Blog
Welcome to my blog page where I will be adding thoughts and ideas which I come across through my research and daily life!
January 2012
Is veal still a cruel meat? Not in the UK!
I admit I stopped eating veal years ago because of the cruel farming processes, however, I may have been convinced otherwise. The veal farming methods have changed in the UK now and we are now being encouraged to buy British veal for two main reasons; it helps reduce the 80,000 newborn male dairy cows being killed at birth, and it has potential to provide british farmers with a much needed source of income. Nutritionally, veal may be a healthier source of essential minerals and low-fat protein as normal beef as it is less likely to be contaminated with artificial hormones as well as being easier to digest. British veal is still not being exported because of mad cow fears, but this is probably a good thing as Continental veal farming still uses less than humane methods. In the UK, the RSPCA have got together with farmers and agreed that male calves can be kept with adult female cows, that they are given more iron and fibre in their diet, and have large, straw bedded barns to live in. Their meat is called Rose Veal as it is not as white as the continental meat (achieved by denying the calves the iron and the correct feed needed to darken the meat).
This Rose Veal is slowly appearing on supermarket shelves, and if more of us buy it, more farmers may be encouraged to invest in rearing veal calves and providing them with the extra source of income. Look out for Freedom Food standard british veal and give it a try! www.ciwf.org.uk has more information.
October 2011
Rickets is back!
It's disturbing to see that Rickets is on the increase in the UK especially since this bone disease was meant to have disappeared after the Victorian times. Due to our increasingly indoor lifestyles and the effectiveness of sun-block, rickets is back especially in children under 10 years old. Rickets is a disease which occurs with prolonged deficiency of vitamin D. What is equally concerning is that a popular cereal manufacturer is going to add some vitamin D to their products but only about 1/4 of the daily recommended allowance per serving of cereal. The recommended daily allowance is what is really required to stave off diseases such as rickets, so 1/4 of this amount may not actually be of any help, whilst increasing the chances of a child consuming higher levels of sugar and additives in their breakfast cereals. The best way of increasing vitamin D levels in the body is to expose ourselves to sunlight for around 10 minutes per day and more in winter. If this is difficult during winter months, then good supplements are available which provide enough of this vital vitamin.
As per my August entry below, vitamin D is vital for our health in so many ways and most of us in the UK are deficient. We need to get outside more and encourage our children to do the same!
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August 2011
Born to be ill?
Radio 4 today (17th August) had an interesting programme: 'The First 1000 days: A Legacy for Life' talking about how our lifelong health is genetically programmed from the time we are conceived through the first 1000 days of life primarily due to the mother's nutritional choices. This, they say, goes to explain why the country's oldest people often didn't lead very healthy lifestyles and some ultra-healthy people succumb to disease such as high blood pressure, heart disease and even cancer. One scientist said that he could predict the lifelong health of a baby by looking at the placenta, the health of the mother and the baby itself at birth.
Foresight Preconception have known about this for over 30 years and work towards making sure womens' health both before and during pregnancy is optimum so that not just the pregnancy and birth have better outcomes, but also the life and health of the child for years to come.
If you are thinking of starting a family, there is a lot to be said about starting your healthy lifestyle at least six months before you even try.
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Sizzling summer!
Having visited one of London’s iconic food markets at the weekend it reminded me that barbeques don’t have to just mean bangers and burgers.
Game meats make very good barbeque options and are naturally lower in saturated fat and additives, and higher in quality protein and minerals. Venison or wild boar sausages, ostrich steaks, organic lamb or beef cuts are all available at these markets. Monkfish also makes a good barbeque choice or even whole fish, like snapper. Halloumi is great for vegetarian kebabs, and large flat mushrooms, slices of aubergine or courgette also taste great once grilled.
Right, the food is on, now where did I put that sunshine!
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"Chi ha la salvia nell'orto ha la salute nel corpo"
We can learn a lot from old sayings! 'Those with sage in their garden, have health in their bodies' (more or less!). The humble sage plant - used for years to help with menopause, depression, anxiety, liver conditions, indigestion and to ward off evil. These furry little leaves are very versatile and easy to grow, even if you just have a window ledge. We tend to use sage in stuffing or sausages but they make a great addition to many dishes. I like these leaves fried with a little butter until crisp and added to pasta or fish dishes. Dried sage leaves infused in hot water first thing in the morning is a lovely way to start the day and nourish the liver. If you have indigestion, try just chewing a couple of fresh leaves straight from the plant.
Sage also goes well chopped and mixed into mashed potato, stirred into fresh peas or added to roast vegetables. It can be stored frozen as leaves, or in ice cubes, or even dried and used for incense sticks..
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August 2011
UV plus D..
Are you off on your summer holidays? If so, hopefully it will be a bit sunnier and warmer than it is here. Don't miss out on your chance to stock up on good food, great lie-ins, cracking novels and also your essential Vitamin D!
Contrary to popular belief, it is actually beneficial to be in the sun without sunscreen for about 20 minutes a day, or until your skin starts to feel a little sensitive - before you burn, of course! We produce most of our Vitamin D from the sunshine which is stored in our livers ready for winter. More and more research is showing us that this hormone-like vitamin is essential to many aspects of our health and can help to prevent a myriad of ailments such as osteoporisis and depression to name just two. Without the summer sunshine most of us, especially those who work indoors, will be depleted in Vitamin D over the winter. I remember a couple of years ago rickets was reported in our northern counties, a condition linked to low Vitamin D, which we though had been firmly locked away in the history books. It has been thought that this unwelcome return is partly due to our new found love of sunblock and increased indoor lifestyles.
So, a little unadulterated sunshine is actually good for us especially if we don't overdo it. We also know that too much sun can make us feel tired and can age our skin, so to help counteract this, stock up your holiday cupboards with antioxidants. The key is to look for fresh fruit, ideally the dark coloured ones which would stain your skin or your clothes, ie blueberries, blackberries, cherries and watermelon. Dark coloured vegetables are also good, ie sweet potato, kale, broccoli and beetroot. These are best eaten fresh and organic to avoid increasing our levels of pesticides and other toxic chemicals. Juicing is also a good idea, especially for warm weather as we can be rehydrating at the same time. These antioxidants help to rid our bodies of the free-radicals which can be produced from the sun's more harmful rays, and help to keep us full of energy.
If fresh organic fruit and vegetables are not easily obtained, then there are plenty of good, potent supplements available. Vitamin C is a good start and if accompanied with other antioxidants this is even better. Look for those which contain mixed ascorbates, or bioflavonoids.
Happy holidays!