Irritable. Bowel. Syndrome.
For almost a third of the population, these three little words pack a pretty big punch.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, can be a painful and distressing condition. It refers to a collection of unexplained symptoms associated with bowel function, without any obvious abnormality or cause.
As regular readers will know, my joint loves in life are chocolate and exercise (apologies to my long-suffering boyfriend!).
With that in mind, this *stop press* announcement should come as no surprise:
Researchers have recently found that chocolate milk is better able to help repair and rebuild muscles than standard carbohydrate sports drinks.
*Important news regarding nutrition for children*
The Food Standards Agency has issued a reminder to parents that honey is not safe for babies under a year old. The warning follows a case of infant botulism, which is a rare but serious illness.
Babies only need breast milk or infant formula for the first six months, and although it might be tempting to give them honey to ease coughs, a younger baby’s gut is not sufficiently developed to fight off the botulism bacteria.
Infant botulism is rare, it’s a serious illness that causes muscle weakness and breathing problems, often resulting in hospital treatment. Although recovery can be slow, almost all babies recover fully.
You can view the full article here.
All the best.
I’ve got my summer holiday booked and my outfits planned. The only thing left to do is shift those last few pounds – yes, the ones I’ve been meaning to despatch for months!
Since I’m all about working smarter not harder (I imagine you’re much the same), here are my top 10 foods for maximising the success of my pre-holiday diet.
To supplement or not to supplement… a quick straw poll of my girlfriends showed this is one common dilemma. For anyone who’s stood in the supplement aisle and felt completely overwhelmed by the choice available, you are not alone! Vitamins A through Z, minerals you’ve not heard of since science class, Omegas and essential oils – how did it get so complicated?!
I’m a good girl: I drink my 2L a day, I eat my 5 a day and I exercise at least 3 times a week. But no matter how hard I try, I just can’t resist the bad stuff.
You know what I’m talking about. Chocolate, ice-cream, cookies, cakes, crisps – whatever your weakness is, it’s mine too. But why? What do Cadbury’s, Ben & Jerry’s and Walker’s know about food that’s got me hooked?
Well, they could be! Recent research from Australia suggests that a poor diet can adversely affect asthma sufferers. The study, which is yet to be confirmed with other studies, found that asthma patients eating high fat high energy meals showed signs of airway inflammation and an inhibited response to the asthma reliever Ventolin.
I was struggling to think of a way to start this post. Eventually, I turned to my boyfriend for inspiration.
A&PB: Baby…?
Boyfriend: Yeessss
A&PB: If I say “protein”, what do you think?
Boyfriend: Muscles! (He flexes both biceps and looks at me suggestively.)
A&PB: Sigh. Ok, why is protein important? Why do you need it?
Boyfriend: Umm, to make my muscles stronger? If I’m doing an endurance race, I know I need lots of it. But I don’t really know…
And that’s exactly the thought I was trying to capture. For so many people, protein is an abstract concept. We all know we need it and that it’s a bad thing to be deficient. But why is this so? What does protein actually do?
If you’re not currently subscribed to the BBC Good Food newsletter, stop reading this right now, go to the BBC Good Food site and subscribe! It’s a food-lover’s heaven – I can easily spend hours browsing their database, or search for recipes by meal, time to cook, cuisine, difficulty, course, calorie content and dietary needs.
Each week the newsletter is packed full of delicious ideas and this week’s “in-between season” meals are perfect for warm (ish) days and cool nights. With minimal washing up required, I’m convinced that the one-pot dish is the way forward!
Here are a few I can’t wait to try out:
Roast summer vegetables and chickpeas
A summery tomato-based stew, packed with vegetables and perfect to make ahead for lunches and dinners during the week.
Spring chicken in a pot
This light, vibrant one-pot casserole is packed with spring veg and herby pesto – yum!
Chorizo, new potato and haddock
This easy-to-make fish dish requires minimum effort!
There are over 70 one-pot recipes so you shouldn’t have any problem finding the perfect one for you.
Happy cooking, and please let me know if you find any hidden gems!
A study out of the US last week has found that people snacking on organic products frequently underestimate their calorie content.
The findings showed that people who ate organic cookies labelled as “organic” believed the snack contained 40% fewer calories than the same cookies with no label.
An organic label appears to gives products a “health halo” effect, which is the same basic reason people overeat foods labelled as healthy or low-fat: they underestimate the calories and over-reward themselves by eating more.
Medical News Today has the full story, “Organic Snackers Underestimate Calories, Study Shows”.
And what if you don’t want to overeat on organic food? Check the labels of organic products carefully, compare them to non-organic equivalents, and if in doubt, the study recommends you take your best guess at the calorie content and then double it!
All the best.
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