Healthy Eating Extras May 2014

Healthy Eating Extras May 2014

Sweet Treat

Have you eaten a red pepper today - sweet not chilli? If you haven’t - get one tomorrow. Look out for the long, pointy, slightly mis-shapen ones as they’re much sweeter than the perfect looking but often tasteless prepacks.

One red pepper will give you almost twice your daily requirement of vitamin A, important for healthy skin, your immune system and the protection of your body cells. You’ll also get more than a day’s dose of vitamin C and valuable amounts of vitamins K, B6 and folic acid. As a bonus they provide lycopene which protects against cancers of the prostate and cervix and masses of anti-oxidants which take care of your arteries, heart, eyes and joints.

Eat them raw in salads, roast them, stuff them, grill them, add them to your stir-fries for a nutritional bonus that’s also a delicious sweet treat.

Porridge Plus

Tradition says porridge must only be stirred clockwise with the right hand, to keep away the devil and it must be done using a Spurtle – a straight wooden stick, not a spoon. This information comes from the organisers of the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championships, held each year in the beautiful village of Carrbridge, just a few miles south of Aviemore in Scotland.

Porridge is without doubt the healthiest, least expensive and best nutritional value for money breakfast of all the cereals.

It’s rich in B vitamins for the nervous system, fibre for digestion and to eliminate cholesterol, and protein for strength and growth, which is no doubt a reason for generations of Scots being amongst the hardiest and strongest people. I love porridge in any form and I’ve had it raw with cream and malt whisky for breakfast on the Isle of Skye (Athol Brose) and just mixed with water (crowdie) in the Highlands.

Best of all was a recipe in the Speciality Porridge section of the competition which was wonderful hot creamy porridge with heather honey covered with Barleans Fortiflax, ground organic flax seeds rich in Omega-3 essential fatty acids and lignans. Great heart protection and especially beneficial for women with PMS or during the menopause, as it evens out the hormone ups and downs.

From good supermarkets, health stores www.healthyandessential.co.uk or 0800 027 3807