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

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

lettuce wraps

parsley soup

mexican-style baked omelette

spinach and watercress soup

a super-egg brunch

beta carotene cocktail

energy salad

carrot and saffron soup

super-green smoothie

omega 3 salad

pea mint and lettuce soup

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

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!

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!

---

juices and smoothies

ham'n'eggs

fruity oaty breakfast bake

crisp breads

overnight muesli

salmon kedgeree

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

Stay Up to Date with Nutrition News!

I studied at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition (ION) in London before qualifying as a nutritional therapist in 2001. I still attend some of the exciting events they hold (many of which are open to the public) and courses they run and I heartily recommend their quarterly magazine which is always bursting with up to date news on all things nutrition-related and is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand more about the role of nutrition and exercise in health and disease.

It’s available in both print and digital format: ion.ac.uk/magazine/subscription

How Much Do You Know About Homocysteine?

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.