Pomegranates, more than just a pain to peel...

I LOVE and HATE pomegranates.  They are utterly delicious but a total pain to peel.  I have tried every suggestion and watched endless videos on YouTube as to how to peel them, and I still make a mess of it.  However, there is one truth: pomegranates are worth the effort.

They are also the "it" fruit of the moment.  But they are also extremely healthy, Swiss scientists suggest that pomegranates may be capable of strengthening aging muscles and add years to your life.

Pomegranates have high concentrations of ellagitannins which our gut bacteria turn into a compound called urolithin A which helps keep the mitochondria in our cells charged.

Although it is too early to tell if the effect would be the same in humans, but mice and worms given urolithin A lived longer and ran further, in laboratory tests.

But pomegranates have more to offer than this, including fighting cancer.  According to a small study from 2006, researchers at the University of California found that drinking 227ml of pomegranate juice daily significantly slowed the progression of prostate cancer, it is thought that urolithins block cancer cell growth.

A current small U.S. study involving 30 patients is studying whether supplements containing pomegranate extract can prevent prostate cancer spreading.  Another small study from 2004 suggests that a glass a day of pomegranate juice may reduce cholesterol build-up and damage in patients with narrowed arteries.

More recent studies suggest that a certain compound in pomegranates helps boost memory, enhances exercise performance, improves blood pressure, strengthens bones and helps prevent Alzheimer's due to its anti-inflammatory properties.  These anti-inflammatory properties could also help with other health issues such as Parkinson's and rheumatoid arthritis.

However, most of this information is obtained from numerous lab trials on animals and has yet to be tested in humans.

But, what we do know is that pomegranates contain antioxidants which can help protect against damaging free radicals which means this fruit may protect against age-related diseases.

But eating a wide range of fruits and vegetables will boost your antioxidant level and all berries are high in antioxidants, not just pomegranates.

By all means, go to town on pomegranates, but don't juice them or any other fruit for that matter.  Juicing removes the healthy fiber and turns healthy fruits and vegetables into flavored sugar water!

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

The power of spice...

Using herbs and spices is a great way to make food tasty without adding salt or sugar.  But the great thing about herbs and spices is they are low calorie and have beneficial properties that can help boost health and brain power and burn fat, making the humble spice into a superfood that should be incorporated into our diets right now!

I have written about the health benefits of Turmeric before, but let's take another look.  The key molecule in turmeric is curcumin which is a potent antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties, and has been shown to help relieve pain in arthritis patients, injuries and helping to speed up healing when applied in paste form to wounds, and even dental problems.  It is also thought to help prevent cancer and heart disease.

But turmeric can also help the liver to function better by stimulating the production of bile by the gallbladder that is used by the liver to filter and flush out toxins.

Turmeric is a root similar to ginger but a bright yellow color.  You can find it in root form, powder or as supplements.

Ginger is one of my favorites since I was a child.  Ginger although quite spicy has a soothing effect on the digestive system.  It is especially good to help with morning sickness in the early stages of pregnancy.  Ginger is a great way to calm that feeling of sickness whether it is due to morning sickness or travel sickness.  Ginger tea is a great help, and if you add some lemon and honey it's a great cold remedy.

But the benefits of ginger don't stop there.  Ginger can also give you great skin with a healthy radiant glow and glossy air.  How?  Simply ginger stimulates the circulation, which in turn allows more nutrients to reach each organ.

Another really clever spice to have around is cinnamon.  This wonderful spice is a great brain booster which researchers say can improve a person's ability to learn.  Apparently cinnamon reverses biochemical, cellular and anatomical changes that occur in the brains of people with poor learning abilities.

The cinnamon stimulates the hippocampus, a small area of the brain that is responsible for generating, organizing and storing memories.

But there is yet more to this wonderful spice.  Experts say that cinnamon is a healthy substitute for sugar and artificial sweeteners.  You all know how bad sugar is for us, but artificial sweeteners aren't much better and have been associated with mood swings, depression and increased appetite.  So try adding it to foods you would normally add sugar or sweetener too and see if that helps.

Right here you have 3 of the 5 ingredients for a "golden latte", this is the latest craze as far as lattes go, so if you want a healthier wake-up drink in the mornings without the caffeine kick try this:

1 piece ginger (about the size of your thumb)
1 5cm piece fresh turmeric
1 date
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk
1/4 tbsp cinnamon powder, plus a little extra for dusting.

Peel the ginger and turmeric.
Put the milk of choice with the ginger, turmeric, date and cinnamon in a saucepan and heat gently.
Transfer to a blender and blend until well combined and frothy.
Pour into two cups and dust with cinnamon.

I love hot spicy food, so I am really pleased that cayenne pepper falls into the superfood category.  This has even been found to help in the fight against obesity.

A powerful compound in cayenne pepper is called capsaicin, this jump starts our metabolism and may boost the body's ability to burn fat in a process called diet-induced thermogenesis (when you break out in a sweat after eating something spicy hot).  This process is excellent for weight loss as it encourages the body to burn calories and some studies have shown that spicy food with chillies in it helps to decrease appetite.

Saffron is the gold standard of spices as it is even more expensive than gold!

This spice has been used  for centuries in Persian culture, where it was usually added to teas or rice, as a mood lifter.  Saffron extract helps boost serotonin levels, making you feel happier.

So next time you are at the supermarket, pick up these 5 superfoods and add them to your basket.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

The Common Sense Diet

We are bombarded day in and day out by the latest food fads promising immediate weight loss - Get your bikini body!  Lose 10lbs in 10 days!... I even saw one this morning for future grooms to get fit for their wedding in 6 weeks!  The "press" is full of celebrities' "post baby bodies" and how much weight so and so hast managed to lose in the last 5 minutes (with a personal chef and personal trainer)... But let's face it, it is all far from realistic.

But I'll let you in on a secret... THERE IS ONLY ONE MIRACLE DIET.

Yup, that's right just one, and that is the one that's right for you.  The only diet right for everyone (with a few personal tweeks) is a WHOLE FOOD UNPROCESSED DIET.

If you eat fresh produce which is unprocessed and unrefined then you will thrive - on all levels.  You will be healthier, your skin will glow, your hair will shine, your nails will be strong and you will lose weight naturally.

How?  Common Sense.

1.  Don't skip meals.

Research has found that people who eat breakfast eat less during the rest of the day.  This is a highly debated point.  Lots of people are starving first thing in the morning, many others aren't.  So, think of it this way; are you a 3 meals a day person or a 5 meals a day?  Does breakfast mean eating first thing in the morning or 10am?  The exact time for breakfast is different for each person.  Also skipping breakfast or lunch can lead to unstable blood sugar levels and your concentration may suffer.  When this happens people tend to reach for something sweet and processed, gulping down coffee and worse still, energy drinks.

Try and structure your day so you can get time for at least 3 meals and you can concentrate on eating healthily.

2.  To Carb or not to Carb?

There is a lot going on at the moment about carbs being "bad" and they can be especially if they are the white processed type, or if you have gluten intolerance or celiac disease.

What you need to make sure is that you keep your carb intake low and that the TYPE of carbs are as WHOLE as possible.  Whole grains are full of B vitamins, fiber, magnesium and Iron.

Just as many are choosing to eliminate gluten, others also choose to eliminate whole food  groups such as dairy and sugar.  As with carbs I don't recommend excluding certain food groups completely unless due to allergies or intolerances, however dairy should not exceed 5% of the diet and there is NOTHING to be said for processed sugar.

3.  Health Drinks

Water is healthy.  65 - 70% of the human body is water.  You can survive without water for about 3 days (although some have made it to 8-10 days, but I wouldn't recommend trying) and you can survive without food for 3 weeks... but I wouldn't recommend trying that either.  But there is the difference, you can't survive without water for very long at all.  We are considerably under hydrated.  We simply don't drink enough water.  Also hunger pangs can actually be your body beginning to be dehydrated, so if you think you are hungry, drink a glass of water or two and then reevaluate how you are feeling.

Juice is NOT healthy.  It is basically flavored sugar water.  And if you buy juice it will probably have even more sugar added to it.  Fruit has sugar in it (fructose) and it also has lots of fiber.  If you juice fruit you are removing the fiber - which is the really healthy part.  The fiber in fruit helps the body to "slow release" the sugar in the fruit and not spike blood sugar levels.  You have to LOVE fiber!

Energy drinks and sports drinks aren't healthy either.  They are very high in sugar and caffeine (depending on the brand) and a calorie content to rival your calories burned during your workout.

Good old fashioned water which you can flavor with cucumber, mint, basil or rosemary, or on it's own is all you need really.

4.  The Super Food Hype

Too much of a good thing?

Certain foods such as broccoli, blueberries, etc., have been classed as superfoods because they have increased amounts of antioxidants such as vitamin C or phytonutrients such as flavonoids.  These are not a remedy for disease, but eating a wide variety of fresh vegetables and fruits will definitely help keep you healthy.  However, you don't have to stick solely to the "super foods" to me if it's fresh and doesn't have an ingredient label stuck to it, then it's good for you.

Also with the recent hype that fat is good for us, foods such as Greek yogurt, nuts and oils such as coconut oil or extra virgen olive oil are great foods to incorporate into your diet.  Just remember these are very high in calories and need to be eaten in moderation.

5.  Oh so sweet!

There is a lot being said about sugar right now... "Sugar is the new tobacco" for example, and I totally agree.  But honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, etc., are just sugar in a more "natural" state.  Honey is perceived as more healthy as it comes from nature, it is still sugar though and nowadays to be able to find raw honey (which does have other benefits for health) is nye on impossible - most of the honey in our shops is ultra-processed and has been stripped of its beneficial properties.

You can sweeten things with cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and coconut which all have a certain sweetness to them without the high content.

6.  READ THE LABEL.

In fact... don't buy anything that has a label.  I was shocked the other day when I asked the butcher at the supermarket if he could mince some chicken for me and he said he couldn't and I had to buy it prepackaged... the ingredient list horrified me.  Unfortunately I can't put the exact image from that packet as it's in Spanish but I have translated it:

Chicken meat 75%, water, soy protein, vegetables (4%), food fiber, dextrin, salt, starches, vegetable extracts, aromas, dextrosa. antioxidants: sodium citrate, sodium ascorbate; conservador: potassium metabilsulfite; colorante: cochineal carmine.

Pretty scary, huh?

7.  Are you eating too much?

As I said in point number 1; are you a 3 or 5 a day eater.  There are people who believe that you MUST eat 5 small meals a day to stop your metabolism dropping.  Others just prefer to eat 3 meals a day.  Do what is right for you and ONLY EAT IF YOU ARE TRULY HUNGRY.

I don't suggest calorie counting as low calorie meals can become extremely boring, but make wise healthy choices.  Have 3 good meals a day, comprised of lots of vegetables and some protein (animal or vegetable), if you get peckish between meals, drink some water and see if you are still hungry.  If so, then chose something healthy, a piece of fruit, or better still some raw veggies.  Even a bit of cheese or some celery with peanut butter!  A handful of raw nuts mid afternoon give a great energy boost if you are feeling sluggish.

But don't eat mindlessly.  Focus on what you are doing, and how what you have chosen is going to nourish your body and mind and help you to continue with your day.  Also eat slowly and chew thoroughly, don't gulp it down in a rush... you will eat more than you need.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

How your skin reacts to foods

Our skin is the biggest organ in the human body, it acts as a protective barrier that separates the organism from the surrounding environment, protecting it and contributing to keep it's structures intact, all while acting as a communication system with the environment.

Our skin is also affected by the way we treat ourselves... too much sun can be harmful, but not enough can too.  Smoking and drinking too much are known causes of early aging and we have all been told by the cosmetic manufacturers that we really need to look after our skin and use expensive creams to achieve a youthful aspect.

Back in January of this year, I wrote a post on feeding your skin, and how to help from the inside out, but here's a little bit of information on how daily foods can affect the aspect of our skin.  So let's start off with my personal favorite!

Sugar.

I actually am in the process of seeing how long I can go for without refined sugar.  I LOVE anything sweet and I am incapable of eating a small square or two of chocolate.  If I open the packet, the whole lot is likely to disappear.  But on 31st May this year I decided to switch to a low carb - high fat diet and it is amazing the difference it has made to my skin.

Sugar causes lines and wrinkles on the upper forehead, saggy skin under the eyes, blemishes and

large pustular or cystic acne which is widespread over the face as opposed to concentrated in certain areas.  It can also cause a gaunt appearance with thinning of the skin, and an unhealthy pasty white hue complexion.

This is because sugar leads to glycation, a process where excess glucose molecules cling to your collagen and distort it and make it stiff.  It is amazing what quitting or even reducing sugar can do for your skin, and you will literally see the difference in a matter of days to a couple of weeks.  A client of mine had terrible acne, for a totally different reason she decided to break her addiction to ice cream.  What she didn't expect was to get a vast improvement to her skin.

Dairy.

I'm putting this after sugar as the two have a lot in common... lactose is the sugar in milk so the two are strongly related (this is why the client I mentioned above got such an improvement on giving up ice cream... no sugar, no dairy... win win).  As we age our bodies find it increasingly hard to digest lactose, so even if you believe you have never had a problem with dairy, you might just find it's affecting you now.  Being unable to digest lactose is due to a loss of enzymes which leads to inflammation throughout your body, including your face which may appear tired and red.

Dairy can produce dark circles and/or bags under the eyes, swollen eyelids, widespread acne and other blemishes, spots concentrated on the chin and pale cheeks.  We do not NEED dairy produce in our diets, but if you can't live without it then keep it below 5% of your diet.

Wine.

Sorry!  Yes, wine is good for us in many ways, especially where antioxidants are concerned.  However it does have a few negative effects as well, such as oral health problems.  And yes, it can also affect your skin.  This is because wine has a very high sugar content (all alcohol does), there is also a potential pesticide and sulphite problem, but wine also causes dehydration.  So don't forget to moderate the wine and keep up the water intake at the same time, other wise you skin will become ruddy, saggy and wrinkly.

Wine and dehydration lead to pronounced lines or blemishes between the eyebrows and droopy eyelids.  The fine skin under the eyes becomes lined and wrinkled.  The dehydration causes feathery lines on the cheeks, a reddish skin tone, deep folds from the nose to the mouth and enlarged pores.

Gluten.

Yes, I know, gluten-free diets are all the rage at the moment, but please, if you don't recognize these symptoms in your skin and you aren't celiac or gluten intolerant then YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE UP GLUTEN.

Some people who may not realize they have a problem with gluten might recognize some of the symptoms here; blemishes on the forehead and puffy cheeks and jowls and an all round bloated appearance to the face.  Redness and/or red spots on the cheeks and blemishes or darkened areas on the chin.  If this is you then it would be a good idea to quit gluten for 3 months and see how you feel and look.  If you like, after that initial 3 month period you could try reintroducing gluten and see if it affects you.  Do this little by little.  Try a piece of bread, for example and then wait for 4 days to see if you notice anything out of the ordinary, gas, headache, skin breakout.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com