Liquid Indulgence

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Fiona Kirk Nutrition Coffee Does You Good

Why your morning cup of coffee, your afternoon cup of tea and your evening alcoholic pick me up can offer a hefty health boost!

Research continues to uncover the power of phytonutrients (plant chemicals) in not only helping to protect us from disease but also in boosting our defences. Coffee, tea and alcohol, once deemed our evil indulgences are right up there alongside broccoli and berries - as long as we choose carefully! Here’s a rundown on the best of the best, what makes them great and how and when to fit them into a health-enhancing diet and reap the benefits. As our great grannies were wont to say “a little of what you fancy does you good” and who would have thought that after so many years of being told to swap our morning cuppa for a fruit smoothie and our stress-relieving glass of wine in the evening for a large glass of sparkling water we may have been doing ourselves more good than harm before we got caught up in the possible frenzy of abstinence! 

  • COFFEE - make it dark, make it rich, make it Fairtrade, make it freshly-ground, buy the best you can afford and make the addition of milk and/or sugar an occasional treat. The less-processed the coffee, the more antioxidant-rich and protective plant chemicals you get and the smaller the cup, the greater the punch. If your usual coffee habit is a milky, frothy, sugary concoction, start the process by adopting the Italian habit of having a small, dark, single espresso with a large glass of water on the side early doors and to benefit from the now-well-documented fat-busting properties of top-quality coffee beans, wait at least 30 minutes before having your first meal of the day
  • TEA - make it black, green, white or red, buy loose leaves and infuse your own tea whenever possible or spend a little extra to make sure your tea bags are either organically-grown or sympathetically-processed. If milk is required, add a splash of full-fat from pasture-raised cows (makes a way better cup of tea and adds nourishment to your cuppa) and if a dash of sweetness is required, stir in a little Manuka honey

  • ALCOHOL - red wines (particularly the Pinot Noir, Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties) get the vote for their richness in the protective plant chemical, resveratrol but the white, rosé and fizzy varieties don't do a too-shabby job either as long as you keep it dry - the drier the wine, the more antioxidant-rich it is and the less health-disrupting sugar is involved. Discerningly-produced beers also offer respectable amounts of protective plant chemicals and are increasingly being flagged up for their possible health benefits as do spirits but sadly, many prefer to enjoy their spirits with all manner of super-sugary, fizzy extras which do little other than upset blood sugar levels, prompt the need for another 'hit' and add inches to waistlines. On the rocks or with soda is the way to go with spirits if you are looking for possible health benefits and most important of all - make sure you adopt a responsible stance where alcohol is concerned and stay within the recommended daily levels.

'Feast on Fish’ for Enviable Energy Levels and All-Round Better Health!

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Many experts have written huge tomes on the now-proven health benefits bestowed upon us when we get a load of these little and large swimmers into our diet on a regular basis and yet many still fear them and either don’t eat them at all or only when they are coated in batter and deep-fried which is nothing short of a tragedy!

Other than those who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet or where food culture or religion determines the absence of animal flesh, seafood should be a staple at least 4 times a week if we want to see and feel the relative health benefits.

Most of these are because fish and shellfish are a rich source of the Omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA which are associated with a decreased risk of heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, skin complaints, mental health issues and certain cancers.

a diet rich in omega 3s has also been proven to boost energy levels, strengthen our immune system and encourage weight loss

Learning to love fish if you are not currently a big fan can take time but it is time well-spent and isn’t as hard as you might think. Get friendly with your local fishmonger who will happily remove heads, tails, bones, shells etc. and not only present you with a ready-to-cook (in the bag if you prefer!) thing of deliciousness but also offer advice on added extras to make your dish sing. And, slowly but surely, you can become a little more adventurous while you experiment and find the swimmers that, once enjoyed, become regular favourites.

here are a few suggestions to get you started on your 'fish fest' - click on the images to download, save and print off the recipes

It’s Not Only Carrots that Help Us See in the Dark

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FIONA KIRK NUTRITION CARROTS

Few of us escape a deterioration in our eyesight as we age, largely because our peepers are exposed to potentially-harmful, high-energy blue wavelengths of light for anywhere between 10 and 16 hours per day. Carrots have long been associated with our quest to retain 20:20 vision because they are a rich source of beta carotene which converts in the body to vitamin A (an essential for eye tissue health), but more recently, dark green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach and cabbage and herbs like parsley are stepping forcefully into the limelight.

They are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, two nutrients that are important for eye health as both are found in high concentrations in the small central part of the retina which is responsible for good central vision. The over-riding message appears to be that carrots just ‘aint enough so let’s look at how we can factor a wealth of green, eye-protective foods into our day without having to force down a plate of boiled cabbage!

  • add baby spinach leaves to juices, smoothies and salads and sling a good handful into soups and stews just before serving so the spinach retains its glorious green colour and doesn't lose its nutritional splendour
  • scatter finely-chopped parsley and other herbs over everything from dips to meat, poultry and fish dishes to curries and soups and make herb pestos which keep in the fridge for days and add an extra dimension to pasta and rice dishes
  • cabbage, kale and other rather chewy dark green vegetables are not to everyone's taste so the secret here is to make sure you always slice them very, very finely (a mandolin or a food processor makes light work of this chore), quickly stir fry them in a little oil with sliced spring onions, peppers or finely-diced chilli and top them with some toasted nuts and/or seeds before using as a deliciously-tasty and nutritionally-splendid base for grilled meat, poultry or fish
  • eggs and greens are a marriage made in heaven - get into the habit of making baked omelettes or fritattas adding in whatever greens you have in stock

here are a few of my favourite dishes that focus on greens (and of course, carrots) for some worthy eye support! Click on the images for the recipes

I Don't Like Mondays and I Don't Do Breakfast!

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How often have you read or heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? And yet most days, the last thing on your mind first thing in the morning is food! Are you risking your health? Are you setting yourself up for likely weight gain? Time for some informed clarification!

Fiona Kirk Nutrition Do You Do Breakfast? Ham and Eggs

Yes, there are a number of studies out there that indicate that those who took part in various experiments and had breakfast every morning were less hungry throughout the day and therefore ate less than those who body swerved breakfast BUT - and it’s a rather big BUT - there are equally many studies that indicate that breakfast-skippers don’t eat more during the remainder of the day and don’t gain weight.

The most important advice I wish to pass on here is that it has a great deal to do with the following:

what you ate yesterday (particularly later in the day)

how hungry you are first thing in the morning

how the day ahead looks

If you can’t force down anything other than a cup of tea or coffee or perhaps some fruit juice first thing in the morning but know that you are going to have time for a nourishing mid morning snack, go for it. However, if your morning is likely to be full-on with little chance of any nourishment until lunchtime, a bit of goodly nourishment - whether it be first thing, on your way to work or once you get there - IS A MUST.

The biochemical reasoning behind this advice is that if you wait until the level of glucose in your bloodstream takes a dive, not only will you begin to feel a bit lightheaded and (god forbid) be a bit ratty with friends, family or work colleagues but you also run the risk of possibly grabbing and hoovering down the kind of quick-fix snack that will likely do little other than keep you going for an hour or so and probably add rather more than you wish to your fat stores!

If you are following one of my diets that champion 3 meals a day with no snacks, breakfast is important and as long as you plan ahead, there are plenty of protein and fat-rich choices that you can either have before you go out the door or as soon as you feel hungry during the morning.

If you prefer my small meals and snacks throughout the day diet options, it's simply a matter of fitting your first meal/snack into your morning when hunger beckons. The only warning here is that you should avoid waiting until an energy dip starts to overwhelm you - be ahead of the game and all will be well!

the images above are some of my top-notch early to mid morning recommendations - and you can find them all on my recipe page