This is due to a couple of reasons.

I am busy putting together healthy eating information which can be download in the form of an Ebook as many of you want something a little more tangible to work with. I am also offering healthy eating consultations in the New Year. These are designed for you to check out how your diet stacks up and to discuss where you can get more goodness into and out of your meals.

Neither of these new offerings are ‘therapeutic’; for specific health advice, your doctor is the main man (or woman).

On the personal front, life (or more particularly death) has been getting in the way of things lately. However as always, new learning comes from challenges. The re-evaluating of my own life is helping me to re-assess my working practices including, how I can offer more useful information on healthy eating so that people can make the changes necessary to support long term health, (without having to turn into a health nut!) and how to continue do this in a way that I can also benefit without comprising my impartiality. Any tips on that would be useful!

You will also notice the tone of the site is becoming more personalised. Whilst my aim is help you organise your healthy eating, I am doing this from my perspective; I have no axe to grind on behalf of any company. I am a keen foodie with a nutrition related degree and not a chef. My food is put together with flavour, enjoyment and health in mind, all  tied up in a simple recipe. Some of my experiences fail miserably; you get to hear about these too. I love to investigate why a food is supposed to be good for us, so I discuss this too.

Also I hope to show that healthy eating is easy, really easy. I don’t suggest you try to count calories, points or colours; my idea is to use fresh food in different ways that taste good. If you do this consistently, predominantly and exercise sensible portion control, providing you do not have any pre existing health issues, you may find this way of eating contributes to your well being.

So there we have it. The future  HEO will be slightly different and hopefully more useful. You may even get that long awaited newsletter that your signed up for! :0)

However, it is important to understand that you need to find the diet that is right for you. You’ve probably heard this before and it’s worth repeating; what works for someone else may not work you.

Forgetting my clinical experience, I know this to be true from a personal perspective.

When I was in my twenties if I had a hot date looming at the end of the week, a few days of apples and tea (this was before I studied nutrition!) usually resulted in the desired but temporary weight loss. Whilst this worked a treat, if I had continued with this nutritional madness longer than 4 or 5 days, I would have felt ill. By my thirties, using the same diet, I couldn’t lose much weight and stay functional enough to look after my two young boys.

The point was, for me in my twenties with my lifestyle then, this crazy diet worked.

However in the decades since, it’s takes more dedication to shift those kilos, even with a little expert knowledge. My ability to lose weight is very much reduced and in fact feels like it is a skill I have lost along the way. Probably due in part to the erratic eating patterns of my youth!

So when you see a diet that promises weight loss miracles, make sure you at least understand which demographic it is aimed at. If you are a sixty year old reading Cosmo (in the hairdressers), about an’amazing’ new diet which guarantees a loss of 10 pounds in 10 days, remember this; you are not their target audience. Plus, bear in mind your dietary requirement to maintain good health is very different from that of a lusty 25 year old.

So how do you find the diet which is the right for you?

Firstly, be realistic about YOUR lifestyle and who YOU are. Do you work full time snatching food where and when you can? Are you a working Mum, mostly eating on the run? Do you cook? Do you have interest in food which means you can make different choices? Or is your food selection very limited? Do you have allergies, are you a vegetarian? How old or young are you? Are you trying to have a baby? Do you have any health issues? Are you on medication?

All these questions are relevant to losing weight because they will guide you to the diet that is right for you. Whilst we all get drawn into the hype one reads (me included) with the promise of diet nirvana, losing weight is a very personal process. If it wasn’t, the lucrative diet industry wouldn’t exist.

There is another side to dieting or more particularly reaching and maintaining your healthy weight but I’ll save that for the next blog. Meanwhile if you would like to discuss your diet please feel free to contact me for more details.

Our goal is to be the definitive guide on all things ‘healthy eating’. We are back in the saddle from the 9th January 2012.

See you then!

I love this time of year, no ‘bah humbug’ in this house. We are lucky enough to all still be here together. It’s been a very bad year in that respect (hence the sometimes erratic postings of late). When I look around my table on Christmas Day, I can do a head count, safe in the knowledge that the most important people in my life are with me.

This year in my household, (like many others across the globe), we are having what has commonly become known as ‘a reduced Christmas’.This means less money has been spent on everything. There will be far fewer presents, food choices on the table and in the cupboard.

The Christmas table will definitely be healthier too.

The cut backs have made me focus on optimising nutritional value for money. Admittedly, the choice between an organic bird or non organic and loads of sweetie things, is no contest. I choose the organic poultry option every time.

I confess; I do not bake. Not because I don’t eat such things it just that my wonderful provider of cakes died a number of years ago. Mum used to do such things and I just never got round to it. I now rely on good friends and recently an exceptional deli for those rare ‘cake moments’. However normally at Christmas I do buy more in but not this year. There is no Christmas cake and I will buy a few readymade gluten free mince pies (from Waitrose apparently?).

For desserts, I am skipping brandy butter and double cream. I will be doing exciting things with almond or tahini crème, which tastes like caramel sauce (and tastes superb, although I say it myself!).

There will be heaps of veg as always. Not only do these fill you up but they are (relatively) cheap. These will be revamped into bubble and squeak – which I also love, if it’s cooked properly and not swimming in yucky fat.

The challenge is nibbles. These are expensive to buy and usually very unhealthy. So this year I shall get creative: marinated cooked prawns in various guises, homemade dips with oatcakes for some occasions and crudities for others, chunks of red pepper spread with dips, hot small pieces of garlicky roasted veg served straight from the oven. Any vegetable that has the potential to hold a stuffing of some sort can be used in place of biscuits or toast for example: fennel, peppers, scooped out tomatoes or even thin slices of crunchy sweet potato. The meat eaters might notice they are missing out but I’m sure others will be serving mini beef wellingtons……………..

For the inevitable flop in front of the tv later, the big tin of sweets will be replaced with pieces of fruit dipped in chocolate (made earlier and stored), with the emphasis on dipped and not soaked! A little can go a long way.

I for one think we will not be missing out. Yes I am making the time to prepare this stuff but frankly, none of it will take long; I’m a lazy cook. Plus being a real people lover, I rather spend time socialising than in the kitchen on my own.

For me Christmas is primarily about ‘love’; I love the people, the food, the fuss and the excitement. This year will be no different in that regard. I am spending less money but my heart will still be bursting with Christmas. Yes, I admit I am a hopelessly committed family girl that loves this time of year!

So I will have a wonderful Christmas and wish the very same for you. Merry, merry Christmas see you in 2012!

It was a great programme for showing their huge and growing following what nutrition alone can do. Whilst I’m not in total agreement with everything said, I love what they are doing for the promotion of food and healthy eating.

However, how does the public access this advice for themselves, in a safe way?

There are woefully few studies carried out researching the food and health connection. This is primarily because food cannot be patented, therefore it is impossible to make huge profits and re coup the costs of the studies involved. The problem is; who will fund it? The only ‘vested’ interest is the health of the public, so it is generally understood to be financially un-worthwhile. Personally I’ve always thought this to be short-sighted in the extreme; clearly the governmental coffers would ultimately benefit from the initial outlay.

Focussing on IBS; last night our more naturopathically – inclined cousins ‘down under’ who are more opened minded have invested in finding ‘natural solutions’. Dr Sue Shepherd who is has an incredibly impressive profile as senior researcher within the Department of Gastroenterology at Box Hill Hospital in Melbourne, has found that ‘Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols’ in an assortment of foods are understood contribute to IBS symptoms. Avoidance of these, allows the gut to operate optimally and IBS is can eradicated. The FODMAP™ diet has been designed to eliminate these foods.

It was an impactful programme last night. I can imagine all IBS sufferers will be scouring the Web this morning looking for more information. And this is the problem.

As the team on the Food Hospital say almost every week (and rightly so) it is important not to eliminate great swathes of foods without proper advice and support. I applaud the programme for the great work they are doing, unfortunately the public will find that they are the only ready source of this information.

Whilst there are nutritional professionals out there, they are not easy to access.

For free advice and support from registered dieticians the only route is via your GP. However I believe their practice will have to fund the visit from their overstretched budgets. Plus you have to persuade your doctor that you are a worthy and needy cause. This may not be so easy when they are faced with such a high percentage of IBS sufferers now beating a path to the doctor’s surgery.

Nutritional therapists within the private and complementary medicine sector offer a personalised service but you to have to do your homework. Ensure that they are well trained and registered with the appropriate bodies. Plus of course, you will need to part with money.

Special diets do offer solutions for common health problems. However they are a still a form of ‘therapy’ therefore the sufferer needs guidance and support throughout. Otherwise, another set of problems can arise and ‘food’ can become a blunt instrument itself. FODMAP™ will eliminate a number of important foods. The Sue Shepherd’s site recommends supervision, however how many people will not only seek this but also get it?

Food and health is such an important issue (my own raison d’être); the public need to be able to access good readily available sensible advice. Plus it is also important to stress that there is still no ‘one size fits all’.

Special diets are just that; ‘special’. By definition, they are ‘unusual’ ‘exceptional’ and ‘extraordinary (according to the synonyms in Word). Changing the way you eat needs education to ensure you do it in the right way.

Make sure you understand this important fact to ensure that the food solutions you seek solve your health problems and not exacerbate them.

Once in the party mood, it’s easy to lose track especially this time of year. So many people adopt the same attitude as they do when holiday; all the normal concerns go out the window. Unfortunately, alcohol is alcohol, whether you are on holiday or not. It is important to both understand how much you are actually drinking and still enjoy yourself.

The following post gives you clear concise information on alcohol units and highlights that whilst spirits are usually 40% proof, both wine and beer have different volumes of alcohol. Wine can range from 11% up to 16%, which makes some stronger than you think; meaning you should drink less. Read more here

Why?

Because we can at least influence our risk of developing cancer. Next question; exactly how can we do this?

Any change of behaviour has to be doable. We have all gone off on a tangent adopting new regimes with diets and exercise but how long did they last? If they didn’t fit really well within our existing lifestyle I would guess, not long.

The key thing with dietary change is to ensure that it becomes embedded into our lives. To do this, it has to be really easy.

This latest study is not the only one to highlight the connections between diet and cancer; with vegetable intake having a high priority. There is no doubt that those who do not get anywhere near their 5 a day now, will be more challenged to adopt new habits. However if there is a determination to improve your health status, then you can find solutions.

So here are just a few simple basic strategies to ensure that you get a minimum of your 5 a day that are understood to be so beneficial:

1. Invest in a juicer and juice at least 5 times a week. There are many keep juicers around; you don’t need to get precious about whether it is a masticating juicer or not! Choose one that will juice vegetables easily. Do a mix of low sugar fruit like apples pears or berries with green leafy veg, celery, carrots and always add a lemon. They help to neutralise the ‘green’ taste beautifully. Many devote health nuts believe sprouted seeds offer particular benefit however these may not juice in some of the more affordable juicers. Check the manufactures information.
2. Lunches; add salad. If you buy lunch from a sandwich shop halve the amount of filling and get them to add extra salad. Anything will be better than nothing but big hitters are: tomatoes, rocket, avocado, olive oil, and onion. Alternatively, buy a bag of salad to last a few days and add this to your shop bought sandwich. If you have the facilities, make up your own salads to your preference.
3. Make a quick soup to snack on for a fast healthy meal. Yep, soups are quick. You only need to chop veg (10 minutes max) and pop them in a pan, cover with veggie stock and cook for 10 minutes until soft (10 minutes roughly) and blend. Voila! You can blend with cooked animal protein or add some hemp to make it more sustaining. Keep in the fridge for a couple of days, take some to work or freeze in batches in little bags.
4. All other meals. Add vegetables in as many ways as possible. Have a look at the following to give you an idea about how easy it is. Some of my recipes contain in excess of 5 vegetables.

• Aduki Beans with beetroot vegetarian cottage pie
• Comfort Chicken with vegetable gravy
• Baked Sea Bass with Fennel and steamed ‘fried’ vegetables

This study is empowering; it shows we have a choice. Many people I speak to believe their doctor is responsible for their wellbeing. Whilst this might allow you to ‘pass the buck’, it is simply not true. He is the equivalent of the mechanic; his role is to diagnose the problems and seek a solution.  However it is up to you to check the tyres, oil, washer fluid and USE THE RIGHT FUEL.

When we all accept that we can influence our long term health, it puts us in the driving seat; we can take ourselves where we want to go. For me, that means using my diet to support my health as much as I can.

There are however, no guarantees; health is about more than food. All I have to do now is sort out my stress…………………….

I am resisting making negative comments around this ‘newsflash’ regarding the obvious nature of the information. Instead I feel it is very important to focus on the valuable message; our health is our hands.

The BBC reported that for men it was key to ensure they ate their ’5-a-day’. Personally I believe it is more important to have nearer 12 a -day to really give health a boost. Imagine how much more potent this strategy would be in supporting long term health?

For women, they need to avoid obesity to safeguard themselves. Well, this also falls primarily in the food camp too.

If lifestyle is so important, I hope there will be a bigger emphasis put on this by the government when it comes to public education.

The issue of health maintenance should be offered in schools via education. Children need to understand that whilst meeting the various ‘key stages’ are important, the body’s needs are vital. I can hear teachers and inspectors saying “there is no time in the curriculum”, however, I believe there needs to be a change of emphasis. What is more important than understanding what makes us healthy?

There will be thousands of blogs about this, I wanted to add my voice too. However I also want to offer really simple ways to adopt healthy eating.

Think about juicing daily or just weekends when you have more time or look at some of the recipes here, they all include lots of vegetables. There are loads of ideas based on commonly eaten family food.

The most important thing is to hear the message; YOU can make a difference to your cancer risk. As I said, how fab is that!

Inulin is not absorbed by the body, so you might ask what’s the point?

The gut is of primary importance to overall health. Think about it; if your gut isn’t working optimally you will possibly be challenged when absorbing all the nutrients in the food you eat. This is where foods like Jerusalem Artichokes come in; they help to enhance the environment of the beneficial bacteria in the gut. However these advantages can cause most folk embarrassment when it comes to digestion as they tend to encourage wind in most people.

I find this food a bit of a challenge because whilst they are useful to gut health overall I’m not sure that their nutty flavour (they are related to sunflower family) and potassium levels are worth making room on the plate for?

Perhaps though, it is always worth experiencing new foods and broadening your culinary horizons. So why not try so Jerusalem Artichokes? Commonly they are made up a soup, or in a gratin (baked in cheesy sauce) or roasted. I shall explore the possibilities and get back to you.