Food For Thought

In this post I have put together a couple of bits of health information on foods, including the perfect lunchtime sandwich which can help fight against cancer, build muscle, boost energy levels and more. 

Nutrition-Packed Sandwich

If you're looking for a nutrition-packed, protein-filled sandwich, to help build muscle then I have the perfect ingredients for you to succeed. As well as helping build muscle due to its high protein content, the ingredients can help fight cancer, fortify bones and boost energy levels.

So, the ingredients, and their benefits....

Rye Bread - Fight Cancer - Rye grains contain molecules with a large water-binding capacity, which swells in your stomach, so you're fuller for longer. Rye is also low GI for sustained energy.

Rye Bread

According to studies, choosing breads with more than 51% whole grains, can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. 

Pastrami - Build Muscle - High in sodium nitrate which aids muscle recovery. This is done by relaxing arteries so more blood and oxygen can flow through. A few slices of pastrami contains 15g of protein and less than 2g of fat.

Sauerkraut - Boosts Energy Levels - This fermented cabbage is packed with disease-fighting nutrients. It also aids digestion by increasing the good bacteria in your stomach.

Swiss Cheese - Fortifying Bones - Contains 30% of your Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of calcium. It is also rich in tryptophon which is said to help you reach a deep sleep. The high protein content is also great for improving muscle strength.

As well as having essential health benefits, it's also a delicious light-lunch, easy to make, and easily transported to work, gym, football, or absolutely anywhere, so no excuses, why not try it out?

Post Workout Pain Relief

Post Workout Pain Relief

Here I have listed a couple of natural way to take away the pain after a tough workout! Don’t go for the medicine cupboard and take pills, try these 3 naturals instead!

For tired muscles, go for ice and heat. According to studies at the Australian Institute of Sport, putting muscles in hot, then cold conditions enhances recovery. For a simple way of doing this just grab an ice pack(or a bag of frozen peas will do) and press against the sore muscle for 60 seconds, then place in hot water for a further 60 seconds. Alternate this for 5-10 minutes.

For Pain Relief, instead of taking pain killers, try Brazilian Tea! Like ibuprofen, Brazilian Tea has shown to reduce pain and swelling according to researchers at Newcastle University. So go switch the kettle on and put your feet up!

For Joint Ache, get your intake of turmeric extract! Turmeric (pictured left) can stop cartilage from breaking down and, according to researchers at the University of Arizona it can also reduce pain and swelling! Buy turmeric tablets from revital.co.uk

And there you have it, 3 great ways to ease the pain and all done without the need of pills! Let me know how you get on when trying these out. Thanks for reading, and please check my other blog posts.

Healthy Eating For Kids

Healthy Eating; Starting Young!

Good nutrition doesn't have to be complicated – for most children, and parents too! it boils down to eating more fruit & veg and eating less junk food.

By encouraging good eating habits in our children from an early age we can help to prevent health problems in later life, such as:

Overweight and obesity

Heart disease & stroke

Type 2 diabetes

Cancers

You might think that these illnesses strike later in life – and you’d be right – but they take a lifetime to develop and have their roots in childhood. By helping our kids to eat right from an early age, we can help them to avoid these illnesses in the future. It is up to you as a parent to help your children get the healthy diet, as they don't have the capability of making the correct decision when it comes to healthy eating. Children follow trends and what their friends are having, so start your children trending fresh fruit and vegetables now!

Eat More Fruit & Veg

Eating fruit and vegetables every day is vital for good health. Worryingly, most children (and most adults!) do not eat enough of these essential foods.

Reports from the World Health Organisation (WHO) reckon that up to 2.7 million lives worldwide could be saved every year if we simply ate more fruit and vegetables.

Experts recommend that we eat 5-10 portions of fruit and vegetables per day – where a portion is roughly a handful. So in the case of a small child, a small apple or a handful of chopped carrots would count as a single portion. It’s easy to get these vital fruit and vegetables into a daily habit, by having fruit on cereals, making home-made soups and stews and as snacks in general.

So start getting the healthy eating habit into your child from as early an age as possible. And encourage cooking and baking with your children; this will help them gain more knowledge of foods and health, and will help them try more variety of foods. Healthy foods can be tasty foods!

3 Incentives To Lose Weight and Gain Years

Despite the vast amounts of advice in the world, most of us continue to put our lives in danger through unhealthy eating and lack of physical exercise! So why do we make ourselves so unhealthy and continue to ignore the advice of the so-called 'experts'!

Now's the time to start paying attention, do something about your health, and even add years to your life! No excuses! Below, I've listed a couple of tips to get you started.....

1. Studies from the Journal of American College of Cardiology shows that if your body mass index(BMI) is between 25-30, you’re more likely to suffer your first heart attack 3 and a half years earlier!

Now you know, go do something about it!

2. Men over 25 years of age, who cut their calorie intake by at least 15%, or 300 calories, increased their average life expectancy by a huge 4.5 years. This information is sourced by St Louis University.

3. And finally, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism say that losing 13.5kg, if your overweight, can raise your testosterone to the level of a man 10 years younger!

Surely that's reason enough to lose that unwanted gut!!

So there it is, just a couple of tips to give you the push you need to lose weight, and even gain years on your life! Please check my other blog posts on healthy eating, beating cancers, lowering cholesterol and much more. Thank you for reading my post.