Kiwi fruits: “a treasure of nutritional bounty”

My go-to nutritional guide book is Dr. Michael Sharon’s “Nutrients A-Z”*. This user-friendly manual is excellent as every entry is concise and enlightening, and you don’t need a PhD in organic chemistry.

So when I looked up kiwi fruit (or Chinese gooseberry), I was struck by two phrases: “a treasure of nutritional bounty” and “one of the acidic fruits that combines well with protein.” Ideal, I thought, as I love them. And I love combining them with yoghurts, especially when I have no time to cook.

Today’s lunch was two kiwis, six large strawberries and one mandarin orange, sliced up and mixed with a small tub of protein yoghurt. Quick, tasty, filling – and very healthy, as kiwis provide more vitamin C than oranges and more fibre than apples.

One kiwi fruit supplies up to 70mg of vitamin C, or just 5mg less than the average US recommended daily amount for women (it’s 90mg for men). This vitamin cleanses the body and helps boost resistance to disease. An average kiwi also supplies around 250mg of potassium, making it suitable for people with high blood pressure.

Kiwis’ fibre and mucilage content, and its special enzyme called actinidin, can also help with digestion and constipation. Mucilage is a jelly-like substance found in plants and is a rich source of dietary fibre (and is not to be confused with “fuselage”, which contains carbon fibre ;)).

This fruit provides around 9.2 grammes of fibre – more than a third of my daily need

Dietary fibre acts as a laxative, makes you feel full, combats too much cholesterol and sugar in the blood, and can help reduce obesity. Fibre is essential (and, judging by the above list, desirable) and we need to eat 25-30 grammes of it every day. So, as the average kiwi contains around 2.1, my lunch provided around 9.2 grammes, or more than a third of my daily need.

Kiwis should yield slightly to pressure (not be rock hard), are best peeled just before eating, and are nutritionally best when eaten raw. So my lunch idea was a nutritionally sound one. A fat-free yoghurt would also have worked.

So, if all that appeals, then get peeling a kiwi!

*Nutrients A-Z (A User’s Guide to Foods, Herbs, Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements)
Dr. Michael Sharon, Carlton Books, 2009. ISBN 978 1 84732 263 0

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Beetroot: The classic purple vegetable is a superfood that is loaded with fibre, vitamins and minerals

Yet despite that sinister appearance and tart taste, I always loved it. And when I went to Eastern Europe and tried beetroot soup – without any pickling or marinade, just natural and fresh – I was in tastebud love.

Even better, this purple veggie is also a superfood.

Beetroot is an edible healer. It has been cultivated as food for centuries, and long used to treat blood and digestive disorders. Modern nutritionists agree, claiming it can help purify the blood, improve circulation, promote menstruation, stimulate the bowels, and treat liver problems.

Some healers even recommend it for cleansing intestinal parasites, as well as calming the nerves and PMS. So, if you are feeling sluggish, constipated or pre-menstrual, you could do worse than eat a bowl of borscht or our own delicious beetroot risotto.

What makes a beet unbeatable? The average 110-gramme raw beetroot is almost 90% water, 10% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and less than 1% fat. It also provides 47 calories of energy, and three grammes of dietary fibre, or a tenth of our recommended daily intake.

Beetroot makes a nutritious and delicious addition to many dishes such as this game terrine

Fibre is a life saver. A diet rich in fibre is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer – some of the biggest killers in the UK. And most adults only eat 18 of the recommended 30 grammes of fibre every day. Roasted vegetables – including beetroot – are delicious fibre providers.

Raw, leafy beetroot is also loaded with 17 essential vitamins and minerals, the most plentiful being folate and manganese, which are fundamental to life.

Folate (or vitamin B9) helps the body develop, survive and reproduce. It’s also needed to produce healthy red blood cells, and is critical during periods of rapid growth, such as pregnancy and foetal development. This is why pregnant women take extra folic acid to help prevent spina bifida.

Manganese is a vital trace element, and 100 grammes of raw beetroot provides over a quarter of our daily recommended amount. It is necessary for normal brain and nerve function. Manganese also helps form connective tissue, bones, blood clotting factors, and sex hormones. It also plays a role in metabolism, calcium absorption, and regulating blood sugar. A small amount makes a mighty difference to our health.

Manganese also forms part of some antioxidants that help fight free radicals that can damage cells and DNA. So it could play a role in slowing down the affects of ageing and the development of conditions such as heart disease and cancer.

Fibre, vitamins and minerals – all this can be found in this tasty purple vegetable. It looks like beetroot really is hard to beat!

PS – a note from the editor: beetroot “makes you pee red and poop dark but don’t be alarmed.” Wise words!

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Nature’s sweet healer: honey is sweeter than sugar, absorbed more quickly, contains vitamins, minerals and enzymes, and has been used therapeutically for centuries

Sweetness became synonymous with treats and immediate energy, and as a sport-mad child I looked forward to them, though the net result of hyperactivity sent anyone in my near vicinity racing for the hills. (I’m still cautious about eating sweet snacks while broadcasting, as my speech pattern can swiftly turn into the cartoon network with an impromptu chocolate bar).

When I was 15, to balance my yo-yoing moods and energy requirements with a healthier alternative, my grandmother suggested eating honey instead. Initially unconvinced by the crystallised jar, sticky texture and slower effect, I reluctantly persisted with it to keep my grandmother happy. But the net result of feeling calmer, focused and healthy again was worth it.

Refined sugar, or sucrose, is the most widely used form of energy-giving carbohydrate. But consuming excess amounts can lead to tooth decay, obesity, stress, fatigue, high cholesterol levels, hypoglycaemia and diabetes. While a high-sugar diet can also reduce the consumption of foods that contain essential vitamins and minerals, a situation known as nutrient displacement.

Some reports claim that, in 1957, American doctor William Coda Martin classified refined sugar as a “poison” because it’s been depleted of its life forces, vitamins and minerals, leaving only “empty calories.”

The argument is that, without the essential vitamins and minerals that were supplied by the plant, our bodies are unable to properly digest these calories. So to metabolise it, our bodies draw upon their own stores of essentials, depleting itself, and creating imbalances and harmful by-products in our system. Thought-provoking stuff.

In contrast, raw untreated honey is sweeter than sugar and absorbed more quickly. It also contains low levels of B vitamins and some minerals and enzymes, and nutritionists claim it doesn’t upset the mineral balance like refined sugar does.

Nature’s sweet protection: scientists believe eating local honey can help prevent allergies in the local population

The colour and flavour vary according to the origin of its flowers and nectar. The sweetness is a combination of simple sugars: glucose, fructose, maltose and sucrose. Paler-coloured set honey is produced in early spring, when the ratio of glucose to fructose is high. While in the summer, the fructose level increases and this makes the honey more runny and golden.

Honey has also been used therapeutically for centuries, traditionally to treat sore throats and coughs, stomach ulcers, canker sores of the mouth and lips, high blood pressure and constipation. It also has a calming effect, and can be applied externally to wounds and burns.

According to scientist and beekeeper Dr. Mark Fife*, eating local honey can also help prevent allergies in the local population.

As honeybees collect pollen for their baby bees, small amounts of it will end up in their honey. As these allergens are then delivered to people in small, manageable doses, the effect over time is similar to having a series of allergy desensitisation injections.

Dr. Fife suggests the most beneficial effects are felt after eating two teaspoons a day of local honey for several months prior to the pollen season.

He’s also concerned at the decreasing number of bees. This is a major issue because, of the 100 crop species that provide 90 per cent of the world’s food, over 70 are pollinated by bees. The earth’s population needs to cherish its little apian life-givers before food supplies, including honey, become scarce and prices rise.

It also takes a lot of bees to make honey. In their lifetime, one bee will make only 0.8 grammes. It also takes one million flowers to make a jar of honey, and the bees will have to travel 55,000 miles to get it. That’s the equivalent of walking around the UK five times. Not for nothing is the sleepless bee called “busy.”

So one solution to widespread health, environmental and economic issues seems simple: cut out sugar, eat local honey, and protect our bees.

*Dr. Mark Fife lives in Wiltshire and has 12 hives producing his own delicious “Henge Honey,” which you don’t have to be local to appreciate! https://www.hengehoney.com

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A bit of crumpet: a staple British bake for over a millennium

Cockney rhyming slang for “strumpet” is one answer. A cheap British tart is another. Being from the Black Country, I can avoid the issue altogether as we call them “pikelets”.

Smirks aside, the crumpet has been a staple British bake since Anglo-Saxon times. Made essentially from flour, yeast and water, the average 55-gramme pre-packaged crumpet yields around 98 calories (or 4-5% of the average daily intake of 2,500 calories for men and 2,000 for women).

Over a third of a crumpet’s nutritional value is made up of carbohydrate – which provides the body with energy – plus a little protein, fibre, salt and fat. But crumpets contain only trace amounts of calcium, iron, and vitamins B1 and B3.

As every person’s daily calorie intake should also include adequate nutrition, a crumpet is perhaps more treat than necessity but won’t do you any harm (and I’ll resist the urge for another double entendre).

But it’s worth stopping to consider the wider impact on the world’s waistlines and healthcare costs due to low nutrient density. This is the proportion of nutrients in food relative to its energy content.

So while food and drinks composed mainly of sugar (a type of carb), fats, oils or alcohol do supply energy, they provide little or nothing in terms of vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre, or essential fatty acids. These are known as “empty calories.”

Delicious empty calories: beware overindulging in foods that are high in calories but low on nutrition

According to the old saying, a little of what you fancy does you good. Unfortunately, with around 40 per cent of the world’s population overweight and one in eight people obese, a lot of what you fancy is decimating people, health services and social care resources.

So what are the empty-calorie culprits? Sugary foods, such as cakes, biscuits, sweets, soft drinks, and sweetened fruit and caffeinated drinks, high-fat foods and alcoholic drinks – and usually processed food. The argument is that a diet high in empty calories will reduce the consumption of foods high in essential nutrients and fibre, leading to deficiencies.

On the flip side, people trying to lose weight could also suffer from malnutrition as they simply eat less empty-calorie food. While people with active lifestyles or on training regimes can eat more calorie-rich food, but should also consider their nutrition in terms of bodily maintenance and repair. In a nutshell, never skip nutrients.

American authorities generally advise a daily limit for empty calories at around 10 per cent of your overall intake. So if you are going to eat nutritious carbs, which ones are good for you? Quinoa, oats, buckwheat, sweet potatoes and bananas come highly recommended.

Human beings are not robots and, regardless of the world’s finest medical advice, will play out their emotions through food: how it stimulates the senses, provokes memories and symbolises status and aspiration. We don’t just eat – we have a relationship with food. And, like many relationships, they can be based on habit. For optimum benefit, it’s best to make these habits healthy.

My personal compromise is the humble crumpet. Topped with a little butter and a smear of Marmite or homemade jam. A source of carbohydrate, a few nutrients, no physical harm – and lots of happy memories of eating pikelets at Grandma’s. Perfect.

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The good stuff: healthy and tasty ratatouille that food combiners can eat either as a neutral meal or add to proteins or carbohydrates

Ratatouille is a wonderful and versatile dish. It’s simple to make, tasty and healthy, and food combiners can eat it on its own as a neutral meal or add it to proteins or carbohydrates. To save time, this recipe uses pre-chopped tomatoes

Preparation and cooking time: 50 minutes
Serves: Two

Ingredients:
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 large (or 2 small) aubergine
1 large (or 2 small) courgette
1 red pepper
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
2 x teaspoons of thyme (fresh or dried)
Tomato purée
Olive oil
Seasoning to taste

Method:
1. Wash and pat dry all the ingredients (except any dried herbs!)
2. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic
3. Heat up a tablespoonful of olive oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat
4. Sweat the onion and garlic; don’t let them burn
5. Meanwhile, chop the aubergine into 2cm chunks, add to the pan, stir in, then put on a lid
6. Meanwhile, de-seed and chop the pepper into 2cm pieces, add to the pan, stir in and replace the lid
7. Meanwhile, chop the courgette into 2cm chunks, add to the pan, stir in and replace the lid
8. Add the thyme plus a little black pepper, stir and replace the lid
9. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes, stir in, add 75ml of cold water, replace the lid and leave to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes to prevent burning
10. After 10 of the 15 minutes, remove the lid to allow excess moisture to evaporate. If the ratatouille needs thickening, add a tablespoonful of tomato purée. Stir occasionally
11. Remove from the heat and serve!

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Reinforcing our defences: the classic healthy advice of regular exercise, relaxation, nutrition and sleep all help maintain the immune system

My brother’s a mechanic and compares the human body to a car: “If you put bad fuel in it, never put oil in it, never service it, never clean it, and run it constantly at 100 mph in third gear, you quickly wreck it.” Of course, he’s right. But thankfully some lifestyle changes can reinforce your body’s defences in this battle.

The immune system protects the body against disease and infection, and helps it recover after injuries. It’s powered by five litres of blood and a clear liquid called lymph that pass through the body, carrying elements like white blood cells that produce antibodies to fight foreign substances. Fever and inflammation are signs that your body is doing its job.

But research shows nature’s defence system can be compromised by some familiar bad habits: smoking; too much alcohol, caffeine, salt, sugar, stress and sunbathing; poor hygiene; and not enough sleep, fibre, green vegetables, exercise – and laughter. On the positive side, you could do yourself a wealth of good by turning these vices into virtues.

Let’s start with booze – and some sobering figures. A report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) claims the average Briton drinks the equivalent of 108 bottles of wine a year – or 427 pints of beer.

Put in context, American health authorities define “binge drinking” as five or more drinks on a single occasion for men and four or more for women. Heavy drinking is 15 or more drinks per week for men and eight for women. So the UK is drinking itself to death, and annihilating its immune system en route.

Please drink responsibly: keeping alcohol consumption to a maximum of one or two drinks a night – yes, that low – is recommended to maintain normal immune response

Plus a fifth of the world’s population smokes. That’s over a billion people, and around 800 million of them men. In the UK, the figure is around 15 per cent of adults: over seven million people, with slightly more men than women. Tobacco smoke suppresses the body’s immune response and destroys antibodies, making it more susceptible to infections and diseases.

Then there’s caffeine. Your daily latte is fine, but too much coffee, tea and fizzy pop, especially late at night, can interfere with your sleep. And without your nightly seven-to-eight hours’ shut-eye, the body produces and releases fewer cytokines – proteins that target infection and inflammation.

Salt is also a culprit. Guidelines recommend a maximum adult daily intake of 2,300 mg – or about a teaspoon. Reading sodium levels on food labels makes you dimly aware that eating some processed and ready-made foods could all-but turn you into Lot’s wife.

Excess sugar also reduces the ability of immune cells to absorb bacteria. The American Heart Association recommends limiting additional sugar – including in food – to under nine teaspoons a day for men and six for women (or 36 and 24 grammes respectively). Around one in 10 Americans have diabetes. In the UK, it’s one in every 16.

If a person is also chronically stressed, hormone changes can affect bodily function over time and increase the risk of health problems. Finding personal methods of relaxation, from deep breathing to deep sea diving, are vital. While sunshine is key for producing vitamin D, but too much can temporarily damage one’s immunity and eventually lead to skin cancer.

As for bad hygiene, the virus has starkly highlighted just how vital it is to cover your face when you cough and sneeze (as well as polite), don’t touch your face, and regularly wash your hands – especially if you’ve been on public transport.

Back to nature: choose fresh wholesome foods instead of processed varieties to help effective functioning of the body’s defences

Then there’s the food we eat – or don’t. Research shows a higher intake of fibre, or roughage, supports a healthy immune system. In the UK, the daily recommended amount is 30 grammes for adults, with the current average at about 18. The nation spends almost £100 million a year on prescription laxatives. The cost of treating constipation in 2017/18 was the equivalent to funding 7,043 newly qualified nurses for a year.

Ditching processed food for whole food can be highly beneficial. Opt for more vegetables, fruit, oatmeal, whole grains, brown or wild rice, pulse pasta, beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas, nuts and seeds.

Specifically we must also eat more green vegetables. These provide key nutrients, including anti-inflammatory antioxidants, vitamins A and C, and folate. Greens also help power immunity in the gut, where 70-80 per cent of immune cells are located. The best green veggies include kale, spinach, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.

Other foods have long been promoted as immunity boosters. Although there are still relatively few studies of the effects of nutrition on the human immune system, these foods are undeniably full of beneficial vitamins and minerals.

Citrus fruits – such as grapefruit, oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, clementines and papaya, as well as kiwis and red bell peppers – are high in vitamin C, which is thought to encourage white blood cell production. Aim for 200 milligrammes a day: one medium orange provides 70 mg, a grapefruit almost 90 mg, and a medium red bell pepper 150 mg.

The hot stepper: just one way to exercise while watching TV, listening to music, reading, chatting, childminding…

Vitamin E also plays a key role in immunity, so consider ditching sugary treats and snacking on almonds and sunflower seeds, while for those stuck indoors there’s some vitamin D in natural yoghurt. My favourite snack is half a bowl of yoghurt with a few almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of natural honey.

The sick patients’ classic chicken soup is also high in vitamin B6 that helps produce red blood cells and could lift bad moods. While the beta carotene in carrots and sweet potatoes helps produce white blood cells.

Garlic, ginger, turmeric and pomegranate juice have long been associated with fighting infection and reducing inflammation. Antioxidants such as green tea and dried tart cherries also help keep the immune system ticking along, as does the zinc in shellfish and the selenium in Brazil nuts and sardines.

Aside from what we can eat, there’s also what we can do. Temporary self-isolation doesn’t have to mean endless joyless misery. There’s truth in the saying laughter is the best medicine, so chat to jolly friends and family or watch a comedy.

Laughter releases dopamine and other feel-good chemicals in the brain, all of which can help decrease stress. Twenty minutes of belly laughing a day could keep your immune system in tip-top order.

And, of course, regular exercise is a pillar of healthy living. It improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, helps control body weight, and protects against diseases – always fundamental but especially now. Just as importantly, exercise is a natural and effective treatment for anxiety. By releasing chemicals called endorphins, exercise relieves tension and stress, boosts physical and mental energy, and enhances the sense of well-being.

The NHS website has clear physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64 under the sub-heading “adults should do some type of physical activity every day. Any type of activity is good for you. The more you do the better.” Time to dig out those trainers from the back of the wardrobe.

We are what we eat: the multiple benefits of eating salads could help maintain a healthy immune system

Along with a healthy diet, exercise contributes to general good health and therefore a healthy immune system. It also promotes good circulation, which allows the substances of the immune system to move through the body and work efficiently.

This is essential as we get older, as the immune system’s capability reduces, resulting in more infections and diseases. There also seems to be a link between nutrition and immunity in the elderly, who are prone to “micronutrient malnutrition.” This occurs when a person is deficient in vitamins and minerals from their diet. Older people tend to eat less and often with less variety, and need to take particular care.

So instead of focusing on ‘boosting’ the immune system, perhaps think of your changed lifestyle in these unprecedented times as a time for unprecedented lifestyle change – with the benefits outlasting the outbreak.

We live in extraordinary times, but the guidelines for a healthy life haven’t changed: stop smoking; drink alcohol moderately; eat a diet rich in fruit and vegetables; exercise regularly; maintain a healthy weight; get enough sleep; minimise stress; and wash your hands. Under the global threat of coronavirus, this sage advice could not only save your life but those of many others.

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A Healthy Starter: Choosing vegetable-based first courses could help boost your intake of essential fruit and veggies

If you were to ask the average person “What should you eat to stay healthy?” they might reply thus: a balanced diet, low fat food, no red meat, no junk food and, more recently, veganism. But perhaps the most common response of the last decade is “five a day.”

“Five a day” refers to the World Health Organization’s 2003 recommendation that individuals consume “a minimum of 400 grammes of fruit and vegetables per day (excluding potatoes) for the prevention of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity, as well as for the prevention and alleviation of several micronutrient deficiencies.”

In other words, to stay healthy you need to eat at least five portions of fruit and veg every day.

Governments across the globe adopted the scheme and the catchphrase. The UK was no exception, with “five a day” becoming the nutritional proverb of food packaging.

Yet a 2017 report by Imperial College London found eating double this amount – 800g or 10 a day – provided further protection “against all forms of mortality.” Apparently five a day simply isn’t enough.

But, in real terms, how much food are we talking about?

An 80g portion of fruit roughly equals “one small banana, apple, pear or large mandarin,” while “three heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables such as spinach, peas, broccoli or cauliflower” count as one portion of vegetables. And remember, for optimum health, you need to eat ten of these. Daily. The creators of spinach-loving Popeye were on message.

Around 800 grammes of fruit and vegetables – the equivalent of Ten A Day

The researchers also found the following foods may help prevent heart and cardiovascular disease, stroke and early death: apples and pears, citrus fruits, salads, green leafy veggies like spinach, lettuce and chicory, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Or, as my Grandma used to say, you can’t beat a brassica.

And the following veggies may also reduce the risk of cancer: greens, such as spinach or green beans; yellow vegetables, like peppers and carrots, and the cruciferous types. A Brussels sprout is for life, not just for Christmas.

The report concludes: “Most likely it is the whole package of beneficial nutrients you obtain by eating fruits and vegetables that is crucial to health.” And eating 10 a day could save 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide every year. Staggering.

Yet all this might seem a large amount of food to pay for, prepare and consume within one day. Taking the above guide, 800g equals 30 tablespoons full of vegetables or ten pieces of fruit. Or any variation of the two to make up 800g.

On the bright side, fruit and veg are usually low in calories and high in water and fibre, so your metabolism and powers of excretion should be wonderfully efficient. And the quantity and quality of the produce should ward off cravings for sugary and salty treats, as hunger is unlikely to be an issue.

So how do we aim for five a day and build it up to ten? In this time-strapped era, can we do it quickly? And can we do it on a budget?

Fruit is easy. Readily and cheaply available in supermarkets and local shops, it usually just needs a quick rinse before it can be eaten or added to a lunch box. Veggies take more preparation. But there is a quick and simple solution.

Ready-To-Cook Veggies: A cheap, available and fast way to boost your body’s Ten-A-Day intake of vitamins, minerals, water and fibre

The big supermarkets all produce small bags of vegetables that can be pierced with a fork and popped in the microwave for a few minutes, either at home or in the office.

The standard weight is around 100g, so more than one recommended portion, and for around £1 a bag not overly expensive, especially given the benefits. Even cheaper, you could buy big bags of frozen vegetables, take out what you need, and heat that up.

I buy two small bags of mixed veggies, pop them in the microwave, and then empty them into a bowl with a curl of butter or drizzle of olive oil and a dash of black pepper. That’s two-and-a-half portions of vegetables in one hit that can work as lunch, an afternoon snack or supper.

To make it a protein meal, I add a handful of grated cheese on top and pop the bowl back into the microwave for a minute to melt the cheese. A delicious winter snack.

A 500g bag of mixed vegetables spread over one or two meals would cover a lot of your nutritional requirements. Three or four pieces of fruit during the rest of the day would make up the 800g. Taken that way, reaching 10 a day doesn’t seem too difficult.

Low prices, wide availability and fast preparation have led to the explosion of nutrient-low health-stunting junk food. But with just a quick trip to the supermarket, low priced, widely available and fast-to-prepare fruit and veggies could beat junk food hands down as nourishing, healthy and tasty alternatives.

Just remember to boost your intake gradually – a little more fruit or a couple of extra pieces of vegetable each day – to ensure your digestion adapts properly. Going from one to ten in a day or two can be rather a shock to the system!

Cheap, available, fast. Turn that junk food mantra into Ten a Day for a long and healthy life.

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A Healthy Bowl? I can list the ingredients of my home made tuna and pine nut salad, but how many of us know what its nutrients are and how they affect the body?

The recent tragic deaths from eating insufficiently labelled Prêt à Manger food have highlighted two things. The obvious point is severely allergic people play Russian roulette with their lives every day, hoping food producers don’t inadvertently expose them to deadly allergens.

But the second point could prove damaging in the long term and it’s this: do you actually understand what food labels mean? When it says what it is on the tin, do you know what it does in practice?

And, as this could have consequences for your longevity and long-term quality of life, don’t you think we should know? More specifically, shouldn’t the government make sure we know?

I’ll give you a simple example. Take a label, picked at random, on the back of a packet of porridge. For the past few years, nutritionists have been urging people to eat oats for breakfast. They are full of energy, low in fat, fill you up, help lower cholesterol and ward off or control diabetes. But the label doesn’t say this. And what it does say is confusing.

There are five columns. The first breaks down five food groups (fats, carbohydrates, fibre, protein and salt) and then compares each with different portion sizes, milk types and quantity, and something called “% adult RI” of the smaller portion size without milk. Confused? Extremely.

Pick a Pack of Porridge: how much of what’s written on food nutrition labels do you read or fully understand?

For a start, I don’t weigh porridge. Nor do I know anyone who does. I follow the old fashioned method of cooking it, which is one cup of oats to a cup and a half of water. I have no idea how many grammes that is. I would have to turf out my scales from the back of the cupboard and then work out (i.e. guess) how much water I would need.

And what about people who add a banana or honey to their porridge? Or those who add butter or other types of fruit? Is this not allowed? And, by the way, where’s the warning for Coeliacs, as there is some debate about how their condition reacts to oats.

Meanwhile, there are also two numbers for energy so we hazard a guess “kcal” means calories. And then it’s maths time. As the 40-gramme serving (without milk) is 145 calories, what would the calories be if I had a cup full of oats with honey and a banana? And does 7% adult RI mean I’m part way to joining a Royal Institute? What happened to the letters RDA?! What happens if I can’t go online, or don’t have the time, to check this as I try to feed three under-fives at 6am?

And if that end figure actually means that my porridge is 7 out of 100 parts of the amount of energy I need every day, where do you suggest I get the rest? And why am I suddenly as an “adult” lumped in the same daily calorific requirement as my six-foot 17-stone partner when I’m five-foot-six and 8½ stone?

And could I just eat porridge all day to make up my calories? The answer is “yes” but nutritionally you’d be deprived of other essential vitamins and minerals, but you don’t know this, as they’re not listed. And, aside from knowing vitamin C prevents scurvy, do most people know what the rest of them do anyway? Do we even know what scurvy is these days?

Oat Cuisine: High in energy and low in salt, did you know oats also contain vitamins and minerals essential to health?

A little research reveals there are six vitamins present in oats, particularly B1 (thiamine, which is essential in energy production and, among a host of other vital measures, helps prevent beri beri) and to a lesser extent B5 (pantothenic acid, also essential for metabolism and maintaining normal blood sugar levels).

There are also seven minerals, especially manganese (essential for metabolism, forming the thyroid hormone and promoting fertility) and then phosphorus (which is part of the structure of our DNA, maintains teeth and bones, and helps in energy production). Though it does say there’s no salt (sodium).

Yet this label does not show the vitamin and mineral content of these oats – even though they keep us alive and healthy. Shouldn’t we be listing these vital components and what they do? Why have I had to look all this up? Why aren’t we learning this stuff in school?!

We aren’t facing an obesity crisis. We’re facing an obesity time bomb. Globally. We are stressed, working longer sedentary hours, pushed for time and inured to fast, cheap and easily available processed food that’s nutritionally poor and loaded with salt, sugar and bad fats. The NHS is creaking under the six-billion-pound bill obesity costs it.

Jamie Oliver went into school canteens and revolutionised school dinners. We need nutritionists to go into schools to teach kids what they need to eat – and why – to stay alive and in good health. And from day one. A is for apple.

A is for Apple: this readily available fruit is a super source of eight essential vitamins and minerals

If we don’t have enough nutritionists and teachers who can show kids how to cook, then train them. Invest in them. Encourage students to study food science. Over a quarter of the UK’s adult population has a degree but the nation’s nutritional knowledge seems almost Stone Age, and the ramifications are grave.

In a government paper on 31st March last year, Public Health England pulled no punches. “Obesity has a serious impact on economic development. The overall cost of obesity to wider society is estimated at £27 billion.

“The UK-wide NHS costs attributable to (being) overweight and obesity are projected to reach £9.7 billion by 2050, with wider costs to society estimated to reach £49.9 billion per year.”

The costs are staggering. As a nation, we can’t afford to throw this money away on a pandemic that is totally preventable. If we pay for this, how do we pay for our elderly and infirm? While the human toll of premature death and living with invalidity cannot be underestimated.

Education is the key to our very survival. Start with the young, so start with social media. Just one healthy tweet and Facebook and Instagram post every day could save lives. For adults over 25, offer tax breaks for regular gym users. And please, please, please give us clear, relevant and visible nutritional advice on food packaging, with suggested all-day meal plans for a balanced diet.

The stop smoking campaign is helping make lighting up a thing of the past. Education, legislation, heavy taxes and graphic advertising have all helped turn what was once a social norm into an antisocial vice. And it starts at the top.

I urge the government to kick-start an urgent, uncompromising nationwide education and PR campaign to help people to help themselves – which will ultimately save the state billions in pounds and people decades in years.

And do it now.

The post Labels for Life appeared first on Reverse Time Machine.

Milk of Magnesia: The age-old antacid contains magnesium that is vital for life

I was deleting emails the other day when I spotted a health shop advert. “Time to tackle tiredness. Try our fatigue reducing Magnesium.”

I immediately thought of the Milk of Magnesia and Epsom Salts in Grandma’s all-curing medicine cabinet. The time-honoured compounds used as laxatives and antacids, and in warm baths to calm nerves, ease aches and pains, and heal wounds. And again it seems modern thinking is repackaging old wisdom.

Magnesium does indeed play a critical role in the production of energy in our cells, helping us to feel invigorated without being restless or anxious. But that’s the tip of this mighty mineral’s talents.

It’s also essential for the proper functioning of the heart, arteries, muscles and kidneys, and helping build teeth and bones. It also regulates thyroid, blood sugar and other mineral levels, and is needed by 300 enzymes amid countless chemical reactions. There are around 24 grammes of the metal within the average adult.

The net effects are a regular heartbeat, less stress and lower blood pressure, a calm nervous system, strong digestion, reduced inflammation, fewer kidney stones, a healthy prostate, better urine retention and a lower risk of diabetes.

Fabulous! Where can I get it? You can eat it. Magnesium is found naturally in many different foods: whole wheat; leafy vegetables particularly spinach; quinoa; almonds, cashews and peanuts; black beans, soya beans and tofu; sesame and pumpkin seeds; and there’s also some in figs, lemons and apples. It’s the fourth most common element in the Earth.

Yet many of us are lacking in magnesium as levels have been decreasing globally for the past forty years. This is due to issues such as overdeveloping agricultural land, overusing prescription drugs, and consuming processed and fast foods. Tofu burger anyone?

Home made, whole grain: whole wheat products like bread are naturally high in magnesium

Some health conditions also lead to deficiencies, such as digestion and kidney problems and diabetes. But especially beware those old culprits of regularly drinking too much booze or caffeine, and eating sweet foods, as they can also affect magnesium levels.

Deficiency symptoms are serious: irregular heartbeat and heart attacks, jumpy nerves and weak muscles, convulsions and seizures, prostate enlargement, bed-wetting and kidney stones – and the 21st century pandemic of fatigue, hence the advertisement for tiredness-tackling magnesium that prompted this article.

So how much should you have? The normal adult daily requirement is 350mg, which – to give you a hypothetical guide – could be achieved by eating 133 grammes of almonds. However, a range of foods is of course always better in terms of digestion, variety and overall nutrition. And preventing wind.

Children need 250mg daily, while pregnant and breastfeeding women require 450mg of the mineral. Handily, excess magnesium is usually passed out of the body so overdosing on it is rare.

And all this knowledge started with a stroppy cow. In 1618, cowherd Henry Wicker walked across Epsom Common (in the English county of Surrey) and came across a pool of water from which his thirsty cattle refused to drink. The water tasted bitter and on evaporation yielded a salt, which had a remarkable effect: it was a laxative. This became the famous Epsom’s salts (magnesium sulphate) and a treatment for constipation for the next 400 years.

Well done Henry and his herd! Magnesium: vital for energy, vital for life.

The post Magnificent Magnesium appeared first on Reverse Time Machine.

Sunny D: 10-15 minutes in the sun, twice a week, ensures the body creates enough Vitamin D

Like many things, nutrition is swayed by fashion and the media. In the early 1970s, good health meant more Vitamin C; Haliborange tablets boomed. Then it was fibre and the advent of All Bran. Then calorie counting and low fat diets. Then high protein Atkins, and 5:2 fasting. While recent headlines hark back to wartime: we’re low on Vitamin D.

The great news is it’s free. D is the ‘sunshine vitamin’ as it’s made when ultraviolet rays react with cholesterol under our skin. Experts say 10-15 minutes’ exposure to sunlight at least twice a week – on bare hands, arms and lower legs – will ensure you create enough D, especially from March to September. Literally, D-lightful.

If you’re in the sun for longer, then of course apply sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 to reduce the risk of skin cancer. Fair skins should take care not to go red, while darker skins need slightly more sun. Balance is the key.

Yet three decades of covering my pale skin and a winter week of overnight shifts made me realise I see less sun than an extra from Twilight. And, in a world of 24-hour working and multicultural dress codes, I’m not alone. Between October and early March, people in the UK usually receive much less vitamin D from sunlight.

Fish Is The D-ish: top natural sources of Vitamin D include oily fish like salmon, trout and fresh tuna

But it’s vital. Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. This not only keeps bones and teeth healthy. It also maintains good muscles, a strong nervous system, a normal heartbeat and efficient blood clotting. Certainly worth a quick stroll to work for, or tea in the back garden.

As we learned from wartime generations, a lack of Vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children. But it also causes painful bone softening – or osteomalacia – in adults. Not to mention tooth decay, tiredness and arthritis.

These conditions have been pretty rare for years in the western world. But recent reports also suggest too little D may result in short sightedness, migraines, jaundice and alopaecia, as well as autism, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis and depression. Powerful, thought provoking claims.

Fortunately, Vitamin D can also be eaten. And it’s a bonus for fish lovers. The best natural sources include fish liver oil, sardines, herring, mackerel, salmon, trout and fresh tuna. One report claims eating these oily fish two or three times a week can also help treat asthma and ward off prostate cancer. Some even think the vitamin could prevent the common cold. Baked trout anyone?

Fried, scrambled or boiled? Egg yolks provide another natural source of Vitamin D

There’s also D in egg yolk, red meat and liver though, contrary to common thinking, cows’ milk in the UK isn’t considered a good source. On the plus side, being a fat-soluble vitamin, excess D is stored in the liver and fatty tissue, and the body can tap into these reserves when the immediate supply runs short.

What about supplements? The debate rages among scientists about how effective they are.

Being a personal trainer and an advocate of a natural and balanced diet, I prefer a quick walk outside, or a dish with fish or eggs to get my quota of D. Though this might not be an option for vegans or those on other diets.

Public Health England advises people to take 10 micrograms (400 IU) of Vitamin D supplements every day in winter. But don’t overdo it. Daily doses of above 1,600 IU could increase the risk of kidney stones, digestive problems, psychological changes, calcified arteries and heart rhythm disorders. Anyone with a pre-existing condition, on medication, pregnant or breastfeeding should ask their doctor first.

Happily though, the latest health alert has simple solutions and most of them natural. Sun, fish, eggs, and maybe a pill. Considering the consequences of low vitamin D, this seems like the simplest ever guide to help boost the nation’s health. And there’s not a little orange packet or bowl of bran in sight.

The post Vitamin D-ficient? appeared first on Reverse Time Machine.