'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

How Much Do You Know About Homocysteine?

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Are you keen to reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, infertility, Alzheimer's and dementia? If so, my advice is to check your homocysteine levels every few years. Homocysteine is a naturally occurring amino acid (a protein building block) which is involved in essential chemical pathways in the body. Increasingly, medical experts are warning that elevated levels in the blood may be more of a risk factor for disease than raised levels of LDL cholesterol but the good news is that it can be normalised through diet and vitamin supplementation.

 

Have a look at the YorkTest Laboratories Homocysteine Test Kit plus their video on how to take the test at home before you launch into a decision. It’s a bit of a financial outlay (£149, although they occasionally do special offers so keep an eye out for those) but if you choose to go ahead, you can be confident that after analysis of the levels of homocysteine in your blood, the company will provide guidance on diet and supplementation in a bid to get a healthy balance back and decrease the associated risks. NB: this test is only available in the UK and Ireland.

This step by step video will walk you through the process of taking our Homocysteine test with clear and simple instructions.

The Giant Easter Omelette!

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Napoleon was clearly as sharp at the dinner table as he was on the battlefield! Legend has it that when he stopped at an inn in the south western French town of Bessières one Easter he was so taken with the omelette he was served that he asked for a giant version of same to be made by the villagers to feed his entire army! And, so the giant easter omelette tradition was born...

 

Easter is upon us so it's got to be eggs, eggs and more eggs and whilst the chocolate ones may not be regarded as a super-healthy addition to your diet (other than the very deepest, darkest variety which offer a number of health-protective plant chemicals), a bit of a chocolate-fest for a day or two surely can't do too much damage!

 

Fresh eggs from happy pasture-fed hens, on the other hand, rightly deserve their super food status. Not only are they an excellent source of protein but they also offer good levels of heart, brain, nerve and hormone-friendly Omega 3 fatty acids - and - the list of essential vitamins and minerals they provide is impressive. Plus... they are fabulously-inexpensive and very low in calories!

 

Whether you like them boiled, scrambled, poached, fried or (if you have the required skills - omeletted), there are endless ways you can feast on them this Easter and reap all the benefits.

 

Here are a few of my suggestions that don't have to involve a giant omelette pan! Just click on the images for recipes