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Friday 30 March 2012

Question on Protein & Carbohydrates

One of our Newsletter readers today contacted me to let me know that she had recently had a check up and was happy, however had a question. I thought the answer may benefit others reading my blog too, so here it is...

"I went to my Doctor for a checkup Wednesday he took some blood samples to see how is my blood sugar. And he is happy with my new weight, I got the results back today my blood sugar is normal and he said I must follow a high Protein diet I have to much Carbohydrates in my body. So can you tell me what kind of food/ Veggies and fruits is high in protein and low in Carbohydrates?

Thanks for the help."


Hi [blanked for privacy],

Great news on the advice from your doctor.

The Carbohydrates and Proteins inbalance is easy enought to get back on track.

Foods that are high in Carbohydrates are foods such as breads, and pasta dishes so try to reduce the intake on these.

Foods that are great for protein are things like chicken and turkey breasts, so you could have some chicken salads for example. Also naturally oily fish is great for protein and also rich in the healthy Omega 3. So include fish such as Tuna, Macarel, Salmon, Sardines, etc into your diet if you can.

Lentil type beans are rich in protein but not as high as the amount from Chicken or Eggs as eggs also are great for protein intake.

Also nuts such as peanuts, almonds, and pistachios are great for protein. They are great as a snack and keep hunger at bay too.

Also yeast extract (marmite) is very rich in protein but you either love it or hate it :)

Fruits and Veg don't really fit into the carohydrates or protein catagories however some have small trace amounts in them. Try to balance your variety of fruit and veg so that you can get more of the micro minerals available from the choice available and remember to avoid processed foods as much as you can.

I hope this helps :)

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Tuesday 27 March 2012

10 Relationship Enhancing Healthy Foods

#1 Watermelon

Highlighted Content: Citrulline


Watermelon is rich with citrulline, an amino acid that helps improve blood flow to the heart and genitalia, as well as to the rest of the body.

Citrulline is highly effective at relaxing blood vessels. Result: Increased blood flow to your sexual organs.

In fact, citrulline is actually found in higher concentrations in watermelon rind than in the flesh, but there's still plenty citrulline in the delicious flesh to make eating it worthwhile.

#2 Bananas

Highlighted Content: Bromelain, Potassium, Vitamin B (Riboflavin)


Bananas are said to be increasing your sexual desire due to rich in the enzyme bromelain (as well as pineapples).Bromelain is believed to increase libido and reverse impotence in men.

Besides that, they are also good sources of potassium and vitamin B like riboflavin, which increase the body's overall energy levels and vital for the production of sex hormones, or testosterone.

#3 Avocados

Highlighted Content: Vitamin B6, Potassium, Folic Acid


The Aztecs called the avocado tree "ahuacatl," or "testicle tree." Well, at least they got it right.

While avocados can indeed look like that body part, it contains tons of vitamin B6 to increase male hormone production, and potassium to regulate a woman's thyroid gland, avocados play a role in boosting libido for both sexes.

They're also rich in folic acid, which helps metabolize proteins, thus important for energy and stamina.

#4 Eggs

Highlighted Content: Vitamin B5 and B6, Cholesterol, Vitamin A


Why are eggs considered as an aphrodisiac?

Eggs are known as a good source of Vitamin B5 and B6 that help fight stress, balance hormone levels and are critical to a healthy libido. Since high levels of stress can lower your sex drive, eating eggs surely is a great way to overcome it after a tired day at work!

Egg yolks contain cholesterol, which are important building blocks for testosterone. Eating raw eggs is one of the most direct ways of increasing testosterone and ultimately enhancing the male libido.

Moreover, eggs are also one of the most important sources of vitamin A, which keeps the epithelial tissues healthy. These tissues line all of the internal and external surfaces of the body, specifically the woman genital organ.

#5 Fish

Highlighted Content: Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin B5, B6 and B12


Most fish, especially mackerel, salmon and halibut contain large amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, which enhance the nervous system and boost circulation. Since huge part of healthy sex for both men and women is increasing blood flow, eating fish is one of the good way to increase your sexual desire!

Fish is also good sources of essential Vitamin B5, B6 and B12, all of which are important in keeping good reproductive health.

#6 Almonds

Highlighted Content: Essential fatty acids

Almonds are another major source of essential fatty acids. Almonds provide the basis for the healthy production of male hormones that are important in regulating sex-drive.

In addition, the smell of almonds is found to arouse passion in female. You can add to the sexual ambience by lighting some almond-scented candles to build up her mood. Perhaps eating chocolate with almond should be nice idea to try!

But please be careful.Some people have allergies to almonds. Severity of almond-induced allergic reactions ranges from slight oral allergy syndrome to severe and even potentially fatal systemic reactions (anaphylactic shock, swelling of the throat and asthma)

#7 Chilies

Highlighted Content: Capsaicin

 
The stuff that makes chilies hot, capsaicin, can actually boost your libido. Have you ever noticed a natural high when eating chilies? Capsaicin promotes the release of chemicals that can raise your heart rate, stimulates nerve endings and trigger the release of endorphins. Endorphins produce feelings of euphoria and pleasure, and they have a calming effect. They fill you with a sense of well-being and relaxation.

#8 Garlic

Highlighted Content: Allicin

Bad on the breath but good on the sex drive. Garlic contains high levels of allicin - a compound that can improve blood flow to the sexual organs. As such, it's a highly effective herb to help. Allicin is only produced once garlic has been chopped as it is produced through an enzyme reaction.

If you or your partner can't stand the odour of garlic, both of you can always take garlic capsules as an alternatives.Besides, allicin is also has great anti-fungal properties.

#9 Figs

Highlighted Content: Amino acids


These are high in amino acids, which are believed to increase libido. They can also improve sexual stamina.

#10 Chocolate

Highlighted Content: Theobromine, Phenylethylamine, Anti-oxidants

Chocolate is a sure-fire sexual stimulant. It contains theobromine, an alkaloid which is very similar to caffeine.

It also has phenylethylamine, something believed to produce the feeling of "being in love."

What make it more special is dark chocolate has a massive amount of anti-oxidants, which are great for the body in general to help maintain the immune system.

The Journal of Sexual Medicine published a study that found, women who enjoyed a piece of chocolate every day had a more active sex life than those who didn't.


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Rainbow superfood salad


















Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 1 hr 20 min

Serves: 6

Ingredients

  • 3 medium raw beetroot, about 250g each, unpeeled
  • 6 tomatoes, halved lengthways
  • 8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small (about 600g) butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and chopped into 3cm cubes
  • 1 heads broccoli
  • 250 g fresh podded peas, shelled, or 60g frozen peas
  • 3 tbsp quinoa
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 200 g chestnut mushrooms
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 150 g red cabbage, finely shredded
  • 3 tbsp toasted mixed seeds such as sunflower, poppy and sesame
  • small handful alfalfa shoots
  • French dressing, to serve

Method

1. Set 3 shelves in the oven and preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

2. Put two of the beetroot in a small roasting tray with a good sprinkling of salt and about 100ml water. Cover with foil and roast on the top shelf of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until a knife goes easily into the beetroot.

3. Lay the tomatoes cut-side up on a baking tray, season with salt and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Bake them in the oven for about 1 hour on the lowest shelf.

4. Put the cubes of butternut squash on another baking tray and roll them in a little oil and plenty of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven on the middle shelf for 45 minutes, moving everything around at least once during the cooking time.

5. While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the other ingredients. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil and blanch the broccoli florets and peas for 2 minutes. Lift them out with a slotted spoon into a colander and run them under cold water until completely cooled.

6. Tip the quinoa into the broccoli water and stir; then simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and leave to cool.

7. Heat a frying pan until hot, then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and when hot, lightly fry the garlic for a moment, swiftly followed by the mushrooms. Season with salt, pepper and the lemon juice and remove them from the pan in less than 4 minutes.

8. Place the shredded cabbage in a bowl. Peel and grate the remaining raw beetroot and mix with the cabbage.

9. When the roasted vegetables are cooked, leave them to cool, but peel the beetroot while it is still warm and cut into chunky wedges.

9. Layer the vegetables in a large glass serving bowl, starting with the quinoa on the bottom, then the cabbage and beetroot mix, followed by the broccoli and peas, squash, tomatoes, mushrooms, toasted seeds and the alfalfa sprouts. Serve with French dressing. 


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Never Sick


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Sunday 25 March 2012

Are you drinking too much alcohol?

We're supposed to be keeping an eye on how much we drink, but how many of us really know what a unit of alcohol is?

With so many different drinks and glass sizes, from shots to pints – not to mention bottles – it's easy to get confused about how many units are in your drink.

The idea of counting alcohol units was first introduced in the UK in 1987 to help people keep track of their drinking.

Units are a simple way of expressing the quantity of pure alcohol in a drink. One unit equals 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol, which is around the amount of alcohol the average adult can process in an hour. This means that within an hour there should be, in theory, little or no alcohol left in the blood of an adult, although this will vary from person to person.

The number of units in a drink is based on the size of the drink as well as its alcohol strength. For example, a pint of strong lager contains 3 units of alcohol, whereas the same volume of standard lager has just over 2 units.


Calculating units

Using units is a simpler way of representing a drink's alcohol content, which is usually expressed by the standard measure ABV, which stands for alcohol by volume.

ABV is a measure of the amount of pure alcohol as a percentage of the total volume of liquid in a drink.
The NHS recommends:

Men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol a day
Women should not regularly drink more than 2-3 units a day

'Regularly' means drinking this amount every day or most days of the week.

You can find the ABV on the labels of cans and bottles, sometimes written as "vol" or "alcohol volume" or you can ask bar staff about particular drinks.

For example, wine that says "12% ABV" or "alcohol volume 12%" means that 12% of the volume of that drink is pure alcohol.

You can work out how many units there are in any drink by multiplying the total volume of a drink (in ml) by its ABV (which is measured as a percentage) and dividing the result by 1,000.

Strength (ABV) x Volume (ml) ÷ 1,000 = units.

For example, to work out the number of units in a pint (568ml) of strong lager (ABV 5.2%):

5.2 (%) x 568 (ml) ÷ 1,000 = 2.95 units


Drinks and units

A 750ml bottle of red, white or rose wine (ABV 13.5%) contains 10 units.



*Gin, rum, vodka, whisky, tequila, sambuca. Large (35ml) single measures of spirits are 1.4 units.


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Monday 12 March 2012

5 A Day Planner

We all know how important it is to get our 5 a day but it's not always easy to keep track, especially if you have a family! So use this interactive tool to help you plan your shopping and achieve that 5 a day target!




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