The bottom line with energy drinks: Avoid them

Have you ever skolled down a number of energy drinks in one night (perhaps being the designated driver) and felt your heart rate increase?

You need to see this.

You Tube - 4 prudent reasons to say NO to energy drinks 

I couldn't've said it better myself. Thanks Catherine for this vodcast.

I hope this helps you reassess your energy drink consumption. Having too many energy drinks can put you at risk of cardiac arrest ie. a heart attack.

Not to mention the enormous amount of calories, caffeine, added sugar, herbal rubbish, artificial colours and preservatives.... these 'cool to be seen drinking' energy drinks will sure help to stack on the kilos and increase your risk of a cardiac event. Need I say more!

The gods of the food world

Last week was National Vegetarian Week, so it's a great time of year to tell you about vegetables and their god-like powers.

Now before you go, "oh gross" and click the big button with a cross on it on the top right hand corner - hear me out. I reckon by the end of this post I will have you convinced. I'll make a bet on that.

Back when I was a little toddler, I HATED vegetables. My brother was always the good one when it came to eating fruit and vegies, while I was the rebel that preferred cake & cookies. Very naughty of me. I remember the time when my brother was such a good kid, that even though he hated the taste of peas, he managed to eat every pea on his plate, by..... swallowing them! Yes that's right he would swallow one pea at a time, until all the peas were gone. I still remember the sound he would make as he swallowed each pea. Classic - what a committed child!

I'm sure most of you can relate to the horrors to having of eat your vegies when you were little. So why did our mums and dads make us eat our vegies?

Benefit 1: Versatility
One great characteristic of vegetables that chefs will tell you about is their versatility. Take potatoes for example. Mashed, baked, boiled, roasted, sauteed, cottage pied, these are just a few of a thousand and one ways to get creative with these fabulous spuds.

Benefit 2: Cost
I'll be honest and say that I often choose to eat vegetarian because it doesn't put a huge dint in my bank account. Every time I do my grocery shopping I am tempted to buy some nice cuts of meat. However when I do the cost comparison, I realise I could buy kilos of vegetables for the same price as 1 piece of meat! Fresh, frozen or canned, vegetables and legumes and very cheap in comparison to other foods.

Benefit 3: Antioxidants, Vitamins & Minerals
Not only are vegetables cheap but they are massively nutritious. Packed full of antioxidants to reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity... the list goes on. Vegetables contain many vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, C & K, folate, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorous. These micronutrients perform important functions in our bodies to keep us healthy and we can't go without them!

Benefit 4: Fibre
Another amazing feature of vegies is that they are packed full of fibre. Fibre is excellent for a number of reasons. Yes it helps keep you regular, but it also helps to reduce the bad cholesterol in your body and reduces your risk of colon cancer. Another benefit of fibre is that it increases satiety and makes you feel fuller for longer. A rich source of fibre in vegies is in their peel, so hot tip - for better health, don't peel your vegies!

Benefit 5: Weight Loss
Now girls (and blokes, I shouldn't discriminate), if you are looking to shed a couple of kilos, vegetables are your new best friend. Vegetables are one of the lowest calorie, lowest fat and highly nutritious foods you will ever come across. Eating plenty of vegetables every day will not make you put on weight, in fact it will help you lose it! I challenge you to fill half your plate every night with vegetables. Go crazy. Because vegies have those wonderful filling properties, you will be less likely to crave other not so good foods later in the night!

Benefit 6: Easily Accessible and Environmentally Friendly
Have you ever walked into Coles or Woolies or your local fruit shop and found they have run out of vegetables? I haven't. Vegetables are very easy to access. You don't have to travel far to get them and vegatables are also environmentally friendly. Fresh vegetables do not come with lots of packaging. Eating fresh unpackaged foods means that there is less packaging ending up in landfill or washing into our waterways and killing our wildlife. Those of you that have an interest in our carbon footprint will be pleased to know that vegetables tick all the boxes when it comes to climate change and a diet rich in vegetables is highly recommended by the experts.

So what's the healthiest way to cook vegies?

Studies have shown that steaming vegetables is the most nutritious cooking method. This is because steaming results in the least amout of vitamin and mineral depletion. When you steam your vegies, steam them until you see their colour become vibrant and you can poke a fork into them easily. Vegetables that lose their colour and break when a fork is placed into them have been cooked for too long. The longer vegetables are cooked for, the less vitamins and minerals they will contain.

Baking or stir frying is also healthy provided a good oil such as olive oil is used, and don't go over the top with the oil. A light coating of oil spray or a gentle massage of oil into your baked vegies is sufficient.

Tonight I made the most delicious salad for dinner, warm roasted pumpkin, parsnip and carrot salad with baby spinach, pine nuts, kidney beans and goats fetta, topped with a balsamic and olive oil dressing. It was to die for. There is nothing like warm roasted vegies in a crisp salad. Yumm.

Here's the recipe, I created it myself. Give it a go or try another recipe from the National Vegetarain Week collection.

Warm Roasted Pumpkin, Parsnip and Carrot Salad with Baby Spinach, Pine Nuts, Kidney Beans and Goats Fetta, topped with a Balsamic and Olive Oil Dressing.

1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup parsnip
1/2 cup carrots
1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup baby spinach
2 tbsp pine nuts
1/4 cup kidney beans
2 tbsp goats fetta

Dressing:
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
pinch salt
cracked pepper

Wash the pumpkin, parsnip and carrots. Without peeling, cut up into large bite sized chunks. Massage oil into vegetables and baked in a 200 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden. In the last 10 minutes of roasting, place pine nuts on an oven tray and toast until just golden and smelling fabulous. Be careful because pine nuts can burn very easily. While roasting, prepare salad dressing: In a small jar, shake together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, place the baby spinach, kidney beans and pine nuts. Crumble the goats fetta over the salad. Add the hot roasted vegatables. Pour over the dressing and gently toss so that the dressing is evenly dispersed. Serve immediately while the vegies are hot. Buon appetito!

Brain Power... how to get those assignments done quicker

Did you know that what you eat can affect your performance at work? Yes, it’s true, a healthy diet may improve concentration, alertness and performance in your workplace (or at uni, wherever you are and whatever you get up to).

Photo courtesy of Nuts For Life

My number 1 rule is to always eat breakfast. Breakfast provides the brain its most important fuel source of the day. Have you ever forgotten to eat breakfast and for the rest of the day felt sluggish and hungry? This is your brain telling you that it never received its nutrients to get kick started for the day!

Many other foods can also help with performance. Carbohydrate foods are the preferred fuel source for the brain. Carbohydrates stimulate the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter which helps regulate appetite and mood, meaning you will feel happier!

The type of carbohydrate is also important. Recent studies have shown that low glycaemic index (GI) carbohydrates are associated with better cognitive performance. Examples of low GI foods include porridge, muesli, milk, yoghurt, multigrain & sourdough bread, many fruits and vegetables, legumes, pasta and doongara rice.

Protein rich foods help boost mental alertness, thinking and memory. Lean meat, fish, chicken, legumes and eggs are excellent sources of protein. Omega 3s, found in oily fish, linseeds and walnuts have been shown to improve mood. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day will prevent dehydration.

Follow these guidelines and you will be a happier, healthier, more productive worker!

Yummy vegetarian meals

Keep an eye out for an upcoming post on eating vegetarian, and why it's so good for you!

In the meantime, let me know how often you eat a meat-free meal. You can vote on the poll on the right side of the screen!

Here are some yummy vegetarian meal ideas to get you salivating...

 Polenta & Roasted Vegetable Stack 

Groove Train

King George Square, Brisbane

Poached Eggs on Toasted Sourdough with Spinach

 Brown Cow Cafe Bar

Hampton, Melbourne

My own creation!

Ryvitas with goats fetta and tomato, topped with baby spinach & a generous serving of cracked pepper

Buon appetito!

I just want milk that tastes like real milk

One of my favourite ads is the one where the middle aged man walks into the corner store to buy a bottle of milk. The woman behind the counter lists a number of different types of milk that he could possibly choose from. "Ah, I just want milk that tastes like real milk". This ad was very successful and targeted the stereotype of men wanting to drink milk that tastes like 'real milk'. Needless to say, my Dad (who used to drink full cream milk) now drinks Pauls Smarter White.

So why drink milk?

Milk and dairy products are good for our bones. The balance of nutrients in these foods is ideal to keep our bones, teeth, hair and nails strong. Calcium is one of the key nutrients in dairy which helps to cement strong bones. Throughout childhood and adolescence, the body is excellent at storing calcium and building strong bones. At around 20 years of age we hit our peak bone mass. As we get older, this tends to decrease, especially after menopause in females. So the moral of the story is: Build up strong bones when you are young, and keep them strong for the rest of your life.

How do you do this? Like most things, it's a combination of diet and exercise. Eating foods high in calcium will help to keep your bones strong. Dietary sources of calcium include milk, yoghurt, cheese, fish with edible bones, sardines, green leafy vegetables, legumes and nuts. Regular weight bearing exercise has been shown to have a positive impact on bone health. Weight bearing exercise includes any exercise that involves being on your feet, such as walking, jogging, tennis, soccer and weights.

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How much calcium is enough?

For most people, 3 serves of dairy each day is recommended. A serve of dairy is a glass of milk (250mL), a tub of yoghurt (200g) or two slices of cheese (40g). Low fat varieties are the best choices to make. When we were kids, my mother used to give my brother and I a glass of milk with our dinner every night. It became a habit, and 'the norm' for us at dinner time. My brother and I also used to love having melted cheese on toasted english muffins when we got home from school. And for breakfast it was always cereal with milk, and there's your 3 serves of dairy!

Have a think how you are getting your 3 serves every day...

Don't forget that vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium, and the best way to get vitamin D is to get some sun exposure every day (about 6-8 minutes is all you need!)

You may be wondering what happens if you don't have strong bones. Osteoporosis is a condition that is often diagnosed in the elderly where bones are lacking in calcium and other minerals, becoming fragile and likely to fracture. It is estimated that 20 000 hip fractures occur annually in Australia. Half of these people will not recover fully, and up to 20% will die within a year. So although it may not seem so important when you are young, cementing strong bones will increase your chances of living a longer, healthier life.

 FAQs

Q. I've heard that dairy foods are bad for you as they contain saturated fats (which are bad fats).
A. Yes, the fats in dairy are mostly saturated fats. Luckily, low fat dairy products are very low in saturated fats and do not increase the risk of heart disease. Low fat dairy is recommended for all children and adults over 2 years of age.

Q. What if I am lactose intolerant? How can I still get my 3 serves a day without drinking milk?
A. Lactose intolerance does not mean you have to remove all dairy foods from your diet. Hard cheeses and yoghurt are often tolerated by people with lactose intolerence. There are many milks on the market that are made for people with lactose intolerance, such as Zymil. Plant based milks including soy, oat, rice and almond milk are all suitable alternatives. Just be sure to choose the ones that have added calcium.

Q. Is milk chocolate counted as a serve of dairy?
A. No. Although milk chocolate does contain some calcium, it is also very high in calories, fat and sugar and is not recommended to be eaten every day.

Q. I've heard that milk contains sugar. Isn't this a bad thing?
A. The 'sugar' in milk is known as lactose. It is a naturally occuring sugar in milk and is part of its natural make-up. The added sugar that you do need to look out for is in flavoured milks. Those of you that have been watching Jamie's Food Revolution would have seen how Jamie tried to remove chocolate and strawberry flavoured milks from an American elementary school. Flavoured milks (even the low fat ones) have sugar and artificial colours added to them to make them look more appealing and taste sweeter. More frightening is that flavoured milks have almost as much sugar as a soft drink.

I'm dedicating this post to my friend Louise. All the best with educating your kids on dairy!

my brunch today... grilled halloumi on toasted sourdough, with spinach, poached eggs and dukkah

Courtesy of Cafe No. 12 in Prahran.. yumm!

Eggilicious

Are eggs bad for you?

Latest research has told us what we always wanted to think, that eggs are good for us!

Yes believe it or not, you don't have to feel guilty about eating eggs anymore.

The Heart Foundation recommends we can have up to 6 eggs per week! So that's 2 eggs 2-3 times a week, or 1 egg most days of the week. Whatever takes your fancy.

Just remember, the way you cook an egg can affect how good it is for you. The best choices are boiled, poached or scrambled eggs. Choose good fats like olive oil to fry an egg in, and if you are cooking up scrambled eggs, toss the cream and use low fat milk instead.

My favourite lazy weekend breakfast is 2 poached eggs on sourdough toast spread with avocado, and a generous amount of cracked pepper. Amen to that!

Read more on eggs...