Enjoy alternative healthy barbeque foods this bank holiday

May 25, 2020May 22, 2020 / feelaliveuk / Leave a comment

It’s National Barbecue Week, celebrating all that’s delicious and fun about eating in the great outdoors. However, it’s also a great excuse to try some new recipes rather than just resorting to the traditional barbecue staples of meat burgers and bangers!

With so many delicious and nutritious grills and sides to choose from, why not explore some barbeque alternatives?

Clinical nutritionist Suzie Sawyer offers five suggestions for changing things up on the barbie!

Halloumi burger

If you’ve never tried this, regardless of whether you’re vegetarian or not, then you’re missing an absolute treat. Halloumi cheese is even more delicious on the barbecue because the smoked flavour comes through. It’s easy to cook as it stays whole and can be put into a burger bun (if you can’t resist) or simply added to delicious salads.

As with all cheeses, halloumi is high in fat and also protein so you won’t need a huge portion to feel satisfied, but it will help you resist the urge to snack, which we all often do at barbecues. Additionally, halloumi is rich in calcium to help keep your bones and teeth strong.

Quinoa and bulgur wheat salad

This super-healthy salad is great as a barbecue side because it’s loaded with protein and delicious flavours. And for those who get bloated at barbeques with all the bread and rolls on offer, this provides some lighter carbs.

The quinoa and bulgur wheat can be cooked together and then added to some onion, sun-dried tomato, chives, parsley, and feta cheese. It tastes even better with some fresh mint, which is great for the digestive system and gives the salad a really summery feel.

Chicken skewers

Skewers are, of course, a barbecue favourite. Chicken is high in protein but lower in fat than red meat (especially the chicken breast), and the flavours really come alive on the barbecue. However, why not change up the flavouring so it’s not the same old recipe with a tasty marinade?

For my favourite marinade, mix some natural yoghurt, curry powder, lemon juice and freshly chopped coriander. Coriander, just like most herbs, is loaded with goodness. Specifically, it’s great for digestive health, helps fight infections and is good for the heart, plus it always partners very well with chicken. Coat the chicken skewers in the marinade and leave in the fridge for as long as you can before grilling.

Jackfruit burger

You don’t need to be vegan to enjoy jackfruit; it’s the vegan answer to pork and pulled jackfruit has a remarkably similar texture. Equally it can be used in recipes in exactly the same way as pork and works really well in curries.

As with most fruits, jackfruit is a great source of immune-boosting vitamin C and heart-loving potassium, helping reduce blood pressure and manage cholesterol levels. It’s certainly a great food choice right now.

Simply marinade the jackfruit in some barbecue sauce with garlic and onion and then place on the barbecue. Serve in a bun with sliced avocado and tomato for a really tasty treat!

Green salads

Green salads don’t need to be dull. The fresh flavours of green leaves work so well alongside spicy dishes – just don’t prepare it too early to avoid the inevitable wilted leaves.

This green salad is made with chopped celery – great for reducing blood pressure because it works as a natural diuretic. Try to use fresh, crisp lettuce rather than the pre-packed varieties and add some spring onions, cucumber, and avocado, plus your choice of dressing.

This green salad is a powerhouse of antioxidants, and avocado is especially rich in vitamin E, also great for the immune system. It’s worth remembering that even though we have a bit more freedom with the easing of some lockdown measures, it’s still just as important to keep your immune system supported to protect the body as much as possible.

So, enjoy these easy-to-prepare barbeque recipes and give yourself a health and taste boost at the same time!

Stay well.

FOR MORE GREAT DIET AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE:

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Follow and Chat with Suzie on Twitter @nutritionsuzie

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

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Five acts of self-kindness to support your mental well-being

May 18, 2020May 15, 2020 / feelaliveuk / Leave a comment

It’s Mental Health Awareness week and with the current lockdown restrictions in place, never has our mental health come into such sharp focus.

Life is very challenging at the moment for many people. Now is the perfect time to be kind to yourself and focus on your own mental wellbeing.

Clinical nutritionist Suzie Sawyer shares her top tips for self-care and self-kindness.

Focus on food

What we eat has the most profound effect on mental well-being as anything. Nothing works in isolation in the body, therefore everything we eat has a massive impact on our brain and emotional health.

As an example, there have been numerous research studies to confirm that diets high in junk foods cause low energy, increased anxiety, poor sleep, nutrient depletion, and of course, weight gain. Be kind to your brain and body and feed it with nutrient dense foods.

Make your meals as colourful as possible, including plenty of fruits and vegetables as these are some of the most nutrient-dense foods available to us. If you can’t always get fresh, then stock up on frozen which are just as good as they retain most of their nutrients having been frozen soon after harvesting.

Omega-3 fats are needed by the brain for it to function at its best. Found in oily fish, flax seeds and other nuts and seeds try to eat some regularly. Eating whole grain foods rather than ‘white’ refined ones is also important, delivering plenty of B-vitamins and other key nutrients needed to balance stress hormones and instil a sense of wellbeing.

Keep well hydrated

With the body consisting of around 70% water it makes sense that we need to keep well hydrated to ensure the body can perform all its vital processes. Dehydration also affects mental wellbeing; you can end up feeling foggy, edgy, confused and energy levels will be much lower.

Caffeinated drinks will cause more anxiety, so keep these to a minimum and instead try some herbal or fruit teas. Ginseng tea is incredibly restorative, camomile is calming, and mint tea helps digestion. Don’t forget to also drink plenty of water – around 1 ½ – 2 litres daily is ideal.

Start the day positively

During difficult times, such as now, that brief moment when you open your eyes can often fill you with dread. What challenges is the day going to bring? When you wake up, make a point of thinking of three things you are grateful for.

It doesn’t matter how small they are; it can be something as simple as being able to start a new book or planning a different walk that day. If you start the day on a more positive mindset, it will help you to cope better throughout the day.

Avoid the word ‘should’

It’s probably one of the most overused words in the English language: we often feel that we ‘should’ be doing something, and this can put more pressure on ourselves. The word can also convey very negative messages to the mind. Just because you may have more time on your hands, doesn’t mean you ‘should’ do things that are not going to make you feel good.

Tell yourself you have a choice – rather than what you ‘should’ do, think about what you ‘want’ to do. Do something that makes you happy, such as watching a movie you’ve been meaning to see or phoning a friend you haven’t spoken to for a while. Try not to allow your thoughts to drift into a negative or nagging territory and go with your feelings rather than the voice on your shoulder.

Invest in yourself

Is there something you’ve always wanted to learn or a job you’d love to do? Whilst big changes do take time, learning anything new can be very empowering.

There are so many educational, practical or creative things available, especially at the moment. We never stop learning and when we’re learning we’re growing as people. If you’re struggling with self-esteem issues right now, then there are plenty of self-help books, podcasts and webinars available to set you on the right path. Take some time to make a list of things you’d like to know or do and then give yourself plenty of self-love when you’ve achieved one, however small.

There’s never been a better time to care of our mental wellbeing, as well as supporting the health of others.

Stay well.

FOR MORE GREAT DIET AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE:

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Follow and Chat with Suzie on Twitter @nutritionsuzie

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

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Celebrate National Vegetarian Week with these top five vegetables

May 11, 2020May 11, 2020 / feelaliveuk / Leave a comment

It’s National Vegetarian Week, celebrating all things great about adopting a totally or predominantly plant-based diet. However, there has also been a rise in people becoming flexitarian; still eating some animal produce but significantly increasing their intake of plant-based foods.

Whilst all vegetables deliver wonderful health benefits, there are certainly some stars in their field.

Clinical nutritionist Suzie Sawyer shares five of her favourites.

Soy beans

Whilst you might not think of soy as a vegetable, it’s part of the legume family. Soya is one of the best vegetable sources of protein, therefore makes a great addition to a vegetarian diet.

Soya is widely consumed in Eastern diets but importantly it’s eaten in its fermented form in foods such as tofu, tempeh and kombucha, produced from the whole bean. Refined forms or those that have been genetically modified should ideally be avoided.

However, apart from their impressive protein content, soya beans are high in important trace minerals such as copper, manganese and phosphorus, essential for joints and bones. Plus, fermented soya works on the body’s natural gut bacteria to produce bone and heart-loving vitamin K and energising folate. There is also plenty of research to suggest soya delivers a number of cardiovascular benefits, especially raising good HDL cholesterol levels.

Spinach

Spinach is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables on the planet. It contains around 30% protein so is great for both a vegetarian and flexitarian diet.

As with all green leafy vegetables, its nutrient profile is impressive. Spinach is also a great source of vitamin K but is probably famously known for its iron content. Vegetarians can sometimes be lacking in iron since red meat provides the most bio-available form, therefore spinach can help plug the gaps. As with any green food or vegetable, spinach is great for alkalising and detoxifying the body and is in season right now!

Asparagus

Another vegetable with good protein content, asparagus is at its absolute best right now. English asparagus has so much more taste and ‘bite’ than at any other time of the year. Make sure you grab some, gently steam or barbecue and serve simply, seasoned with pepper and salt and a little grated Parmesan cheese.

Asparagus provides plenty of energising B-vitamins, as well as trace minerals such as magnesium, frequently lacking in the Western diet. Plus, it is known as a prebiotic food which helps feed the good gut bacteria, providing benefits to the immune system, especially important during the current situation.

Broccoli

Often referred to as a superfood, broccoli has some amazing health benefits, partly because of the range of nutrients and flavonoids it contains. Broccoli has some of the highest amounts of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. Plus is helps improve liver health by stimulating detoxification processes and antioxidant compounds in the liver.

Just like these other vegetables, broccoli contains some usable amounts of protein so is great for the vegetarian diet, plus it is packed full of immune-boosting vitamin C. It can be steamed, roasted or sautéed and works well with garlic, chilli and sesame seeds for a real taste punch!

Collard greens

From the same family as broccoli, cauliflower and kale, these dark green leaves also deliver wonderful health benefits, and contain the same profile of antioxidants and other plant compounds.

If you worry that greens are too bland, it’s all about what they’re served with. Greens work really well with strong flavours such as onions, leeks or mushrooms. And in order to preserve maximum nutrients, taste and texture, they’re much better steamed or sautéed, perhaps with some garlic.

As with all green vegetables, collards are rich in trace minerals especially magnesium, manganese and calcium – all frequently deficient in the diet and essential for many aspects of our health.

So, embrace National Vegetarian Week and serve yourself some super health vegetables to celebrate!

Stay well.

FOR MORE GREAT DIET AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE:

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

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Keep on walking during lockdown: why walking is so important for your health

May 4, 2020May 1, 2020 / feelaliveuk / Leave a comment

May is National Walking Month which actually falls at a really appropriate time. Whilst many of us are on lockdown, and currently restricted on where and how far we can walk, now is the perfect opportunity to make those walks really count and enjoy their wonderful health benefits.

Whether you’re doing a circuit of your neighbourhood or have fields, trails or woods on your doorstep, getting out and about every day is an essential part of staying well.

Clinical nutritionist Suzie Sawyer shares why walking is so important for both your physical and mental health.

Heart Health

Walking is great for the heart both from a physical and emotional perspective. Clearly time outside is limited at the moment, so make the most of every step. Why not challenge yourself each week and try to get a little further every time? This means you’ll be walking faster, which in turn raises the heart rate.

The heart is a muscle that needs to be worked like any other. Therefore, aim to walk at pace in order to raise your heart rate and fully benefit. This will help circulation, improve lung capacity, tone the legs and support weight management. You can burn up to 300 calories in half an hour if you up the pace.

Just being outside in the fresh air is also great for the soul. If you’re feeling cooped up indoors, just getting out for an hour can be amazingly restorative. The adage about ‘clearing your head’ really can happen when you’re out for a walk. Plus, it’s still possible, depending on where you live, to meet up and walk at a social distance from a friend or relative, if you’re feeling isolated.

Joint Health

Now the gyms are closed, there are many more people out jogging right now, which is a great form of exercise. However, it can be tough on the joints, especially the knees. One of the many wonderful things about walking is that you can get fit without joint trauma; it’s much more comfortable for the body generally, and it may even ease joint plain. Plus, if you tackle some hills, you’ll be getting a great workout for your butt!

Our legs need to be worked for them to retain and build muscle. Therefore, if this is the only form of exercise you’re able to do right now, try to make it count and do a meaningful march every time you head out for a walk.

Blood sugar levels

Blood sugar needs to be in balance so that you’re also balanced emotionally and physically. When levels fall, that’s when you get the tell-tale loss of concentration and irritability. Importantly, it’s key to weight control because excess sugar in the blood stream is stored as fat.

Walking after a meal has been shown to keep blood sugar levels in good balance (even 15 minutes around the block is effective) and any excess calories you’ve eaten will be less likely to be stored as fat.

Immunity

Exercise in general boosts immunity by uprating the production of white blood cells, which are key to immune function. For athletes and serious exercisers, too much exercise can actually deplete immunity, so more protection of the immune system is needed through nutrition and supplementation. However, for recreational exercisers, it’s an amazing way to put yourself in the best position to fight off any colds and other viruses, so get out there!

If it’s a sunny day you will also be getting some of the immune-boosting vitamin D. Vitamin D is made on the skin in the presence of sunlight – another great reason to spend more time outdoors.

Energy and positivity

Because walking increases blood flow and, therefore, oxygen around the body, you’ll naturally feel more energised after a walk. And this oxygen will also reach your brain, allowing your head to feel clearer, and often more creative.

Walking is a great time for thinking, planning, problem-solving and being aware of the environment around you. It’s amazing how much more positive you can feel even after just a short walk. Use the time for just being ‘you’ if you can. Be mindful and enjoy your surroundings – if you’re lucky enough to have a lovely view or open space on your doorstep, then that’s an added bonus.

So, embrace National Walking Month and you’ll definitely be rewarded with some wonderful health benefits.

Stay well.

FOR MORE GREAT DIET AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE:

Sign up to receive our blog and get a weekly dose of the latest nutrition, health and wellness advice direct to your inbox.

Visit us at www.feelaliveuk.com for the latest offers and exclusive Alive! content.

Follow and Chat with Suzie on Twitter @nutritionsuzie

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

All images: Shutterstock

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Get more out of life

Month: May 2020

Enjoy alternative healthy barbeque foods this bank holiday

Halloumi burger

Quinoa and bulgur wheat salad

Chicken skewers

Jackfruit burger

Green salads

FOR MORE GREAT DIET AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE:

Five acts of self-kindness to support your mental well-being

Focus on food

Keep well hydrated

Start the day positively

Avoid the word ‘should’

Invest in yourself

FOR MORE GREAT DIET AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE:

Celebrate National Vegetarian Week with these top five vegetables

Soy beans

Spinach

Asparagus

Broccoli

Collard greens

FOR MORE GREAT DIET AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE:

Keep on walking during lockdown: why walking is so important for your health

Heart Health

Joint Health

Blood sugar levels

Immunity

Energy and positivity

FOR MORE GREAT DIET AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE:

Halloumi burger

Quinoa and bulgur wheat salad

Chicken skewers

Jackfruit burger

Green salads

FOR MORE GREAT DIET AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE:

Share this:

Focus on food

Keep well hydrated

Start the day positively

Avoid the word ‘should’

Invest in yourself

FOR MORE GREAT DIET AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE:

Share this:

Soy beans

Spinach

Asparagus

Broccoli

Collard greens

FOR MORE GREAT DIET AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE:

Share this:

Heart Health

Joint Health

Blood sugar levels

Immunity

Energy and positivity

FOR MORE GREAT DIET AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE:

Share this: