Many beans are in season in July and August and so are at their best.This includes green beans such as runner and french beans but also borlotti and broad beans. Green beans are low in calories and fat and high in fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. They also contain protein so are a useful addition […]

Beets are an excellent food to eat on a regular basis. They are low in calories, but high in water and fibre which makes them a good choice for those on a diet and supportive of digestion.  They contain almost all the important vitamins and minerals plus phytonutrients that are anti-inflammatory and maybe cancer protective.   One […]

Continuing with our theme of good seasonal foods, green peas are a must. They are high in protein, so can be a great choice for vegetarians and vegans. 100 g of green peas have just 81 calories so they can also be good for weight loss. The pea pods are a good source of folic […]

Watercress is in season now and has many health benefits as well as its distinctive peppery taste and crunchy texture. Low in calories but high in fibre, nutrients and antioxidants it is useful for weight management. Watercress is good for the heart- it is rich in nitrates that regulate blood pressure. It also has a […]

Capsaicin is the active ingredient responsible for the spiciness of peppers. The more capsaicin it contains, the hotter it is. It is in all members of the capsicum family (peppers) and is found in abundance in jalapeno, cayenne and chilli peppers. Capsaicin has no calories but numerous health benefits. Using spices is a great way […]

In our last post we talked about what to do to stay healthy in lockdown. In this post we tackle the things that you should try not to do in order to support your physical and mental health. Try not to: Use alcohol to de-stress. You probably had some boundaries around booze before, so decide […]

Lockdown has been challenging. We have had to review so many of our fundamental habits and think about what is important to us.In terms of how we eat and drink we have had to think more about our meals, shopping and cooking. Eating is now almost exclusively at home and in our control but it […]

Continuing with our theme of immune boosting foods, oats, barley, yeast, seaweed, algae and some mushrooms (reishi, shitake and maitake), are very helpful. They are a source of beta glucans which are an immune primer. We cannot make them in our own body, so it is important to eat foods that contain them. Beta glucans […]

Iced Berry Shake (serves 1)Ingredients25g full fat live Greek yoghurt75ml semi skimmed milk40g frozen mixed berries such as strawberries and blueberries½ banana (about 50g peeled weight) roughly chopped1 tbsp jumbo porridge oats5g ground almonds2 tbsp cold water and ice cubes MethodPut all the ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. Add more water if […]

We have been looking at foods that punch above their weight and berries really do this. Plus they are in season at the moment. Apart from being delicious, all the deep coloured berries including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and blackcurrants have major health benefits. They have good levels of fibre and their sugar content is […]