Spice up your life with spring herbs and spices

April 25, 2018April 20, 2018 / feelaliveuk / Leave a comment

Turmeric has certainly hit the headlines in recent times and for very good reason. We hear the word ‘superfood’ often but turmeric really doesn’t disappoint in this respect! It can be used in so many different recipes, alongside some other wonderful herbs and spices.

Clinical Nutritionist, Suzie Sawyer, shares her thoughts on some of her favourite herbs and spices to be using this spring time!

TURMERIC

Few spices offer turmeric’s wealth of benefits which is why it has become such a hero. It exerts very positive effects on the liver, helping to cleanse and detoxify the body. This, in turn, helps with digestion and immunity. Additionally, turmeric delivers some great anti-inflammatory effects, so really supports any joint issues; it’s particularly good for people who do lots of exercise and frequently experience aches and pains.

The active ingredients in turmeric are compounds called curcuminoids of which curcumin is key; it has very powerful antioxidant effects to support the immune system and is a strong anti-inflammatory. There have been many positive and robust studies around turmeric but a recent review¹has looked at research into a number of health complaints. These studies certainly confirm it to be an active scavenger of free radicals which are responsible for many of our degenerative diseases.

The studies also confirmed strong anti-inflammatory effects with Turmeric helping to modulate our main inflammatory enzymes. Many of these studies have been undertaken using higher doses of turmeric than can naturally be eaten in food, therefore supplementation would be advisable for best effect, as well as using it frequently in the diet.

Turmeric is not easily absorbed by the body so the best way of enjoying its full nutritional benefit is to include it in the diet, little and often, in the form of ground turmeric. Additionally, eating turmeric with a fatty meal or including it in a recipe containing some fat really helps absorption.

A great recipe using turmeric is to marinate salmon fillets or a side of salmon with turmeric, black pepper and lemon juice. Marinate it overnight for best effects and then the salmon can be lightly baked in the oven for around 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of the salmon).

CORIANDER

This is a pungent herb that is frequently used in curry dishes. It makes a great spring time accompaniment because it can potentially help with allergies; unfortunately these start to make themselves known at this time of year!

Coriander is also great for the digestive system and for fighting infections. Indeed, medical herbalists use both the leaves and seeds to help urinary tract infections. Coriander also kills bacteria and fungi found in meat, which is why you’ll often find it in meat dishes in India.

Coriander works well in any curry dish but one of the easiest recipes is coriander chicken; mix onion, chilli, freshly chopped coriander and some garlic together with some water. Gently fry some chicken strips in coconut oil and then add the spices! This is great served with rice of your choice.

SAFFRON

Although saffron is one of the most expensive spices, it’s actually worth its weight in gold in terms of health benefits and it only needs to be used sparingly. It’s thought that saffron helps flush out toxins, purifies the blood, cleanses the skin and also seems to help with the assimilation of other nutrients in the recipe.

It adds amazing colour and a distinctive taste to a range of dishes such as paella, Bouillabaisse and risottos as well as desserts. And for an interesting twist on your egg-based breakfast, why not cook up some scrambled eggs and add a pinch of saffron and chilli flakes together with some mushrooms? It will certainly be a powerful start to your day!

So enjoy trying these delicious and health-giving herbs and spices this spring time.

¹Arshad Husain Rahmani et al. Role of Curcumin in Disease Prevention and Treatment. Adv Biomed Res. 2018;7:38

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Immunity-boosting nutrition tips this spring

April 18, 2018April 16, 2018 / feelaliveuk / Leave a comment

With spring on the way we naturally want to get out and about and certainly don’t want to be dragged down by colds or infections that prevent us from enjoying life to the full. A change in season can often put the body under more stress, so what are the best ways to get your immune system in good shape this spring time?

Clinical Nutritionist, Suzie Sawyer, shares FIVE of her top immune-boosting foods!

PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI

Purple sprouting broccoli has been cultivated since the 18^th century but has only risen to prominence in the UK in the last 30 years or so. All green leafy vegetables provide great health benefits but the purple colour means that it also contains higher levels of polyphenols – plant compounds, rich in antioxidants which provide wonderful support for the immune system. Additionally, purple sprouting broccoli contains vitamins A and C, together with a variety of carotenoids – all key for immunity.

Not sure what to do with it? It is great stir-fried with pine nuts, sesame oil and seeds, sweet chilli sauce or just plain steamed as an accompaniment to meat or fish. Grab it now whilst it’s in season – this means it is packed with the highest nutrient content – perfect for giving your immune system a boost.

CRAB

You might not necessarily associate crab with immunity but it’s high in the mineral selenium which is needed to produce our key antioxidant enzyme in the body called glutathione peroxidase. This in turn, helps protect us from infections and disease.

The easiest way to enjoy crab is in a salad using the prepared crab meat from the fish counter or from your fishmonger. If you mix the crab meat with a dash of tabasco sauce, lime juice, capers, some black pepper and chopped coriander leaves, you can pair it with some mixed leaves for a delicious spring time salad.

SPINACH

A wonderfully versatile vegetable that will help to keep you bug-free through spring! It can be cooked in a variety of ways, added to dishes or it may be used in salads, raw. In fact it mixes really well with bacon in a salad.

Spinach is in season right now so will be a lovely dark green colour in the shops or markets. It’s great for the immune system because it contains high levels of vitamins A and C. Spinach is probably best known for its high iron content (Popeye knew best!) which helps to give energy levels a great boost; very helpful if you’re wanting some spring time fun.

There’s so many ways to use spinach; added to soups, casseroles or pasta, lightly steamed and served with a knob of butter, stir-fried with garlic and butter, sautéed with a little olive oil and parmesan, or in a salad with some grilled haloumi and fresh mint. Why not create a delicious greens salad with spinach, peas and asparagus. Enjoy!

ACAI BERRIES

All berries are great for the immune system but acai are actually some of the best. This is because acai berries have one of the highest antioxidant ratings of any food and they’re rich in fibre too. This means they’re great for the immune system, plus the skin and heart.

One of the most delicious recipes for acai berries is an acai berry bowl. You can either use them as a freeze-dried powder or try frozen berries whizzed up with banana, avocado, other berry fruits, and coconut water with a crunchy topping of nuts and seeds to boost your omega-3s.

TEA

It doesn’t matter what colour – black, green or white – all types are rich in immune-boosting polyphenols. However, green tea actually has the highest amount of antioxidants. This is because methods of tea production vary from tea type. For example, green tea leaves are picked and then left out to dry (generally in the sunlight) before being put into hot roasting tins. After being rolled, they are then further heat treated which produces green, slightly withered tea leaves. Green tea is higher in antioxidants because the leaves are not left in the atmosphere to oxidise before they’re harvested.

Green tea is also great for the immune system as it helps to feed the beneficial bacteria in the gut. Strange as it may seem, balanced gut bacteria is absolutely essential for good immunity. However, it’s best to drink any type of tea in-between meals as the tannin content tends to deplete certain trace minerals in our food.

So keep well this spring and enjoy spending more time outdoors as the warm weather arrives.

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Eat your way to better sleep

April 10, 2018April 9, 2018 / feelaliveuk / Leave a comment

It’s thought that as many as one in three people in the UK suffer from poor sleep¹. This is categorised as a number of things including not being able to get off to sleep, waking up too early, waking for long periods in the night and not feeling refreshed in the morning after a night’s sleep.

There can be many reasons for having poor sleep. However, the good news is that eating certain foods may help to alleviate the problem.

Clinical Nutritionist, Suzie Sawyer, shares her five top tips to keep you slumbering all night long!

DE-STRESS FOR BETTER SLEEP

Easier said than done of course! We have busy and stressful lives. However, chronic stress can lead to a disordered sleep pattern. Plus, the more stressed you are, the more B vitamins the body will naturally burn. So, if you’re lacking in B vitamins, it’s more likely that you’ll suffer from sleep problems.

Therefore, during the day, try to include foods rich in the B’s; whole grains, oily fish, eggs, brown rice, all types of beans, sunflower seeds and nuts. Having plenty of B vitamins in your diet will really help you to cope better with anxiety and stress – both very real barriers to getting a peaceful night’s sleep.

GET YOUR OMEGA FATS

Your nerve cells need essential fats to function correctly. If you have good nerve function, this will help you to overcome stress and anxiety, which, in turn will lead to a better nights’ sleep.

These omega 3 fats can’t be made in the body, therefore they have to be taken in the diet from oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and tuna. If you’re vegetarian, then nuts and flaxseeds, which can easily be added to cereals, porridge and salads, are rich in omega-3s.

HAVE A MILKY DRINK

Any food or drink that promotes the release of tryptophan, an amino acid that produces melatonin which is our sleep hormone, is going to be really helpful. Therefore, in the evening, plan to eat a small snack before bedtime of either a banana, some dates, a milky drink, nut butters with oatcakes, or some natural yoghurt.

Paradoxically, certain foods promote the release of adrenalin which is going to keep you awake. Foods best avoided in the evening are bacon, cheese, aubergine, ham, potatoes, sauerkraut, sugar, sausages and spinach.

HERBAL TEAS

There are a number of calming herbs which can be drunk as a tea. For example, camomile tea is known to be very relaxing because it contains a particular flavonoid known as chrysin. You certainly need to be avoiding caffeinated drinks late at night, and ideally at least four to six hours before bedtime. This includes caffeinated tea, coffee, chocolate and fizzy drinks. Do remember as well that even decaffeinated tea and coffee will still contain a small amount.

Green tea, however, contains theanine – an amino acid which helps promote the release of something called GABA – which is one of the calming neurotransmitters in the brain. It makes sense, therefore, to have a relaxing tea about an hour before bedtime for a more peaceful night.

DRINK SOME TART CHERRY JUICE

This may sound a strange suggestion, but there has been some limited research to suggest that tart cherry juice from Montmorency cherries may help people sleep. This is because these special cherries naturally contain some melatonin, our sleep hormone. They also seem to keep more tryptophan, which contributes to the production of our sleep hormone, in the body.

Research has only been carried out on small groups of people² but improvements were found in sleep time by drinking around 200 ml of tart cherry juice once a day for two weeks. Although, there’s no real robust research, it’s certainly worth considering if you’re struggling to sleep. Cherries also provide many other health benefits, particularly because they contain antioxidants which help prevent the ageing process.

It is no fun not being able to sleep, so hopefully these suggestion will really help. Sweet dreams!

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Spring nutrition for an energy boost this season

April 3, 2018March 29, 2018 / feelaliveuk / Leave a comment

With the onset of spring and the lighter evenings, we naturally feel more energised and want totally embrace life. However, the real key to feeling revitalised is eating the right foods. It is always best to eat foods that are in season to gain maximum nutritional benefits, and springtime presents foods which are great for energy.

Clinical Nutritionist, Suzie Sawyer, shares her five best meals to put a zing in your step!

GET BREAKFAST UNDERWAY

You’ll definitely struggle with energy throughout the day if you don’t start it off right. This means always eating breakfast. Many people have little appetite in the morning, in which case eating some natural yoghurt and blueberries might be the best option for you.

However, as spinach is a great spring food and is packed with energising iron, an often-depleted trace mineral in the diet, it makes a great breakfast choice. How about a mushroom and spinach omelette?

Eggs are one of the best sources of protein you can find, so blood sugar levels will stay balanced throughout the day, and mushrooms contain B vitamins which are real energy-boosters. This breakfast is really going to keep you fully charged throughout the day.

LUNCH-TIME ENERGISERS

Energy levels often slump mid-afternoon, particularly if work is office-based, hence the need for a protein-based lunch. Salmon is at its best right now and is packed with the essential omega-3 fats, needed to keep the metabolism fired up. Why not throw together a delicious salmon and new potato salad using wonderfully tasty Jersey royals? Plus, add some lightly boiled or steamed asparagus to your salad leaves; asparagus is in season and contains lots of energising folate. Folate or folic acid, known as vitamin B9, is also essential for red blood cell production.

Eating sandwiches for lunch can become a bit dull and it may encourage that afternoon dip in energy. Chicken is in season now (as we’ll see below), and it’s great for lunch in a sustaining quinoa, chicken and avocado salad. The whole recipe is loaded with the energising B-vitamins and avocado provides some good fats which are great for the skin and heart.

Boil the quinoa with some chicken stock and when cool, mix with some cooked chicken, mashed avocado, baby spinach (another spring favourite!), some cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, crushed garlic and a little olive oil. You’ll fly through the rest of the day and because it’s gluten-free you won’t feel bloated later on.

DELICIOUS DINNERS

No spring recipe suggestions would be complete without including lamb. The UK is well-known for its deliciously sweet and tender spring lamb. Plus it’s certainly going to contribute to those energy levels; it’s rich in vitamins B3, B6 and B12 and lamb is a great source of zinc which helps support the immune system.

Greek-style spring lamb is wonderful and is great for entertaining over the Easter period. And a leg of lamb is so easy to cook. Simply mix up some crushed garlic, oregano, olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper and rub all over the lamb. In order for the full flavour to penetrate, stab the raw meat whilst pouring over the herb mixture. Once the lamb is cooked to your liking, use the juices in the pan to mix with a can of tomatoes and some green or black olives for a delicious accompaniment.

Chicken is also a great spring food. Indeed, the famous ‘spring chicken’ saying suggests that spring chickens are much softer than older ones who have had to endure the winter! Chicken is often a family staple and a great source of protein with a complete amino acid profile. Plus it’s packed with B vitamins, especially vitamin B5 which is needed for the body’s normal stress response. You can either use a whole chicken or chicken thighs which are generally much tastier than breast for an easy chicken casserole. Place in a pot with sliced carrots, new potatoes (Jersey royals of course), some chicken stock, mixed herbs and what else but spring onions!

So enjoy everything that the new season has to offer and here’s to an energetic spring!

FOR MORE GREAT DIET AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE

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For everything you need to know about vitamins, minerals and herbs visit Herbfacts

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Month: April 2018

Spice up your life with spring herbs and spices

Immunity-boosting nutrition tips this spring

Eat your way to better sleep

Spring nutrition for an energy boost this season

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