Showing posts with label carbs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label carbs. Show all posts

Sunday 17 February 2013

5 Fruit Facts that could be Fiction


Fruit Facts?
Fruit is great. We are all aware of this and we get most of our information on this from health and medical sources. The reason for this is often that doctors and health professionals are looking for ways to improve general health levels and particularly obesity levels. This often leads to stated facts about fruit and vegetables which is not necessarily true and can certainly be improved upon. Today we will look at some commonly head thoughts about fruit and look at their validity and viability in a world where fruit is both available and wide in its variety.

An Apple a day keeps the doctor away…





Monday 11 February 2013

How to Make Nutritious, Healthy Pancakes


So it is Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day tomorrow and that affords us the opportunity to eat pancakes with anything on for dinner. The tradition comes from clearing your cupboards ready for lent, but now we just use the day as an excuse to flip pancakes and indulge ourselves. People often see Pancake Day as a day out of their diet, but this does not have to be the case. Here we will look at the premium pancake for a number of training and health goals. See if there are any that you will benefit from...

Sunday 10 February 2013

4 Good Food Gone Bad: Some 'Good' Foods Can Be Bad For You


If you’re an avid follower of health foods, regularly finding yourself on nutrition websites, then you might find you are constantly told that some foods are ‘good’ and others are ‘bad’. These articles can make you question whether something is good or bad for you. What you should be asking yourself is ‘is this food good for me?’ The difference is that many foods have positive and negative aspects. I’m always asked about good and bad food, but even a spoon of butter can be right for your diet if you’re deficient in those nutrients. That said, we consider some foods very good for us, when in fact they are hiding nutrients that you might not be aware of. In this blog, we will look at 4 foods which have generally got a good reputation, but are hiding excesses that you might not need. We’ll also suggest alternatives which can help!



Friday 8 February 2013

5 Reasons Should You Eat Baked Potato!

Is potato good for you?

Somebody told me recently that a baked potato was 'the worst thing you can eat'. When I asked them why this was the case, they told me that it was full of starch and just added calories that you didn't need. It is quite amazing how peoples opinions of nutrition can be changed by fad diets and health points systems. The fact that the potato before any cooking is packed with excellent nutritious benefits was lost on this person who viewed the potato, and starch, as generally bad for you.

I have always been a firm believer in a balanced diet and lifestyle, and as such, have always promoted a healthy amount of starchy carbohydrates in order to have the energy for exercise. Remember, eating well is only part of a healthy lifestyle, part two is exercise, and without good quality energy sources, you're going to find that you have less get up and go, and all the extra calories you eat will be stored as fat. So lets have a look at the baked potato, and 5 reasons why it is better than people might think...



Wednesday 6 February 2013

SUPERFRUITS: FRUITBOWL INFORGRAPHIC

 
Click the infographic to see the more about superfruits and what they are good for.
 
For more about superfruits for immunity, click here.
 
To find out more about superfruits for athletic performance, click here.
 
If you want to know more about superfruits for weight loss, click here.
 
Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/foodnutriblog
 
 
Happy Eating!

Sunday 3 February 2013

4 Types of Nuts that are Great for your Diet


When most people think about nuts, we think about the salted peanut, available at the pub in a small packet. This often means that we associate nuts with poor health, mainly because the only times we find ourselves eating peanuts is when it’s Christmas, or when we have beer. Sadly, it means many of us have judged all nuts as unhealthy snacks, and all because of the nut imposter that is the peanut, for its name is deceptive. The peanut is actually a legume. So what about actual nuts? In this blog we’ll look at some nuts that can do wonders for your body and your health…

1. Almonds

Great For – Antioxidants                              Not So Good – Fairly high in fat

Almonds are great antioxidants
Almonds are often used in cooking, but can make an excellent general snack, They have a sweet taste, while not having a vast amount of sweetness in them. Almonds contain 24.5g of fat in a 50g serving. This is not uncommonly high for nuts, and it’s not all bad. Only 2g of the total fat is saturated, and a lot of it is omega 6 fatty acids, great for growth and development. The rest is unsaturated fat, which is essential for the use of antioxidants, and is not the type of fat that clogs arteries. Almonds big pluses include 11% of your RDA iron, and 25% of your RDA of copper. These are both essential minerals for blood creation. Almonds also pack 65% of your RDA of vitamin E, an essential antioxidant which will help convert free radicals created during exercise.

2. Cashews

Great For – Mineral Content      Not So Good – Not too filling

Cashews are one of the more readily available nuts and have a distinctive taste. They don’t contain as much fat as almonds, with 22g per 50g of nuts, but 4g of that is saturated, so they are slightly higher in that respect. That said, they contain complete protein, with 9g per 50g of nuts, and this is accompanied by excellent levels of minerals. Fifty grams of cashews will give you 55% of your daily copper, 40% of your daily manganese, which is great for energy production, 30% of your RDA phosphorus essential for cell function and energy creation and 36% of your RDA magnesium, which is great for muscle function. Overall, the cashew might be slightly higher in fat, but only 50g can boost your mineral levels, acting like a natural multi-mineral.

3. Chestnuts

Great For – Low fat                         Not So Good – Limited protein and mineral content

Chestnuts are commonly sourced as a winter food, particularly around thanksgiving and Christmas. They might be an excellent addition to turkey meals, but the chestnut is also a healthy option for snacking and adding to dishes throughout the year. Chestnuts contain almost no fat, which is brilliant for weight loss. In addition, all the calories in chestnuts comes in the form of carbohydrates, mostly starch, which adds to slow release energy.  Chestnuts are also an excellent source of vitamin C, with 50g of nuts giving you 34% of your RDA. Vitamin C is excellent for boosting your immune system, and will support your body’s defences. Chestnuts have also got good levels of B vitamins and potassium, so they improve energy metabolism and hydration levels.

4. Brazil nuts

Great For – Antioxidants and Mood        Not So Good – Saturated Fat

Ok, so brazil nuts are a bit on the cheeky side. In 50g of nuts you will find 7.5g of saturated fat. It is a little high, about 35% of your RDA, but if you are watching your saturated fat levels in other meals, you can afford to add some here. As a result, brazil nuts are higher in calories than other nuts we have looked at. That said, they also have huge levels of omega 6 fatty acids, as well as vast amounts of magnesium, phosphorus, copper, thiamine, manganese and zinc (which will boost your sperm count gentlemen!). These nuts also contain 15% of your RDA of vitamin E, an essential antioxidant, as well as the brazil nuts trump card, selenium. Selenium is essential for thyroid function and antioxidant properties. Recent studies have also found that selenium boosts mood and reduces depression. So if you have a dark chocolate covered brazil nut (chocolate release endorphins, which are happy hormones) you are onto an amazing mood boosting nut!

Nut so good?

Some nuts are high in fats, like most nuts, but are lacking in the boosting properties of their healthier alternatives, and as such, should be avoided more often than not. The following nuts make the FO-OD  ‘nut so good’ list of nuts to avoid…

·         Macadamia nuts – High in saturated fats, but low in omega 6 fatty acids, and also lacking in vitamins and minerals

·         Pecans – High in fat and not too filling. Other nuts have much better levels of vitamins and minerals without the high fat levels.

·         Walnuts – High fat levels, including saturated fat, and low levels of antioxidants. You might find evidence that they have good levels of omega 3 fatty acids, which they do, but not as much as oily fish, which contain more protein and less fat.

Conclusions

Nuts are a healthy option for snacking and are now widely available. It is important to stay away from salted nuts, as the extra sodium is never really needed. Some nuts are certainly better than others and it is important to consider your diet and nutrition needs before choosing which nuts to eat. Always limit your serving to a maximum 50g, as this means you get good nutrition without the large amount of fat that can come from a nut source.

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Happy Eating!

Thursday 31 January 2013

4 Great Fruits for Weight Loss


Fruit and weight loss have always been paired, as they are generally seen as a healthy option. We seem to associate anything we find on the fruit aisle as a healthy option, and great on a diet. For the most part, this is not a vast misconception. Most fruits have good calorific values, are mostly lacking in any fat or cholesterol. Yet many fruits are not excellent for people who are looking to cut calories and this is often caused by the concept of 'natural' sugars. There is an idea within healthy eating that fruit sugars are better for you and that they have better effects on the body. This causes many dieters to take in a lot of fruit, thinking the sugar in them is good for them. The fact is that any carbohydrate, that includes glucose (sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar) all contain 4 calories per gram. The key therefore to weight loss and fruit is to find the fruits which limit the sugar content, and have good levels of vitamins and minerals. This will make them filling, but not calorific. This blog will look at which 4 fruits are best to eat to boost weight loss.

1. Grapefruit

Pink great-fruit?
Grapefruit is a common fruit in fruit salads across the country and it also happens to be a champion weight loss fruit. A hundred grams of grapefruit contains only 32 calories, a tiny amount of your daily calorie needs. Pink grapefruit has no fat, salt or cholesterol, and contains 8g of carbohydrates, with 6g of this coming from sugar. This means that grapefruit tastes good, while not giving you needless calories. As a body booster, it also contains excellent amount of vitamin C, an antioxidant that's great for your general health and immune system, as well as good amounts of vitamin A, another antioxidant which supports the formation of teeth and bones. To top it off, grapefruit is also particularly filling, meaning that you wont find yourself back in the fridge too quickly after you have your 100g of grapefruit.

2. Watermelon

Better for you than you think...
Watermelon gives away it's low calorie properties in its name. Watermelon is 92% water, meaning that it is really low in calories. In fact a 100g slice of watermelon will only add 30 calories to your diet, so it's almost like not eating at all! The calories come from the carbohydrates, with 8g in total, and 6g from sugar. This sugar is mostly fructose, the fruit sugar we mentioned earlier. This demonstrates that fruit still adds calories and cannot be ignored. To help your body out, watermelon contains extra vitamin C and A again, and of course, no salt, cholesterol or fat. Watermelon also happens to be filling, so you won't need a lot of it, and to really help out, it has a very low glycaemic load, so the sugar you do eat won't send your blood sugar through the roof (if you're a parent take note, the sugars in watermelon will not go straight to your kids heads!).

3. Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe is filled with good stuff! 
Cantaloupe is a type of melon that is more common in the USA than it is in the UK. If you visit your local supermarket though you are sure to find some, and by finding some, you find an excellent source of diet boosting food. Cantaloupes only have 34 calories per 100g, so you can almost gorge on it without adding too many calories. The sugar content is 8g per 100g, making cantaloupe a sweeter tasting fruit than watermelon and grapefruit, and yet you only give away 2 extra calories on the grapefruit. Cantaloupe is stuffed full of beta-carotene which is an important antioxidant, and is amazing for your body, as well as good levels of vitamin C. It also contains a good amount of potassium, important for muscle function. It's important that you wash cantaloupe properly, as it can have salmonella growing on its skin, so clean it thoroughly and don't keep it over 3 days.

4. Strawberries

Not just for the summer...
Strawberries are a very British food, synonymous with tennis, English summers and cream. But if you take away the cream, rainy summer days and rackets, you're left with a fruit that is high in taste, but low in calories. In 100g of strawberries you will find only 32 calories, with no fat, cholesterol or salt. The sugars that are contained in strawberries total only 5g, and you also get 2g of fibre in 100g of strawberry, so it aids your digestive transit. Strawberries, much like other fruits packs in a lot of vitamin C, but strawberries also have 19% if your daily manganese, an essential nutrient for energy production. Strawberries are a filling choice and have a good balance of vitamins and minerals, making them an excellent choice for the health conscious.

Are There Bad Fruits?

Fruits are never going to be as high in calories as the foods which are high in fat, as fat has higher calorific values than sugar. That means that if you choose fruit, you cannot go too wrong, but below are a number of fruits which (in 100g) have significantly more calories than our weight loss fruits above, and might be better to avoid when you want a low calorie snack...

  • Prunes – 339 calories
  • Raisins – 229 calories
  • Plantains – 122 calories
  • Passion Fruit – 97 calories
  • Bananas – 89 calories
  • Pomegranates – 83 calories

Now this doesn't mean that the fruits above are bad for you, just that they contain more calories, and as such are beneficial for many reasons, but are not too useful as a snack when you are looking to reduce calories. Try the low calorie fruits as your food of choice when you feel like you need to eat between meals, as they are filling, nutritious and low in additional calories.

You can find out more about fruits on our other blogs, including 4 fruits for athletic performance and 4 fruits for immune system boosting.

Follow us on twitter www.twitter.com/foodnutriblog

Happy Eating!

Monday 28 January 2013

4 Fruits that Enhance Athletic Performance


Fruit isn’t something that you regularly see as a performance enhancing food, but the content of some fruits can be beneficial in aiding your gym performance. Whether you are trying to add bulk, improve your cardiovascular fitness or enhance your power and strength, fruit has the vitamins and minerals, as well as the sugars that you need to get the best gains from your routine. But that’s not all fruit, and just like the fruits we looked at in the immune support blog, there are better fruits to improve athletic performance. We will look at some of those today…

Athletic performance is obviously a broad topic to discuss in relation to food, as the body requires many nutrients for performance. That said, it can be useful to know what fruits can offer you the support that your macronutrients are supplying for your diet.

1. Passion Fruit

Passionate about performance?
Passion fruit might sound more like something you take on a date picnic, but actually, it has an interesting mix of nutrients that support a workout. Firstly passion fruit contains good levels of carbohydrate, with 23g per 100g, and 11g of that being sugar. That's not all bad, as it is essential that you have small amounts of sugar for your workout. In addition to its sugar benefits, passion fruit also has 8% of your RDA of iron, essential for blood formation and the creation of ATP, your body's energy chemical compound. It also packs in 7% of your RDA of magnesium, which is essential for muscle contraction and 9% of your daily potassium, which is important for fluid balance.

2. Blackcurrants

More than just juice...
Blackcurrants are usually found in fruit juice form, as they pack in plenty of flavour, and are regularly used in cordials. They can aid your workout with there vitamin and mineral balance, and they also support your immune system. They are stuffed full of vitamin C and a number of other antioxidants in high numbers so they help with your health. That aside, they also pack a punch in the gym. 8% of your daily iron, and 9% of your daily potassium makes them a very useful support, especially in a smoothie, in which you can add other fruits to improve the balance of nutrients. As an added bonus you also get 5% of your RDA calcium, which will help you to make more forceful muscle contractions.

3. Guava

Guava is a class gym hero
Guava is a relatively new fruit to the British supermarket, and if you're not sure what it is, you are not alone. It is a fruit found in tropical countries, and looks like a small watermelon. It contains good levels of sugar, at 8g per 100g of fruit. This means it isn't too heavy for those looking to burn calories in the gym. It also has 11% of your copper and 11% of your potassium, so it boosts your muscles and energy levels. It also boasts 302% of your RDA of vitamin C, which helps the absorption of iron, without oxidising it, so its good for your health and your creation of red blood cells.

4. Raisins

The superfood you're missing!
Now, raisins aren't usually considered to be a real fruit, because of the process of making the, and the way they come in a box, but the raisin is a superhero of a fruit. First of all, a 100g serving gives you 59g of sugar. That makes these little fruits like natural jelly beans, just packed with energy. But that isn't all the humble raisin has for you. It contains 21% of your RDA of potassium, so your fluid balance and muscle contractions will be prepared for your session. Raisins also have 10% of your RDA of phosphorus, which regulates calcium (important for muscle contraction) and helps to make ATP, which in combination with the 10% RDA of your iron means you'll be energy rich! Throw in 15% of your RDA of copper, which aids the iron in the creation of haemoglobin, and you'll find the raisin boosts your performance.

Conclusions

There you have it, four fruits which really can help you push yourself harder in the gym. Eaten properly as part of a balanced diet, and ensuring you get the right level of recovery (see our blog about post exercise recovery here) you can use these fruits to aid your performance.

For 4 fruits that boost your immune system, click here. Find out about 4 weight loss fruits here.

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Wednesday 23 January 2013

Superfood Breakfast - Salmon and Avocado Muffins


Breakfast is often described at the most important meal of the day; you just cannot miss it if you want to be healthy. Most people have two concerns in the morning before work, one is the alarm, and the other is catching up to work after you get up late! Often people leave little time for breakfast, or grab a coffee and a croissant on the way into the office. We all think that we need breakfast, but what makes an excellent breakfast? And how can an excellent breakfast also be quick to make and portable? In this article we will look at one option that allows for excellent nutrition, fast preparation and on the go eating.

Sunday 6 January 2013

Red Lentils


A whole range of lentils are available,
but the orange ones are the red lentils
Ingredient

Red Lentils

Information

Lentils are a member of the legume family of foods. Uncooked they are a small hard circular legume the size of a small pea. They are orange when uncooked, and turn yellow after boiling. They need to be properly cooked before eating, and boiling or stewing is a commonly used method. After cooking they turn yellow in colour

Nutritional Information

Per 100g of cooked lentils

Nutrient
Value per 100g
Energy
116 kcal
Proteins
9
Carbohydrates
20
Sugar
2
Fats
Trace
Fibre
8
Folate
181 micrograms
Potassium
369 micrograms


Where it is usually eaten?

Lentils are great in stews and soups. They are regularly used in indian dishes, as they grow well in the subcontinent, but are also commonly added to vegetable dishes. Lentils have a fairly neutral taste, and so it is not uncommon to add soaked lentils to any other dishes, including pasta and rice, to add good quality protein and roughage.

What are it’s uses?

Lentils have excellent levels of protein, so vegetarians find them very useful as part of a varied diet. They contain all the essential amino acids, though you still need additional protein sources for a balanced diet. The carbohydrate level in good, and heavily strachy, meaning a low level of glycemic index and slow release energy.

Hidden Benefits

Lentils have many benefits, but its trump cards are its levels of fibre and folic acid. Fibre is essential for digestive transit, and at 8g per 100g of lentil, with the RDA between 18g and 30g, this is a significant contribution to your fibre intake.

Folic acid is essential for good health, with about 300 micrograms needed for the average adult daily diet. But the hidden benefit is for pregnant and breastfeeding women. The need for folilc acid in these groups is double the average, and regularly supplements are taken. Lentils are a natural source, with 181 micrograms per 100g of lentils when cooked, they are a great source of this essential vitamin.


Pros

·         Good carbohydrate levels

·         Low in sugar

·         High in protein

·         High in fibre

·         Excellent folic acid levels and low levels of vitamin D.

Cons

·         Low levels of methionine, an essential amino acid needed to use other amino acids

·         Low fat levels for those looking for a rounded diet

·         Shorter cooking times than other lentils, but less nutritional content.


Summary

Red lentils are an excellent source of carbohydrates, protein and fibre. They are great with many types of food, particularly soups and stews. They are great for pregnant women as they have no vitamin D, and lots of folic acid. An all round great source of nutrients, but make sure your protein intake is vaired beyond legumes.

Scoring

Carbs 4/5 – high starches, low sugars

Fats 4/5no fats here, so great, unless your looking for them

Proteins 3.5/5 – high levels of protein but be careful about the methionine

Vitamins 4.5/5 – great levels of folic acid and other B vitamins

Minerals – 4/5 – zero sodium and high amounts of potassium

Fibre – 5/5 – great levels of fibre for a healthy diet

Water 5/5 – as a cooked ingredient they are saturated with water, so a great way to take in extra fluid

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