Vitamin C is an essential nutrient

Vitamin C : Did You Know ?

Did you know, that Vitamin C is an essential nutrient
Vitamins and minerals are nutrients your body needs in small amounts to work properly and stay healthy. Most people should get all the nutrients they need by having a varied and balanced diet, although some people may need to take extra supplements.

This article looks at:-

"Vitamin C, which is also known as ascorbic acid, and has several important functions.
These include:
helping to protect cells and keeping them healthy
maintaining healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage
helping with wound healing

Lack of vitamin C can lead to scurvy.

Good sources of vitamin C
Vitamin C is found in a wide variety of fruit and vegetables.
Berries
Blackcurrants
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cantaloupe
Cauliflower
Grapefruit
Kiwi fruit
Leafy greens
Mango
Oranges
Orange Juice
Papaya
Peppers
Pineapple
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Squash
Strawberries
Watermelon

Some examples of foods containing high levels of vitamin C. Image from here

How much vitamin C do I need?
Adults aged 19 to 64 need 40mg of vitamin C a day.

You should be able to get all the vitamin C you need from your daily diet.

Vitamin C cannot be stored in the body, so you need it in your diet every day.

What happens if I take too much vitamin C?
Taking large amounts (more than 1,000mg per day) of vitamin C can cause:
stomach pain
diarrhoea
flatulence

These symptoms should disappear once you stop taking vitamin C supplements.

What does the Department of Health and Social Care (UK) advise?
You should be able to get all the vitamin C you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.

If you take vitamin C supplements, do not take too much as this could be harmful.

Taking less than 1,000mg of vitamin C supplements a day is unlikely to cause any harm."
The above information taken from article here

The above is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider.

Broccoli a good source of Vitamin C

Don't throw those broccoli stalks away - more to read here

Dear reader, you will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, but please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

Take A Walk In The Park Day : March 30th 2023

The 30th of March is 'Take a walk in the park day', yes, a great day to stretch your legs and get some fresh air. If the weather is good where you live why not even go out and have a picnic!

When cities are being designed one of the primary things they ensure to make space for is city parks. From small parks the size of just a couple of blocks to large ones that cover acres of land, city planners know the importance of providing green areas for people to go. Take A Walk In The Park Day celebrates these small excursions and the differences they can make to our mental, physical, and emotional health.

History of Take A Walk In The Park Day
This day was founded to help people reconnect with the wilder spaces within our civilized world. Thousands of people all over the country walk in local parks, exploring the wildlife and beauty of the natural world around them.

During these walks many opt to bring cameras so they can take pictures of the beauty they find, others opt to bring a book and enjoy the peace of the natural space. Jogging, playing games, drawing pictures from nature, all of these are things people do when they go out and enjoy time in the park.

Getting out into nature has been proven to have a number of therapeutic effects on those who take the time to do it. Their stress levels go down, their heart and mind feel refreshed, their creativity gets inspired, and they become more productive at work. All of this doesn’t even include the physical health benefits they get from walking in the park.

Keeping our bodies in motion and remaining active are important parts of our long term health. Daily walks help keep joints healthy, our muscles limber, and our hearts beating steadily. Every day you walk walking gets to be just a little bit easier and you’ll find yourself less tired than the day before. Take A Walk In The Park Day encourages you to get out and do that, every day of the year.

How To Celebrate Take A Walk In The Park Day
Celebrating this day is as simple as doing what it says on the tin, go take a walk in the park! Everyday people take walks as an easy way to get exercise and reconnect with nature, and that’s been proven to have a positive effect on our sense of well-being. Taking a walk can relieve stress, ease worries, and otherwise make every day just a little bit better.
Above information from here

Are you planning on enjoying a walk on the 30th? I may not walk in a park but I hope to enjoy a leisurely walk locally.
Enjoy your day.

All the best Jan

Leek Rarebit Pork Steak : So Tasty

Leeks add a silky texture to this meaty take on Welsh rarebit. Add cider, cheese and mustard for a savoury punch, then pile the lovely leeks on top of some perfectly cooked pork and serve.

Ingredients

Serves Four

2 tbsp olive oil
3 large leeks (about 550g), washed, trimmed and finely sliced
1 tbsp plain flour
125ml dry cider
125g mature Cheddar, grated
1 tsp English mustard
4 pork loin steaks 
To Serve - Optional

Mashed potato or swede (rutabaga) and Tenderstem broccoli,

Method

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a lidded pan and cook the leeks for 10 mins, covered, over a medium heat until soft. Set aside half the leeks in a dish and the remaining leeks, cook for 2 mins, then slowly pour in the cider, stirring, until combined. Add the cheese and mustard and gently heat, stirring, until melted. The mixture can easily catch at this stage, so be careful.
2. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over a high heat and cook the pork steaks for 2-3 mins each side until golden and cooked through. Top with the leek rarebit, then grill for 2-3 mins until golden. Serve with the reserved leeks, and mashed potato or swede and Tenderstem broccoli, if you like.

Each serving contains

Carbohydrate 7.5g Protein 37.4g Fat 42g Fibre 0.2g

From an original idea here

Related Recipe

Rarebit topped Gammon with green beans - see it here

~ enjoy your day ~

This blog brings a variety of recipe ideas, and it is important to note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

Did You Know These Ten Facts ?

Sharing these ten facts

1. If you’re a female and you feel like your heart beats quicker than your male counterparts, you’re not wrong. Women’s hearts are proven to beat faster than men’s.

2. As well as having faster heartbeats, women blink twice as much as men as well.

3. Can’t remember your dream from last night? That’s perfectly normal since most people will forget 90% of their dreams.

4. Every 3-4 seconds, around 50,000 cells in your body will die and be replaced by new ones.

5. During the average lifetime, your heart will pump a grand total of 182 million litres of blood.

6. Every 10 years, the human skeleton repairs and renews itself. Essentially, you have different bones now than you did 10 years ago!

7. It’s much less effort to be happy – you’ll use 17 muscles to smile vs. 43 to frown and be miserable.

8. While this can’t be said for everybody, the average person will say around 5,000 words every single day.

9. People burn more calories being asleep than they do by watching the TV. More reason to take a nap!

10. Our taste buds seem to change throughout our lives, but by the age of 60, the average person has lost half their taste buds. This is why older people don’t seem to care as much about bitter or unusual tastes.

Talking taste buds, you may wish to try this recipe 😋

Spicy Shepherd’s Pie

 with a squash and sweet potato mash

more details here

~ enjoy your day ~

Dear reader, this blog brings a variety of articles and recipe ideas, and it is important to note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

It's The Boat Race 2023 !

From as far back as I can remember ‘The Boat Race’ was always a must watch sports event in our family, it was part of our family tradition… which still continues to this day. Yes, it‘s true the family are spread far and wide but we are all together in spirit for this event, and I know texts, emails and phone calls will be made as the Boat Race finishes later today.

My dad was always a firm Oxford Fan … my dear mum always used to support Cambridge - the event was a great family time to share, cheer, commiserate but it was always a time when we were together and for some reason no other sporting event had quite the same effect. I’ve never stopped to analyse why this was. Dear Mum and Dad are no longer with us, but I just know they will be looking down on Sunday 26th March 2023 as this years boat race is due to start ... and the family will have so many fond memories of years gone by.

Will the water of the River Thames be calm or choppy? Will it be Oxford or Cambridge who takes the coveted 168th title? I hope the stretch of water between Putney and Mortlake will see a great race. The first race took place on 10th June 1829 in Henley on Thames, following a challenge between old school friends, since the second race in 1836 the contest has always taken place in London, except during Covid when it took place 'behind closed doors' in Ely, Cambridgeshire. So many followers (estimated 250,000) do flock to the River Thames with their families to be part of the event and to enjoy the wonderful atmosphere, while more than 5 million people watch the event on television.

these are old photographs showing a win

for Oxford above

and Cambridge below

* post edit Cambridge won the 2023 boat race *

After the Boat Race I think we may enjoy

Classic Roast Chicken and Gravy

a family favourite, more details here

~ Enjoy your Sunday ~

You will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog. Please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Don't Forget To Alter Your Clock !

Sharing an article by David Hughes 

When do the clocks go forward? 

Date the clocks change in March 2023 and why the UK has British Summer Time

The clocks always go forward at 1.00am on the final Sunday of March – this means in 2023 they will change on Sunday 26 March

The clocks always change in the middle of the night at the weekend to minimise disruption

You wouldn’t know it from the weather, but after the vernal equinox spring has technically now arrived in the UK.

As mornings get lighter and the days longer, the next milestone comes when the clocks change, something which happens twice every year but still manages to catch some people out.

These days, your smartphone updates the time automatically, but when the clocks go forward this weekend you’ll still have to adjust any analogue timepieces you have – here’s everything you need to know.

When do the clocks go forward?

The clocks always go forward at 1.00am on the final Sunday of March – this means in 2023 they will change on Sunday 26 March.

Switching to BST means we will get more daylight in the evening, but sadly your Sunday morning lie-in will be cut short by an hour on the day itself.

The change always happens on a weekend, in the middle of the night, to ensure that there is limited disruption of schools and businesses.

In autumn the clocks go back again on the final Sunday of October at 2.00am, meaning they will change on 29 October 2023.

This signals the end of BST, or Daylight Saving Time (DST), and means the UK reverts to GMT until the spring, the standard time zone against which all others in the world are referenced.

That change gives us an extra precious hour of daylight in the dark autumn and winter months, with the added bonus of an extra hour in bed on the Sunday morning when the clocks change.

Why do the clocks change?

Initially, the clocks were changed to save energy and get people outside. Why waste electricity when there is perfectly good daylight to be used?

The campaign for British Summer Time came about at the beginning of the 20th century. Moving the clocks forward in the summer months would give us darker mornings but lighter, longer evenings.

The idea was proposed in Britain by builder William Willett, says Dr Richard Dunn, senior curator for the History of Science at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

Willett was “incensed at the ‘waste’ of useful daylight during the summer. Though the sun had been up for hours as he rode his horse through Chislehurst and Petts Wood, people were still asleep in bed”.

British Summer Time was adopted in Britain in 1916 to save fuel and money.

Since then, Britain toyed with moving the clocks a number of times, including bringing them forward two hours ahead of GMT during the Second World War. They were also brought forward for periods in the spring of 1947, in line with fuel shortages.

There was an experiment, between 1968 and 1971, which kept clocks one hour ahead of GMT all year round.

Britain then reverted to our now familiar system of GMT in the winter and summer time in between March and October.

Could British Summer Time be scrapped?

Some have campaigned for British time to be brought in line with other European countries to reduce accidents, which would make it two hours ahead of GMT in the summer and one hour ahead in the winter.

Errol Taylor, the chief executive of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), said in 2019: “Clock changes were first introduced in 1916 to reflect the needs of a nation at war. However, our priority now should be the prevention of road accidents that cause serious injury and death."

“We know that the clock change kills people. During the working week, casualty rates peak at 8am and 10am and 3pm and 7pm, with the afternoon peak being higher. Road casualty rates increase with the arrival of darker evenings and worsening weather conditions."

“And it is vulnerable road users – such as children on their way home from school and cyclists – who would experience the most benefit. Anything we can do to bring these rates down has to be worth it."

“While we respect the views of those that want to keep the current system, we must not lose sight of the fact that lives are at stake.”
Words and image above (with relevant links) can be seen here

Why not celebrate the arrival of BST and enjoy this Saturday Supper Dish 😋

Sausage and Bean Casserole

more details here

This blog brings a variety of articles and recipe ideas, and it is important to note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

Ya Gotta Larf

Eddie

 

Tea and a slice of low carb ginger cake

Do call in for a cuppa, or I can make coffee if you'd prefer 😊

image from here

Tea-making is an art form, here's a guide to making the perfect cup

a slice of cake may be nice, a low carb recipe of course!

Ginger Cake : The Low Carb Way

This is a low carb ginger cake that is light in texture

made using coconut flour, coconut milk and a wonderful mix of spices. 

Please see more details here

~ Wishing you a lovely day ~

All the best Jan

Ya Gotta Larf

Eddie

 

F is for Fennel, Fenugreek and Figs

Would any of these be your choices? Do you have another dish that would fit 'F is for' ?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

F is for Fennel

Fennel is from the same family as the herb and seed of the same name, it's also known as Florence fennel, finocchio, or sweet fennel, and is very popular in Italian cookery. When eaten raw, the texture is crisp and the flavour is quite assertive and aniseedy. Cooked, it's softer and more mellow.

A lovely recipe that uses fennel is 

Cod Parcels Steamed - With Fennel and Herbs

Serve up this pretty parcel of flaky cod, sweet fennel and fresh herbs.

more details/recipe here

F is also for Fenugreek

Fenugreek is a herb that features predominantly in food that most would call spicy. Whether you are making an Indian dish or something from South America such as a Chili Beef, Fenugreek can add subtle hints of sweet and nutty flavour that taste almost like overcooked sugar.

A recipe featuring Fenugreek is 

Cauliflower, Swede & Turnip Curry

more details/recipe here

F is for Figs

Fragrant figs have a rich jammy taste and a soft, chewy texture that works in sweet or savoury recipes. Turkish figs are distinctive in appearance, with a dusky purple-brown skin, and vibrant red flesh inside. Figs don’t ripen after picking, so select plump fruits with unbroken skins.

A recipe using figs is 

Baked figs and goat's cheese with radicchio

more details/recipe here

You will find a variety of recipe ideas within this blog, and it is important to note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e., use a reliable meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

Have you seen the choices for:
'A is for' here and 'B is for' here and 'C is for' here and 'D' is for here and 'E' is for here

All the best Jan

Some Facts About Spring ... and a tasty spring-time soup!

How spring can affect your sense of smell and other bizarre facts about the UK spring season.

1. It starts at different times
Spring can start at different times, depending on who you ask. Looking at the astronomical calendar the first day of spring is 20 March. The Phenological method records dates of reoccurring natural phenomena such as flowering. For meteorologists, spring starts on 1 March and runs until 31 May.

2. Snow?
Many people say you're more likely to see snow at Easter than at Christmas. This is borne out of statistics to some extent - snow or sleet falls on average 3.9 days in December, compared to 4.2 days in March. However, because Easter is a 'moveable feast', it can also take place in April, which has only 2.3 days of snow or sleet fall. So it depends on exactly when Easter falls in any given year.

3. Vernal Equinox
The first day of spring, the vernal equinox, has 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness.

4. The warmest spring...
The warmest spring on record was 2011 with an average daytime temperature of 9.2 °C.

5. ...and the coldest spring
Was the spring of 1962, with an average daytime maximum of 5.8 °C.

6. The wettest spring
1947 saw the wettest spring to date with 331.7 mm of rainfall.

7. Average temperatures
The average mean temperature for spring is 7.7 °C.

8. Something in the air?
Sense of smell can be more acute in spring as there is usually more moisture in the air.

9. It isn't the start of the pollen season
Spring is often associated with the start of the pollen season. However, some pollen types can release as early as January.

10. The sunniest spring
The sunniest spring was in 1948, in which a total of 558 sunshine hours were recorded.

Words and above image from here

Sharing a tasty spring-time bowl of soup

~ Spring minestrone soup with pesto ~

This Mary Berry recipe for a light and summery minestrone soup makes the most of springtime vegetables, don't forget a dollop of pesto on top!

Try freezing this soup in portion-sized containers - it will keep for 2 months.

Each serving provides 4.5g protein, 16g carbohydrate, 14g fat, 4g fibre.

Ingredients

Serves Six

3 tbsp olive oil
40g/1½oz butter
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 leek, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
250g/9oz potatoes*, peeled and finely chopped
3 sticks celery, finely chopped
150g/5oz savoy cabbage
2 litres/3½ pints beef or vegetable stock
400g/14oz can Italian chopped tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp green basil pesto

*If you would like a lower carb alternative to potatoes, you will find some suggestions here

Method

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large pan. Add onions, leek and potatoes and cook for about five minutes, until starting to soften, stirring from time to time. Add the celery and cook for a few minutes more.
2. Meanwhile cut the half cabbage in quarters. Remove central stalk from cabbage and discard. Cut leaves across the wedge shape in short shreds.
3. Pour stock and can of tomatoes into the pan with the cabbage. Bring to the boil and gently simmer for about 30 mins.
4. Add pesto for the last 5 mins, and check the seasoning before serving.

xxxx ooo xxxx

Dear reader, this blog brings a variety of articles and recipe ideas, and it is important to note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

Mothers Day Weekend (UK) 2023

Here in the UK, 19th of March is Mothers Day (2023), and hopefully your card(s) will have been received and displayed, you may receive presents too, however you celebrate, have a Happy Mothers Day.

For those of you who may be interested here are three 'Mothers Day Trivia' facts.

Mothers Day Trivia: Shortest Interval Between Two Children

Jayne Bleackley is the mother who holds the record for the shortest interval between two children born in separate confinements. She gave birth to Joseph Robert on September 3, 1999, and Annie Jessica Joyce on March 30, 2000. The babies were born 208 days apart.

Mothers Day Trivia: Longest Interval Between Two Children
Elizabeth Ann Buttle is the mother who holds the record for the longest interval between the birth of two children. She gave birth to Belinda on May 19,1956 and Joseph on November 20, 1997. The babies were born 41 years 185 days apart. The mother was 60 years old when her son Joseph was born.

Mothers Day Trivia: Highest Recorded Number of Children
The highest officially recorded number of children born to one mother is 69, to the first wife of Feodor Vassilyev (1707-1782) of Shuya, Russia. Between 1725 and 1765, in a total of 27 confinements, she gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets, and four sets of quadruplets. 67 of them survived infancy.

Above facts from here

If you should be celebrating Mother's Day, have an especially nice day.

~ I will be very fortunate, as we will spend time with family over the weekend ~

Forever in my heart

Forever in my thoughts

Forever in my life

My mum is always with me

Thank you Mum

I'll always love you

All the best Jan

Lentil and Vegetable Minestrone Stew / Casserole

Are you looking for a warming stew/casserole. Well how about considering this one!

Ingredients

Serves Four

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced small
1 celery stick, diced small
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsp. sundried tomato paste
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 bay leaf
700ml hot reduced-salt vegetable or chicken stock
1 x 400g tin pomodorini cherry tomatoes
1 x 400g tin green lentils, drained and well-rinsed
100g cabbage or kale, any tough stalks removed, shredded
To serve (optional)
a few Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative) shavings
a few basil leaves
a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large casserole or heavy-based pan. Add the onion, carrot and celery; cover and cook gently for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the rosemary, bay leaf, stock and tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove the rosemary and bay leaf.
3. Add the lentils and cabbage or kale; simmer for 5 minutes until the veg is tender. Season. Serve in bowls with Parmesan shavings, basil leaves and a drizzle of oil, if you like.

Tip - Get Ahead
Make up to 2 days ahead, cool and chill. Gently reheat until piping hot, adding a little more water if necessary. Freeze (without the cabbage/kale) for up to 1 month.
Nutritional Details Per Serving
Fat 5g Carbs 19g Fibre 6g Protein 6g
From an original idea here

Dear reader, this blog brings a variety of recipe ideas, and it is important to note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

'Reasons You Need to Be Eating Avocado'

The words below are taken from article here

"Avocado is one of those foods that almost every dietary ideology agrees is good for you. Vegans, vegetarians, paleos, Mediterranean diet espousers, and low carb/keto diet fans all promote avocados as a “good fat.” Even the USDA dietary committee wants people eating avocados. But most avocado discussion stops there. It’s “good for you” and that’s about all you hear about the avocado.

But the human research convincingly shows that avocados—the whole fruit—are incredibly healthy and nutrient-dense additions to anyone’s diet. Unless you have a specific reason for not eating them, you should be eating avocados oil on a regular basis. Here are seven evidence-based reasons why this is the case:

• Avocados improve cholesterol

• Avocados make meat healthier

• Avocados make meals more filling and satisfying

• Avocados improve cognitive function

• Avocados improve gut health

• Avocados reduce oxidative stress and inflammation

• Avocados improve eye health

• Avocados are micronutrient-rich.

When most people talk about the nutrients found in avocados, they talk about potassium and monounsaturated fat. These are good components of the avocado, but there’s a lot more to it. 

A single avocado gives you:

30% of daily folate
40% of vitamin B5
15% of riboflavin
23% of vitamin B6
17% of vitamin E
28% of vitamin K
26% of copper
9% of magnesium
15% of potassium

That’s not bad for 200 calories of healthy fat and prebiotic fibre that also has all the beneficial effects mentioned above. Avocados are delicious, nutritious, and improve many aspects of your health. There’s no reason not to eat them on a regular basis."

The above is a snippet from the original article which you can read in full here

If you don't like avocados (and not everyone does) how about these avocado substitutes see here

~ enjoy your day ~

Dear reader, this blog brings a variety of articles and recipe ideas, and it is important to note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

'Why is Kindness Important?'

Sharing an article about Kindness you may like to read ...

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle. – Plato

The art of kindness is an underrated art. Ask anyone around you whether or not they think kindness is important, and more often than not, about ninety percent of them would tell you that it is important.

Why is kindness important?

A question we find an easy answer to. Yet, it only takes a glance at society to see that we still have a long way to go when it comes to mastering kindness. This, generally, stems from the fact that despite professing it on the surface, some of us don’t really understand .

Others who do, don’t really understand the complete facets of kindness.

In this article, we explore 11 crucial reasons why is kindness important, shedding even more light on why to progress as a society, we must place a higher emphasis on kindness and begin to show it more.

Kindness in Two Forms
Before we move on thoroughly into highlighting the importance of kindness, it is first crucial that we understand what the term means in the first place.

To do this, we have to look at the whole idea of kindness from two angles – as something we do unto others and as something we give to ourselves.

Kindness to Others
Showing kindness to others is perhaps the most popular phrase humans throw about without really committing to it. Many don’t even really know what it means in the first place.

To many, showing kindness implies going out of their ways to do something grand and unbelievable for others. Some even believe that they can’t be kind to others until the act of kindness makes them suffer in one way or another.

Generally, though, this isn’t usually the case.

We don’t have to hurt ourselves to be kind to others. Simple acts of kindness such as giving a compliment and offering someone your seat all go a long way in making a difference in someone else’s life.

The more mature you are, the more helpful and kind you are. The reason is that your maturity level is proportional to your kindness.

Kindness to Oneself

The most obscure of the two forms of kindness, “kindness to oneself” is usually overlooked by many because they feel as though it should be a given.

While this is right and kindness to oneself should always be a constant feature in our lives, it usually isn’t. In fact, it isn’t rare to find people who have mastered being kind to others who still haven’t realized that they have to be kind to themselves, too.

Not only is being kind to ourselves essential for our personal growth and the growth of our communities, but it is also one of the best ways to be kinder to others.

In short, if we don’t master the art of being kind to ourselves, it becomes a lot more challenging to be kind to other people.

Why is kindness important?

11 Reasons why being kind matters

As we grow up, we learn that being kind is a good thing. We are raised in a society where we are taught to be kind and to help others, but why? If we think about it for just a little while, the answer seems fairly obvious.

This list is not comprehensive but it contains 11 of the most powerful reasons that being kind matters in the world.

1. Tremendous emotional return for minimal effort

2. Kindness is Contagious

3. Kindness Builds Bridges

4. It Helps Lift Mental Blocks

5. It is Good Karma

6. Kindness Provides Clarity

7. It Can Brighten up Someone Else’s Day

8. Life is to Live and Love Fully

9. It is a form of Catharsis

10. Being Kind Actually Increases Life Span

11. Kindness is the Perfect Example to Set for Younger Generation

Conclusion
The great writer Henry James once described the three most important things in human life. The first, he said, was being kind. The second? Being kind. The third? Being kind, too.

Looking at the eleven points we’ve highlighted above, it is not hard at all to see why he said what he said. Kindness has always been, and will always remain, one of the most important facets of human lives and interaction.

Once we master kindness, we elevate ourselves, those around us, and our society as well. No other human action offers such a comprehensive benefit with absolutely no side effects.

This is why being kind matters.

Sharing is caring!"

Both images and words above are only a snippet from the original article which you can read in full here

Have you been kind today? Have you helped someone today?

Do please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Dear reader, you will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

Just a reminder
It seems many of us are still experiencing problems with blogger, especially with comments going into the spam folder. Do please check your spam folder daily.

All the best Jan

Baked Mascarpone and Blueberry Dessert : Delicious and Low Carb

Sharing a recipe idea from Pascale Naessens, this sugar-free yet deliciously decadent low-carb dessert has only three ingredients, so simple and easy!

Ingredients

Serves Two
9g carbs per serving
2 egg yolks
200 g (200 ml) mascarpone cheese
100 g (160 ml) fresh blueberries (strawberries, or raspberries could be used).
Instructions
can be seen here

Mascarpone originated in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy during the Renaissance. It is ivory-coloured, exceptionally smooth, and an easily spreadable fresh cream cheese. The flavour is milky and slightly sweet. The rich, buttery texture comes from the high butterfat content. Mascarpone generally comes in tubs, and it should remain refrigerated. Check the "use by" date on the package for storage time, but it's generally a week.

You can read more about this cheese here

This blog offers a wide variety of articles and recipe ideas, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

Beef Stew - Slow Cooker Recipe

" A slow cooker is the pinnacle of low-maintenance cooking. Place the ingredients inside, turn it on, and let it cook. Your only thought is how delicious that meal is going to taste. But some slow cookers have features which make them better suited to your specific needs than other models. To be happy with your purchase, you'll want those needs met.

The best slow cookers offer a consistent temperature through many hours of cooking. The warm setting must keep your food warm without letting it continue to cook. You'll want a capacity that can accommodate your family's needs, a removable inner pot that is easy to clean, and durable construction that will allow many long years of use.

Some slow cookers have programmable features that might be of interest. If you'd like a more in-depth look at these appliances, continue reading here"

Here is an easy slow cooker beef stew that's ready when you are. Throw store cupboard ingredients into the slow cooker with some braising steak and serve with mash of your choice.

Each serving (without mash) provides:

34g protein, 13g carbohydrates, 11g fat, 4g fibre and 2.5g salt.

Ingredients

Serves Six - adjust to suit

600ml/20fl oz just-boiled water
1 beef stock cube
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp yeast extract
900g/2lb good-quality braising steak, trimmed and cut into roughly 4cm/1½in chunks
100g/3½oz smoked bacon lardons*, or sliced smoked back bacon
2 onions, thinly sliced
4 carrots (about 400g/14oz), peeled and cut into roughly 3cm/1¼in chunks
4 celery sticks, trimmed and cut into roughly 3cm/1¼in lengths
3 tbsp plain flour (25g/1oz)
1 tsp flaked sea salt, plus extra to season
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 bay leaf (dried or fresh)
ground black pepper

Serving suggestions

mashed swede, celeriac or potato

Method

1. Pour the just-boiled water into a heatproof measuring jug, add the stock cube, tomato purée and yeast extract. Stir well until the cube has dissolved and set aside.
2. Put the beef, bacon and vegetables in a slow cooker, sprinkle over the flour and add the salt, herbs and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Toss together. Add the stock mixture and stir well.
3. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 8–10 hours, until the beef and vegetables are tender. Serve the beef stew with mashed potatoes.
Recipe Tips
i) Beef shin or beef brisket will also work in this stew. You can pack the slow cooker the night before and keep it in the fridge, but you must add cooled beef stock instead of hot. Take the packed slow cooker out of the fridge for 30 minutes before putting it on to reduce the risk of cracking the dish. The stew will take 10 hours if started from cold.

ii) *Lardons are small chunks of diced bacon (smoked or unsmoked) that are used to give a good, salty depth of flavour to robust dishes. They are sold vacuum-packed in most supermarkets, but if you can’t find them buy thick rashers of bacon and dice them yourself.

From original idea here

Some readers may also be interested in seeing these two slow cooker recipes

Chicken Casserole recipe here
Vegetarian Stew recipe here

Dear reader, this blog is presented in a magazine style - we hope something for everyone. You will find a variety of articles, studies, thoughts, cartoons, photographs, music and recipes!

However, not all the recipes ideas featured in this blog may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

'Reducing social media use by as little as 15 minutes a day improves health, study finds'

"NEW SWANSEA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH SHOWS REDUCING SOCIAL MEDIA USE BY JUST 15 MINUTES A DAY CAN IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH

New research from Swansea University shows that reducing social media use by 15 minutes a day can significantly improve general health and immune function and reduce levels of loneliness and depression.

The study, published in the Journal of Technology in Behavior Science, was conducted by Professor Phil Reed, Tegan Fowkes, and Mariam Khela from Swansea University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Over three months, the team examined the effects on physical health and psychological functioning of getting people to reduce their social media usage by 15 minutes a day.

The outcomes were compared to groups that were not asked to reduce their usage or were explicitly asked to do something other than social media during those 15 minutes.

50 participants (33 female and 17 male), aged 20-25, answered monthly questions about their health and psychological function and also provided weekly reports on their social media usage.

The results showed that the group asked to reduce their social media use had an average 15% improvement in immune function, including fewer colds, flu, warts, and verrucae, a 50% improvement in sleep quality, and 30% fewer depressive symptoms. These improvements were significantly greater than that experienced by the other two groups, neither of which showed any changes in those measures.

Those instructed to reduce their usage ended up doing so by about 40 minutes a day, rather than the 15 minutes requested, whereas there was a daily 10-minute increase for the group asked not to do anything. Strikingly, the group specifically asked to do something other than social media increased their usage by around 25 minutes a day.

Whilst previous studies have noted a correlation between reduced social media usage and improvements in psychological well-being, this new report is important in that it shows an experimentally-controlled relationship, which suggests a causal relationship between social media reduction and improved physical health.

Professor Phil Reed, from Swansea University’s School of Psychology, said: “These data demonstrate that, when people reduce their social media use, their lives can improve in many ways – including benefits for their physical health and psychological well-being.”

“It remains to be established whether the relationship between social media use and health factors is a direct one, or whether changes in well-being variables, such as depression, or other factors, such as an increase in physical activity, mediate it.”

Professor Reed added: “That the group asked to reduce their usage and do something different did not show these benefits suggests that campaigns to make people healthier could avoid telling people how to use their time. They can resent it. Instead, give them the facts, and let them deal with how they make the reduction, rather than telling them to do something more useful – it may not be effective.”"

Above image and words taken from article here

~ xxx ooo xxx ~

My thoughts:

The world has certainly changed in recent years, and no matter our age many of us are guilty of spending too much time on our computer screens, phones, social media etc. it just makes sense to try and limit the time spent on them.

Do please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

All the best Jan

Broccoli ... did you know !

Some people love it, some hate it, and some hate it so much that they try and ban it altogether. And yes, we’re talking about broccoli!

The broccoli plant is a distant cousin of the common cabbage as it also belongs to the Brassicaceae family. With broccoli, though, the main edible parts are actually the stalk and flowers instead of the leaves (although you can eat them too).

Broccoli was highly valued by the Romans.

The history of broccoli goes back much further than you’d think. Like many other vegetables we eat today, broccoli was cultivated from a mix of different plants and then selectively bred to become the vegetable we know today.

This vegetable’s history goes back to the Etruscans, an ancient Italian civilization that predated the Roman Empire. The Etruscan people cultivated the vegetable sometime around the 6th Century BC. The Romans adopted many aspects of Etruscan culture, including their love for broccoli.

England called it Italian asparagus.

As previously mentioned, broccoli is part of the same family as cabbage, a large family that includes cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, and kohlrabi. Despite this, when the vegetable first made it to England, it was instead associated with asparagus.

In fact, despite being a favoured food of the Romans, it seems that it took a long time to spread further than Italy. The earliest report of it in France, for example, is as late as the 1500s!

More than 200 years later, it was still relatively unknown in England, with it being called “Italian asparagus” in a popular gardening dictionary.

It wasn’t until the 1920s that broccoli became common in the US.

One of the first records we have relating to broccoli in the US goes back to the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson had a bit of a 'green thumb', and as such, he would frequently share seeds with some of his friends over in Europe. One such packet of seeds that he received were broccoli seeds, which he noted sowing at his estate in Virginia on May 27, 1767.

It wasn’t until much later in the 1920s that broccoli became a common sight when Italian migrants brought it over and regularly consumed them. Even then, it was almost exclusively eaten by Italian migrants and their descendants for decades before becoming a bit more mainstream.

George H. W. Bush banned broccoli on Air Force One.

Some people hate broccoli, and then there are people that hate broccoli so much that they publicly declare that they never want to see the vegetable ever again.

Believe it or not, that man was the 41st president of the United States of America, George H. W. Bush. While in a press conference, Bush (apparently) stated “I do not like broccoli, and I haven’t liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it, and I’m president of the United States, and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli.”

He made this declaration when asked why he had banned the vegetable from all Air Force One flights.

Broccoli is really good for your health!

First things first, if you know how to cook broccoli well, it can be absolutely delicious. Most people who dislike it, probably including George H. W. Bush, have simply only ever been fed it in an over-cooked mushy gross state.

The truth is that broccoli is incredibly good for you, so good that the term “superfood” is quite often thrown around in association with it. It’s high in protein, fibre, vitamin C and is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin B6, potassium, and calcium, among many others. It’s also full of antioxidants, is good for your digestion, and is even claimed to help prevent cancer!

Words above taken from article here

Related Broccoli Posts

Don't Throw Those Broccoli Stalks Away - read it here

Riced Broccoli Recipe: Instantly Up Your Fibre Intake : Low Carb / Keto - read it here

Pork Chops with broccoli mash - low carb recipe - read it here

Broccoli and Chickpea Frittata - read it here

~ enjoy your day ~

This blog offers a wide variety of articles and recipe ideas, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan