What to eat and drink for Breakfast?

Apparently the most important meal of the day.....Breakfast! So, I've put together a short post with a few breakfasts and their benefits, to help you make a simple choice when deciding what's best. They're all pretty popular choices, and you may well be eating them already, so let's take a look at them......



 Eggs 

Eggs do often get a bad reputation, but they contain lots of essential nutrients, 13 in fact, including protein. Research has shown that a high-protein morning meal wards off unhealthy snacking later in the day.

Coffee

I’ve done a short post about coffee and its benefits in the past, and here it is again. This essential morning ‘get-me-up’ is packed with antioxidants. In moderate amounts coffee has shown to have heart benefits and may slow cognitive decline. It may also ward off some cancers, including basal cell carcinoma, the most common cancer in the world, and protect you from type 2 diabetes. Coffee-Break anyone!?

 

Bananas

A medium banana is rich in fibre, vitamin C and potassium, which you don't often get in the typical American diet without a heavy dose of salt. A medium banana has 422 milligrams of potassium and no sodium. This combination can help control blood pressure.

Grapefruit

A great source of vitamin C and potassium. Also high in fibre to help you feel fuller longer. A 2006 study found that making half a grapefruit your "appetizer" of sorts can speed up weight loss.

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is a great source of protein. It's also a great source of calcium. Just stay away from the flavoured varieties. It's diluted with added sugars. Instead, opt for low-fat plain and sweeten with fresh fruit.

Healthy Recipes - Macaroni Cheese

I came across a simple healthy recipe for the classic, macaroni cheese, and today, I'll share it with you. Just 405 calories, only 7 grams of fat and 18 grams of carbohydrates.

So, onto the recipe, and firstly, the ingredients you'll need;


- 125g of cheddar cheese (low-fat variety)
- 125ml of milk
- 1tsp of mustard powder
- 1tbsp of flour
- 1/2 tsp of sea salt
- 1/4 tsp of pepper
- 300g of low-carb macaroni
- 200g of butternut squash
- 125ml of chicken stock
- 1tbsp of olive oil spread 


And finally, how to make;

1) Put a large pan of water to boil on a medium heat. Add salt to the water. Once the water reaches boiling point (large, moving bubbles), add the macaroni. Stir immediately after adding the pasta, and occasionally during cooking process, to stop it sticking. 
Boil the macaroni for 7 minutes; you want it a little underdone as it will cook further when it goes into the oven with the sauce. 

2) Peel the butternut squash and remove the seeds. Cut into quarters (you'll need about half a squash). Cut into slices, about as thick as a one pound coin (not too thick, as it'll take too long to cook). Boil for 7 minutes in lightly salted water. 
Melt the margarine/olive oil spread in a frying pan, sprinkle in the flour, and whisk. Let it cook for a minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock, then add the milk, and mustard powder. Turn up the heat, and bring to the boil. Let the sauce reduce until the consistency is like heavy cream (should take about 3 minutes). Whisk constantly. Once the squash is soft, drain it, and mash/blend until it's pureed, and lump-free. Addd this to the sauce, and stir well.

3) Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees/gas mark 4. Grate the cheese over the large holes on a box grater. Stir the cheese into the sauce.

4) Drain the macaroni in a sieve; give it a good shake, and make sure to get all the water out. Then pour into the sauce. Stir well, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish (make sure to grease the dish before hand, with a little non-stick cooking spray). Pop the casserole in the pre-heated oven for 5 minutes............And then serve.


A simple recipe for a childhood classic. I hope you enjoy, and this comes in useful. Please leave comments, feedback or messages.

Healthy Recipes - Honey-Mustard Salmon

Healthy eating's the topic again as I give you a recipe of honey-mustard salmon with asparagus, a high-protein, low-carb meal, great for recovering from an evenings training session. Nearly 40g of protein, , virtually carb-free, over 50% of your RDA of folate and 40% of your RDA of vitamin C (both essential for muscle repair), and it's only 360 calories.
Not only a great post-workout meal but also holds other essential health benefits in the ingredients. As mentioned in an early blog post, salmon can help reduce eye fatigue, which is ideal if you're sat in front of a computer screen all day. The asparagus can also keep your eyes healthy, as well as help fend of gum disease, lower blood pressure and fend off signs of ageing. 

So, onto the recipe, and first, the ingredients;

Serves 4

- 4 salmon fillets
- 450g of asparagus
- 1tbsp of butter
- 1tbsp of brown sugar
- 1tbsp of honey
- 1tbsp of soy sauce
- 2tsp of Dijon mustard
- 2tbsp of olive oil
- 50g of parmesan
- Salt & Pepper

How to make;


1) Heat the oven to 200 degrees/gas mark 6. Then combine the butter and brown sugar in a bowl, and microwave until the mix melts together. This should only take about 30-40 seconds. Remove and stir in the mustard, honey and soy sauce.

2) Toss the asparagus in a bowl with half the oil, and grate in the parmesan, and season to taste. Place the asparagus in a baking dish and roast until al dente. 

3) Heat the remaining oil in a pan over a high heat. Season the salmon and add to the pan, flesh-side down. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until browned. Then you want to turn them over, and brush half the honey-mustard mix over the fillets, and place in the oven. Bake for around 5 minutes, until the salmon is firm, and flakes easily.

4) Remove from the oven, and brush them with the remainder of the honey-mustard mix. Plate them up with the asparagus and serve.

And there you have it, a quick and simple healthy meal that can be cooked up in 20 minutes, enjoy!

Muscle Building Bacon Sandwich

For this post I have a high-protein version of the classic Bacon Butty. The unhealthy options of butter and mayonnaise have been replaced with garlic, and salsa, which also makes this a great healthy alternative to the original. A Columbian University study completed, showed that the nitrates in bacon could cause bronchitis and emphysema, but you can buy nitrate-free rashers, so have a chat with your butcher. 

So, onto the ingredients........You'll need;

- 2 slices of wholegrain bread
- 1 clove of garlic (halved)
- 1 tbsp of salsa
- 4 rashers of back bacon
- 2 sun-dried tomatoes
- Spinach leaves 


How to make.....

1) Switch the grill to a medium heat, and trim the fat from the outer edge of the bacon rashers. Doing this can reduce the fat content of the bacon by 50%.

2) Stick the bacon under the grill and lightly toast the bread. Once the toast is done, rub the filling-facing side with the garlic clove (halved).

3) When the bacon is cooked, leave it to rest for a minute, between two pieces of kitchen roll. This will soak up the remaining excess fat.

4) Spread the salsa on each slice of toast, and add the bacon and spinach leaves.

5) And, one last thing..........Eat, enjoy, and watch the muscle grow.....

Healthy Living - Food and Fitness

Want The Body? Eat Clean!

More healthy foods in this post, and I'll start with a couple of foods that are essential for healthy eyes; 

Salmon - Ideal if you work all day sat in front of a computer screen. Japanese research found that office workers reported a 54% reduction in eye fatigue, after taking astaxanthin, 5mg daily, for a month. A medium salmon fillet provides the perfect dose. 

Aubergine - Stop age-related vision problems by eating aubergines. A Columbia University study showed antioxidants found in the skin prevented the accumulation of vision-clouding pigments in later life. 


3 Quick Tips 

1. Train harder by sucking mints! Cyclists who could smell peppermint before training perceived 15% less effort, so went further, according to studies done in West Virginia.

2. Add 2 alcoholic drinks and three moderate cardio sessions into your week to reduce your risk of heart failure by 20%. But go steady, regular alcohol in-take, of 30 units or more a week, can lead to congestive heart failure. 

3. Lose an extra 33 lbs of fat if you swap running regularly for playing football, plus you can gain an extra 2kg of muscle too.

Health Benefits of Blueberries

Healthy Eating - Perfect Food Combinations

Perfect Food Combinations, with Huge Health Benefits

Having looked around at various healthy foods and their benefits over recent times, I came across a great article, which listed foods which were beneficial being consumed together, as well as having their own individual benefits. Below, I have listed some of the food-combinations and their benefits.

Salmon & Broccoli Pasta Bake

Salmon and Broccoli - Eat these together to fight against ageing. Sulforaphane, an antioxidant found in broccoli, is 13 times more effective of fighting the free radicals responsible for your skin losing its elasticity when combined with the selenium in fish.
Broccoli is high in vitamin C and magnesium, helping to process toxins much quicker. 
Wild salmon is beneficial for lowering cholesterol and protecting your heart. It also fights liver damage due to the omega 3 fats in the fish. 

Tomatoes and Olive Oil - Cooking your tomatoes in olive oil enhances the body's absorption of the flavanols. The skin contains 98% of it, so don't peel them. 
Flavonols shield your heart against disease and guard against infection.

Grapes and Apples - Enjoy these together to improve circulation. Barry Halliwell, a professor of nutrition at the National University of Singapore, says that the combination of the quercetin in apples and the catechin in grapes has an anticoagulant effect. The compounds fuse to make blood platelets less sticky, improving circulation.

And there you have it, a few food combos to try together, and to get healthy at the same time.

Healthy Snacks

Now, we all like a snack, or 3, during the day, and below I've listed a couple of the healthy snacking choices, and the benefits they bring to our bodies.

UNSALTED PEANUTS - Stronger Muscle - The most protein-rich nuts on the shelves. 1.8g of protein is needed per kg of body weight, in order to build muscle. A handful of peanuts will give you 20% of your RDA. 


OATCAKES - Lower Cholesterol - These can help lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol and even reduce your risk of heart disease. Rich in fibre. 25% of your RDA of fibre per 4 oatcakes.


APPLES - Sharper Mind - Hydration is vital for staying alert mentally, and apples contain 95% water-content. Studies in the US also show they help prevent age-related memory decline. 

Health Benefits of Bananas

News In Brief - New Strain Of Deadly Bird Flu

Experts are said to be concerned about a new deadly strain of bird flu, that has already claimed the life of one woman in China. The 73-year old caught the H10N8 virus after visiting a live poultry market. 
Scientists who have studied the new H10N8 virus say it has evolved some genetic characteristics that may allow it replicate efficiently in humans. The concern being that it could ultimately pass from person to person, although experts say there is no evidence of this as yet.


The World Health Organisation say the globe is facing a huge 'tidal wave' of cancer, and restrictions on alcohol and sugar need to be considered. The prediction is that, by 2035, there will be 24 million people diagnosed with cancer, compared to current levels of 14 million. 
The World Cancer Research Fund there was an 'alarming' level of naivety about diet's role in cancer.


Eating too many sugary sweets, desserts and drinks can lead to increased risk in having a heart attack, according to experts in the US. 
In the study, which looked at data on sugar consumption amongst tens of thousands of people in the US, as well as death rates from heart related problems, there was a significant link to the amount of sugar consumed and heart risk. 


Check back soon for more news, and also great tips and advice on healthy living and healthy foods.

The Amazing Benefits Of Garlic

Garlic is widely known as a great health remedy, that has been used for a long time to treat various ailments. As well as a tasty addition to almost any dish, I've listed a few key health benefits garlic also has to offer. 

1. Helps strengthen the immune system, as well as helping to fight chest infection and coughs. Good source of vitamin B6, essential for healthy immune system. I take a regular garlic supplement, especially through winter to fend of colds and flu. 

2. Helps keep your heart healthy and fight off heart disease, as it is said to break down the 'bad' cholesterol that builds on the walls of the body's veins. 

3. Research has shown garlic to aid in the prevention of various types of cancers, including bladder cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer. The vitamin B6 is said to be the key factor in fighting these diseases. 

4. Garlic regulates blood sugar levels, as it increases the levels of insulin in the blood. 



So, next time you're cooking a meal, make sure you add a bit of garlic, for a great tasting and extra healthy meal. Eat cooked or fresh. Check back soon for more posts and latest news on healthy living. 

Mental Health News and More

According to the NHS regulator, the number of people being held under the Mental Health Act has risen 12% in the last five years. 
Last year, the act was used over 50, 000 times, the highest ever number. 
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has also criticised the bans on activities such as internet use, phone use and access to outdoor space. Read more on this story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25926205


In other latest news, it's said that pesticide may be linked to alzheimer's. Exposure to the once widely used pesticide, DDT, may increase chance of developing alzheimer's disease. A study published in JAMA Neurology has showed that people with alzheimer's, had four-times the level of DDT in the body than healthy people. 
Alzheimer's Research UK has said there needs to be more evidence to prove DDT was linked to dementia. 


Hong Kong has began culling 20,000 chickens after the H7N9 bird flu virus was found in poultry imported from mainland China. 
The Government is said to have banned the import of live chickens from the mainland for 3-weeks.


Please check back soon very more news, tips, advice. 

Beat Diabetes with Red Wine & Chocolate

Beat Obesity Playing Football

Researchers say you can cut male obesity by taking up participation in football. A bit obvious to me.....any form of running around constantly for two 45 minute periods, on a regular basis, will drastically cut your risk of obesity, high cholesterol, heart disease. 
Around 375 overweight football fans were invited to take part in a 12 week programme of training sessions at their local football clubs. A year on, the men had lost around 5 kgs each compared to the same number of participants put on a waiting-list. 
Co-author Prof Kate Hunt, from Glasgow University, said: "Weight management and dieting are often wrongly viewed as women's issues, meaning that some men do not want to take part in existing weight management programmes."


Beat Diabetes with Red Wine and Chocolate

Scientists say you can beat diabetes with red wine and chocolate. Dark chocolate, berries and even red wine contain flavanoids and now it has emerged that eating high levels of the compounds can provide protection from type 2 diabetes by helping the body regulate sugar levels. 

Professor Aedin Cassidy has led the research at the University of East Anglia in Norwich.

She said: "Small changes to the normal diet you have can have significant effects on prevention efforts.

Women Risking Lives Missing Cervical Tests

A charity warns that women are risking their lives missing cervical tests. The simple test, to which all women aged between 25 and 64 are invited regularly, is vital to help doctors spot any abnormal cells which could later turn into cancer.

Cervical cancer kills around three women every day in the UK, and is the most common type affecting women under 35.

Yet research, commissioned by Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, showed one in three 25 to 29-year-olds do not take up their invitations for a smear test.

While 26% of young women were delaying their first screening because they worried it would be painful and embarrassing.

Keep Healthy with These 6 Essential Tips

Well, it's the start of another a year, and many of us will have had the New Years resolution to KEEP FIT AND HEALTHY! So, I thought I'd give people a helping hand and do a new post, with a few essential tips to get you started this New Year.

And onto the 6 essential tips to aid weight loss, beat heart disease, gain muscle and more......

1. According to researchers at Harvard School of Public Health, you can add a massive 16 years to your life expectancy by running five times a week.........So dig them running trainers out and get jogging!

2. 1/2 a tin of tuna helps boost your metabolism by 8.5% say Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise.

3. Help build your muscle with these 3 power foods; 

             Salmon
             Avocados
             Beef - High in Creatine

4. Help burn fat with these 3 weight-loss foods;

             Broccoli
             Apples
             Tofu - Cholesterol-slasher 

5. Eat tangerines regularly to help protect against obesity, heart attacks and strokes. Studies done in Canada show that tangerines reduced cholesterol and insulin levels, which decreased the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

6. Research completed by the Appetite Journal showed that chickpeas can help you lose weight. Add them to salads, curries, and chilli's. 



So, just another quick blog post with a few tips to help get you started this new year. Please check my other posts, and check back soon for new ones. Keep healthy, and thank you for reading my blog.

Protect Your Body

I’ve gone through a lot of articles over recent weeks, looking at foods to boost your brain and memory, ways to cut your stroke risk and protecting your heart. The latter being an essential topic, especially coming to the 5^th anniversary of my dad’s sudden death from a heart attack. All of the foods listed have numerous essential health benefits, and should be a key part of everybody’s diet.

FOODS TO BOOST YOUR BRAIN AND MEMORY

ONIONS – Keep your brain fresh; researchers in Japan say their sulphur compounds neutralise toxins which limit cognitive function.

RED CABBAGE – Boost your memory; studies completed on a number of people found that 100g significantly raised brain-boosting anthocyanins.

KIDNEY BEANS – These offer a great combination of inositol and choline, B vitamins which work together to aid the functioning of brain cells.

SARDINES – High in vitamin D; studies done at the University of Manchester found that vitamin D aids memory by protecting key brain pathways. 

CUT YOUR RISK OF STROKE

Here, I’ve listed 3 quick tips to help cut your risk of strokes. Start today, and protect your life, it’s precious!

1. 27% reduction in your risk of stroke if you swap red meat for chicken.

2. Cut your risk of strokes by eating white-flesh fruits or vegetables, such as apples, bananas and cauliflower. Studies completed in Holland found that one portion of any of these a day, can reduce stroke risk by a massive 52%.

Further studies were to be carried out to establish exactly what causes this highly positive effect.

3. Drinking coke on a regular basis significantly increases your risk of stroke say the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

PROTECTING YOUR HEART

As I mentioned above, this topic has significant importance to me, as my dad died of a sudden heart attack in 2008, and over the years I’ve wanted to pass on vital tips and information to protect your heart. It’s in our own hands, but more teaching is required, and hopefully that’s what I will do.

So, firstly I have a recipe for a smoothie which sports nutritionist Matt Lovell says will strengthen your heart due to its perfect blend of sodium, potassium and good fats.

Ingredients;

- 1 Banana

- 150g Raspberries

- 1tbsp Peanut Butter

- 120ml Low Fat Chocolate Frozen Milk

- 240ml Fresh, Semi-Skimmed Milk

Just add it all to your blender and blend until smooth, then enjoy! 

Quick Tip; Men who drink 5 glasses of water each day have a 54% lower risk of heart disease, says the American Journal of Epidermiology.

That’s all from my latest post, I hope you enjoyed it and learnt something new. Please check back regularly for more posts on living a healthy lifestyle. Thank you for visiting.

Health Benefits of SPINACH

Find some great recipes that include spinach here;  http://www.menshealth.co.uk/search-results/?q=spinach and please check back soon for more great tips and advice to lead a healthy lifestyle. Thank you for checking my blog.