Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash Salad.

Salad that will keep you healthy, full and out of hibernation all winter long. butternut aquash, brussels sprouts are very nutritious.

Butternut squash has a low glycemic index, which meas thats its carbs are digested more slowly. Butternut squash is rich source of fibre, one serving contain around 2.8 gm of fibre.

Nutrient rich brussels sprouts are high in anti-oxidants, vitamin C,K and are good source of fibre.

Dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds are rich source of antioxidants, fibre, potassium and magnesium. these facrors make them ideal for diabetes.

Ingredients

• ▢1 1/2 pounds butternut squash peeled and ¾ inch diced
• ▢2 tablespoons + 1/4 cup olive oil divided
• ▢2 teaspoons Kosher salt divided
• ▢1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper divided
• ▢3 tablespoons dried cranberries or raisins
• ▢3-5 shallots/ or 1/2 red onion
• ▢6-8 cups arugula or mixed greens
• ▢1/2 cup walnut halves toasted
• ▢1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a large sheet pan with oil.

In a large bowl combine the brussels sprouts, butternut, onions, thyme, olive oil, 1/2 teasppon mixed herbs, 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and arrange the vegetables onto the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are roasted and tender. Build the salad by placing the rocket/kale, roasted vegetables in a bowl and layer on dried cranberries, pomegranate and feta cheese.

Advertisement

Beat the winter blues

If dark and cold weather makes you depressed and tired, learn about Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and what are the best ways to treat it. SAD or winter blue is a mood disorder in which people may experience depression/anxiety mostly in winters although they have normal mental health.In UK, SAD affects around 2 million people in the UK and more than 12 million people across northern Europe. It can affect people of any age, including childre. SAD symptoms may interfere with the normal routine of people and they are unable to perform their work or function properly due to the severity of these symptoms.

Symptoms

👉Sleepiness/oversleeping
👉Lethargy and low energy
👉Depression/ Anxiety
👉Cravings for carbs /overeating
To be clinically diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder, you need to have
experienced these cyclical symptoms for two or more consecutive years.

Causes:

👉Circadian rhythms: short day time, less sunlight disrupt our circadian rhythms and production of melatonin; it is believed by researchers that excessive production of Melatonin is one of the causes of this disorder. Increased levels of melatonin make you sleepy and tired.
👉Reduced serotonin production: Serotonin regulates depression, anxiety and mood. several studies suggest that serotonin is modulated by light. In winters less sunlight reduces the levels of serotonin to such extent that it increases the likehood of depressive episode.

👉 Less vitamin D :Vitamin D is believed to play a role in serotonin activity, Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency have been associated with clinically significant depressive symptoms.Vitamin D deficiency can lead to other symptoms beyond just feeling low in the winter, including muscle weakness and bone loss.

How to tackle winter blues or SAD

👉Natural light☀️: Many studies have shown that people with SAD feel better after exposure to bright sunlight.
👉 Eat the right food🥦🥑🍓🍇🍉 citrus food, oily fish, nuts, green leafy vegetables. Balance your craving for carbohydrates, such as pasta and potatoes, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetable

👉Regular exercise🚶‍♀️🏊‍♀️🚴‍♀️: Moving around makes everyone happy and if you are suffering from SAD, regular exercise will boost your mood and makes you happy and energetic.

👉Friends and family: It’s been shown that socialising is good for your mental health and helps ward off the winter blues.

👉Stress management🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️:

👉Light therapy: Artificial bright light stimulate the brain neurotransmitters.Though the evidence is weaker for this one there’s some who believe half-an-hour of light therapy—also known as bright light therapy or phototherapy—can help boost mood and energy levels. 

👉Medications: Antidepressant are combined with light therapy may helpful for people with severe SAD.

if your symptoms are so bad that you can’t live a normal life, see your GP for medical help.

Heart health and Menopause

Cardiovascular disease is more prevalent in women after menopause. The hormonal changes that occur during menopause can bring increased cardiovascular risk in the form of higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Post-menopausal women have higher total body fat mass, fat% and large waist circumference than pre-menopausal women, as reported by some studies.

How oestrogen protect a women’s heart? Oestrogen acts on the liver to cause an overall reduction in the total amount of cholesterol in the body. Oestrogen increases HDL ( good quality cholesterol) and reduces artery -clogging LDL cholesterol.

Oestrogen helps to keep blood pressure down by helping women arteries to be more flexible and strengthening their interior walls. This allow arteries to expand and relax to accommodate blood flow.

Menopausal changes are a natural part of the ageing process. Although they cannot be reversed, medical treatment and lifestyle approaches can help reduce the severity of symptoms. It is important to review and alter your diet as you approach menopause so that your body is able to cope with all hormonal changes.

Dietary Fats

Too much saturated fat in the
diet can increase your blood
cholesterol levels. High blood
cholesterol levels have been
proven to worsen heart health.
Unsaturated fats, when consumed
in moderation are beneficial for heart health. Therefore, it’s not about low fat,
but instead, getting the right
balance of fats in your diet.
Reducing the intake of saturated fat
and replacing it with unsaturated
fat is the most beneficial step for
improving cholesterol levels and
heart health.

Saturated fats are predominantly found in animal foods: all meats, animal fats e.g., butter lard, suet, duck fat, full-fat dairy products, cakes, rich biscuits, creamy sauces etc. Unsaturated fats are predominantly found in plant foods and oil-rich fish e.g., vegetable oils and spreads, nuts, seeds, avocados and oil-rich fish such as sardines, pilchards, trout, salmon.

Nuts are nutritional powerhouses, providing fibre and vitamins and minerals. They are especially great for heart health because they provide heart-healthy unsaturated fats.

Oats and barley contain a type of fibre, beta-glucan, which has been proven to lower blood cholesterol when consumed in the right quantities.

Other than fats

Keeping salt intakes to a minimum – not more than one teaspoon(5g) of salt per day – can help maintain normal blood pressure, which is important for heart health. Most of the salt in our diet comes from highly-processed foods such as processed meats (salamis, tinned meat, pies, sausages, bacon and sausage rolls), soups, sauces, fast food, takeaways and savoury snacks.

Cut out Alchohol, which is high in calories and plays havoc with hormonal imbalance. Heavy drinking can lead to depression and exacerbates smenopausal symptoms like hot flushes, night sweats and insomnia.

Get more Active : Midlife women who exercise regularly have lower weight, BP, and blood glucose levels, as well as healthier cholesterol levels.

Quitting smoking: Smoking makes LDL  (the bad kind) ‘stickier’ – so it clings to your artery walls, clogs them up and lowers HDL cholesterol levels (the good kind), which normally takes cholesterol away from the artery walls. Smoking damages the walls of your arteries, and cholesterol collects in the damaged areas.

THE MENOPAUSE CAN BE A CHALLENGING TIME, BUT IT’S ALSO A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE STOCK OF YOUR DIET & LIFESTYLE

If you need more tips for better heart health, Download this infographic

<strong>Menopause and your Heart</strong>

Resource

• https://www.bhf.org.uk/
• https://www.heartuk.org.uk/
• https://thebms.org.uk/

Menopause and your Heart

Menopause hormones changes can bring increased cardiovascular risk in the form of high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Oestrogen has protective effect that is reduced as levels declined in menopause, resulting in heightened risk of heart diseases. 

Here are some tip to improve your heart health during this hormonal transition.  

how-to-keep-your-heart-healthy-during-menopauser-infographicaphic-1Download

Low Glycemic Index diets for PCOS.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder with unknown causes. However, insulin resistance is a major contributing factor among women with PCOS. It is reported by studies that around 50-70% of women with PCOS have insulin resistanc, meaning their cells are not able to use insulin effectively. To keep body glucose normal, pancrease has to secrete larger amount of insulin. This hyperinsulinemia is associated with weight gain and increased production of the androgen hormone testosterone. Insulin resistance makes it harder to lose weight, that’s why women with PCOS experience this issue.

WHAT IS GLYCEMIC INDEX: It is a ranking system for food containing carbohydrates. It shows how quickly each food affects your blood sugar ( glucose) levels when that food is eaten.

▶️ Food with a high GI (55 or above) absorbed rapidly and produces a sudden spike in blood sugar and also increases insulin secretion from the pancreas.

▶️ In contrast, food with low GI (55 or less) slowly absorbed and produce a gradual and relatively slow rise in the levels of blood sugar.

Prolonged consumption of high GI food leads to insulin resistance, oxidative stress and increases the risk of chronic diseases. Studies suggest a caloric- restricted low GI diet improves insulin resistance and PCOS symptoms like menstrual irregularity and cardiovascular problems.

Tips for eating healthy

It is frequently asked by women with PCOS that which diet is best for curing their symptoms, but unfortunately, there is no such miracle diet. Research shows that diet which reduces insulin resistance, like complex carbs, proteins and healthy fats may help in improving menstrual irregularities and obesity.

• Always choose carbohydrates with high fibre content and avoid or limit processed carbohydrates.

• Choose healthy dietary fats.

• Don’t eliminate an entire food group.

• Be wise with your portion size.

Lifestyle changes

Regular physical activity also helps in reducing insulin resistance. Moderate exercise like brisk walking, running, cycling, and swimming improve PCOS symptoms and insulin resistance.

Sleep quality is very important.

Stress also increases glucose levels by promoting the production of the cortisol hormone, so try to do some meditation or other relaxation activities.

In need of some inspiration? Check out our low GI delicious recipes here.

Green lentil ( Mung beans) salad

Roasted chickpeas

Chocolate Bark

The link between Sleep and Weight loss

if you are trying to lose weight but the scale wont budge, you might want to look at you sleep habits. Beyond just eating well balanced diet and exercising regularly, sleep is also one of the most important aspect of your over all health. There is growing evidence that insuffient or poor quality sleep is a new risk factor for the development of obesity and its complications.

Link between lack of sleep and weight gain

Insufficient sleep can cause problem with hormones that help control our appetite and also has impact on our food choices. Sleep deprivation may result in people consuming more calories during the following day, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis. People who slept less than 5 hours consumed an average of 550 more calories the following day as reported by researchers.

There are more than 100 hormones in the human body, but two of them play a leading role in managing your daily hungry levels: ghrelin and leptin.

Leptin is a hormone that suppresses the desire to eat, stimulates the metabolic rate, and helps with long-term energy in the body. Leptin’s counterpart hormone, ghrelin, is secreted by the stomach and increases the desire to eat.  It also enters the bloodstream on its way to the hypothalamus. Lack of sleep or short sleep duration has been found to trigger increased levels of ghrelin and decreased levels of leptin, leading to increased hunger and appetite.

Lack of sleep also increases the risk of insulin resistance as insufficient sleep cause insulin sensitivity to drop by 30%. An excess of glucose ends up being converted into fatty acids and these fatty acids are stored in different parts of body especially around the belly.

How to sleep better

• A regular sleep Routine: Regular sleep pattern may also help in improving sleep quality and duration. Waking up and going to the bed at the same times each day improves our wakeup/sleep cycle.

• Bedroom Environment Minimize noises, external light exposure. Try to make your sleeping environment quiet, relaxing and clean.

• Avoid eating a large meal before bed this cause the body metabolism to slow down and make it harder to fall a sleep. Avoid eating foods that are spicy and fatty as they are tough for the stomach and may disturb sleep. Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol and caffeine before going to bed.

• No electronics before bedtime stop using elecronic gadgets (cell phones, laptops, tv) 30 minutes before going to bed. Smartphone light distrub production of Melatonin a chemical produced by our brain, which plays a vital role in regulating sleep-wake cycles.

• Regular physical activity According to National sleep foundation, people who exercise regularly have better sleep than those who do not. Some other studies suggested that exercise increases body temperature and increases production of Adenosine a chemical which causes drowsiness and improves circadian rhythm.

How to get more and good quality sleep

Download a printable pdf version of gettinga good night sleep infographic

sleep-hygiene-infographic-1Download

SEEDED CRACKERS

Delicious super crispy crackers packed with plant- based protein and healthy fats. Seeds are loades with fibre, Omega 3 fatty acids and protein.

Makes 16 crackers
INGREDIENTS
½ red pepper, roughly chopped
75g sunflower seeds
150g flaxseed
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tomato, chopped
1 nori sheet, crumbled or 1 tbsp nori flakes
60g sundried tomatoes
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp hemp seeds
1tsp sea salt
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
pinch of cayenne pep

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 150C.
Place the pepper, sunflower seeds and flaxseed into the food
processor and process to break up. Add all of the remaining
ingredients and process again to combine. Spread the mixture
thinly onto non-stick baking parchment. Placing another sheet
of baking parchment on top, roll the mixture thinly. Place onto
a baking tray.
Shape into a rectangle and mark into 16 squares. Bake for
30-45 minutes until golden and crisp. Enjoy two crackers
topped with sliced avocado, hummus, on the side of any salad
or with a warming bowl of soup.

Greek chickpea salad

Greek salad is low in calories and nutrient dense, enrich with flavours. This salad contain phytonutrients, antoxidants and vitamins wich reduces the risk of certain chronic diseaes like heart diseaes and cancer. I also used beans and chickpeas that provide protein and make it filling meal for lunch OR served on its own. The best part of this salad is that there is NO cooking required,yes just throw all ingredients once and toss them with dressing.

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber
• 1 fresh tomatoe ( or cherry tomatoes 8-10)
• 1/2 yellow bellpepper
• 1 red onion, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup parsley
• 1/2 pitted kalamata olives
• 1/2 can chickpeas
• 1/2 can red kidney beans
• 1/3 cup feta cheese

For dressing

1/3 cup olive oil

1tablespoon mixed herbs

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon garlic powder

pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to make

Whisk togather all dressing ingredients in a jar or jug.

In a large bowl, add all salad ingredients and drained chickpeas, toss with dressing.

Now add feta cheese and combine well.

Enjoy immediately or place in the fridge for later.

Red kidney beans burger

If you are looking for meatless recipes, here is burger recipe with vegetarian touch. These veggie burgers with red kidney eans and quinoa are hearty, filling and taste pretty darn amazing. Simple, easy to make and requires just few ingredients and I am sure most of them are in your kitchen pantry. So let’s start

ingredients

• 2 cans of red kidney beans
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup freshly chopped parsley
• Olive oil

how to make

Blend all ingredients together until you get smooth consistency.

with wet hands, shape the mixture into patties form around 2 cm thick.

Bake the patties around 20 minutes.

If you want to fry them, add 2 tsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat, add your patties and cook for about 4-5 minutes from each side.

you can serve with salad or assemble them in burgers with lattic, tomatoe slices, onion rings and slicd avocado.

Understanding Migraine

Migraines are headaches, right? Or a splitting pain, deep behind the eyes. But they’re more than that. A migraine isn’t just a headache—it’s the enemy of productivity and creativity and fun! Migraine makes it hard to do anything except huddle on the couch with sheer curtains drawn until the worst of your migraine is over and you can face the world again.

Around 10 million people aged 15-69 in the UK suffer from migraines, which are classified as a disabling illness, while headaches are amongst the most common neurological reasons for attending A&E. Despite being the 6th most common health condition, it is one of the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Migraine affects many aspects of a person’s life, their work, education, relationships and mental health.

Many Migraine patients have symptoms beyond the headach like

• sensitivity to light
• sensitivity to sound
• sensitivity to touch
• sensitivity to smell
• sensitivity to motion
• Tinnitus
• Vertigo

Positive lifestyle habits and food are best medicine for migraine. Here is the great infographic from Plant-based health professionals about Migraine,

MigraineFactsheet17.01.22Download