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Strategies To Resist Temptation

July 3, 2012 By

We all face many temptations that compel us to eat more than we actually need, but there are a number of strategies you can adopt to overcome this and cut calories as a result.

The first step is to clear out all tempting foods. If you don’t have it in your house, you can’t eat it. So go through your kitchen cupboards, fridge and freezer and throw out all the high-fat, calorie-laden foods that would ruin your diet. If you feel bad about wasting food, give it to friends, neighbours or relatives that can make good use of it. However you get rid of it, putting unhealthy food in the bin is almost certainly going to be better for you than putting it in your mouth. If you want to keep treats like cookies or cakes in reserve for visitors or other family members, pick a special hiding-place which is awkward to access, and summon up all your will-power. An alternative is to make your own cakes healthier by adding wheat germ when baking by using it instead of a small amount of flour and try using wholemeal flour instead if your regular flour.

Next, tackle your snack attacks by buying smaller packs. This may not make good sense financially (as small packs cost more than large ones, per gram) but it can help you to lose weight. Studies have shown that people will eat less of something if it comes in a small pack. This is what is so risky about jumbo sized bags of crisps. Smaller packs give you more stopping points for you to decide whether you want to carry on eating. Plus, if you know your small snack costs more, you might be persuaded to be a bit more frugal with your snacks. Between meals, opt for fruit instead. If you pick a pear, apple, or a handful of strawberries, you’ll be getting 1.5g of fibre. Getting even that 1.5g of extra fibre a day (although a higher amount is better) is sufficient to reduce your risk of becoming overweight. One of the great things about fibre is that is fills you up without making you fat, because its calories are not absorbed by the body. In addition, fibre boosts the release of hormones into the bloodstream that send an “I’m full, enough already!” message to your brain.

At the very least, find lower-calorie alternatives to the foods you crave. This will help you lose pounds without feeling deprived and miserable, and happiness is the key to sticking to a healthy diet.

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How to be a good chef

April 16, 2012 By

What’s the secret to becoming a good chef? The first and most important ingredient is of course, a passion for food! If you enjoy tasting new foods, trying new recipes and tantalising your taste buds then you have won half the battle already!

 

Of course, there is a little bit more to becoming a chef than just having a love of food. You will need to get lots of hands on experience in the kitchen, for starters, and restaurant kitchens can be a much busier and more stressful environment than the kitchen at home, so can take some getting used to.

Many chefs undertake catering courses at college which involve practical experience in the kitchen, whereas others start in the kitchen and then gain their official qualifications on day release to college.

 

If you are already working in a kitchen, your employers may well pay for you to do your official chef qualifications, such as NVQs and other practical certificates, so it is well worth speaking to them about this as it will only enable you to do an even better job for them.

 

As well as chef qualifications that can be carried out at college, there are food hygiene courses that you will need to complete in order to become a chef. It may be that you have to pay to do a food hygiene course, or that your employer will pay for you to do one, as it is another important part of your job.

 

Once you have fully qualified as a chef you can consider where you would eventually like to work, whether you want to move restaurants, become head chef eventually or even own your own chain of restaurants in the future. All of these options will be open to you as a good chef with all the right experience and training.

Filed Under: Food and Drink Industry, Food for Families, Healthy Eating Tagged With: , , ,

Beauty starts on the inside

February 14, 2012 By

As everyone knows, looking good is an important part of feeling good. If we are happy with how we look on the outside, we have more self-confidence and give off a more confident vibe.

So how do we make sure we look and feel our best every day? Well the good news is that it’s not all about spending huge amounts of money on expensive beauty products and luxury spa treatments. There are plenty of everyday beauty treatments you can try out to start feeling and looking your best from today, without breaking the bank.

One of the simplest things you can do is to make sure your body is healthy on the inside, as this will reflect on the outside. Ensuring you eat a variety of good foods and enjoy a diet that is high in fibre, low in fat and contains plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and the right amounts of calcium and other vital minerals will do wonders for your looks as well as for your sense of general wellbeing.

Many processed foods contain a whole host of unnatural additives, preservatives and flavourings, so cook from scratch where possible and if you can grow any of your own foods, even better! Eating as naturally and healthily as possible will make you feel and look ten times better than if you rely on junk food and live an unhealthy lifestyle.

Choose foods high in the minerals and vitamins needed for healthy hair and skin and top up your natural beauty regime up with reliable skin care and hair care products.

Moisturising every night from a young age will make a big difference to the condition of your skin in years to come, so use a well-trusted product such as Olay and begin your new regime today. For healthy and beautiful-looking hair, use a product such as Pantene on a regular basis and treat yourself to deep conditioning once a week. Having regular trims will also keep your hair looking great.

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Go Organic on a Budget

January 19, 2012 By

So, you’ve decided to go organic. Brilliant! It’s a healthy choice, both for you and the planet, but it may not be so good for your bank balance. Don’t despair, read our tips for cooking organically on a budget.

Buy in Bulk. Buying in bulk will keep costs down. Look for store-cupboard staples often available in bulk, such as beans, pasta, rice, flour, and nuts. Ensure you buy items that will keep for a good length of time, and bear in mind how much you can fit in your kitchen units.


Stock Up. Stock up on your favourite organic items when they go on sale. Try to keep your kitchen units organised so you can see at a glance what to look out for, when shopping. Or experiment with a new item that’s on special offer, and you may discover a new favourite.


Comparison Shop. Just like with normal supermarket shopping, you may be able to find less-expensive alternatives at different stores. Several supermarkets have their own organic brands, and the farmer’s market is a great place to sample new things.

Cook More from Scratch. Convenience equals costly. Buy organic items that are lower in price (such as fresh produce), and make your own dishes from scratch. If you’re current kitchen simply isn’t up to it then talk to Wren Kitchens about creating a culinary work-space to complement your organic lifestyle needs.

Shop in Season. Go to farm shops and farmers’ markets for the freshest, most-delicious produce while supporting local farmers.


Eat With Friends. Get together with some like-minded friends and each prepare an organic dish. This will add variety to your organic diet while keeping your own purchases down. Get together at the weekend and each bring a homemade dish, or arrange a food swap on a weekday to minimize cooking and maximize eating organically.

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Eating right could prevent hair loss

December 26, 2011 By

“We are what we eat” is not just an old wives’ tale. Our diet really does influence everything from our physical health and mental wellbeing to our appearance. And that includes our hair too.

Many women suffer from the distress of hair loss and whilst many turn to products such as Viviscal.co.uk others are keen to see whether nutritional changes can arrest the thinning of their tresses.

Hair is constituted in the main from protein so make sure you include plenty of protein in your diet. Too much red meat brings its own problems so steer clear of steak at every meal. Instead opt for fish and chicken. Other good sources of protein include eggs, low fat cheese, beans and tofu.

Sufficient iron is vital for hair growth so whilst you may not be a fan of liver try to get enough iron from eggs, raisins (excellent for a snack on the move), spinach and whole grain breads and cereals. Your body needs sufficient Vit C to absorb the iron so have a glass of orange juice with your meal.

Zinc, sulphur and calcium are also key to preventing hair loss. Pulses, meat and poultry all contain zinc whilst sulphur can be obtained from garlic, pulses and grains. Dairy products are best known as sources of calcium but it is also present in fish such as sardines and whitebait, as well as certain nuts and fruit.

Caffeine and fizzy drinks are definitely the enemy in trying to prevent hair loss as they leach important vitamins and minerals from the body so stick to water, fruit juice or green tea.

We all want to maintain a healthy weight but avoid crash diets since they can lead to nutritional depletion which has an adverse effect on the hair as well as the rest of your body.

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Eat your way to health!

November 7, 2011 By

One of the easiest ways to ensure you have a healthy diet is to make small changes to the things you already enjoy. There are a million and one fad diets around, some proclaiming to guarantee you instant weight loss if you give up carbs, with others promising you a slimmer waist if you ditch the dairy.

Fad diets such as these are likely to see you drop the pounds, but will the results be long lasting and are the diets sustainable? With so many self-titled experts out there and so much conflicting advice, it can be baffling to know where to start.

The best advice I can give is, rather than concentrating on losing pounds, concentrate on eating healthier and feeling better, and the weight loss will then happen as a side-result anyway.

Instead of cutting out huge swathes of foods or full food groups, concentrate on having healthier versions of the food you love. For instance, if you’re a big bread fan, there’s no need to give it up for life. Simply opt for healthy sandwiches instead of fatty or sugary options.

What this means in practice is that, instead of a cheese sandwich in a floury bap with butter and full-fat mayonnaise, you could try soft cheese and salad in sliced granary bread. Filling your sandwiches with fresh and tasty salad ingredients, such as lettuce, radish, tomato and spring onion (even better if they are home grown) is a brilliant way to bulk out your meals and keep you feeling satisfied without the additional fats and sugars.

Making these little changes to your favourite sandwiches will not only make them healthier, it will mean they keep you going for longer, thanks to the long-lasting energy that these foods provide. And the good news is, they will taste delicious too!

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My friend’s onto a Diet Winner

October 26, 2011 By

A friend of mine regaled me with an amazing story of angst-free weight loss the other day.  She was signed off work, having had a bad back for some time.  She’s been on a diet for around eleven weeks now and has lost an amazing two and a half stone.  Actually, she claims her diet is more of an eating plan and that’s she’s never done anything quite so amazing in her life. [Read more...]

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Things to do with tomatoes

August 30, 2011 By

If you grow your own tomatoes you may well wonder at some stage in the season what on earth you are going to do with them all if you have a bumper crop. Luckily tomatoes form the basis of many a tasty dish and best of all they have great health giving properties.
A tin of tomato soup is all very well if you are in a hurry but there is no comparison to a bowl of home made tomato soup. Everyone has their own favourite recipe but my personal favourite uses chopped bacon, onion, garlic and basil along with a pound of tomatoes and some chicken stock. Cook until everything is soft and whizz it in the blender for as long as it takes for you to get the consistency that you like. It freezes well so make a big batch and decant into individual portions.
Tomatoes are also excellent in pasta sauces whether you prefer a nice meaty spaghetti bolognaise or a simple tomato and basil or tomato, garlic and chilli sauce. I must admit to having a few Schwartz packets and Dolmio jars in my cupboard to help me out when I am short of time but making a pasta sauce from scratch is well worth the effort.  A tasty pasta sauce with a difference is asparagus, pancetta and tomato served with grated parmesan on the pasta of your choice.
Tomato chutneys are an excellent accompaniment to cold meats and also make good Christmas gifts for busy people who don’t have time to make their own.  There are all sorts of recipes for chutney available in cookery books and on the internet.
Your kids might prefer Heinz tomato ketchup but have you ever tried making your own tomato sauce? It is easy to make with the help of a blender and will keep in the fridge for up to three months. Vary your ingredients according to your own taste but my favourite recipe includes onion, garlic, chilli, root ginger, red wine vinegar and brown sugar.

Filed Under: Healthy Eating

Healthy ways to BBQ

April 7, 2011 By
BBQ

BBQ

There are plenty of ways in which you can turn your griddling not only into a tasty and nice way to cook, but also into a good way to eat. By selecting foods that are low in fats, high in nutrient elements and full of flavour you can get great meals that are also healthy.

Use marinades not only to add additional flavour but additionally to cut back the formation of cancer causing substances on foods.

A marinade containing olive oil and / or citrus juices can scale back the formation of these chemicals by as much as 99% and marinades tenderize meat and make a better meal.

There’s been lots of talk about barbecuing and cancer. While the chance is real and you need to keep this under consideration, there are some straightforward things that you can do to significantly scale back the cancer risk. The 2 first substances, for folks interested are : Heterocyclic Amines ( HCA ) and Polycyclic savoury Hydrocarbons ( PAH ). In the most simple reason these chemicals are formed by putting food, essentially meat in touch with intense heat and flame. They’re known cancer causing agents so you want to rein in their formation as much as you can. Now barbecuing isn’t the sole cooking technique that causes these agents and there is not a rationalization for you to give in on your griddle.

Lately scientists at the Food Safety Consortium project at Kansas State School have demonstrated that herbs of the Lamiaceae family ( Basil, Mint, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, and Sage ) employed in marinades reduced HCA formation significantly. This is good news and a good reason to griddle with flavour. These herbal anti-oxidating compounds cut back the formation of oxidizing agents ( bad stuff ) when beef hits heat. HCAs and PAHs are formed typically from fat.

Either by fat being heated to extreme temperatures or by the smoke made by fat consuming.

For the most part this is applicable to beef fats and not simply the grease and fat from what you are cooking but the build up from the bottom of your griddle.

To scale back the hazards follow these starter tips :

* Keep you griddle clean. A clean griddle not only cooks better it is more safe in each way.

* Trim excess fats from foods. These fats are the troublemaker so keep it low.

* Use marinades primarily based on olive oils and / or citrus juices. This is the no 1 way to remain safe. * Avoid flare-ups. Flare-ups burn foods and this increase HCA formation.

* Don’t overcook foods. The burned bits on foods are the biggest sources of PAHs and HCAs so if you have burned sections of beef cut them off.

* Use herbs like Basil, Mint, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, and Sage to add flavour and reduce HCA formation in foods.

If you follow these rules not merely will you significantly lower the risk of these cancer agents but you’ll scale back the fat in meat that you griddle. Naturally griddling is a good way to reduce fat, but this takes it even further. If you purchase lean cuts, use lite marinades and serve up your griddled foods with a good helping of fruit and vegetables then you will truly be barbecuing healthy.

Filed Under: Health Issues, Healthy Eating Tagged With: , ,

A Healthy Balanced Diet

March 5, 2011 By
food pyramid

food pyramid

A diet based primarily on starchy foods like rice and pasta, with masses of fruit and veg, some protein-laden foods like beef, fish and lentils, and some milk and dairy foods will give you all of the nutriments that you want.

When referring to a good diet, balance is the key to getting it right. This means eating a good variety of foods in the right proportions.

But achieving that balance in modern life can be tough. After a tedious day, it can be captivating to snatch the 1st prepared meal on the superstore shelf, which is OK infrequently. But the nutritive labels on these foods show that many prepared meals contain raised levels of fat, added sugar and salt. If you eat prepared meals too frequently, they will upset the balance in your diet.

All of the food we eat can be split into 5 groups. In a good diet you eat the proper balance of these groups.

They’re:

  1. Fruit and veg.
  2. Starchy foods, eg rice, pasta, bread and potatoes. Select wholegrain types if you can. Beef, fish, eggs and beans.
  3. Milk and dairy foods.
  4. Foods containing fat and sugar.

The majority in England eat too much fat, sugar and salt, and not enough fruit, plants and fibre.

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