@SweatNSass

Friday Food Feature | Ginger 

Just a quick one this week. I am ALL OVER ginger lately for the simple fact that it is amazing for digestive support, also providing relief from stomach upset and nausea. I often have a ginger tea after lunch or dinner to help stimulate digestion, keep my stomach settled and prevent bloating.

It’s the digestive enzyme Zingibain that assists the body’s digestion and increases the absorption of other nutrients. 

@MensHealthUK tweeted today “Ginger speeds up gastric emptying, says the European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, and aids weight loss in the process.”

A clinical trial in Denmark reveals that it may also be effective against inflammation, period pain and migraines.

If you can’t get hold of any ginger tea, boil some water and add a few slices of fresh ginger for a tummy loving, warm and zesty treat. Enjoy.

Photo cred. 

Friday Food Feature | Asparagus 

It has been quite a while in between Friday Food Feature posts, but I’m back with a goodie and I’m surprised it took me so long to get around to putting the spotlight on one of nature’s power houses. There is so much going on in this friendly green, I can’t wait to share. So here it goes: 

• One portion of 7 spears makes up one of your five a day! Easy! 
  
  
• Just one portion contains 69% of the RDA of folate, 20% of the RDA of Vitamin C and 12% of the RDA of Vitamin B1 
  
  
• Additionally, asparagus is low in calories, low in sodium, low in fat, low in carbohydrate and cholesterol free. 
  
  
• Get a nutritional boost with Vitamin E, Iron, Calcium, Potassium and Pro Vitamin A. 
  
  
• Have a hearty helping… the rich soluble fibre in asparagus can have a protective affect against degenerative heart diseases. But not just that. High levels of potassium may help control blood pressure and the high folic acid content helps to reduce blood homocysteine levels which is thought to reduce the risk of heart disease.
  
  
• As a mild diuretic, asparagus can help to detox the body, flushing out excess water. The stimulation of the growth of friendly bacteria from asparagus helps sooth the stomach and aid digestion. 
  
  
• A rich source of rutin together with Vitamin C helps to boost your immune system by protecting the body against infection. 
  
  
• Feel good food factor: a ‘seductive’ eating experience? asparagus has been said to boost the sex drive and increase libido.  
  
  
• The combination of vitamins and minerals make this green great for skin, nails and hair! You Beauty!  

An Asparagus Diet?

I didn’t know this but Nutritionist Fiona Hunter has developed a low GI Asparagus Diet, a meal plan to follow over two weeks with numerous health benefits as mentioned above and weight loss potential. 

Download Week One Asparagus Diet Meal Plan (Word.doc)

Download Week Two Asparagus Diet Meal Plan (Word.doc)

Grow Your Own! 

You can download this guide if you’d like to try your hand at growing your own asparagus. Growing your own vege is hugely rewarding and encourages you to try new recipes and new foods! Give it a go!!!

Friday Food Feature | The Radish

While dining out with friends recently at British food restaurant Bumpkin, we enjoyed some tasty vegetable sticks as part of an appetiser, which included radish. I’ve certainly had radish before sliced up and tossed into a salad or added to a stir fry, but I don’t think I have ever just bitten into a whole one before. It was crisp, fresh, peppery and the crunchiness quite addictive!

Since they are seasonal in the UK from April to October, I decided to celebrate ‘the last of the season’ by throwing out some of the tasty health benefits of the radish before diving into the Autumnal seasonal vege next time. 

For my Southern hemispherian followers, keep an eye out for this vege so you can add it to your Summer salads! 

So, why should we add Radish to our shopping basket?

• This small vege packs quite a bit of nutritional punch: Vitamin C, Iron, Potassium, Zinc, Magnesium, Folic Acid and Vitamin B6. Folic Acid is particularly important to pregnant women and crucial to the development of a baby’s spinal cord.
  
  
• The 1 Calorie Snack: Radishes are low in calories, one radish is equals to one calorie, and low in cholesterol. They contribute to your daily dietary fibre needs and are Low GI for slow released energy. Overall this makes them great for snacking on at your desk.
  
  
• Digestive enzyme Diostase, along with the rest of this vitamin, mineral and fibre rich food, helps to promote digestive health. 
  
  
• Cancer fighting properties… research has suggested that dark coloured fruits and vegetables can help protect against some forms of cancer, down to the antioxidant called anthocyanins. Radish extract has been shown to reduce the spread of stomach and breast cancer cells.
  
  

Interesting…

…early records of Europeans eating radishes show that the French would eat radish at the start of a meal to cleanse the palate. 

…Ancient Greece served radish with honey and vinegar. 

…Construction workers in Ancient Egypt were paid in radishes. 

…Britain didn’t begin cultivating the radish until the 16th century.

That’s great, but how can we eat it? 

Indian Spiced Radishes & Pumpkin

Radish Detox Juices

Radish, Feta and Baby Leaves Salad

Friday Food Feature | Beetroot 

You may have noticed while browsing the health food store lately significantly more promotion of Beetroot Juice and Beetroot recipes, but why? 

This root vegetable comes a long way from field to plate in many varieties, there are many ways to enjoy them too, not just sliced and put on your BBQ’d burger. Growing up in Oz we never had a BBQ without beetroot and it wasn’t until recently I did homemade burgers, that I realised this vegetable was missing from every steak sandwich I’d had in the UK.

But apart from just enjoying the taste, I was curious about why there is so much promotion of this stuff in the health food store and so decided to look further and uncover more reasons to love those Beets.

Here’s what I came up with:

• Three baby size beets = one serve of your ‘five a day’
  
  
• High in Folic Acid - essential for normal tissue growth and particularly important in the development of a baby’s spinal cord in the first 3 months of pregnancy. 
  
  
• Contains Vitamin C, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc.
  
  
• Reduces risk of heart attack and stroke by reducing blood pressure. Just 250mL of beetroot juice or 100g of cooked beetroot daily can dramatically reduce blood pressure and associated risks because of the nitrate content producing nitric oxide which widens blood vessels. [Research here]. 
  
  
• The antioxidant responsible for giving beetroot it’s gorgeous colour and the soluble fibre in beets helps to reduce oxidation of LDL cholesterol, protecting the artery walls and reducing risk of stroke. This beta cyanin helps speed up detoxification of the liver too, so it’s a good hangover saviour!
  
  
• Stabilises blood sugar. The Glycaemic Index is medium, but the Glycaemic Load is extremely low which means this low calorie, virtually fat free vege is converted into sugar very slowly, keeping blood sugar levels stable. 
  
  
• The mineral silica contained in beets helps reduce the risk of Osteoporosis by helping the body to utilize more calcium.
  
  
• Since Roman times, it has been thought of as a natural aphrodisiac.

If you love beets, I highly recommend checking out The LOVE BEETROOT site for recipes and fun facts… and Follow @LoveBeetroot

I am personally dying to try these recipes:

Moroccan beetroot and mint salad with yogurt dressing 

Beetroot, orange, pecan and poppyseed cake

Summer Salad with Beetroot, Goat’s cheese and French Beans

I think I’ve found an even deeper love for this deceivingly amazing and delicious vegetable!!!

(Source: flickr.com)

Friday Food Feature | Chillies

After enjoying an amazing Thai Green Chicken Curry last night, I thought I would promote chillies in this Friday’s food feature and discover some of the less known health benefits of this incredibly versatile food. 

• A,B,C’s - Fresh chilli (red and green) contains Vitamins A, B6 and C, in fact, 100g provides 240% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin C.
  
  
• Not to be sneezed at - Chilli can help to relieve congestion. Anyone suffering a cold will not only benefit from the immune boosting qualities of the vitamin content in chillies, but will also be able to breathe much more clearly as it helps to clear out the nasal passage. (If you’ve ever had a hot curry, you will already have experienced this).
  
  
• Metabolism Boost -  Your metabolism can increase by 23% by eating one tablespoon of chopped chilli - although the effects are only temporary and some experts suggest the effect only lasts 30minutes. 
  
  
• Feeling Hot! - The capsaicin contained in chillies boosts your metabolism to stimulate your body’s ability to burn fat, otherwise known as diet-induced thermogenesis.
  
  
• Lowers Cholesterol - Regular consumption of chilli lowers cholesterol where by the capsaicin keeps the ratio in check by lowering LDL (“bad” cholesterol) and raising HDL (“good” cholesterol). 
  
  
• Blood Sugar - It was recorded in an Australian study chilli reduces the amount of insulin the body needs to lower blood sugar levels after a meal. 

The list goes on and on, but it seems that overall there are some pretty impressive health benefits attributed to the chilli, particularly when consumed regularly. 

Here are some of my suggestions to spice it up!

• Add freshly chopped chilli to any salad, or serve fresh chopped chilli in a separate dish with every meal so that you and your guests can add it as desired. 
• Have a curry night once a week and try a different one each time - different intensities and flavours, curries from all over the globe!
• Season your chicken breast or steak with chilli flakes.
• Add cayenne pepper to your morning lemon water for a little morning metabolism and digestive boost!
• For breakfast, enjoy poached or scrambled eggs on English muffins with smoked salmon and fresh sliced chilli, seasoned with black pepper.
• Alternatively, for breakfast or even as a light lunch, enjoy sliced avocado, tomato and onion on toast with fresh sliced chilli on top.

Friday Food Feature | Cucumber 

Every time I have a salad, it comes with cucumber, and I always pick it out and leave it on the side. I can’t enjoy it. That was until recently when I found it went really well with my smoked salmon salad. Personal taste aside, I wanted to share with you these little nutritional benefits of our humble green cucumber. Finally it has more benefits to me than an eye soother with a mud mask or a refreshing accompaniment to a summer cocktail.

• Bursting with antioxidants, helps fight the ageing process and keep your skin clear.
• Plenty of water and electrolytes keep your body hydrated and flush out toxins.
• Vitamins A, B’s, C, K and minerals magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and zinc. Although not in large amounts, you can get an all round nutritional boost from adding cucumber to any meal or juice drink.
• Low cal, no saturated fats or cholesterol.
• The skin is a good source of fibre that reduces constipation. 

After rediscovering these benefits, I’m looking forward to adding it to more of my meals, particularly my ‘good morning green smoothie’!

Friday Food Feature | Lemon 

After having just enjoyed my lunch snack of a cleansing warm lemon water and yogurt, I thought it would be great to share with you this Friday Food Feature on Lemons and how great they are. 

There’s an abundance of people who wake up in the morning and the first thing they have is a glass of luke warm water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice added to it and they can’t give it enough praise. It’s a fantastic kick start to the day for many reasons. Personally, I love it and highly recommend it.

Here are some of my favourite health benefits of Lemons.

• Immune system booster: a good source of Vitamin C, B Vitamins and also contains minerals Magnesium, Calcium and Potassium. 
• Digestive system support: great for the stomach, liver and overall digestion, also acts as a cleansing agent for detox.
• Winter warrior: the natural antiseptic properties of lemons help to fight throat infections. Just add freshly squeezed juice to water and gargle. 
• Clear skin promoter: lemon juice added to sugar can be a great skin cleanser and exfoliant, but also drinking daily lemon in water helps to promote clear skin from the inside, eliminating toxins that come out through the pores.