My Food Swaps
/Over the last couple of weeks I've been focussing on my new series Food Swaps over on my Facebook page but in case you missed it, here it is!
So last month Medical News Today posted an article called 'Does Junk Food Shrink Your Brain?' following a PATH study carried out on adults aged 60-64 by the Australian National University. This tracked their diets and measured the hippocampi (integral to learning, memory and mental health) in the brain. What they found was that sugar, salt and fat can indeed increase your risk of anxiety, depression and dementia so follow me as I show you my recommended Food Swaps to improve your diet and therefore your health now.
Instead of: the burger, the bun, the fries, the ketchups and bbq sauces and all manner of deep fried extras
Go for: 100% meat, poultry or game or a veggie burger wrapped in lettuce leaves with as many vegetables as you can stuff in and a good dollop of salsa, guacamole or hummus
Instead of: sugary, fizzy drinks (diet and zero cal included as they are loaded with unpronounceable and health-disrupting chemicals and do little other than prompt the need for another 'sugar fix')
Go for: fresh fruit and vegetable juices - make your own with whatever is in the fridge/fruit bowl or get down to your local juice bar
Instead of: a latte and a slice of cake (or a pastry)
Go for: 'fat' coffee (also known as 'butter' coffee) and a slice of grapefruit and yoghurt bread.
Instead of: a pizza meal deal (generally involves a can of something fizzy and sugar-laden)
Go for: a mug of carrot soup and a rye crisp bread topped with grated courgette, mashed, tinned salmon, cottage cheese and diced chilli
Instead of: a doner kebab with all the trimmings
Go for: a big mixed salad with plenty of leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, grated apple, avocado, cooked chicken or turkey, a scattering of fresh nuts and a lemon juice, olive oil and mustard dressing
Instead of: a BLT
Go for: an open sandwich (top a thick slice of rye bread with guacamole, fresh prawns, toasted pine nuts and sliced baby tomatoes)