Five fantastic flu fighting foods

If ever there was a month when your immune system needs a little extra help it’s January.  Not only is it just recovering from all the excesses of December your probably also spending more time indoors where germs can spread more easily.  Add to that plummeting temperatures, excessive central heating and a decreased intake of essential nutrients through dieting or skipping meals and it’s no wonder so many of us fall prey to the odd nasty bug or two at this time of year.

The good news is however, that just by adding these simple, bug busting foods to your daily diet you can stack the odds in favour of becoming the ultimate flu fighter and build an immune system with truly super human strength ……
1. Cinnamon
Packed full of disease preventing, immune boosting nutrients, just one teaspoon of ground cinnamon has the same amount of antioxidants as a serving of fresh blueberries.  As if that wasn’t enough, research shows that adding ground cinnamon to fruit and vegetables can actually enhance the uptake of antioxidants from foods too.  Cinnamon also has antifungal and antibacterial properties which help to fight infection.
How to add it to your diet:
Just one teaspoon of cinnamon a day is all that’s needed to boost your immune system so sprinkle over fresh or tinned fruit, add to curries, smoothies and cake and biscuit mixes or stir into to your morning muesli or porridge.  Cinnamon sprinkled over melon also adds a delicious twist or alternatively add it to green or herbal teas.
2. Live yogurt
According to a study at the University of Vienna people who ate live yogurt daily for just 14 days raised their killer T cell count by almost 30%.  Why?  Live yogurt contains ‘friendly’ bacteria which help to strengthen the body’s natural defences making it far better at warding off potential bugs and viruses.
How to add it to your diet:
Use it to make smoothies and dips, add a spoonful to breakfast cereals and deserts, stir into soups, curries and sauces or eat it topped with plenty of fresh fruit and berries,
3. Garlic and onions
Both garlic and onions contain a compound called allicin which, thanks to its antiviral properties is an extremely powerful flu fighter.  So much so in fact, UK researchers concluded that people who took allicin supplements as part of their study not only caught 46 percent fewer colds, they also recovered faster from the colds that they did get.
[See also: Vitamin supplements - essential for health or a waste of money]

How to add them to your diet:
Sprinkle very finely chopped spring onions over chillies, risottos and wraps.  Add red or Spanish onions to salads, sandwiches and stir fries.  Red onions may be particularly beneficial as they contain quercetin which, so far, has been shown to reduce the likelihood of developing colds and flu.
For a really delicious side to almost any meal finely slice a combination of large white Spanish onions and red onions, place in a roasting tray, drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar and oil and  sprinkle over a couple of teaspoons of sugar.  Stir lightly then roast in a medium to hot oven for 30 — 40 minutes until caramelized and golden.  Serve as a side dish to steak or chops or as a delicious base to a lightly grilled fillet of white fish.
Try roasting a whole garlic head too.  Simply slice off the top third so that the cloves are exposed, drizzle with a little oil then place on an oven proof dish, cover with foil and bake in a hot oven for 30 — 40 minutes until the garlic is soft and golden brown.  Once cooled, squeeze the garlic from the cloves and spread on warm bread, stir into soups or mix into hot pasta.

4. Blueberries
These little beauties are not only packed with immune boosting, germ busting vitamin C they also have really high concentrations of antioxidants.  So much so in fact that when tested they were found to have, gram for gram, considerably more antioxidants than over forty other fruits and vegetables.
How to add them to your diet:
Eat at least a cupped handful a day and if you can’t find fresh blueberries try frozen instead.  They are available in most good supermarkets and make a great, ready chilled addition to a smoothie.  Alternatively, simply pop the frozen berries in a sieve and run them under cold water for a couple of minutes to defrost before adding them to cereals, deserts, pancakes and yogurts.

5. Mackerel
Mackerel is not only a good source of Vitamin D it is also a great source of omega three fatty acids, both of which play an essential role in keeping your immune system in tip top condition.  In fact, according to recent US study, participants with low levels of vitamin D were approximately 40 percent more likely to have suffered from a recent respiratory infection than those with higher levels of vitamin D.
Salmon is also a good source of both nutrients but vitamin D levels can vary a great deal depending on whether it is wild or farmed.  Mackerel however is far cheaper and a more sustainable option.  Aim to eat it at least twice a week.

How to add it into your diet:
Whether fresh or tinned you’ll still get all the vitamin D and essential fatty acids you need so try adding both into your diet.  Tinned, peppered mackerel is delicious added to savoury rice, salads or fish pies and chilled, smoked mackerel fillets make a great, super quick meal added to hot pasta or served alongside some steaming, new potatoes, broccoli or lightly sautéed spring cabbage.
For a truly irresistible dip add a fillet of smoked mackerel to a food processor with a generous squeeze of lemon juice, a couple of spring onions, some low fat yogurt and plenty of black pepper.  Whizz for a few seconds until a creamy paste and serve as a dip with crudités or a filling for hot whole meal pitas.  Fresh mackerel fillets can be bought from any good supermarket or fishmongers and take just a few minutes to grill.  Serve with mashed potato creamed with a little horseradish and plenty of fresh vegetables.

refers: http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/blogs/rachael-anne-hill/five-fantastic-flu-fighting-foods-163502085.html

10 kitchen tips to keep you slim

Keep healthy foods visible…

A study by researchers at Cornell University found that we are three times more likely to eat the first item we see in the kitchen than the fifth, meaning that keeping healthy food visible could aid your dieting goals. Try to make healthy food options more accessible by ensuring they are as appealing and convenient as possible, as well as making them visible and easy to find. Leave out a colourful fruit bowl, prepare a salad in advance, and put some chopped veggies at the front of your fridge, for example.

… And move ‘bad’ foods out of sight

Just as putting healthy foods in a prominent position can help your diet, it follows that the opposite is also true. While it may be best to avoid buying junk food completely, if you must stock up on the odd treat make sure they are hidden away at the back of cupboards to help prevent cravings. By making these foods a little more difficult to get to (store them behind piles of tins, in high cupboards or in locked drawers – whatever helps), you will also prevent mindless snacking and give yourself some thinking time to decide whether you really want to give in to temptation.

Get some fridge-spiration

To help stay motivated in the face of your cravings, try transforming your fridge from a source of temptation into an inspirational reminder of your progress so far. Consider sticking your favourite photograph of yourself on your fridge for a positive reminder of why you should resist those cravings next time you’re tempted to hit the fridge. Alternatively, stick on a motivational quote or a handwritten note to yourself listing five good reasons not to binge.

Opt for small, blue serving dishes

While many of us think we are eating standard portion sizes, this is in fact not always the case. To help reduce your temptation to overeat, try swapping your plates, bowls, glasses and cutlery for smaller ones, which will help control your serving sizes as well as how quickly you eat. Also, while you are making the switch, think about opting for a blue color scheme for your crockery, as blue is thought to act as an appetite suppressant.

Set aside an eating area

Whether you eat your meals in the kitchen or a separate dining room, it is important to set aside an area with a table where you can sit down and eat. Furthermore, it is important to ensure you actually sit there. Make it a rule never to eat out of packets or standing up and you will find that this drastically reduces your tendency to overeat. The process of putting food on a plate and sitting down to eat it not only reduces the tendency to mindlessly pick at food, it also increases your awareness of what – and how much – you are eating, and may make you think twice about doing it.

Keep your kitchen tidy

If you’re lacking motivation to cook, it may be that your kitchen’s to blame. Cluttered worktops and messy cupboards hardly act as an incentive to start whipping up a gourmet delight so, if you have to clear a path to the oven or forge through piles of half-opened packets of food to get to what you want, it may be time to give your kitchen a makeover. Treat your kitchen as a place for food preparation – rather than a rubbish dump, mailroom or storage space – and you may be more inspired to reach for the wooden spoon rather than a takeaway menu the next time hunger strikes.

Impose a TV ban

If you’re one of the large number of people who prefers to eat their meals in front of a TV or computer screen, then you could be sabotaging your diet without even realizing it. According to research findings published in the British Journal of Nutrition, eating when distracted can cause you to ignore signals from your body that you’ve had enough, leading you to eat more than you normally would. To help cut your calorie intake, make sure you keep distracting items such as the television out of your eating area, and try to keep the two activities separate.

Set kitchen “closing hours”

To help cut the amount of food you are consuming, it is helpful to make the kitchen out-of-bounds once you have finished your evening meal. Move anything you may need during those hours out of the kitchen (and no, this doesn’t include chocolate!), then turn off the light and close the door as a reminder to yourself that the kitchen is now closed. While you will still need to rely on your own willpower to stick to these rules, this should help reduce mindless snacking and trips to the kitchen next time you’re feeling bored.

Spice up your kitchen

Your cupboards and fridge may be packed with healthy items, but how’s your spice rack looking? You might not class it as a kitchen essential, but if you’re looking to cut calories in your meals it can help to keep a well-stocked herb and spice rack. Not only does adding herbs and seasonings to your meals add flavoring to your food without extra calories, but spices such as cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper and ginger can actually help promote weight loss.

Kill your cravings with vanilla

If you struggle to resist sugar cravings following your evening meal, it may be worth investing in a vanilla-scented air freshener or candle for your kitchen. A study at St George’s hospital, south London, found that using vanilla-scented patches on the back of participants’ hands significantly reduced their appetite for sweet foods and drinks.  It is thought that this is due to the smell of vanilla, which is believed to help suppress sweet cravings.

4 Rules For Healthier Pasta

Cheesy, creamy pasta is the ultimate indulgence, but it’s usually loaded with refined carbs and artery-damaging saturated fat. To the rescue: our good-for-you versions of home-cooked classics, which knock the nutritional socks off traditional recipes. Follow our makeovers to cook a pasta meal you’ll feel great about.

1. Be smart about cheese
Use reduced-fat cheeses in place of full-fat versions. Also, opt for lighter varieties whenever possible: for example, switching from low-fat ricotta to low-fat cottage cheese saves 377 kJ (90 cal) and 8.5 g of fat per half-cup while still maintaining creaminess and satisfaction.

2. Make vegetables the star
Yes, tomato sauce counts (one half-cup equals one serving of vegetables). But why stop there? Try adding at least two other nutrient-rich vegies to every dish. You’ll bolster the flavour and the bulk—and enjoy a bigger serving size for very few extra kilojoules.

3. Go for wholemeal pasta
Switching from regular pasta to 100% wholemeal pasta can more than double the hunger-busting fibre per serving. A few popular pasta brands have 100% wholemeal versions, so keep an eye out for your favourites at the supermarket.

4. Choose at least 90%-lean meat
That includes poultry—make sure it’s ground from strictly breast meat. Adding more vegies can also help you cut back on meat in some dishes.