Until further research is done, people should not try substituting their blood pressure medication with chillis, but including them in the diet is beneficial for several reasons. Research in the laboratory has shown that capsaicin may be beneficial in reducing cancer rates, chillis are high in vitamin C and vitamin A. They help to ward off colds and flu by boosting the bug fighting properties of mucous membranes lining the nose and throat. Chillis have also been shown to reduce cholesterol and to balance blood sugar by modulating insulin response.

Why not try some of these dishes to boost immunity, help ward off cancer, balance blood sugar and have a positive effect on  blood pressure?

Chilli con carne by Jamie Oliver, taken from’ Jamie’s Ministry of Food’

Serves 6

Ingredients

Method: How to make good old chilli con carne

1. Peel and finely chop the onions, garlic, carrots and celery – don’t worry about the technique, just chop away until fine.

2. Halve the red peppers, remove the stalks and seeds and roughly chop.

3. Place your largest casserole-type pan on a medium high heat.

4. Add 2 lugs of olive oil and all your chopped vegetables.

5. Add the chilli powder, cumin and cinnamon with a good pinch of salt and pepper.

6. Stir every 30 seconds for around 7 minutes until softened and lightly coloured.

7. Add the drained chickpeas, drained kidney beans and the tinned tomatoes

8. Add the minced beef, breaking any larger chunks up with a wooden spoon.

9. Fill one of the empty tomato tins with water and pour this into the pan.

10. Pick the coriander leaves and place them in the fridge.

11. Finely chop the washed stalks and stir in.

12. Add the balsamic vinegar and season with a good pinch of salt and pepper.

13. Bring to the boil and turn the heat down to a simmer with a lid slightly askew for about an hour, stirring every now and again to stop it catching.

Serve with brown rice and a large green salad.

Vegetarian chilli, adapted from a recipe by the vegetarian society

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 175g/6oz green lentils
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1-2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 red and 1 green pepper, stalk and seeds removed, and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 x 400g/14oz cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 heaped tbsp tomato purée
• 300ml/½ pint vegetable stock (make with bouillon powder)
• 100g/4oz frozen peas
• 3 tbsp vegetarian pesto
• 175g/6oz mushrooms, wiped and quartered
• 1 courgette, chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and cooked

The researchers acknowledge that the health benefits of chocolate are likely to be gained from the flavonoids that it contains. Flavonoids are compounds that are synthesised by plants and they are therefore prevalent in fruits, vegetables and legumes. Research has shown that red wine and tea are also high in flavonoids but, like chocolate, these substances can be harmful to health and so they should be limited in the diet.

Common food sources of flavonoids include red, blue and purple berries, red and purple grapes, apples, citrus fruits, onions, broccoli, apples, parsley, thyme, celery, hot peppers, soybeans and legumes. Research has shown that flavonoids may act as antioxidants. They may also reduce inflammation, cut cancer risks and decrease neurodegeneration in addition to cutting cardiovascular disease.

No adverse effects have been associated with high dietary intakes of flavonoids from plant-based foods, wheres side-effects have been observed from drinking tea, red wine and chocolate due to the caffeine, alcohol, saturated fat and sugar in these products. This research demonstrates that benefits are only seen with small intakes of chocolate – a small bar once or twice a week. Intakes above this are likely to reduce health due to the fat and sugar content of chocolate. A small bar each week may be a great way to gain flavonoids whilst having a treat, but far greater health benefits can be gained from eating a diet rich in a variety of fruit, vegetables and legumes.

For more information about flavonoid rich diets, why not call Emma at Smart Nutrition or make an appointment today?

Amazingly, Coco Pops are not Kellogg’s highest sugar cereal; they are trumped by Kellogg’s Frosties, which contain 37% sugar. Luckily, there are lower sugar alternatives marketed for children; Kellogg’s Raisin Wheats are a much more acceptable 13% sugar and they contain 9g fibre. Weetabix contain an impressive 4.4% sugar. Of course many children will add sugar to their weetabix, but at least parents can get involved at this stage.

One in six children go without breakfast, despite studies demonstrating that going without it can impair concentration and lead to obesity in later life. Most children have gone more than 12 hours since their last meal when they leave the house in the morning, so it is important to break the fast and enjoy a nutritious meal. For many, a pre-packaged cereal saves time, just be sure to check the labels and choose something with wholegrain, natural ingredients and not too much sugar. When time allows, or at the weekend, why not try some of these low sugar alternatives?

• Natural yogurt with fresh fruit.
• Toast with marmite, peanut butter or low sugar spreads such as Dalfour jam.
• Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon.
• A bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich.
• Porridge sprinkled with seeds and a spoon of xylitol (natural sugar extracted from berries).
• Greek yogurt with agave syrup and unsalted pistachio nuts.
• Grilled tomatoes on rye.
• Home-made muesli with oats, chopped nuts and dried fruit such as unsulphured apricots, raisins and dried bluberries.
• A mushroom omelette.
• A wholemeal muffin with ham and cheese.
• A poached egg with wholemeal bread.
• Wholemeal or buckwheat pancakes with blueberries and a drizzle of maple syrup.

The researchers are correct in concluding that the brain needs glucose to function correctly. However, they fail to acknowledge that sugary drinks will provide the brain with glucose for only a short time because insulin will be produced in order to reduce the high blood sugar. This will ultimately result in a lowering of blood sugar to levels below the consumption of the sugary drink, and an increased likelihood of poor stress control and aggressive responses.

The study involved the students fasting for 3 hours. After three hours, most people would have a falling blood sugar that may make them susceptible to mood changes. The study did not report what the students had eaten prior to the fast, but if it was a meal low in protein, complex carbohydrates and essential fats (these are students!), it is likely that their blood sugar was quite low. The students drinking the sugary drink would have increased their blood sugar, but only for a short time.

In order to avoid these dips in blood sugar that can cause mood swings and a reduced ability to deal with stressful situations and remain calm under provocation, it is important to eat regular meals and snacks containing protein, essential fats and low glycaemic carbohydrates that are digested slowly. The brain will then have a constant source of glucose without the need for hormonal involvement that may cause stress. Avoiding simple sugars reduces the production of insulin that can ultimately result in low blood sugar. Eating three meals and at least two snacks daily, going no more than three or four hours without food, can help to regulate blood sugar and hormones. 

Why not try some of these meal and snack ideas to balance blood sugar, or call Emma at Smart Nutrition to get more advice?

Breakfast suggestions: 

*Porridge with milk and berries and/or cinnamon to sweeten 

*Muesli with nuts and seeds and milk or yogurt 

*Fresh fruit salad with yogurt, nuts and seeds 

*Grilled bacon with tomatoes 

*Scrambled, boiled or poached eggs on a slice wholemeal toast 

*Peanut butter on wholemeal toast 

Snack suggestions: 

*Nuts, seeds or natural yoghurt with some fruit. Low-sugar fruits include apples, pears, plums and berries, while high sugar fruits are dried fruits (the dehydration process means the fruit sugar is more concentrated), bananas, grapes and melon. Fruit’s high nutrient content outweighs the negative sugar impact in most cases, but be aware that if you’re going to eat a banana, for example, it might be wise to also have some nuts in order to keep things balanced.

 *Oatcakes with nut or seed butter eg tahini, peanut butter, almond butter 

*Vegetable crudités with hummus 

*1-2 squares dark chocolate with nuts to balance the sugar. This way you can still have chocolate as a snack, but just make sure you are balancing the sugar if you do. Same goes for biscuits/cake etc. If you do have these foods (try to limit them as much as you can), ensure you also have some protein to counter-balance the negative effects. 

Lunch suggestions: 

*Wholemeal sandwich/pitta/roll etc or salad centred around a protein source such as chicken, tuna, salmon, cheese, lentils, tofu, nuts, hummous etc 

*Soup with meat or lentils with a wholemeal roll and soft cheese/peanut butter instead of butter 

*Egg/beans/peanut butter on toast (beans are a mixture of complex carb and protein) 

*…and follow with nuts/yoghurt/fruit (if well tolerated). Following with refined foods will just make you crash and burn and heading for a mid-afternoon slump! 

Dinner suggestions: 

*Grilled or roasted meat or fish with seasonal vegetables and brown rice, pasta or potatoes with skin (boiled, mashed or baked) 

*Stir-fry including chicken, prawns, cashew nuts, tofu etc and vegetables served with wholemeal rice or egg noodles. (Brown basmati rice is the lowest GI rice) 

*Meat or lentil curry with brown rice 

*Spaghetti bolognaise with wholemeal spaghetti 

*Salmon fillet with steamed broccoli, courgette and peppers and sweet potato mash (sweet potato is lower GI than regular potato) 

Or any protein with or without a small amount of wholegrain rice, pasta or bread, quinoa, noodles or potato with skin (boiled, mashed or baked) and lots of salad, fruit or veg for vitamins and minerals.

The research was carried out in Chicago on rats that has consumed a high fat diet for 2 or 6 weeks. Compared to rats consuming a standard low fat diet, high fat rats released lower levels of dopamine and had reduced reuptake of dopamine by dopamine transporters in the brain.

The research ties in with previous studies that  have linked obesity and high fat diets with reduced dopamine transporter numbers. The authors conclude that diet may have an important impact on brain neurochemistry.

Cutting out saturated fat from the diet is also important to reduce the risks associated with obesity and developing heart disease. However, it is important to include essential polyunsaturated fats found in oily fish, nuts and seeds as these are beneficial for brain chemicals and they can keep depression at bay. Replacing fatty meats, cakes, biscuits, cheese and full fat dairy products with low fat options and foods that are high in polyunsaturated fats can boost health and emotional well being.

Try these top ten swaps:

• Swap fatty cuts of beef, pork or lamb for chicken breasts or trim the fat from lean chops or steak.
• Use chicken, turkey or soya mince instead of minced beef, or grind your own mince from lean steak.
• Swap butter for olive oil on bread; try rubbing toast with a little garlic before drizzling with extra virgin olive oil.
• Grill, bake, poach or steam instead of frying.
• Snack on nuts and seeds with fresh fruit instead of cakes and pastries.
• Choose nairns oatcakes or oat biscuits instead of biscuits containing hydrogenated oils – these trans fats are the fast track to heart disease.
• Try cottage cheese instead of full fat options – if you find it bland choose one flavoured with onions and chives or add your own herbs.
• Soya or tofu sausages make a wonderful alternative to traditional sausages. If you prefer meat, choose an organic pork sausage and prick the skin before grilling.
• Swap pork pies for smoked mackerel fillets when picnicking. Prepare crudités of peppers, carrots, celery and cucumbers instead of crisps.
• Swap ice creams for homemade sorbets or ice lollies made from blended fruits.

To discuss other ways of cutting out fat and making choices that boost neurotransmitter production, why not call Emma at Smart Nutrition?

Beetroot is a good source of fibre, potassium, manganese, iron, calcium and vitamin C. It also acts as a liver cleanser and has powerful antioxidant properties for cancer protection. Beetroot can be juiced with any fruits and vegetables, but works particularly well with orange, carrot, apple or cucumber. 

Why not try these recipes to add a little beetroot to your diet?

Borscht

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 celery sticks, trimmed and finely chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 thyme sprig, leaves stripped

sea salt and black pepper

1/4 red cabbage

800 ml vegetable stock or water

1 tbsp red wine vinegar to taste

1 tsp xylitol or caster sugar

A handful of dill, chopped

4 tbsp natural yogurt to serve

 1.       Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the onion, celery, carrot, thyme leaves and seasoning. Cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes.

2.       Add the beetroot and cabbage with a splash of water. Stir, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes until the vegetables are just tender. Stir a few times to prevent the vegetables from catching and burning on the bottom of the pan.

3.       Pour in the stock or water to cover the vegetables. Add the vinegar, bring to the boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Skim off any froth and adjust the seasoning to taste with salt, pepper and xylitol or sugar.

4.       Puree the soup if desired and serve with chopped dill and a dollop of yogurt.

Beetroot, carrot and chicory salad

3 heads of chicory

2 medium carrots

250g cooked beetroot in natural juices

handful of lightly toasted hazelnuts

Dressing:

1 pomegranate

1 orange

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

1. Trim the chicory and shred the leaves into matchsticks. Peel the carrots and cut into ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Roughly cut the beetroot. Place these ingredients in a bowl.

2. Make the dressing by halving the pomegranate and scooping out the seeds into another bowl. Squeeze the juice of the orange into the bowl and add vinegar, olive oil and seasoning to taste. Blend until the pomegranate seeds are finely crushed and then sieve.  Spoon the dressing over the salad and scatter with lightly crushed toasted almonds.

Recipes taken from ‘Healthy Appetite’ by Gordon Ramsay

The study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, found that levels of the enzyme peaked on the fifth day after giving birth; this is the day that new mothers often hit their lowest point.

It was found that levels of hormones could be measured during pregnancy –  high levels predicted post-natal depression with an accuracy of 75 percent during the study. It is hoped that screening for post-natal depression could be possible in the future.

While we wait for this exciting development, there are many things that new mothers can do to boost their serotonin levels. Gaining support from valued and trusted family members and friends, especially in the first week after giving birth, may reduce some of the stress and isolation at this wonderful but potentially difficult time. In addition, nutrition can play a huge role in balancing hormones and neurotransmitters.

Pregnancy and breast feeding place an enormous demand on the body – the baby will take whichever nutrients it needs for health and growth and this may deplete the mother’s resources. Cooking a nutritious meal for a new mother is probably the most useful thing you can do – especially if you wash up afterwards! 

What should a new mother eat?

Protein is important as neurotransmitters are made from amino acids, the building blocks of protein. A new mother will need 60g protein and this increases to 80g for breastfeeders - a vegetarian mother will have to work hard  to ensure that she is eating enough high quality protein from foods such as eggs, soya products, cheese, nuts and seeds and pulses.

Essential fats are vital for the production of serotonin and dopamine, so this is not a good time to cut down on fat. Non-vegetarians can boost their omega 3 fat intake with oily fish (sardines, mackerel, herring trout) twice a week, but vegetarians must rely on flax seed and oil for omega 3 fats. Cold pressed vegetable oils, nuts and seeds are good sources of omega 6 fatty acids. 

Vitamins and minerals are vital for new mothers in order to replenish supplies that have been depleted by pregnancy and to make neurotransmitters (serotonin and dopamine). For breast feeding mothers, making milk will deplete what the mother has available to her. Five prtions of fruit and veg is the minimum – 8-10 will be better. Wherever possible these should be fresh, organic and lightly prepared in order to preserve their nutritional content. Variety is important and a rainbow of colours will ensure that a wide range of vitamins and minerals are available – in the winter  some fruits that may not be local and seasonal can be added in order to boost the choices.

B vitamins and vitamin C are particularly important cofactors for neurotransmitter production; these can be found in whole grains, brown rice, leafy green vegetables, watercress, peppers and fruits.

How you eat is also vital for neurotransmitter production; processed foods, sugary sweet foods and stimulants are low in nutrients and play havoc with blood sugar. Allowing yourself to get too hungry will make you reach for these foods in desperation, but that will send you on a blood sugar rollercoaster where energy  escalates and plummets. This alone can have a devastating effect on mood and these foods contain no nutrients for health and wellbeing. Instead, a routine of enjoying three uninterrupted meals each day and three snacks can work wonders for mood and wellbeing. These meals and snacks should be high in fruits, vegetables and unrefined whole foods and each should contain some protein – 15g per meal and 5g for each snack is ideal (20g per meal for breastfeeders). Cutting down on sugar and stimulants such as tea, coffee and alcohol will help to stabilise moods, but breastfeeding  mothers will want to drink plenty of herbal teas and plain water to replace the fluids that the baby takes during feeds.

Having a new baby in the house is demanding and disrupted sleep patterns can cause exhaustion. Although preparing food can be time consuming, the rewards of stable moods and increased energy may be worth the extra work. Better still, direct any offers of help towards shopping or preparing healthy, delicious meals and snacks. If you tell them exactly what you need, people will be delighted to help.

To discuss your individual needs during pregnancy or after birth, why not make an appointment with Emma at Smart Nutrition?

Trans fats are hydrogenated oils that remain solid at room temperature. They are harmful and have no nutritional benefits and, as they cannot be broken down in the digestive system, they accumulate and clog up arteries. Evidence is mounting that trans fats are implicated in cancer, multiple sclerosis, stroke, obesity and heart disease. They are found in many products, including deep fried foods, baked goods, ice creams, biscuits, snack bars and ready meals; cheap foods are more likely to contain trans fats as they are so convenient for manufacturers to use. Although Tesco and Sainsbury have stated that they will not use trans fats in their own brands, other convenience foods within the stores may be loaded with them.

Avoiding trans fats is not as simple as avoiding cigarettes or alcohol as consumers may find it difficult to know which foods contain them. The labels will not list ‘trans fats’ in the ingredients, but will list hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. As these foods are found in many foods marketed for children it may be particularly difficult for parents of young children to identify the offending fats and protect their families; shopping with small children is difficult at the best of times and searching through ingredients may not be an option.

As the Government appear to be unwilling to support consumers to improve their health, it is important for people to educate themselves about which foods are safe to eat. Avoiding fried foods and packaged foods containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil will help. In addition, eating foods that are rich in essential fats such as oily fish, nuts, seeds and cold pressed vegetable oils may help to redress the balance.  To gain more advice on how to avoid the dangerous fats and boost levels of healthy fats, why not make an appointment with Emma at Smart Nutrition.

The NHS advisory body suggested that ministers should consider introducing legislation if manufacturers fail to take action. They recommend several courses of action, including:

• Selling low salt and low fat foods more cheaply than their unhealthy counterparts, through the use of subsidies if necessary.
• Banning advertising of unhealthy foods to children until after 9pm and using planning laws to restrict fast food outlets near schools.
• Paying farmers to produce healthier foods.
• Encouraging walking and cycling by local authorities.
• Introducing a traffic light food labelling system, despite opposition from the European Parliament.
• Disclosing lobbying of government and its agencies by the food and drink industry.

Professor Klim McPherson of NICE said ‘…we want the healthy choice to be the easy choice [and] we want the healthy choice to be the less expensive, more attractive choice. Put simply, this guidance can help the Government and the food industry to take action to prevent huge numbers of unnecessary deaths and illnesses caused by heart disease and stroke.’

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians responded to the NICE guidance saying ‘Banning trans-fats, reducing salt consumption and saturated fat levels in processed food may initially pose operational challenges for manufacturers, but the profits of private firms ought not to take precedence when compared with the health of the more than four million people at risk in this country.’

It is important to see this advice in context; an active lifestyle and a diet that is rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables is the way to good health. Although trans fats are deterimental to health and should be avoided, many low fat processed foods are loaded with sugar so food choices should be carefully considered. In addition, some salt is necessary for health, particularly for people with adrenal fatigue. Each individual is unique and the best way to establish personal needs may be to make an appointment with Emma at Smart Nutrition.

Researchers writing in the journal Thorax have looked at 50 000 children from 20 countries in a 10 year study. Parents of children from wealthy and poorer countries were asked about their children’s diets and whether they had ever been diagnosed with asthma or had suffered wheezing.

Researchers found that the effects of their diet seemed to vary depending on where they lived. Fruit and vegetables were seen to be more protective in less affluent parts of the world, whilst eating lots of fish was more helpful in richer countries. Eating at least three burgers a week was linked to a greater risk of asthma and wheezing, but only in wealthier countries.

Author Dr Gabriele Nagel suggests that this may be because asthma is a collection of symptoms rather than a single condition, and different things may trigger in different parts of the world. The paper also sugggested that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables may be helpful because of the protective effects of antioxidants.

Dr Elaine Vickers, research relations manager at Asthma UK said ‘Previous studies have shown that a Mediterranean – style diet rich in fruit and vegetables can help to reduce a child’s risk of developing asthma symptoms. Our advice to parents is therefore to ensure that children eat a healthy, balanced diet and also get plenty of exercise.’

To upgrade the quality of your children’s diets and help protect them against asthma and other diseases, why not make an appointment with Emma by clicking here.