Posts Tagged ‘health’

Can you really slow down the aging process?

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

When you get to a certain point in your life, slowing down the ageing process can suddenly seem like something that is worth taking an interest in.

Ador was fascinated to read recently how scientists from Tufts University in Boston, USA have found that having a diet rich in fruits and vegetables – and so rich too in the mineral potassium – can slow down the rate at which our bodies lose muscle.

Losing muscle mass is a natural part of the ageing process and accounts for gradual loss of strength and increasing frailty, along with a lowering of our metabolic rate (which means that we burn fewer calories each day).

This loss of muscle may in part be due to the gradual acidosis that occurs in our bodies, with the more acid environment triggering muscle wastage. Eating alkali producing fruits and vegetables appears to help to reduce this process.

In a study of nearly 400 male and female volunteers over 65, those eating a fruit, vegetable and potassium-rich diet averaged 3.6 more pounds of lean muscle mass in their bodies over an 18-month period than those having half the potassium.

As the scientists who carried out the work explained, this almost offsets the 4.4 pounds of lean muscle typically lost in a decade in men and women over 65.

In the UK, the most recent nutritional survey of adults suggests that women are averaging 2,653mg of the 3,500mg daily target (and men 3,367mg).

Meanwhile, in America, the last US federal dietary guidelines issued stressed the importance of older adults getting at least 4,700mg of potassium daily. So given that we do not meet even our lower target of 3500mg, it seems that upping our intakes may be a good thing.

Eating at least ‘five a day’ of fruit and vegetables is a good place to start. A medium-sized baked potato has 1,134mg of potassium, a boiled parsnip has around 675mg, a banana or half a papaya has 400mg, a serving of cooked spinach 270mg and an orange and a pear both have 240mg each.

Other foods also contain potassium and can further boost intakes. A pint of milk gives you 912mg, an individual yoghurt 255mg and two thick slices of wholemeal bread provide 250mg.

So you can see that to meet even the UK target, you really do need to eat a pretty healthy diet – which has got to be a good thing!

The new F-Plan Diet can also help you look younger

Plus check out this guide to six anti-aging foods

Rhubarb recipes

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

Renowned for its medicinal properties in ancient China, rhubarb is due for renaissance. So to accompany the feature on our website, we thought we’d provide some inspiration with regards to rhubarb recipes.

Because it’s quite tart, you may be surprised to learn that this nutritious vegetable – unless you’re in the US, where it’s classified as a fruit – is just as good in sweet and savoury dishes. The classic rhubarb dish, which rose to fame in the UK, is the desert rhubarb crumble.

Below you’ll find a savoury and sweet recipe, plus links to lots more…


Rhubarb Sponge Pudding

This delicious desert serves four and takes around 15mins to prepare and 45mins to cook.

Heat oven to 180°C. Beat 100g soft butter and 100g caster sugar in a bowl until light and creamy. Add 2 large eggs one at a time, beating well.

Gently fold in 100g of sifted self-raising flour, until you have a slightly creamy liquid batter.

Cut 500g of ripe rhubarb stalks into 2cm lengths, throwing away the leaves. Arrange loosely in a greased 1l pie or baking dish, and scatter with 100g of extra caster sugar.

Spoon the batter mixture on top of the fruit in clumps, then smooth them out to cover the rhubarb. Bake for 45mins, or until the topping is golden and cake-like. Serve with cream.


Roast Leg of Lamb with Rhubarb Salsa

Place 1 boned leg of lamb on a bed of carrots (peeled and cut lengthways) in a roasting dish. Combine 100g of honey, 2 cloves of garlic and 1tbsp of red wine vinegar over heat. Once combined, brush over the lamb.

Roast lamb at 180ºC for 2-3hrs, brushing occasionally with any remaining glaze mixture. Once cooked, remove from the oven, place on a tray and leave for 10-15mins before carving.

In a stainless steel saucepan, combine all the salsa ingredients – 1 chopped onion, 100g of raisins, 2 chopped red chillies, 1/2tsp of ground cardamon, and 10 sticks of finely sliced rhubarb.

Cook slowly over a low to medium heat for 5mins, while stirring. Place a lid on the saucepan and cook over a low heat for 5mins more. Remove the lid and turn up the heat to boil off excess liquid. Remove from the heat and serve at room temperature.


More rhubarb recipes

Plus check out Delia Smith’s fabulous Rhubarb and Almond Crumble

Gluten-free Girl and the Chef’s rhubarb recipes

…and click here for even more rhubarb recipes…

Tricks for healthier eating on the go

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

No matter how healthily you try to eat, your plan can be derailed when you’re out and about. Whether it’s for work or pleasure, cafés, fast food restaurants and bars are a haven for calorific food. However, there are ways to avoid the calories and still enjoy your lunch. So here are some tricks to bear in mind…

Coffee shops
Coffee shops seem to be everywhere these days, enticing you in with tempting smells and the promise of a place to rest your legs. Next time you decide to pop in for a ‘quick’ coffee, or a well earned sit down, remember that muffins can easily pack in an astonishing 500cals and 26g of fat. You would be better off buying a standard-sized plain croissant with 250cals (share it if it’s a bumper sized one and avoid the luxury almond types, which pack 480cals each).

Fast food
When you’re out and the only option is fast food lunches, this doesn’t have to just mean burgers, fries and milkshakes – which, incredibly, notch up around 1,300 calories and 60g of fat and can definitely lead to a Super Size You.

Opt instead for a Subway Turkey breast with ham at 290cals, a Burger King Hamburger, also 290cals, or a portion of fish and chips. Believe it or not, splitting a small cod in batter and a potion of chips with a friend will keep your intake down to around 320cals each.

Bars
Usually the more ‘back to basics’ you go, the better. A roast chicken lunch has around 500cals, while a big ham salad has about 400cals. Both make much better choices than a ploughman’s with a pork pie (800cals) or a shepherd’s pie and chips (1,077 cals).

Seaside cafés
A ‘Full-Monty All Day Breakfast’ can give you the equivalent of two meals worth of calorific intake, packing in 1,200cals in one go. Instead, go for scrambled eggs with grilled tomatoes at 420cals and 29g fat. Alternatively, choose grilled mushrooms with grilled lean bacon (250cals) or simply a large serving of baked beans on toast (355cals).

There are also ways to eat healthily on holiday:
Click here for tips on healthy eating in Greece
Click here for tips on healthy eating in Italy

Teenagers are particularly keen on fast food, and often meet in cafés and burger joints. Click here for five ways to get them to eat out healthily.