Manuka Honey Health Benefits & New Zealand Honey Co. Product Review

Manuka Honey Health Benefits & New Zealand Honey Co. Product Review

I'm a big fan of honey, not only because of its super sweet and delicious taste, but because of the health benefits. I personally like honey in tea (instead of sugar.. it's delicious in herbal teas too), drizzled on fat-free Greek yoghurt & granola, as a natural soother for a sore throat and as the perfect bed-time drink with a squeeze of lemon in hot water. Honey also is great in cooking (check out my honey and mustard glazed chicken recipe for proof!).

Today though I bring you two new products that have become (almost) part of my daily eating routine.. New Zealand Honey Co.'s Manuka Honey with Lemon (with Vitamin C for your immune system) and Blackcurrant Cordial with Manuka Honey (with 37% of your RDA for Vitamin C per serving plus apple cider vinegar).

The Manuka Honey with Lemon is super sweet and tasty and I cannot wait to try their Manuka Honey with Root Ginger too. The blackcurrant drink is equally delicious and although the bottle says that you can drink it with either hot or cold water I cannot seem to budge from a steaming hot blackcurrant drink - it's like goodness in a glass! You can also warm some in a pan to serve over meat.. sounds good to me!

 
In case you're wondering what benefits manuka honey can offer you.. here you go!

Soothing Sore Throats
Manuka honey has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and has been proven to help with sore throats: just take one teaspoon of Manuka Honey three to five times a day and let the honey melt in the mouth first before swallowing slowly to coat the throat.

Improved Digestive Health
Honey feeds and boosts the growth of the digestive flora (good bacteria), in our intestines. These bacteria help to absorb essential nutrients, neutralise harmful toxins and strengthen the immune system.
 
Antioxidant Boost
Antioxidants help to protect the body from free radical damage. Free radicals are formed from many sources including radiation, pollution, stress and naturally from metabolism within our bodies. These free radicals may cause cell damage resulting in disease and accelerated ageing. Antioxidants are suggested to be the body’s only defence against free radicals.

Boosting Energy & Controlling Hunger
The sugar content of honey is a great natural source of carbohydrates, which gives strength and energy. Honey has a medium GI which means it provides a relatively steady release of energy - meaning you can keep going for longer!

I hope you've found this product review useful.. do check out New Zealand Honey Co.'s website for recipes.. The manuka honey and cinnamon smoothie is on my 'to make' list for sure!

Nic x

Metcalfe's Skinny Topcorn & Rice Cakes

Metcalfe's Skinny Topcorn & Rice Cakes

As I said in my ‘healthy snacks’ YouTube video last week, the Metcalfe’s Skinny range is pretty new to me. When I first gazed my eyes upon it in the supermarket I thought it may actually be too good to be true – hurray for me that it wasn’t! The motto on the front says ‘good for fitness freaks, snackers and veggies’.. the ultimate light snack to be enjoyed any time, just like crisps but with much less calories, fat and saturated fat. Each bag contains on average just 120 calories, 15g carbs (same as a slice of bread) less than 5g of fat and provides nearly 3g of fibre.

 

Most of us eat by volume.. which means that larger portions will often leave us feeling more satisfied. A bag of crisps certainly doesn’t fill me but these bags of popcorn are in another league.. they are huge in comparison and as such, extremely satisfying. They really do satisfy hunger cravings and also make the perfectly healthy (and acceptable), wholegrain cinema snack!

Metcalfe’s Skinny Topcorn is available in five different flavours.. Chocolate crackle (yet to try but I cannot wait to!!), wasabi (the perfect amount of hotness and tanginess – and possibly my favourite for post work-out/between meals), sea-salt (classic and a favourite with my friends), sweet ‘n salt (the most more-ish popcorn, and possibly my favourite flavour for the cinema) and heat ‘n sweet (if you like sweet chilli you will like this!!).

Also available in the ‘skinny’ range are these rice cakes, which come topped with yoghurt, dark chocolate or milk chocolate. These beauties are the ultimate sweet treat and are made with some wholegrain rice too. They are so delicious that it’s pretty much impossible to resist eating all three at once from the pack (unless you kindly share them out!).. at only 80 calories a slice they are a lower calorie treat but half of me wishes that they were packaged in two’s not three’s.. but maybe that’s just me being picky (and on some occasions three may be actually needed!).

You can pick up the Metcalfe’s Skinny range from selected Sainsbury’s stores, Ocado and online.

I hope you find this review useful.. happy healthy snacking!!

Nic x

Lizi's Low GL Granola - Product Review

Lizi's Low GL Granola - Product Review

You may remember Lizi's Granola from my Christmas Giveaway  .. well, here is their official, non-biased review! Lizi's granola is created by, you guessed it, Lizi.. who served her home baked granola to guests at her Oxfordshire B&B in the 1990's and has since developed an entire range (see the picture below!) after working as an organic farmer in Wales.

 

Lizi's Granola pride themselves on having a low glycaemic load (GL), which is worked out by taking into account the glycaemic index (GI: how quickly a food releases its energy) AND the carbohydrate load (i.e. the amount). The reason why GL is more important than GI is because it's the AMOUNT of carbohydrate eaten that has the biggest effect on our blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. So, this means that that Lizi's granola provides a steady release of energy and should keep you feeling fuller for longer.

 

A quick look at the ingredients list reveals a whole host of healthy things including fruit, nuts and seeds, with no added table sugar. You only have to look at the packets of other granolas in the shops to see that more often than not sugar is the second ingredient.. which means more calories but no more nutrients (table sugar, also known as sucrose provides 'empty' calories).

 

The pictures above show what the suggested serving is - 50g which is the equivalent of 1/2 a cup and ~240 kcal, 23g carbs, 5g protein, 13g fat (3g saturated) and 5g fibre. I personally like to enjoy this cereal for breakfast with either skimmed milk or fat-free plain yoghurt or for dessert as pictured below.. baked apple (chopped and heated in the microwave for around a minute), topped with a diet-fruit yoghurt, blueberries and 20g (heaped tablespoon) of granola.

Lizi's granola is available from selected Sainsbury's and Tesco's as well as online, and just so you know my two favourite flavours are the Belgian Chocolate flavour and Pink Apple & Cinnamon (pictured below).

I hope you've found this blog review useful. Don't forget to check-out my recipe page to make your very own granola from scratch!

 

Nic x 

Flavourly Box - Product Review

Flavourly Box - Product Review

Calling all Artisan Food Lovers! Today I bring you a video review of a new food subscription service where delicious, hand-picked gourmet foods are sent directly to your door.

See what I received as well as my thoughts and how to get £10 off your first Flavourly box in the video below!

Thank you for watching :) I'll be vlogging weekly over the next few weeks - including a Valentine's giveaway and top tips for healthy snacks on the go so don't forget to subscribe to my You Tube channel so you don't miss out!

[click here to subscribe!]

 

Nic x

Christmas Giveaway!

Christmas Giveaway!

Merry Christmas Eve!! With just one more sleep until Christmas here's my gift to you all to help say a big thank you for all of your support over the last year (my first year of blogging!).. a Christmas giveaway! I have two Christmas hampers to giveaway filled with some of my favourite healthy snacks..

To enter all you have to do is subscribe to my You Tube channel, give the giveaway video a thumbs up and tell me in the comments section what your favourite healthy snack is!

 

For more information & to watch the video just head over

to my You Tube Channel [click here]

Have a lovely Christmas Time everyone!

 

Nic x

Oranges from Spain - Vivavida Gourmet Review

Oranges from Spain - Vivavida Gourmet Review

It's not a secret that I love fruit, but you may not know that my friends and family often don't share the same passion for it as me.. well, that was until now. The other week, a special delivery arrived in the post for me from Spain - 15Kg of the most beautiful, vibrant and tasty oranges that I have ever tried.

I think I did too much editing on this photo.. the oranges do not really glow..!

The oranges were sent to me by Vivavida Gourmet - from tree to table in 24-48 hours is their motto and I could not believe the difference in taste compared to my regular oranges - and neither could my family and friends who were lucky enough to try them - even people who 'didn't like oranges' were asking for more! I was sent a mixture of different oranges all of which were super easy to peal (a big thing for me as I love to snack on fruit on the go). So, what's the story behind these super juicy and tasty oranges?!

Yum!

Here is a little background to the orange story from the orange tree owner himself (but you can read more on their website) ...



"I was living in London for a few months, and one of the first things I did wasbuy some oranges from Valencia from the supermarket. The Oranges had a nice colour and were bright, but tasted awful. This is normal as the oranges that are sold in supermarkets have been cut free from the tree for up to 20-40 days. All this thanks to cold storage and chemical treatments.

Since then I always had in mind the idea of how could the people of England, France and  Germany could eat an orange with the same flavour, be natural and fresh straight from the tree. We aim to promote the benefits of buying oranges directly to the farmer, without intermediaries or post harvest chemical treatments. We hope you enjoy our oranges and tangerines."



My fruit bowl never tasted so good!
 

Oranges are one of the healthiest snack foods around and they even come in their own packaging.. they are low in calories (around 60 calories for a medium orange), are packed with Vitamin C (essential for our immune systems), contain soluble fibre (to lower the cholesterol in our blood) and are virtually fat-free - healthy food really does taste good!!

 

So, if you want to taste and serve the most delicious oranges then you can.. here's the link to their online shop.. http://vivavida.es/online-shop/ . I hope you've found this review useful - I love sharing healthy food products, especially those that are such a big hit during 'taste testing' !!

 

Have a great week,

 

Nic x

Bench Pressed Oats - Oomf! Product Review

Bench Pressed Oats - Oomf! Product Review

When I tweeted about these high protein oats earlier this week my twitter feed (@nicsnutrition) went crazy - everyone loved the idea and wanted to know where they could buy them and how they tasted.. which is what has prompted this blog post (they tasted amazing by the way!).

Oomf Bench Pressed Oats are a whey protein porridge which can be enjoyed either for breakfast or before a strength work-out (providing a steady release of energy and easy to absorb protein for muscle uptake). They are ideal for people who are looking to increase their protein intake and you can find out exactly how much protein YOU should be aiming for by watching my videos on You Tube [click here] or you can watch part 1 below. 

So - what's in them you ask?! Lets take my favourite flavour (apple, sultana and cinnamon)..

The ingredients are (main ingredient first)..

- Oat Flakes: Low GI source of carbohydrate and packed with soluble fibre and beta glucan to reduce cholesterol levels - they release their energy slowly.

- Skimmed Milk Powder: Low fat source of protein (keeping us fuller for longer) and calcium.

- Whey Protein Concentrate (15%): High quality, readily digested complete protein - this means it contains all of the essential amino acids (building blocks of protein) that the body can't make for growth and recovery.

- Xylitol: Natural sweetener (low GI and promotes healthy teeth too).

- Sultanas (6%) & Chopped Apple (3%): Antioxidant packed source of fibre, vitamins and minerals (tasty too!).

- Cinnamon Powder (<1%): For natural flavour (and cinnamon has also been shown to stabilise blood sugar levels).

The pots are also low in sodium (salt) and free from artificial flavours - sounds good to me! 
  

And what about the nutrition stats? Per pot they contain (flavour dependent).. ~290 calories (kcal), ~43g carbohydrate, ~20g protein, 3g fat and ~5g fibre.

There's two different types of Oomf! oats on offer.. the instant oats (just add hot water) - perfect for 'on the go', and the breakfast oats (add milk and heat up). You can check out the flavours on offer on their shop [click here] or in store [where to buy].

Oomf! sent me these samples just to try however I chose to blog about them.. I love to share healthy products that are not only innovative but good for you too (all opinions are 100% my own). If you're looking to increase your protein intake/muscle mass then these oats may well be worth investing in however remember that you will NOT increase your muscle mass by eating alone - it's training that does that (the hard part!).

I hope you've enjoyed this product review - if you're looking for more info about protein and healthy recipes using both protein powder and foods naturally high in protein then check out these links:

Chocolate Protein Brownies

 

Rhubarb & Banana Protein Loaf

 

Oat & Blueberry Protein Pancakes

 

Have a great weekend!

 

Nic x

9bar - Product Review

9bar - Product Review

I love discovering new *healthy* products.. and I discovered this one quite by accident. I found the 9bars lurking in the 'free from' section of the supermarket (not a section I normally browse) and was immediately drawn to the 'mixed seed energy bars' topped with carob.. once tried I was hooked and looked up this 'new brand' to see what I could find.

My local supermarket only stocks the original & flax bars
so 9bar kindly sent me the full range to try!

9bars are made in Wales (UK) and are free from wheat, gluten, dairy, lactose, yeast and egg, making them ideal for those with food allergies or specific dietary requirements. They also contain no trans fats (bad, processed fat), artificial additives, preservatives or colours (always a good thing!). They get their name from the wonderful seeds and hemp which contain all 9 essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein which our bodies cannot make).

The bars are crammed with superfood nutritional goodness..

• Rich in omega 3 (essential for heart health)
• Low glycaemic index (releases energy slowly)
• High protein (8-11g protein per bar)
• Complete protein (the bars contain all 20 amino acids & the 9 essential amino acids)
• Good source of fibre (for digestive health & reducing cholesterol levels)

There are 6 different types of bar to choose from (as pictured above) with my favourite being the 'original' and the 'flax' bars. Flax seeds are a fantastic source of omega 3 (for heart health) and help to contribute to a healthy digestive system. Most of the bars are topped with carob, which is basically like a healthier version of cocoa - it's caffeine free and is naturally sweeter which means that it needs less sugar added to it to make it taste good!

 

 

These bars really are crammed with so many nutrients and although they are slightly higher in calories than the standard between meal 'snack bars' (they're around 270 calories a bar), they're a great source a protein and in my opinion great for more active people (they are a perfect pre or post work out boost) or for those who choose to eat 'little and often' - if you are trying to lose weight then my advice would be to incorporate these within your daily calorie allowance (phone apps such as My Fitness Pal can calorie count for you - vlog/blog review to come on that!). They could even be a nutritious 'breakfast on the go' for busier mornings.

 

You can visit 9bar's website [here].

 

I hope you've enjoyed this (100% honest) product review, and if you would like to read more 'snack food' product reviews you can below:

 

Nakd Bars

 

Scrubbys Vegetable Crisps

 

Dorset Cereals - in the 'benefits of breakfast'

 

Popchips

 

Graze Box

 

And to make your very own snack bars check out these lovely recipes:

 

Weetabix Snack bars

 

Protein Loaf

 

Oat & Date Slice

 

 

Look out for my next YouTube video 'how to choose a healthy snack bar' - you can subscribe to my channel [here] - thank you!

 

Nic x 

Foodie Penpals - September Reveal!

Foodie Penpals - September Reveal!

I first heard about Foodie Penpals through an American website The Lean Green Bean, which directed me to the UK 'head quarters' over at the Rock Salt Blog .. So what is Foodie Penpals you ask?!

 

Food Penpals is fantastic scheme that allows bloggers and readers of blogs to be introduced to amazing new foods by sharing personal favourites. Each month you are teamed up with two individuals - one person who will be sending you a food package, and another who you will send a package to (you never send a package to the same person who's sending you one). You're encouraged to ask questions to the person who you're sending a food package to make sure that what they receive is to their taste! And anyone can join!

 

So, first up.. what did I receive?!

 

 

 

I think I struck lucky to be honest - I was teamed up with the amazing Kristina from Germany - she has a fabulous blog which you can see [here] and she sent me not only German delights but home-made treats too!

My Foodie Penpals Food Package - including a little recipe book!

I was over the moon when I opened Kristina's package - it was like an over-seas 'Nic's Nutrition' perfect bundle! I thought it would be nice to include comments from Kristina to help explain what was in the package, along with a little summary from me.. read on for more!

From top left clockwise...

Red Beets and Horseradish Bread Spread: Although red beets and horseradish aren't particularly German, I connect it with the Rhenish (the region around Cologne) kitchen as it is served with family dinners on a regular basis and I just love the spread’s colour! - Nic: This spread tastes amazing - and you cannot 'beat' the colour! I enjoyed it with chili in replace of sour-cream last night.. delicious!

 

Green Tea: This is a green tea hibiscus blend than can either be enjoyed hot in winter or as ice tea in summer - Nic: This is officially my new favourite flavoured green tea. I'd never tried green tea with hibiscus before and because of my strong dislike for green tea and lavender (aka another 'plant/flower') I was a little hesitant to try, but super delighted at how nice it tasted. Definitely on the hunt for this in England! *antioxidant power*

Homemade Cashews with Rosemary and Thyme: The recipe for this snack comes from Authentic Suburban Gourmet Blog and I love its taste so much. It’s really easy to prepare as well.  - Nic: One word: Amazing!! These were demolished as soon as the package arrived.. the most delicious tasting cashews ever - you can click [here] for Kristina's amazing recipe!

Coconut Oil: I had already read about the health benefits of coconut oil but never tried it. Nichola said that she was interested in trying it so I bought her a jar. I’m excited to get to know what she thinks of it. - Nic: This oil smells amazing. It's a 'hard' oil and all I can say is watch this space for a future blog about it :) - any suggestions though please let me know!

From top left clockwise...

Sonnentor Spice Blends: I love all kinds of spices and am quite proud of my collection. I always try to buy organic spices and herbs without artificial additives and flavour enhancers. Sonnentor spices are organic and of high quality and they’ve got wonderful blends both for sweet and savoury dishes. - Nic: I was really impressed with these spices. So far I've used them for sprinkling on home-made sweet potato wedges with a dash of vegetable oil.. delicious!

 

Pumpernickel: One thing that Germans always complain about when they’re abroad is the lack of “real“ bread in the supermarkets and bakeries. German bread is usually made of sour or yeast dough and contains a lot of fibre. Pumpernickel is a bread that is very dark and tastes a little sweet. It is made from rye flour and whole rye berries and originates in Westphalia. The name “Pumpernickel“ is supposed to mean “devil’s fart“ and it isn’t wondrous where that name comes from as Pumpernickel stimulates the digestive system... - Nic: Haha! This really did make me laugh.. but what yummy bread it was (in moderation). I enjoyed a couple of slices with my soup for lunch at it really is so rich and nutritious!

 

Homemade Shortbread Sandwiches: I found this recipe on Healthy Green Kitchen (www.healthygreenkitchen.com) but altered it a little in regard to the curd and the dough for the shortbread. In summer, when lots of different fruit is available, you can create all kinds of shortbread sandwiches. Nic: I love a naughty sweet treat.. *Divine*

 

I want to say a MASSIVE thank you to Kristina for this amazing package - it really has made my month!!

So then.. what did I send?! I was teamed with a lovely girl called Lizzie from Lancashire and when I contacted her I knew that she wanted some healthy snacks to keep her going at work, as well as before and after exercise.. soo I got my thinking cap on and put this little lot together...


The package I sent to Lizzie..

I sent Lizzie a few personal favourite's and here is what she had to say about them..!

Lizzie: This was my first month taking part in the ‘Foodie Penpals’ scheme, and I had no idea what to expect!! Within a couple of days of the months’ matches being sent out, I received a lovely email from Nic introducing herself and a list of questions about what I like to eat – examples included whether I would prefer snacks or ingredients to cook with, what foods I did and didn’t like, and whether I’d like anything specific from the area she lives in.

I replied saying that I often found it quite hard to snack healthily during the day, due to the availability and ease of getting junk food from vending machines and local shops. However I do also like to cook, and that I tend to cook whole meals more than baking cakes.

Cue a couple of weeks and a few friendly update emails….. and a big box landed on my doorstep! Inside were…….

SCHOOL BARS – These are made of pureed, solidified fruit and resembled some kind of sausage! Mine were strawberry and apple flavour, and they were so small and easy to pop into a handbag or pocket that they were a great little boost whenever I started flagging.

FRUIT, NUTS AND SEED MIX– This was a great little packet full of all sorts of things that made me feel good when I ate them! I stashed the bag in my desk at work and occasionally grabbed a handful throughout the day – definitely something I’ll be restocking when it runs out.

VARIOUS TEAS – Nic, you must have read my mind on this one. I am an avid drinker of tea, especially green tea which I always have a cup of on the go! I was sent a box of ‘peach and cherry blossom’ green tea which filled the room with an amazing aroma whenever I made a cup, a bizarre but strangely compelling tea called ‘Chocko Shocko’ which reminded me a bit of a Chai, a nettle and mint tea (two of my favourite herbal teas rolled into one!) and of course, the classic Tetley and Earl Grey teabags.

MANUKA HONEY – Manuka honey is something that I’d been curious about for a while, but the price tag of the big pots in the supermarkets scared me off trying it on a whim. Nic sent me a teeny-tiny little pot of it, and having tried it I won’t be scared of the price tag anymore as this stuff is wonderful! When feeling a little bit snuffly and run down, I had a teaspoon of it before bed, and woke up the next morning feeling fresh and healthy! Fantastic stuff.

SPICE MIX – I was sent a really useful little selection of about 6-8 herbs and spices,  that came along with a recipe for a chicken and potato dish in which they would all be used. These spices came in little pinch pots which worked really well, and made them really easy to store.

So all in all, this was a fantastic introduction to being a ‘Foodie Penpal’……. THANKS NIC!!!!

(Yay!)



My letter to Lizzie - 'what's what' !

I hope you've enjoyed this post - and don't forget that you can sign up too using the links at the top of this page :)

Nic x

P.S My healthy recipes start on YouTube TODAY so don't forget to SUBSCRIBE with your Gmail account so you don't miss out! [Click Here]

Scrubbys Vegetable Crisps Review

Scrubbys Vegetable Crisps Review

I am a big fan of companies who take 'indulgent food' and turn it into something a little bit healthier (without compromising on taste!). Scrubbys are a new brand of Vegetable Crisp who pride themselves on having at least 30% less fat and 18% less calories per 100g than any other vegetable crisp on the UK market. Because the vegetables are cooked at a lower heat, Scrubbys report that their crisps retain more of their colour, shape, vitamins and minerals without any burnt or oily overtones - sounds good to me so far!

Yum - These promotional crisps were a big hit on the taste factor!

 

SO, how do they square up to regular crisps you ask?

 

 

Scrubbys vegetable crisps come in 40g and 100g bags - the latter of which is perfect for sharing. Here are the stats when we compare the individual smaller bags (perfect for one):

 

 

Scrubbys Vegetable Crisps (40g): ~160 calories / 10g fat (1g saturated) / 6g fibre

 

 

Other Vegetable Crisps (40g): ~ 195 calories / 14g fat (1.5g saturated) / 5g fibre

 

 

Regular Crisps (32g): ~180 calories / 12g fat (1g saturated) / 1g fibre

 

 

'Baked/lighter' Crisps (25g): ~100 calories /  5g fat (0.5g saturated) / 1g fibre

 

 

Scrubbys vegetable crisps have less calories and fat than other types of crisps (with the exception of the baked/lighter crisps), and have a lot more fibre. If you are craving crisps then Scrubbys may be one of the healthier options however they are still a high fat food and do not beat Apple crisps and lower calorie crisps such as Pop Chips from a 'slimmer's' point of view.

 

Apple crisps

 

Pop Chips

 

My advice would be to eat all crisps 'mindfully' and in moderation.. however if you're looking for a tasty alternative to regular potato crisps then these are certainly a good option - they can also go down very well at parties served with dips (they beat nachos any day in my personal opinion!).

 

Hope you are all having a great weekend!

 

Nic x

Nakd Bar Review

Nakd Bar Review

Do you snack between meals? If you're trying to lose weight then the two most important things are 1) That you eat regularly i.e. don't skip meals and 2) That you burn off more calories than what you are taking in. Snacking between meals is perfectly healthy if you are hungry and your chosen snack is within your calorie allowance for the day. As a general rule, I like to keep snacks under 200kcal. If I'm just peckish then I normally choose fresh fruit and/or a yoghurt, however if I feel a bit more hungry or I'm being a bit more active than usual, then a cereal/snack bar is my usual snack of choice! The key is to make the most out of your calories - eat for goodness & eat for nutritional value.

Nakd sent me a selection of their yummy products to try!

Nakd are a brand which pride themselves in not only being gluten, wheat and dairy free, but contain 100% natural ingredients as well. Nakd snack bars are made from raw fruit and nuts and contain no added sugar or syrups. The fruit-based bars also count towards one of your 5 a day (as do the delicious dried fruit packs - which are flavoured naturally .. fruit has never tasted so sweet without added sugar!).

At just 68kcal per bag for the raisins, and 135-157kcal for the snack bars they are an ideal snack either between meals or before exercise and they taste delicious! My favourites were definitely the cocoa variety. Looking at ingredients, The Nakd Cocoa Mint bar contains: 48% raw dates, 29% raw cashews, 17% raw raisins and 6% cocoa.

Nuts provide our bodies with:

• Healthy fats & essential fatty acids (omega 3) - to lower cholesterol & prevent heart disease
• Soluble fibre - to lower cholesterol & maintain a healthy digestive system
• Vitamin E - a powerful antioxidant & vitamin essential for skin health
• Plant sterols - to lower cholesterol levels

Fruit provides our bodies with a variety of  antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fibre which together help to reduce disease risk and maintain a healthy body - we don't try to eat 5-9 portions of fruit and veg a day for nothing! More colours the better.

The only way to know what you're eating is to look at the label.. it doesn't take long, but the only way to eat healthy is to mindfully eat healthy. Check the ingredients list: if sugar/glucose/syrup is the first ingredient then personally I would leave it alone (sugar contains nothing but calories - no goodness!), and check the nutrition label: if the total snack bar is more than 200kcal (or 150kcal if you're trying to lose weight) then perhaps choose one that is lower.

I hope this mini review is useful to you!

Nic x

P.s There also is a new 'Oatie' range which are designed for those who are watching their weight.. at 100kcal each why not?! I can't wait to try them too!

Click here to find out more!

Benefits of Breakfast

Benefits of Breakfast

Do you eat breakfast? If you care about your health, or want to lose weight then you should. Having a healthy breakfast improves concentration and performance, provides energy for physical activities, is a major contributor to daily nutrient intake and has been linked to lower levels of cholesterol. Breakfast eaters also tend to have a lower BMI (body mass index i.e. weight for height) as well as improved blood glucose levels over the course of the day.



Dorset Cereals sent me a selection of their products (above). They believe in natural goodness and enjoying a healthy lifestyle.. their website is packed with healthy tips! [click here] for a visit :)

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, and if you're looking for more reasons to 'break- the over night -fast' then look no further than the National Weight Control Registry: NWCR. The NWCR is a large database of information gathered from people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least a year. Most of the members report maintaining a low calorie, low fat diet and doing high levels of activity, with 80% of the members reporting to eat breakfast every day.

A 45g serving of muesli with baked chopped apple & skimmed milk *yum*

I often hear 'I don't have time for breakfast', but grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl takes literally 2 seconds .. or surely getting up 5-10 minutes earlier to have a bowl of cereal is worth it for the benefits?! Some people report nausea first thing in a morning, so why not start with something small, such as a cereal bar or a glass of fruit juice - anything to kick start your metabolism and get your body burning calories. For those who like to 'save' calories, an average bowl of cereal and milk is typically less than 200 calories.. which can easily be exceeded by a high-fat mid morning snack (due to that hungry trip to the vending machine).

Research has shown that including protein at breakfast time helps people to stay fuller for longer.. so don't forget your low-fat milk or fat-free natural/Greek yoghurt on your cereal or in your smoothie, or have eggs on toast.

Adding milk or natural yoghurt to your smoothie increases the protein & fullness factor

A balanced breakfast is one that contains a mix of food groups: carbohydrates, protein/dairy and fruit/veg.. Try any one of the following low glycaemic (release their energy slowly over the morning) suggestions:

- Porridge topped with chopped banana or strawberries & cinnamon

- Overnight oats with blueberries & poppy seeds

*Top Tip* - If you struggle with portion control with oatmeal/porridge then why not buy the packets that are already weighed out for you. My personal favourite is Dorset Cereals Porridge with zingy cranberries & raspberries (50g servings).

- Oat bran & raisin muffin

- Fruit smoothie & oat cakes

- Fruit based muesli and milk or natural yoghurt: my personal favourite is 'Perfectly Balanced' - as it's nearly HALF fruit!

- Reduced sugar apricot jam on granary toast & a sliced peach/nectarine

- Wholegrain cereal with milk & a glass of fresh orange juice

- Homemade granola fruit pots

And for when you have more time...

- Scrambled egg, smoked salmon on rye bread

- Oat & blueberry pancakes (protein pancakes!)

- Kedgeree with grilled mushrooms & tomatoes on wholegrain toast
 

Oat & Blueberry Pancakes



So I guess the only question left to ask is.. what's for breakfast?! Have a great week everyone!

 

Nic x

P.s I just wanted to end with a little comment about the programme 'The men who made us fat' ... Episode 3 was shown last week on the BBC. Although the programme had some very good messages e.g. that just because a food is labelled healthy doesn't mean that we can eat as much as we want of it without piling on the pounds, I also feel it had some rather misleading messages, particularly at the beginning..

The presenter started by comparing the calories in a can of Coke with an Innocent Smoothie.. as though calories were some evil substance that we should not consume! Just for the record, a smoothie is a perfectly healthy start to the day (and a can of Coke is not) .. a smoothie contains vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and fibre.. a can of coke does not. I know where I'd like to spend my daily calories! We should count the nutritional content of food/drink.. not just calories.

The show then went on to point out that there is more saturated fat in Dorset Cereal's Granola than Weetabix.. after looking into this, Dorset Cereal's is not indeed a 'high' sat fat food and contains a lot higher healthy fats and less salt! - hardly looking at the full picture!

I guess what I am trying to say is to be aware of 'media sensationalism' and to research the facts before making up your mind about a food. No food is good or bad, it's the amount of the food that we eat that matters!