Friday 19 December 2014

Christmas pudding --lower fat and lower calorie

Karderio Christmas Pudding Clip Art


Christmas pudding --lower fat and lower calorie I developed this recipe a while ago and it is very popular. It can be made at the last minute or rather the day before Christmas and is both easy and economical not to mention tasty.

Having looked at most luxury style Christmas puddings as well as recipes for homemade ones using traditional ingredients like suet in them I found that most provided around 600 kcals and 80g carbohydrate per portion. So I was given the challenge of developing a lower calorie and carbohydrate pudding. 
 
This is what I made and it makes 8 small portions and each portion provides 204kcal 43g carbohydrate, 1.4 g fat, 0.3g saturated fat and 0.3g salt.

It was quick to make and also cheap. It will not keep so make it only the day before or freeze.

Ingredients

200g dried mixed fruit

100ml water

10 ml red wine

1 tbsp oat bran

I tbsp black treacle

200g self raising flour

1 tsp mixed spices

1 420g can of prunes drained

1 egg

 
Mix the wine and water together (I just washed out a wine bottle)

Pour the dried fruit into a dish

Pour on the wine and water mixture

Leave overnight in the fridge.

This soaking step is important as it plumps up the fruit.

To this mix add the oat bran and return the dish to the fridge

Take the stones out of the prunes and puree—if you have not got a liquidiser a potato masher works well

Add to the mix, then add the treacle and mix through.

Sift together the flour and spices and add to the mix

Finally beat in the egg

If the mix seems a bit dry add a little skimmed milk

Pour into a one and a half pint basin and smooth down

Alternatively pour into 8 small basins

Put in the microwave and cook for 7 minutes on high

Take out of the microwave and let stand for 5 minutes

Cook again for 7 minutes on high and again let stand

Test the inside is cooked with a knife or skewer –if not cooked –then cook again for 5 minutes and allow to stand then check it

 The smaller puddings will cook more quickly and so will a pudding in a shallower basin

 The pudding will not keep for long so freeze it or cook a day or so before required.

 If you do not want to cook in a microwave it can be baked for an hour in a medium oven in a covered basin stood in a bowl of water.

 Serve with custard or ice cream or as it is very low in fat a little brandy butter or my current delight a really nice plain Greek style yogurt

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Sunday 14 December 2014

Diabetes- books for Christmas


Diabetes- books for Christmas--I wrote  a short book on low calorie and low carbohydrate ideas for Christmas and put it on kindle --this is now free.


Thursday 4 December 2014

CHRISTMAS IDEAS FOR DIABETES LOWER CALORIE AND LOWER CARBOHYDRATE



I was inspired to write this short book by patients saying how much they had likes some of the ideas I gave them for Christmas

So I have burnt the midnight oil writing this and have put it on Kindle today

Tuesday 25 November 2014

CALORIES ON MENUS

In the UK some caterers put calories on menus and others put information on lighter choices which are lower in calories.

While not everyone finds it of interest it does help those who are watching their intake make choices.

In America "The Food and Drug Administration" is now requiring the nation restaurants and coffee shops to list calories on the items on their menus.

This is information the government agency said can help Americans make healthier eating decisions.

In the UK we have the responsibility deal which people who are providing catering of all types can sign up to as a partner and agree to take steps to assist with improving health.

One of the steps is to provide calorie information on menus so that customers can make informed choices.

The following website has information on this and how to sign up.

https://responsibilitydeal.dh.gov.uk/


Department of Health

Thursday 13 November 2014

NUTRITION AND THE BRAIN

I am always interested in the effect of nutrition on the brain plus also on mood and feelings of happiness.
Indeed I write a while ago about nutrition and happiness on an early blog.

I found a nice article on nutrition for the brain on http://carpevitahomecare.com/nutrition-for-brain-health/


The article has 8 tips

  1. eat more "superfoods"  --which are the berries and food with a rich antioxidant content. This time of year broccoli, blackberries from the frozen autumn harvest  to mention but a few.
  2. heart health and brain health are similar so watch anything that raised harmful cholesterol levels
  3. ensure the diet contains foods with rich antioxidant levels
  4. have omega 3 fatty acids rather than the more harmful types of fat
  5. eat adequate protein
  6. have unrefined carbohydrates
  7. ensure you have adequate vitamins and minerals especially zinc
  8. drink plenty of water
Do have a look at the article

Friday 7 November 2014

MILK

Last week I went to a conference on Diet and Sustainability which focused on Dairy.

Really interesting with lots of excellent speakers  and information on how both farmers and the processors of  milk based foods were looking at sustainability and making strides forward.


Although milk from the cow is processed to some extent by heat treatment. Milk is about 87 percent water and 13 percent solids. The  cream (fat portion) of the milk contains fat soluble vitamins. The rest include proteins, carbohydrates (lactose), water soluble vitamins, and minerals. 
Milk products contain high quality proteins. The whey proteins constitute about 18 percent of the protein content of milk. Casein, a protein found only in milk, contains all of the essential amino acids. It accounts for 82 percent of the total proteins in milk and is used as a standard for evaluating protein of other foods. Protein is needed to build and repair body tissues and to form antibodies ( special proteins) which circulate in the blood and help fight infection.
Milk also contains calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. The calcium found in milk is readily absorbed by the body. Phosphorus plays a role in calcium absorption and utilization. Phosphorus is needed in the proper ratio to calcium to form bone. Milk provides these two minerals in approximately the same ratio as found in bone. 
Milk is also a significant source of riboflavin (vitamin B2) which helps promote healthy skin and eyes, as well as small amounts of vitamins A and D.

Saturday 18 October 2014

Diabetes and diet

TODAY I WENT TO THE IDDT CONFERENCE AND 20 YEAR BIRTHDAY AT KETTERING.
IT WAS REALLY WELL ATTENDED AND HAD WORLD CLASS SPEAKERS ON VARIOUS TOPICS. 
ONE KEY ASPECT WAS THE ABILITY OF DELEGATES TO ATTEND WORKSHOPS AND TO ASK QUESTIONS  OF EXPERT.
I  WAS INVOLVED IN ANSWERING QUESTIONS PLUS ALSO SIGNING BOOKS I HAD WRITTEN. 
THE BOOK DETAILS ARE BELOW AND IT IS OBTAINABLE FROM THE IDDT  http://iddt.org/
I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY IT
Diabetes – Foods, Meds and More
Diabetes - Foods, Meds and MoreThe aim of this new book is to help people with diabetes and their families to understand more about living with the condition with an emphasis on lifestyle, dietary information and recipes. However, it is not a typical recipe book, as it aims to cover real life, day to day situations.
The book has been written as a result of listening to people with diabetes and their families who contact the InDependent Diabetes Trust [IDDT]. People with diabetes or pre-diabetes, are often told that they need to eat healthily and while this is not bad advice, it can leave people feeling confused and without the information they need, at what can be a stressful time.
Product:
Diabetes - Foods, Meds and More
Price:
£8.99

Sunday 12 October 2014

Lentils a protein source



I am a great fan of using lentils as they are so easy to cook not to mention cheap. I find so many people do not know how to use them so I found some good ideas on this website.


http://www.lentils.ca/lentilhunter

Sunday 14 September 2014

muscle strength and older people


As people age muscle strength can decline with adverse effects not just on health but on how people find it difficult to enjoy life. The inability to get around easily or even do simple activities like getting up and down stairs has a major impact.

A study conducted by Deakin University in Australia, found that a protein rich diet incorporating lean red meat, combined with strength training, improved the size and strength of muscles in elderly women.      

Researchers considered that the combination of  protein from sources such as red meat ( beef, lamb and pork) and strength training was effective in reducing the impact of age-related muscle loss on the risk of falls as well as boosting the ability of elderly people to undertake day-to-day activities such as getting out of a chair.

All too often considerations of muscle strength focus on the diet of young people particularly those interested in fitness. Yet it also has a major impact for older people which is important.

There is good information on the studies on the following website






http://meatandhealth.redmeatinfo.com/

Saturday 6 September 2014

VITAMINS

I am speaking at an event on vitamins at the Royal Society of Public Health

Enigmatic essentials–the history and future of vitamins
16 October 2014
This enjoyable and informative evening event, led by nutritional expert Dr. Mabel Blades and public health epidemiologist Dr. Rosalind Stanwell-Smith, will include intriguing tales from the history of vitamins and an overview 
of recent research. 



please go to the RSPH for more information
http://www.rsph.org.uk/

Friday 8 August 2014

FOOD ALLERGY AND INTOLERANCE



THE FOOD ALLERGY AND INTOLERANCE AWARENESS WENT WELL
FOR PRE-PACKED FOODS
  • Allergenic ingredients must be indicated in list of ingredients with clear reference to name of the substance or product as listed in Annex II of the Food Labelling Regulations. Annex II of the EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation No.1169/2011. The Annex II outlines the 14 allergens (and products thereof) that must be labelled or indicated as being present in foods and are:
    • Cereals containing gluten such as wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt or khorasan
    • Crustaceans for example prawns, crabs, lobster, crayfish
    • Eggs
    • Fish
    • Peanuts
    • Soybeans
    • Milk (including lactose)
    • Nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecan nuts, Brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, macadamia (or Queensland) nuts
    • Celery (including celeriac)
    • Mustard
    • Sesame seeds
    • Sulphur dioxide (>10mg/kg or 10mg/L)
    • Lupin
    • Mollusc for example clams, mussels, whelks, oysters, snails and squid
  • I WAS REALLY PLEASED TO SEE SIGNS UP SAYING
  • " IF YOU HAVE AN ALLERGY  OR INTOLERANCE PLEASE ASK FOR INFORMATION"

Friday 27 June 2014

FREE TRAINING ON FOOD ALLERGY AND INTOLERANCE

FOOD ALLERGY AND INTOLERANCE AWARENESS


FREE EVENT 30TH JULY 2014 6-7.30PM

GOSPEL CHURCH  HIGH STREET SOUTH RUSHDEN NN10OQX

Food allergies and intolerances are really serious issues for sufferers. For those providing food whether a small caterer or food manufacturer it is something to be aware of.

There is new legislation on this which comes into force in December. So it is something to be aware of and be prepared for.  It is invaluable for anyone selling foods of all types.

Ii light of the new EU Regulation on the Provision of Food Information to Consumers (1169/2011 EC), this event will provide a unique, perspective on how to protect people with allergies and intolerances while ensuring compliance with existing and new food law.

Run by Dr Mabel Blades a Registered Dietitian and Trainer

To book a place email mabel@qmnds.demon.co.uk

Certificates of attendance can be provided for a small administration fee


Friday 13 June 2014

Recipes and Nutrition

Cancer Prevention Charity: World Cancer Research Fund WCRFI came across these nice recipes from the World Cancer Research Fund for Everyday Eating

There are 8 recipes and they can be found at
http://shop.wcrf-uk.org/products/everyday-eating

All have nutritional calculations


Saturday 7 June 2014

Training -Nutrition, Food Safety, Food, Allergies and intolerances

Training is very important and I am pleased to offer a number of courses.

These are both bespoke courses plus ones accredited by the CIEH and RSPH

Courses include

  • Food safety --level 1-4
  • Nutrition level 1-4
  • Health promotion  level 1-2
  • Allergy awareness 



Please contact me via the directory below or directly to Nutrition and Dietetic Services


http://www.trainingdirectory.co.uk/company/Nutrition-&-Dietetic-Services-12652x0.html

Friday 6 June 2014

Award


The British Dietetic Association (BDA) – the nation’s largest organisation of food and nutrition professionals – has a number of specialist groups one is called NAGE which is the group for dietitians with a particular interest in nutrition and older people.

This is an area of interest to me and I am pleased to say "NAGE have just won the BDA Award for Specialist Group of the Year!"


The BDA has issued also a  publication called The Nutrition and Hydration Digest: Improving Outcomes Through Food and Beverage Services. which will be of interest to those working in this area.

https://www.bda.uk.com/publications/NutritionHydrationDigest.pdf


logo

Monday 12 May 2014

Diabetes – Foods, Meds and More

Diabetes – Foods, Meds and More
Diabetes - Foods, Meds and MoreThe aim of this new book is to help people with diabetes and their families to understand more about living with the condition with an emphasis on lifestyle, dietary information and recipes. However, it is not a typical recipe book, as it aims to cover real life, day to day situations.
The book has been written as a result of listening to people with diabetes and their families who contact the InDependent Diabetes Trust [IDDT]. People with diabetes or pre-diabetes, are often told that they need to eat healthily and while this is not bad advice, it can leave people feeling confused and without the information they need, at what can be a stressful time.
Product:
Diabetes - Foods, Meds and More
Price:
£8.99

I now have a picture of the 
 book I did for the IDDT http://iddt.org/iddt-shop

I hope you will like it --the recipes I did are inspiring as well as delicious

Wednesday 7 May 2014

DIABETES --FOOD, MEDS AND MORE






 
Having been involved in producing the very popular "Everyday Eating" for the "InDependant Diabetes Trust"  (http://iddt.org) I was delighted to be involved in writing another book called "Food Meds and More" for the IDDT.

As I said  "Any successful diet is about helping people to enjoy foods and fitting this into their lifestyle. This is why I loved writing this book!"

The Everyday Eating booklet is free and the "Food Meds and More" is at a small charge from the IDDT --phone 01604 622837



//

Tuesday 8 April 2014

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

There has been a lot in the media about fruit and vegetable consumption so I thought I would add something.

Many people struggle to manage to eat the 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day so aiming for 7 may be difficult.

Fruit and vegetables are a valuable source of antioxidants which help to protect against disease as well as generally being low in calories, a source of fibre and also low in fat with exceptions like avocados and olives.

A portion is regarded as  80g  in weight which is about a medium apple , orange peach or pear, small banana or a bowl of salad or a couple of tablespoons of cooked vegetables.

A glass of fruit juice does count as one portion but as the fibre is removed only counts once per day no matter how much you drink!

So some ides for eating more

Breakfasts --a glass of fruit juice makes a good start, add chopped fruit like bananas to cereals, have a bowl of fruit like prunes or grapefruit. Try tomatoes, mushrooms or baked beans on toast. Make potato cakes containing sweetcorn.

Lunch--try salads with lots of different vegetables, vegetables soups are easy to make and can include items like lentils, sandwich fillings can be based on roasted vegetables, bananas or salads.

Dinner --can include extra vegetables in casseroles and curries not to mention in shepherds pies and lasagnes.

Puddings-- like crumbles, charlottes and pies can include thick layers of fruit and only a small amount of topping

BUDGET IDEAS
Sometimes people say fruit and vegetables are expensive but frozen vegetables are an inexpensive standby and easily cooked and added to meals. Bags of lentils are cheap as are cans of items like kidney beans and other beans.

Cans of fruit are often inexpensive and can be added to jellies and other desserts.

You can try and grow your own vegetables. Fruit can often be harvested for free in the Autumn like blackberries from hedgerows and apples from asking people who have apples fallen from their trees as they have a glut of them.

I have just made a last batch of stewed mixed fruit and also jam from such fruits that I had stored in my freezer.






Saturday 29 March 2014

VITAMIN D

A combination of supplements, healthy balanced diet, food fortification and unprotected exposure to sunlight can play a vital role in tackling deficiency. The philosophy has always been food first, but the issue here is
that only a small amount of vitamin D intake can be achieved through diet alone. If people are able to achieve their vitamin D intake through sunlight,that’s great. However living in the UK, the sun doesn’t produce strong
enough rays for vitamin D production between September and May.

“There is also the issue of the overuse of high factor sunscreens which block vitamin D production. All these factors mean other ways of getting vitamin D are often the only accessible option.

“Many people are suffering the effects of vitamin D deficiency. More than 5,000 trials were published on the subject of vitamin D in 2013,with more published every month. Trials which negatively report the effects
of vitamin D often use dosage levels inadequate for the weight of the subject.



For more information visit http://www.betteryou.uk.com/Vitamin-D-112


Sunday 23 March 2014

Pre Diabetes

Pre-Diabetes


As prediabetes  is a condition which is on the increase I wanted to write something which was both inexpensive and also simple.

I wanted to give people some ideas on what to do if they feel they may have the condition or have been diagnosed with it.

You can find it on Amazon

I hope you like it.

Wednesday 19 March 2014

NUTRITION AND HYDRATION WEEK

NUTRITION AND HYDRATION WEEK HAS STARTED

I have had some details of events


India Kicks off the week with early event
Their aim was to raise awareness about Nutrition and Hydration including Free Food and water distribution to Old Age People. The event took place on 13 March 2014 between 12.00 Noon - 02.00 pm (IST) as part of the AFND’s NH Week activitities at the Annai Illam, Mylapore, Chennai.
Attending were 50 old women in the age range of 50-70. An initial basic test (Height, Weight, Blood Pressure) was conducted to all the residents. Their President, Dr. Radhika Ganesan provided a talk on importance of Nutrition and Hydration for 15 minutes after which the residents posed some questions. Raj from the AFND reported to us “The questions were clarified and information was shared to them in a more meaningful way. The residents felt happy being informed about the importance of Nutrition and Hydration. Volunteers then distributed the Food and Water to all the residents of the home and the event lasted up to 2 hours.”







Friday 7 March 2014

twitter

I have just signed up to Twitter which is quite interesting. Encourage to do this when I attended a meeting of SENSE.

So hope to tweet a bit



SENSE is the original network of professional nutrition consultants who work on a self employed basis.  It was established in 1996 and aims to help and promote self-help of all self employed or freelance nutritionists and/or those with interests in the general area of food and nutrition. Members have a wealth of skills and experience.Two meetings are held annually - Spring and Autumn.  Usually one of these meetings is held jointly with another related organization eg FDG (Freelance Dietitians' Group) or NII (Nutritionists in Industry).  Each meeting contains some element of 'enlightenment' i.e. discussion of topical nutrition issues, and some element of 'support' i.e. advice which is relevant to all those who are self-employed.



Tuesday 4 March 2014

Nutrition and hydration week




Nutrition and Hydration Week

It seems awful that in this day and age that people are malnourished and dehydrated

Our mission is to create a global movement that will reinforce and focus, energy, activity and engagement on nutrition and hydration as an important part of quality care, experience and safety improvement in health and social care settings.

Nutrition and Hydration Week 2014 is a collaboration between:

I did  some training for a local group who have really embraced this and are doing all sorts of events like vintage tea parties

On 15/16th March we will be holding Baking days. During the week 17/23rd March we will be holding Vintage Tea
Parties in our customers’ homes. The aim of these tea parties is to reminisce and help provide a feel good factor.

All Aspects Care Limited Hillcrest Farm, Flecknoe, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV23 8AF
T : 01327 700537 E : info@allaspectscare.co.uk W : www.allaspectscare.co.uk 


Nutrition & Hydration Week17 – 23 March 2014

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Thursday 27 February 2014

HAND WASHING

AS A TRAINER IN FOOD SAFETY I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT HAND WASHING IS SO I  THOUGHT THAT SOME PEOPLE MAY BE INTERESTED IN THIS

One-Day Conference from RSPH

The science and behaviour behind hand washing - at home, work and on the move.




Why can’t we sustain the impact beyond Global Handwashing Day (15 October) or the regular Government campaigns? Can new behavioural approaches make more people  wash their hands? This timely conference
will examine whether some sectors of society are disadvantaged by poor provision of hand washing facilities and address ways of promoting both these and good hand washing practice. It will also look at ways to measure the health and economic consequences of the failure to wash hands.

The conference provides an excellent opportunity for those working in the hand hygiene and hygiene design industries, healthcare, food, education and public health to catch up on research and current thinking
on hand washing, with experts from the health protection, food safety, behavioural and economical fields.

Thursday 3rd April 2014 28 Portland Place, London W1B

Contact
Royal Society for Public Health

John Snow House

59 Mansell Street

London

E1 8AN

www.rsph.org.uk

Thursday 20 February 2014

RECIPES

I find people love recipes and ideas of how to cook items. I always like cooking with pulses - peas, beans and lentils and seem to spend time talking to people about how to cook with them

Today I had an emails to say

10 Reasons Dry Beans Promote Heart Health
1. Dry beans contain no sodium.
2. Dry beans are a rich source of potassium.
3. Dry beans contain no cholesterol.
4. Dry beans are a fat-free food

There are some nice recipes on their website

3-3-bean-salad-13://beaninstitute.com/

Tuesday 11 February 2014

DIABETES EDUCATION


The more people know about a condition the more they can do to help themselves.

I am keen to try and help people with diabetes (and also pre-diabetes which is why I have just put a book on kindle on this topic).

Tomorrow I am involved in one of the education techniques called "Diabetes Conversation Maps" which really involves people in the subject of diabetes and lets them ask lots of questions.Also it allows them to decide how they can help themselves to manage the condition.

There is a simple on line version --but the ones led by a health professional can really help the conversation to flow

https://www.lillypro.co.uk/diabetes/patients/conversation-maps-online

Banner Updated

Sunday 9 February 2014

PRE-DIABETES

I have finally finished my on Pre-Diabetes  and put it onto Kindle.

I have tried to keep it simple and practical as there are lots of much more complex books around.

The book contains information on food and nutrition plus a brief mention of key factors to assist those with pre-diabetes which puts them at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. As the 2 conditions can almost merge then information is provided also about Type 2 diabetes and also other types of diabetes. 

Hopefully the information provided will help people prevent with pre-diabetes from progressing to Type 2 diabetes, or at least delay that process. 

Pre-Diabetes

Kindle Price:£3.08 includes VAT* & free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet


Wednesday 5 February 2014

DIABETES IN PETS

Having studied diabetes in humans I am conscious pets can also suffer and that it is really hard to manage.

So this book on kindle gives inspiration on the subject

Bruce on borrowed time-a tale of a rescue cat

Sunday 2 February 2014

PRE -DIABETES

Over the past few months I have been trying to write a book on pre-diabetes. It has been hard work and I have spent many hours on it.  As I write it is being edited and should go onto Amazon as a kindle down load  book shortly.

I wanted to keep it fairly simple and practical as there are other books around which cover the subject in a more technical manner. Hopefully mine will contain enough information to assist people and encourage them
to seek more information.

The book contains information on food and nutrition plus a brief mention of key factors to assist those with pre-diabetes which puts them at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 

Pre-diabetes is often reversible or can be managed in such a way as to extend the period before Type 2 diabetes develops.

As the 2 conditions can almost merge then information is provided also about type 2 diabetes and also other types of diabetes.

Hopefully the information provided will help people prevent with pre-diabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes, or at least delay that process. 


“NO ILLNESS WHICH CAN BE TREATED BY DIET SHOULD BE TREATED BY ANY OTHER MEANS” MAIMONIDES 12TH CENTURY PHYSICIAN


This quote was found a while ago, when I was doing my PhD. It remains pertinent today, especially with the management of pre-diabetes and the role of dietary advice.

While anyone can develop the condition of pre-diabetes there are some groups who are at greater risk;-
1.    Those over 45 years
2.    Certain ethnic groups Afro Caribbean and South Asian or family history of diabetes
3.    Women who have had gestational diabetes
4.    Women with poly-cystic ovary syndrome
5.    Those with large waist measurements
6.    Those who are obese
7.    Anyone who regularly sleeps only about 5 hours a night
8.    Sedentary lifestyle

My book aims to assist people with the last 4 risks and I hope it will be found to be helpful.