How many times are we told to read the labels on the food we buy? That’s all well and good but one can spend hours reading and it won’t really help unless you know what to look out for so here is a basic summary of what should make you sit up and take notice. Please note that most of the information for this post was taken from a leaflet for the World Cancer Research Fund, please visit their website for further information: www.wcrf-uk.org

Engergy:

Energy is measured in kilojoules (kJ) and kilocalories (kcal), although many people also speak of just plain Calories (Cals). Generally it is accepted that to maintain a healthy weight, women should consume no more than 2000 Calories a day and men 2500 Calories. One Calorie is equivalent to 4,186 kilojoules so to work out your kilojoule allowance you would multiply the number of Calories by 4,186, you can also use the converter at: http://www.jsward.com/cooking/appendices.shtml.

Naturally, these are only guidelines and people who do sport and/or lead a very active lifestyle would need more Calories, children would need less.

Try to balance the Calories you take in with the Calories you use up through exercise and conscious food choices.

Protein:

On food labels, protein is expressed in grams (g). We need protein for growth and repair, it also plays a role in metabolism. When choosing protein to include in your diet, try to opt for fish, poultry, game or vegetarian sources such as tofu as red meat can be high in saturated fat.

On the Eat-Salad Lifestyle, we recommend having at least one protein based meal a day, preferably from fish, poultry, game or vegetarian sources. Include nuts in your diet as these are also a good protein source.

Carbohydrate:

Just like protein, carbohydrate is expressed in grams (g). Remember though that often the amount of carbohydrate indicated on a food label includes both complex and simple carbohydrates(sugars). Ideally we should try to base our carbohydrate meals around complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, wholemeal breads and wholemeal pastas.

Some food labels make a distinction between sugars and complex carbohydrate content, making it easier to see how much sugar you are consuming in your daily meals.

On the Eat-Salad Lifestyle, we recommend that you include only complex carbohydrates in your meals when possible, these give a slow release of energy, helping you to stay active and alert for longer during your day.

Fat:

Fat contains twice as many calories as carbohydrates and protein. By now we are all aware that there are good fats and bad fats. Fats such as saturated and Trans fats are the bad guys and too much of these fats in our daily diet can lead to an increased risk of obesity, heart disease and some cancers. Unsaturated fats are the good guys and are the best to include in a healthy diet, as some fat is necessary for optimal health.

Some sources:

Saturated fats: meat, dairy products, processed foods.

Trans fats or hydrogenated fats: margarines, some ready meals, some processed foods such as biscuits or cakes.

Unsaturated fats:

Monounsaturates: olive oil, nuts, avocadoes.

Polyunsaturates: oily fish, nuts and seeds, sunflower and soya oils (take note that all oils should be kept away from light and oxygen, otherwise their nutritional value deteriorates, thus oils sold in clear bottles are not a valuable addition to a healthy diet).

On the Eat-Salad Lifestyle we recommend that you take an Omega 3,6,9 supplement, eat oily fish at least twice a week, add nuts and seeds to your daily diet and use cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil for all cooking and salad dressings. Flax seed oil can also be a healthy addition to salad dressings but should not be used for cooking.

Generally it is recommended that women should aim for no more than 70 grams of total fat a day (of which 20 grams can be saturates) and men for no more than 95 grams a day (of which 30 grams can be saturates). Again these are only guidelines and individual needs will vary.

Fibre:

There are two types of fibre, soluble and unsoluble fibre, both which are good for us. Soluble fibre can assist in controlling blood glucose (sugar) levels and can also have a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol levels. Soluble fibre can be found in pulses, fruit and vegetables and oats.

Insoluble fibre is the kind that helps to keep our bowels regular and is mainly found in wholegrain breads, bran products and cereals.

Foods that contain more than 6 grams of fibre per 100 grams are thought to have good levels of fibre.

Sodium:

Sodium is part of salt and is listed in grams or milligrams (mg) on food labels. If a label does not list the sodium and salt content seperately you can work it out yourself by multiplying the sodium content by 2,5.

For example: o,4 g of sodium x 2,5 = 1 gram of salt.

Some salt is necessary in a healthy, balanced diet but most of have a daily intake that is much too high. Try to eat less than 6 grams (about one level teaspoon) of salt a day (2,4 g of sodium). Watch out for ‘hidden’ salt in processed and canned foods and try not to add salt to your food at the table.

On the Eat-Salad Lifestyle we recommend that you experiment with using herbs, spices and vegetable based flavourings to enhance the taste of your food. Coarse sea salt, Maldon salt or Himalayan rock salt are good sources of minerals and are a tasty alternative to table salt as we know it.

Ingredients:

It is useful to know that ingredients on a food label are listed in descending weight. Thus the first ingredient is the main ingredient in the product. Take a look at the label to make sure that products contain good levels of what they claim to contain.

Use by date:

Foods are unsafe to eat after this date.

Best before date:

Foods can still be safe to eat after this date but may not be at their best anymore.

Food labels often also contain storage and cooking or defrosting instructions, try to follow these guidelines to ensure optimal taste once your food is prepared.

The United Kingdom Food Standards Agency gives the following guidelines for food labels:

Total Fat: A lot per 100 g of food= 20 g or more

A little per 100 g of food = 3 g or less

Saturates: A lot per 100 g of food = 5 g or more

A little per 100 g of food = 1 g or less

Sodium: A lot per 100 g of food = 0,5 g or more

A little per 100 g of food = 0,1 g or less

Sugars: A lot per 100 g of food = 10 g or more

A little per 100 g of food = 2 g or less

Remember that ultimately we are responsible for what we put into our bodies, equipping ourselves with the knowledge to make healthy choices is a responsibility which we should take seriously, our bodies will thank us!

As the old year ends, I always have a sense of completion and some excitement and sometimes nervousness about what the new  year may bring. This past year, I have undergone major challenges regarding my health, all linked directly to my nutrition and lifestyle and as such have been reminded of how important it is to pay attention to how I nurture myself, with food and in other ways. Thus, I thought it may be a nice idea to make this next year a year of finding the way of eating (and living) which makes me feel most alive, energetic and healthy and sharing my findings with you (aren’t you lucky?:-) ).

Most of us are really ‘connected’ to how we eat. I’ve recently been doing research for an article on vegetarianism and fruitarianism and it made me realise yet again how intimately we view our diet. Even if  you are someone who doesn’t ‘pay much attention’ to food, just wait until you are asked to change  your way of eating and you will be surprised at how important your food suddenly becomes! So, with this in mind, my reasoning is such, if I change/improve/expand my relationship with food, this will directly impact on the rest of my life..

From March 2010, I will be posting my experiences of the ‘Eat-Salad’ way of life, reporting on what it’s like to ‘practise what I preach’ and you are as always welcome to comment or mail me with any questions. I do not claim to be an expert in any field and none of my posts should ever be seen as medical advice, these are my own opinions and/or research and where possible I will try my best to give links/references and acknowledgements when I use the writings or work of others to support my posts. If I have not credited where credit is due, please do let me know.

See you in March!

Our sense of touch must be one of the most delightful parts of existing in a physical body! Not only does it bring us pleasure, it also alerts us to danger and notifies us when something is not quite right.

Touch as a sense is experienced by touching something but in my opinion also by being touched. Thus when we are thinking about how to incorporate the sense of touch more into our lifes we can also think about  Swedish massage, reflexology, shiatsu, acupressure and much more.

If you have a furry friend as a pet, I am sure you are familiar with the immense sense of calm that is experienced when stroking them or the warm fuzzy feeling when your cat rubs itself against your legs. Some textures are more pleasing than others, it’s true, I wouldn’t want to get up close and personal with a hedgehog, that’s for sure!

So how can we use touch to bring us into the ‘now’ and benefit ourselves mentally and physically?

Massage.

Massaging in your body lotion (sense of smell) after a bath or shower is a good time to explore the sense of self administered touch. Really put thought into your movements and spend a little extra time on areas where your muscles feel tense, besides helping you relax, this exercise also puts you more ‘in touch’ (excuse the pun!) with your body.

Alternatively, book a Swedish massage or other bodywork modality treatment at least once a month. If your budget does not stretch to this then do a ‘massage swap’ with a friend or partner, you will notice the benefits, trust me!

Non-visual visualization.

Use your sense of touch to guide your mind, for example, hold a small pebble from the beach in your hand while you meditate. Just holding the pebble will make it easier for you to take your mind into a visualization where you are sitting on the beach in the setting sun. Put a bowl of body temperature water by your desk at home and put your feet in it when you start getting that ‘frazzled’ feeling. Believe me, it works! You can even put some smooth pebbles in the bottom of the bowl and imagine to yourself that you are walking in a stream.

Nature’s touch.

Feel the texture of the bark of a tree and then let the lower leaves brush your hands or cheeks. Take off your shoes when you are walking on the grass and you’ll be surprised and pleased to discover that you feel much more ‘grounded’ after walking this way for a short while.

Comforting touch.

Wrap yourself in a mohair blanket or wear silk pjs when you need to feel just that little more comforted. Make a cocoon in your duvet or snuggle into your favourite jersey. It sure beats the calorie count in a bar of chocolate!

Be conscious.

Allow yourself to touch and be touched, take someones hand and give them yours. Be aware of your intention when touching or being touched and be willing to experience your world in a more ‘hands on’ way!

Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I really, really, really enjoy my food:-). I would have to admit that this is true!

As we are looking at the senses and how to use them to enhance our health and well-being, let’s take a look at the role played by taste.. In Ayurveda they define six tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. Ayurvedic wisdom advises that including a little of each of these tastes in each main meal can help to balance the system and minimize cravings. For an amazing article on tastes and the elements visit: http://www.kitchendoctor.com/Ayurveda/taste-elements.html, very interesting!

Examples of foods related to each taste:

sweet: carrots, beet sugar

sour: lemons, yoghurt

salty: sea salt, rock salt

bitter: endive, dandelion, turmeric, coriander

pungent: radish, ginger root

astringent: cilantro, broccoli

For myself, taste is one of the most sensual ways I ‘connect’ with my life and world, good bread dipped in extra virgin olive oil and sea salt and washed down with some good red wine, mmmm, heaven:-)!

Seriously though, when is the last time you really ‘tasted’ your food? Too often, we are so pressed for time that we rush through breakfast (if we have it at all), grab a sandwich for lunch and cook whatever is quick and easy for dinner. It can be so different, food and experiencing it (the preparing and the eating) can become a joy and pleasure and you and your family will reap wonderful benefits such as improved health, more quality time spent together and more relaxed outlooks on life.

When choosing your food in the supermarket or on the farmers market, try to imagine the flavours in your mouth, think about which dishes you are going to prepare and taste the different spices and herbs you are going to add. This conscious ‘tasting’ of your imagination already sets you up to enjoy the meal so much more and when you eventually really eat the food, there is a feeling of fulfillment as your ‘taste’ experience has now come full circle.

Explore.

Explore and experiment with different tastes as ways to discover new cultures and interesting feedback about your own nature. Trying something spicy when you usually only eat plain food could open up a whole world of new flavours you did not know existed! Be open and adventurous and you may just be pleasantly surprised!

Some of my favourite tastes:(in no particular order)

- wholewheat pasta with olive oil, garlic, ginger powder and chillies, crumbled feta and a glass of red

- hummous

- dark chocolate

- fresh baguette dipped in olive oil and greek yoghurt

- salad with lemon and olive oil dressing a la Hendricus (my Dad)

- spicy butternut soup

- fresh berry juice

- fresh orange juice

- spicy rice crackers/corn chips and avo dip

- anything my mother cooks!

Let me tell you, that list is in no way exhaustive:-)!

Open your mind, open your mouth and let the tastes transport you!

Happy tasting!

How many times do you get into bed and realise you feel like you just rushed through your day, not really experiencing anything fully? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Many of us, myself included, sometimes feel that life is rushing past and we don’t know how to catch up!

This morning, with the sun making a much needed appearance, I decided to go for a walk by the sea and as often happens on these walks, I got to thinking, this time about how to get more ‘in touch’ with my life.

Our Senses.

Think about the last time you felt you were really ‘in the moment’, chances are it has something to do with a sensory experience, such as a smell, sight, sound, taste or feeling. Our senses are our ‘connection’ to the world and they can also be the key to bringing us into the here and now.

Let’s look at some ways to incorporate sensory experience consciously into our lives..

Sight.

Something I notice myself doing when I am taking one of my walks, is that my mind wanders and I don’t really see the beauty of the day around me. When I make the effort to really look and really see, I find that I finish my walk refreshed and rejuvenated as my mind has had a rest and I’ve been visually nourished by the uplifting images of the sun on the waves, children playing, a seagull swooping past, a dog barking in the surf..

Bringing our vision back to ‘now’ is a wonderful way to notice the wonders which surround us and put our worries on the back burner for a while. Taking our eyes to the outside rather than proceeding on automatic while planning into the future, helps us to feel gratitude for what we see and be more present in the day and moment.

Colour therapy.

Different colours influence our mood in different ways and incorporating colour into your daily visual experience can be of great benefit to your mental and emotional wellbeing. Try buying colourful stationery, having bright cushions in your living room, putting a vase of flowers on your kitchen table and wearing a scarf or top which expresses the colour of your mood that day. Take a minute and just immerse yourself in the yellow of a sunflower, the blue hues of the waves, the pink of your little ones cheeks or the fire of the setting sun. Drink in the colour, imagining that you are taking it into your body with your breath and as you breathe out, imaging any worries or physical aches leaving your body.

Tomorrow we will take a look at how to celebrate your sense of smell.. for now I’m off to make the most of a Spring evening outside!