Brain food for toddlers Eighty percent of our adult brain is formed by the age of three. So just at the time when our toddlers have learnt that saying “NO” causes the big people around them to act in all sorts of funny ways,...
Omega-3's are not all equal!
There’s no denying that eating fish is good for you. One of the key reasons is that it’s a great source of polyunsaturated fat – in particular the omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA. These fats...
Finding the hidden salt in my pantry! The best way to learn is to teach. I find this all the time with nutrition. Whenever I give a talk, I invariably find myself thinking ‘Oh yes. I must do that!’ Telling others is a great way to keep...
Keep your eyes healthy with sweet corn It’s great to buy fruit and vegetables in season. Right now we’re eating heaps of sweet corn. It’s so easy to cook: three minutes per cob (husk on) in the microwave. My son and I munch ours straight...
Can I eat mussels if I have high cholesterol?
The short answer is yes - you can eat mussels if you have high cholesterol. Mussels are low in kilojoules, cholesterol and fat. The little fat they do have is mostly healthy unsaturated fat with plenty...
I’m on my way to the opening cocktail evening for the Food Writers Conference in Napier. The hotel lift opens at my floor and I stop, speechless, as Richie McCaw [current All Black captain] and a couple of his Canterbury Crusaders teammates smile nonchalantly out. No room for me – these boys are big! What am I doing wobbling off to eat and drink tonight? I should be in the gym chiselling my body like these amazing specimens. The momentary motivation passes as we enter the whitewashed historic Hawkes Bay Club, just a stone’s throw from our hotel.
“I’ve just walked into Brad Thorn’s stomach!” my friend Jenny from Beef and Lamb New Zealand says as we munch on large green Orcona jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese and sprinkled with smoked paprika. “Those boys are big!”
Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in New Zealand and on a world ranking we’re way up there. Around 2500 New Zealanders develop bowel cancer each year and about 1000 die.
Considering there are just over 4 million of us, it’s pretty high. Bowel cancer is not so common in Maori people but those who do develop it are less likely to be diagnosed and therefore more likely to die.
Bowel cancers begin as polyps. As you can see in the picture, taken at virtual colonoscopy, these are small growths that can enlarge within your bowel on a stalk. As they grow bigger, the more chance there is of one of these turning into a killer - a malignant cancer.
Bowel cancer is more common as you age but it’s never too early to get into healthy habits to cut your risk. Here’s the top 4 ways…
1. Physical activity 2. Fibre especially from wholegrains and fruit 3. Garlic 4. Calcium – have some low fat milk and yoghurt each day
From a diet perspective, here are the top 4 ways to increase your risk of bowel cancer?
1. Obesity, especially around the stomach 2. Processed meat such as sausages and salami 3. Red meat – it’s great for iron and zinc but keep it to less than 500 grams a week 4. Alcohol
Dug these stories up while surfing around the web…
Supermarket ad trials: your shopping trolley knows what you want — In a move that brings new meaning to the expression “taking the thinking out of shopping”, advertising will be delivered directly to supermarket trolleys based on a shopper’s in-store behaviour and purchasing history.
It could make shopping more entertaining but I prefer to choose my groceries without my trolley telling me what to buy!
The rise and rise of gluten-free — The global market for gluten-free food and drink products has grown exponentially in the past five years with a raft of new products hitting the market. Clear leaders are starting to emerge in what was once a niche.
The gluten free market is growing at almost 30% a year. Pity it’s not my bank account!
Green tea slashes heart disease death risk: Study — Compared to people who drank less than one cup a day, seven or more cups of green tea a day may reduce the risk of dying from heart disease by a whopping 75 per cent, report scientists from Okayama University in the Annals of Epidemiology.
Yet another study to remind us why drinking green tea is so good for us. Or is it that if you drink 7 cups a day you just don’t feel like that burger and fries?
Why gluten free foods are booming — Why do so many foods now declare themselves free of gluten – the protein found in grains like wheat, oats, rye and barley? Because around one million Australians are now eating gluten free foods, says Dr Sue Shepherd, a Melbourne dietitian, specialising in gastrointestinal problems.
Too many people think if a food is gluten free it’s more healthy. This is a sensible story that explains the truth about gluten free.
Prostate cancer – the lifestyle changes that (might) help — Prostate and breast cancer might affect different sexes but they share some similarities. They’re both common cancers, both influenced by hormones and both kill similar numbers of people each year.
OK boys – I know you love a good barbie but if you want to keep your prostate in good shape you’ll skimp on the steak and stack on the salad!
It’s spring-time in New Zealand and the flowers are so pretty. I just had to show you what I see each day as I walk up my street (you’ll need Adobe Flash to see the pics above). It gives me a daily hit of happiness!
Here’s a yummy Spring Lamb Salad to put you in the spring mood. Asparagus and new season’s potatoes have just arrived in the shops so I tossed them with some baby spinach leaves, roasted tomatoes and the barbecued lamb. I had some pomegranate molasses sitting in my fridge so dolloped it over the cooked lamb. It tasted delicious with the olive oil, garlic and lemon juice dressing. Try it!
Rewena Bread
2 c flour
1 tsp sugar
3 slices potato
Boil potato slices in 1 cup water to mashing consistency. Cool and when luke warm mix all ingredients to a firm texture. Cover...
Artery clogging bacon and eggs sizzled in the fry-pan and the tea-pot was full and steaming, ready for it’s rehydrating task. It was the morning after the night before! “Why...
The short answer is yes - you can eat mussels if you have high cholesterol. Mussels are low in kilojoules, cholesterol and fat. The little fat they do have is...
[tweetmeme] Mention cholesterol and what food jumps to mind? Probably the egg. Since the early 1980’s it has been the much maligned food icon of high cholesterol. True, it is...
Here’s my question: Is it possible to make a wholemeal version of rewena paraoa (potato bread) that looks and tastes good? For the past month I have been experimenting. Rewena...
