After talking about fats last week (Fats: the good, the bad and the ugly), it made sense to continue the conversation with a bit of an exposé on cholesterol.
Surprise, surprise – few people are aware of the ways it’s essential to their health.
Jenni asks: my husband and I are trying for a baby, why is folic acid so important to pregnant women?
Folic acid, known as folate in its natural form, is one of the B-group of vitamins. Repeated studies have shown that women who get 400 micrograms per day prior to conception and in the first trimester of pregnancy reduce the risk that their baby will be born with a serious neural tube defect by up to 70%.
I think that the word “fat” has become one of the dirtiest words in dieting vernacular. It’s hard to say where the misconceptions began – the widely publicised no-fat celebrity diets or the relentless (justifiable) campaigns against the fast food industry – but somewhere along the line it all got a bit confusing.
Because only some fats are bad.
And a lot of people I talk to are still surprised to hear that almost all foods contain some fat, and that it has important biological roles in their body.
I love a good fact. For me, there’s a certain thrill to acquiring bite sized chunks of completely irrelevant information that might – just might – wow the room next time Trivial Pursuit makes an appearance.
Ok, so maybe this is just me. But in case it sounds even a little familiar to you too, here are 10 knock-your-socks-off nutrition facts that I bet you didn’t know yesterday.
Cooking can be an easy and enjoyable pastime – there are more than enough celebrity chefs on television to attest to it! If you take an interest in your diet and health, it’s really worth understanding how the cooking method you use can affect the nutritional quality of the ingredients and the overall “healthiness” of your meal.
Read on for the Pros and Cons of 5 common methods: frying, grilling and roasting, microwaving, poaching in water and steaming.
We’re all familiar with the recommendation that you eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables each day. But what constitutes a serving? The salad filling in your sandwich, the vegetables in your pasta sauce, the fruit in your breakfast juice? Well, maybe.
Use this handy guide to help you work out how far your portions count towards your 5 a day.
Read the rest of this entry »
Because looking after yourself isn’t just about eating the right things, nourish your soul as well as your body with EmpowHER’s Top 10 Ways to Achieve Happiness.
All the best!
This is a question very close to my heart. I’m a vegetarian and I’m also health conscious. I want to know that my choice to not eat meat isn’t going to leave me at risk of developing a nutrient deficiency, or worse, an illness or condition such as anaemia.
The simple answer is no. Just because you choose a vegetarian diet, it doesn’t mean you have to miss out on certain nutrients. The complicated answer is that your nutrient intake is entirely your own responsibility… you need to make sure that you’re getting key nutrients from other, plant-based, sources.
Ok, here’s a question for you.
Which nutrient can:
- Prevent some cancers (especially colon and breast cancer)
- Reduce your risk of some chronic diseases (such as constipation and haemorrhoids)
- Lower your LDL cholesterol (that’s the bad one) and total cholesterol levels
- Help to keep blood sugar levels stable
Any thoughts? Nope?
Around 90% of women experience the physical, emotional and behavioural changes known as premenstrual tension (PMT) before their period starts each month. But did you know that your diet can have a significant effect on the severity of your symptoms?
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