Succulent Strawberries

The beautiful heart shape of a strawberry is the first clue that this fruit is good for you. Strawberries are packed with vitamins, antioxidants and fibre. A strawberry is also an excellent source of vitamin C, manganese, and flavonoids. Strawberries are a delicious snack or dessert and they also add color and flavor to healthy recipes. 

Simply add a handful of sliced strawberries to cereal, granola, hot oatmeal, yogurt or smoothies.

When shopping for strawberries, freshness is important.  Identify strawberries that are bright red and firm.

A for Avocado

While some people may be apprehensive eating this cream and green fruit due to its high fat content, its useful to know that they're high in monounsaturated fat, the good fat, the kind of fat that may actually help lower blood cholesterol levels. 

Avocado also comes packed with nutrients such as beta carotene, fibre, folate, Vitamin E and potassium (avocados have 60 percent more potassium than bananas).

What are you waiting for! Go get some avocados and enjoy them on a wholegrain bagel, or whizzed up in your morning smoothie.

Start your day with a Banana Blast

For a nutritious breakfast drink - 

1/ Grab a blender

2/ Throw in some low fat yogurt

3/ Add some coconut or flax seed oil

4/ Add two bananas (peal the skin first !)

5/ Blend until the mixture reaches the consistency you prefer

Variations

Use your imagination; try combining bananas with other fruits. Bananas with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and kiwi are good additional choices. Cocoa plus bananas offers yet another delicious combination.

It is all yummy, looks great and even better, it is all good for you ! 

Banana benefits

Wonderfully sweet with firm and creamy flesh, bananas come pre-packaged in their own yellow coats and are available throughout the year.  

What are the benefits of consuming Bananas in our diet?

Bananas contain natural sugar which combined with fiber provide an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has shown that eating two bananas provides enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. It is therefore understandable that the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

As a working nutritionist in Tokyo I regularly get asked by parents to recommend a good, natural energy source for children. My answer is bananas. Bananas, besides being a natural energy source can also help strengthen our bodies and in dealing with certain conditions including Stress, PMS, Depression, Constipation, Cardiovascular health and many others.

Stress

Due to their high potassium content bananas are a natural stress reducer. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin, which means that your body doesn't store it in excess. That's why it's so important to get plenty of vitamin B6 each day. Bananas which are high in Vitamin B6 can help PMS by regulating blood glucose levels (which effect mood) and can also help to calm the nervous system.

Depression

According to research people suffering from depression, many feel much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

Constipation

As they are high in fiber, bananas can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome constipation without resorting to laxatives.

Heart Health 
Bananas are one of our best sources of potassium. Potassium is an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. A number of studies have demonstrated that eating potassium-rich foods such as bananas may help lower blood pressure.

Supercharge your diet with the following 10 superfoods this summer!

Naturopath Nutritionist and Yoga Teacher Aoife Walley reveals ten super foods that can help boost your health for summer-
 

1. Garlic

Garlic is a powerful *antioxidant with antimicrobial, antiviral and antibiotic properties. Numerous research studies note that garlic helps to strengthen your body’s immune system; helps in the defense against allergies, lowers cholesterol by loosening plaque from the artery walls and helps to regulate blood sugar levels.  

2. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is extracted from the flesh of coconuts and is solid at room temperature. Coconut oil is heat stable making it suitable for cooking at high temperature. The benefit of using this oil (even though it is a saturated fat) is due to the fact that it is a medium chain fatty acid (MCFA) and metabolizes differently in the body compared to the saturated fat found in other foods such as milk, eggs and meat.  Research shows that it is the MCFA found in coconut oil that makes it special and these fatty acids can actually help heart health by raising levels of HDL (good cholesterol) and lowering LDL (bad cholesterol).

3. Antioxidant Acai

In Brazil, acai berries are referred to as the fruit of life. These fruits are packed with antioxidants, including Vitamin C, and flavonoids. The combination of considerable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity are the reason why many scientists are heralding acai berries as a valuable superfood in the fight against health conditions including cardiovascular disease and obesity. Acai berries may also slow down the age process by boosting your immune system and protecting cells from oxidative damage. Eat for breakfast with other fruits and toasted muesli for a healthy and nutritious way to start your day. Alternatively blend acai freeze dried powder with coconut water or juice and a banana for a nutritious and delicious powerful purple drink!

4. Almonds

Almonds are another superfood that deserves to feature in your diet. The protective effects are largely attributed to the fats that they contain. Just half a cup of almonds provides enough vitamin E to cover nearly 90 per cent of your daily requirements as well as providing magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc and manganese.

5. Broccoli and the Brassica family

Broccoli and other vegetables from the brassica family (such as cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts) contain compounds called glucosinolates)which help to support your body’s detoxification process and this in turn is believed to be behind their ability to help reduce the risk of breast, prostate and bladder cancers.  Try to include two portions of these vegetables in your diet every day.

6. Blueberries

Blueberries are rich in pigments known as anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants which come under the category of flavonoids.  These tiny powerful fruits are all not just valuable antioxidants but also in maintaining the integrity of small blood vessels which is particularly important for the eyes. Add a daily portion of blueberries through your diet by including in a morning smoothie or adding to cereals for a powerful antioxidant infusion.

7. Fabulous flax – flaxseed and flaxseed oil

If you are a vegetarian or simple do not like eating fish or taking fish oil you may be missing out on the omega-3 fats.  The answer is to make sure that you eat lots of nuts, seeds and their oil and flaxseed is the richest of these vegetarian sources. However it is important to be aware that the omega3’s in flaxseed oil are not exactly the same as the ones found in fish oil. To undergo this process it is recommended that you decrease your consumption of omega-6 fats (such as safflower and sunflower salad oils and meat) at the same time that you add a teaspoon or two of flaxseed or add a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds on cereals, porridge, muesli or morning smoothie.

8. Green Tea

The flavonoids in green tea are in the form of catechins which make up the bulk of green tea’s antioxidants and therefore its healing potential. Research has found that the catechins found in green tea to be one of the most potent antioxidants yet discovered. Drinking a cup or two of green tea a day can help fight cancer, aid weight loss and help prevent death from strokes.

9.Wholegrain Rye bread

Wholegrain bread is good for you because it is rich in fiber, keeps you feeling fuller longer and aids elimination. Researchers are now looking into the fact that the sugars in rye flour are absorbed into your bloodstream much more slowly that wheat bread. This makes rye bread a great choice for people with blood sugar problems as their blood sugars won’t peak and crash as in the effects from white bread.

10. Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate has recently been discovered to have a number of healthy benefits. Dark chocolate helps keep your blood vessels healthy and your circulation unimpaired to protect against diabetes.  The flavonoids in dark chocolate also help to reduce insulin resistance by helping your cells to function normally and regain the ability to use your body’s insulin efficiently. Add 2 squares of good quality dark chocolate to your diet(over 70%cocoa content) for a nutritious daily treat.

*Antioxidants help your body of free radicals which cause oxidative damage to cells. Free radicals are implicated in the aging process and may be a cause of cancer so eating antioxidant rich foods can protect you from many types of cancer and slow the signs of aging.

Insomnia

Tired at night but too wired to sleep? Battling with daily fatigue only to find yourself unable to sleep at night? 

Break the pattern and reclaim sleep!

• Get yourself into the habit of going to bed at the same time every night, aiming for six to eight hours sleep a night.
• Rise at the same time every morning, even on weekends.
• Avoid taking a nap during the day (that said, I just love how the Japanese can so easily full asleep, even in a major department store!!)
• Avoid using caffeine after dinner.
• Make your bedroom dark, quiet, a relaxing place to sleep.
• Avoid eating a meal late at night, eat your main meal during the day and have something lighter in the evening.
• Avoid watching TV and using your computer, iPhone, or engaging in late night calls which can all stimulate your brain and affect your ability to sleep.
• Get moving, exercise regularly. Around 30 minutes a day. Avoid exercising late in the evenings.
• Use techniques to help you relax before bed. Try and create a nightly ritual - deep breathing, meditation or restorative yoga are all good techniques which can help to switch off your busy brain and bring you into a peaceful state prior to bed.
• Write a list of everything you are grateful for in your life. Being in a happy state prior to falling asleep will help avoid negative thinking styles which can contribute to anxiety and insomnia.
• Consider drinking a cup of chamomile or lavender tea.
• Take Vitamin B12. Nutritional evidence shows that a patient with severe sleep disturbance and treated with vitamin B12 experienced progressive improvement in his sleep disturbance. He was able to advance the timing of his sleep period for the first time in nearly 10 years and to follow a normal 24 hour sleep-wake regimen.  

Kamgar-Parsi B et al: Successful treatment of human non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome. Sleep 6(3):257-64, 1983.

Love your liver

Following on from my earlier article on liver function, here are some simple diet tips to help improve your liver function.
 

Choose wholegrain

Whole grains, such as brown rice, oats and whole meal breads are rich in B-complex vitamins which are nutrients known to improve overall fat metabolization, liver function and liver de-congestion. Choose healthy wholegrain over white flour alternatives.

Leafy green vegetables

One of our most powerful allies in cleansing the liver, leafy greens can be eaten raw, cooked, or juiced. Extremely high in plant chlorophylls, greens suck up environmental toxins from the blood stream. With their distinct ability to neutralize heavy metals, chemicals and pesticides, these cleansing foods offer a powerful protective mechanism for the liver.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Ensure a daily portion of broccoli or other brassica vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts which contain compounds which support the livers detoxification process and this in turn is believed to be behind their ability to help reduce the risk of cancer.

Fruits

Add a variety of fruits to your diet especially blue, purple and dark red berries which are powerful antioxidants and are essential to support the livers detoxification process.

Turmeric

Turmeric which contains yellow pigments called cur cumin which is one of the most powerful of all antioxidants. Turmeric is one of the best natural treatments for liver inflammation. 

Reduce or eliminate caffeine and alcohol intake

Alcohol and caffeine are 2 of the biggest culprits that deposit toxins in your liver and keep it from functioning properly. Cleanse your liver by reducing your intake of alcoholic and caffeine beverages and replacing them with non-alcoholic beverages such as freshly juiced vegetables to allow your liver to regenerate, flush itself clean and function properly. 

Reduce saturated fat and processed sugar

When the digestive system is overloaded with food (especially fatty, sugary food) this uses up a great deal of energy and makes you feel both physically and metal tired. Excess animal fat stresses the liver and promotes inflammation and excess sugar imbalances and plays havoc with insulin levels and other hormones. 

Drink plenty of water

Flush toxins out by drinking at least 2 litres of water every day. Drinking lots of water will keep you hydrated, which naturally encourages cell regeneration. It will also allow the liver to filter out more toxins and residue, letting it work faster and increasing your energy level.