agree. In the long-run these diets lead to a slow-down in metabolism and can also lead to binge eating/cravings as a consequence of the restrictive nature. The key to healthy sustainable weight loss is to focus on the quality of your food rather than the quantity and you don't have to feel deprived or be hungry to lose weight.

It is important to be physically active every day, but also important to enjoy exercising so spend some time thinking about what exercise/activities you enjoy and do those rather than getting bored on the treadmill.

Processed foods and refined sugars/carbohydrates can be addictive and so it's important to recognise these drug-like qualities and make it your goal to kick the habit.

It is important to eat when you have a 'real' hunger rather than a 'mental hunger'. If you eat for emotional reasons you will never feel satisfied and will over-eat.

Water intake is vital for good health - our body is mainly made up of water and it is essential for so many functions in the body. Drinking water, herb tea and eating lots of water-rich fruit and veg are all important for optimum health.
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Salmon, soy and pak choi

Due to popular demand I'm going to start including some healthy, but always tasty, recipes in my blog.

This is an old recipe from the brilliant Sunday times low GI series from four years ago .. thank you to my sister for reminding me about it!

This recipe contains salmon, high in the essential omega 3 fats I talked about last week, as well as ginger, which is a natural anti-inflammatory. By cooking the salmon in a parcel you save the juices and use very little fat.

Whilst you cook the salmon cook some wholegrain or brown rice to serve with it.

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees celsius.

Mix the following ingredients in a small saucepan, stir until the honey has dissolved and simmer for 4-5mins until reduced:

1tbsp each of soy sauce (with no added sugar) and sake, sherry or rice wine
1 tsp each of fresh finely chopped or grated ginger and honey or agave syrup.
2 tbsp water

Once reduced, remove the sauce from the heat and add 1 tbsp lime juice.

Brush a large sheet of foil with 1 tsp sesame oil and place two salmon steaks (200g each) on the foil, turn on the oil and leave skin side down, side by side. Pull up the sides of the foil, pour on the reduced sauce and then fold the edges of the foil together to create a lose parcel with thick edges. Cook for 15-20mins.

Whilst the salmon cooks, cut up and steam two pak choi for two minutes/until tender.

Serve the salmon on a bed of rice with any sauce left in the parcel spooned over the salmon and pak choi.

Enjoy!
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The fats of life

I was recently asked what I thought was the healthiest fat to cook with and it reminded me that there is a lot of confusion and misinformation about whether fats are good or bad for you and what types were healthiest.

I think it is a common mistake of people dieting or trying to eat healthily to dramatically cut their fat intake. Whilst saturated fats (fats from meat and dairy) and trans or hydrogenated fats (fats found commonly in processed, baked goods and processed oils/margarine) should be limited, you should make sure you have a regular intake of the essential fats. These are called 'essential' as they are necessary for the body to functions properly. They support brain function, energy production/fat burning, healthy skin, cardiovascular health and hormone balance.

So which fats are essential and which foods contain them?

Omega 3 fats, found in oily fish and sunflower and flax seeds. The omega 3 fats in fish are easier for the body to use than the plant sources which is why you should eat oily fish 2-3 times a week. But flax seeds are still beneficial and a valuable source for vegetarians. I add powdered flax seeds to muesli or blend it into smoothies.

Omega 6 fats are found in safflower, sunflower and other seeds and nuts and I try and have at least a tablespoon of nuts or seeds daily. The standard british diet generally contains more omega 6 fats than omega 3 fats due to the high use of sunflower oil in cooking and processed foods.

It is important to have a balance of these fats as they compete for use in the body so if you eat a lot more of one than the other try and redress the balance.

Omega 9 fats, found in olive oil, are not essential like omega 3 and omega 6 fats but are still better for you than saturated fats.

And in answer to the cooking question - olive oil, coconut fat and butter are more stable at higher temperatures so better to use in cooking than other fats or oils when cooking.

Hope you have a great weekend.
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