Lamb Roast Filled With Herbs and Cream Cheese

This dish is just lovely (and delicious) to enjoy with family and friends, and is ideal for any Sunday or family gathering.

Ingredients:
8 servings

4 lbs (2 kg) lamb roast
Salt and pepper
4 oz. (100 g) cream cheese
1 handful fresh herbs – parsley, rosemary, thyme, basil or oregano
3 – 4 garlic cloves
½ lemon, the zest
2 oz. (50 g) butter
Cooking string

See cooking instructions here

Herbs ... can be so wonderful to use, these "fragrant plants whose leaves (and sometimes stalks) are used in cooking to add flavour to dishes. Different cuisines rely on different varieties of herb, depending on which plants grow native or are cultivated in that country:

For example, basil is synonymous with Italian food, while coriander is widely used in Indian and South-east Asian dishes. The leaves of many herbs can be dried and used as a substitute for fresh herbs, but the flavours will not usually be as pronounced. The seeds of some herbs, such as coriander, can be dried, ground and used as spices.

Do you like using herbs in your cooking? Fresh are lovely but it's always good to keep some dried ones handy ... just in case!

All the best Jan

The sugar conspiracy

In 1972, a British scientist sounded the alarm that sugar – and not fat – was the greatest danger to our health. But his findings were ridiculed and his reputation ruined. How did the world’s top nutrition scientists get it so wrong for so long?

Robert Lustig is a paediatric endocrinologist at the University of California who specialises in the treatment of childhood obesity. A 90-minute talk he gave in 2009, titled Sugar: The Bitter Truth, has now been viewed more than six million times on YouTube. In it, Lustig argues forcefully that fructose, a form of sugar ubiquitous in modern diets, is a “poison” culpable for America’s obesity epidemic.

A year or so before the video was posted, Lustig gave a similar talk to a conference of biochemists in Adelaide, Australia. Afterwards, a scientist in the audience approached him. Surely, the man said, you’ve read Yudkin. Lustig shook his head. John Yudkin, said the scientist, was a British professor of nutrition who had sounded the alarm on sugar back in 1972, in a book called Pure, White, and Deadly.

“If only a small fraction of what we know about the effects of sugar were to be revealed in relation to any other material used as a food additive,” wrote Yudkin, “that material would promptly be banned.” The book did well, but Yudkin paid a high price for it. Prominent nutritionists combined with the food industry to destroy his reputation, and his career never recovered. He died, in 1995, a disappointed, largely forgotten man.

Perhaps the Australian scientist intended a friendly warning. Lustig was certainly putting his academic reputation at risk when he embarked on a high-profile campaign against sugar. But, unlike Yudkin, Lustig is backed by a prevailing wind. We read almost every week of new research into the deleterious effects of sugar on our bodies. In the US, the latest edition of the government’s official dietary guidelines includes a cap on sugar consumption. In the UK, the chancellor George Osborne has announced a new tax on sugary drinks. Sugar has become dietary enemy number one.

This represents a dramatic shift in priority. For at least the last three decades, the dietary arch-villain has been saturated fat. When Yudkin was conducting his research into the effects of sugar, in the 1960s, a new nutritional orthodoxy was in the process of asserting itself. Its central tenet was that a healthy diet is a low-fat diet. Yudkin led a diminishing band of dissenters who believed that sugar, not fat, was the more likely cause of maladies such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. But by the time he wrote his book, the commanding heights of the field had been seized by proponents of the fat hypothesis. Yudkin found himself fighting a rearguard action, and he was defeated.

Not just defeated, in fact, but buried. When Lustig returned to California, he searched for Pure, White and Deadly in bookstores and online, to no avail. Eventually, he tracked down a copy after submitting a request to his university library. On reading Yudkin’s introduction, he felt a shock of recognition.

“Holy crap,” Lustig thought. “This guy got there 35 years before me.”

In 1980, after long consultation with some of America’s most senior nutrition scientists, the US government issued its first Dietary Guidelines. The guidelines shaped the diets of hundreds of millions of people. Doctors base their advice on them, food companies develop products to comply with them. Their influence extends beyond the US. In 1983, the UK government issued advice that closely followed the American example.

The most prominent recommendation of both governments was to cut back on saturated fats and cholesterol (this was the first time that the public had been advised to eat less of something, rather than enough of everything). Consumers dutifully obeyed. We replaced steak and sausages with pasta and rice, butter with margarine and vegetable oils, eggs with muesli, and milk with low-fat milk or orange juice. But instead of becoming healthier, we grew fatter and sicker.

Look at a graph of postwar obesity rates and it becomes clear that something changed after 1980. In the US, the line rises very gradually until, in the early 1980s, it takes off like an aeroplane. Just 12% of Americans were obese in 1950, 15% in 1980, 35% by 2000. In the UK, the line is flat for decades until the mid-1980s, at which point it also turns towards the sky. Only 6% of Britons were obese in 1980. In the next 20 years that figure more than trebled. Today, two thirds of Britons are either obese or overweight, making this the fattest country in the EU. Type 2 diabetes, closely related to obesity, has risen in tandem in both countries.

At best, we can conclude that the official guidelines did not achieve their objective; at worst, they led to a decades-long health catastrophe. Naturally, then, a search for culprits has ensued. Scientists are conventionally apolitical figures, but these days, nutrition researchers write editorials and books that resemble liberal activist tracts, fizzing with righteous denunciations of “big sugar” and fast food. Nobody could have predicted, it is said, how the food manufacturers would respond to the injunction against fat – selling us low-fat yoghurts bulked up with sugar, and cakes infused with liver-corroding transfats.

Nutrition scientists are angry with the press for distorting their findings, politicians for failing to heed them, and the rest of us for overeating and under-exercising. In short, everyone – business, media, politicians, consumers – is to blame. Everyone, that is, except scientists.

But it was not impossible to foresee that the vilification of fat might be an error. Energy from food comes to us in three forms: fat, carbohydrate, and protein. Since the proportion of energy we get from protein tends to stay stable, whatever our diet, a low-fat diet effectively means a high-carbohydrate diet. The most versatile and palatable carbohydrate is sugar, which John Yudkin had already circled in red. In 1974, the UK medical journal, the Lancet, sounded a warning about the possible consequences of recommending reductions in dietary fat: “The cure should not be worse than the disease.”

Still, it would be reasonable to assume that Yudkin lost this argument simply because, by 1980, more evidence had accumulated against fat than against sugar.

After all, that’s how science works, isn’t it?

Read more here: http://www.theguardian.com/

Far to long for me to publish the whole article but definitely worth following the link to read the entire story

Graham

Broccoli and Pepper Medley : Colourful and Tasty

Could you ask for more fabulous colour in a dish than this? Well, surely you'd be hard pressed to! This really is a wonderful combination of broccoli and peppers and a dish like this can be ready in a flash! Well about twelve minutes!

Ingredients:
Serves Four
2 tsp groundnut oil
100g frozen chopped onions
1 tbsp frozen chopped ginger
200g tenderstem broccoli, stems halved
2 red peppers and 2 yellow peppers, de-seeded and cut into thin wedges
1 tbsp light soy sauce
25g toasted flaked almonds

Method:
1. Heat a large wok or non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, then add the oil and swirl around the pan. Add the onions and ginger and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the heat up to high, add the broccoli and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
2. Add the peppers and cook for 6 minutes, stirring as you go. Add the soy sauce and scatter over the flaked almonds. Spoon into a warmed serving bowl and serve straight away.

Original idea is here

Could go well with these individual fish pies ... see recipe here

or indeed this version of a low carb winner

Easy Bake White Fish With Leeks and Cheese

see recipe idea here

All the best Jan

Individual Fish Pies : Low in Carbs and Dairy Free

When I saw this lovely recipe idea from Amelia Freer, yes, I thought it's a low carb winner. I love the fact that you can serve this great tasting food in individual dishes and to add colour just sprinkle on some chopped fresh parsley.

Serve simply with some steamed broccoli, spinach, or rainbow chard. As the recipe uses coconut milk and coconut butter, it is also a dairy-free alternative to your usual cream and cheese-laden fish pies.

I do hope you may give this recipe idea a try soon. You will see the recipe does include a splash of wine, which is optional, but I would use a splash of white wine in mine and serve the remainder (nicely chilled) with the meal ... but the choice is yours dear reader.

Ingredients:
Serves Four
( 8.1g carbohydrate per serving)
400ml coconut milk
1 tbsp garlic-infused oil
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 bay leaves
300g cod fillets (approx 2 small fillets)
300g undyed smoked haddock
A splash of white wine (optional)
1 large celeriac, peeled and chopped into equal-sized chunks
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
1½ tbsp unflavoured coconut butter
150g raw king prawns
3 spring onions (scallions), green parts only, thinly sliced
A small handful of fresh chives, chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, to serve

Method:
1. Put the coconut milk, garlic oil, lemon juice and zest and bay leaves into a large, deep pan. Add the cod and haddock and bring to a gentle simmer. Poach the fish for approximately 10 minutes until the flesh flakes easily.
2. Remove the fillets and set aside. Add the wine (if using) to the poaching liquid, season to taste with salt and pepper, and leave to simmer over a low heat while you make the celeriac mash.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Put the celeriac into a pan of boiling water and boil with the thyme leaves until tender. Drain and mash with the coconut butter, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Flake the fish and divide between four individual ovenproof dishes. Add the prawns, spring onion (scallions) and chives to each pot and pour over a quarter of the poaching liquid – it should have thickened slightly by now. Top with celeriac mash and bake for 40–50 minutes, or until the pies are golden on top.
5. Scatter with chopped fresh parsley and serve with steamed greens such as broccoli, spinach, peas or rainbow chard.

Original idea from here

Make sure the table is ready and tuck into some good tasting food.

Bon Appetit

All the best Jan

Gary Taubes new video

Published on Mar 22, 2016

Author and educator Gary Taubes shares timely information with early childhood educators in Santa Cruz County on nutrition and preventing diabetes, starting with the food prepared for young children. The presentation took place at the 2016 Together for Kindergarten community forum. This video is a must view for everyone!

Graham

Cranachan : Made with Fresh Raspberries

Cranachan (Scottish Gaelic: Crannachan pronounced [ˈkʰɾan̪ˠəxan]) is a traditional Scottish dessert. It was originally a summer dish and often consumed around harvest time but is now more likely to be served all year round and on special occasions. A variant dish was ale-crowdie, consisting of ale, treacle, and whisky with the oatmeal - served at a wedding with a ring in the mixture: whoever got the ring would be the next to marry.

A traditional way to serve Cranachan is to bring dishes of each ingredient to the table so that each person can assemble their dessert to taste. Tall dessert glasses are also of typical presentation.

Now this recipe has 15.9g carb per serving, so it may not be suitable for all, but if you think it can fit into your menu plans then I hope you may enjoy this deliciously creamy and fruity dessert with its mellow honey and whisky flavours. May I present ... Cranachan ... the ultimate Scottish dessert !

Ingredients:
Serves Six
50 g pinhead or medium oatmeal
600 ml double cream
4 tbsp scotch whisky
3 tbsp Scottish heather honey, plus extra for serving
340 g fresh raspberries

Method:

1. Preheat the grill. Spread the oatmeal out in an even layer on a baking tray and grill until toasted, watching it carefully so it doesn't burn.
2. Pour the cream into a large bowl and lightly whip until it is just starting to hold it shape. Gently stir through the whisky, honey and two-thirds of the toasted oatmeal.
3. Spoon half the cream mixture into 6 x 200ml glasses, top with half the raspberries, then spoon over the remaining cream mixture. Sprinkle over the remaining oatmeal and raspberries, and drizzle with honey before serving.

Each serving provides:
15.9g carbohydrate 5.2g fibre 3.3g protein

Original recipe idea is here

We try and bring a variety of recipe ideas to 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.

All the best Jan

Farmers Union of Wales demands explanation of cuts to dairy in diet

Following new guidelines from Public Health England, FUW has sent a letter requesting proof of the evidence used in determining the status of dairy in the Eatwell Guide.

A new dietary guide recommending a reduction in the daily intake of dairy products from a previously recommended 15 per cent to 8 per cent has been called “incredibly disappointing” by the Farmers Union of Wales.

In a letter to Public Health England, the FUW has requested proof under the Freedom of Information Act of the evidence used in determining the status of dairy in the Eatwell Guide -- and a list of the experts who were consulted.

BALANCED DIET
“Dairy products provide an important source of protein and calcium and contain essential vitamins and minerals, all of which are needed for a balanced diet,” said union president, Glyn Roberts.

“Indeed, the exclusion of dairy products from the ‘sugar tax’ demonstrates the role such products play in a healthy diet.

“The new guidance also comes at a time when the All Party Parliamentary Group on Dairy has highlighted the nutritional benefits of dairy produce.

DISAPPOINTING

“It is therefore extremely disappointing that dairy industry representatives were not consulted before this new conflicting guide was released; especially as the guidance is potentially harmful to the sector,” added Mr Roberts.

“The FUW continues to promote the nutritional value of dairy. Indeed, the importance of dairy can be seen when looking at dietary guidelines across the world.

“Many countries, including America, Australia, France and Ireland, have adopted a prominent and positive policy for dairy produce and the implementation of a 3-a-day dairy policy in the UK was supported by the APPG on dairy.”

NUTRITIONAL STANDARDS

FUW milk and dairy produce committee chairman, Rhydian Owen said: “The union fully understands the need for a healthy and balanced diet and, as such, is bitterly disappointed in this most recent public health campaign which reduces the significance of the dairy food group.

“A robust evidence base is required when issuing dietary guidance and the FUW seeks to improve the openness and scrutiny provided when ‘evidence’ for nutritional standards is obtained. The documents used to inform this decision must be made available.”

https://www.fginsight.com/

Graham

Stilton bites, a crisp and refreshing canapé : Low Carb and Gluten Free

Stilton Cheese, is Britain's historic blue cheese and Britain's favourite blue cheese. The history of Stilton can be traced back to the early 18th century and although it is clear that the recipe used has changed quite dramatically over the years it remains one of the world's best known and much loved cheeses.

Quintessentially English, Stilton has its own Certification Trade Mark and is an EU Protected Food Name.

This means that:
- it can only be produced in the three Counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire
- it must be made from locally produced milk that has been pasteurised before use
- it can only be made in a cylindrical shape
- it must be allowed to form its own coat or crust
- it must never be pressed and
- it must have the magical blue veins radiating from the centre of the cheese

Stilton's unique flavour makes it suitable not only for those special occasions when only the best will do, but also for perking up everyday recipes and snacks. With its slightly open texture and creamy background it melts and crumbles easily and is one of the few cheeses that freezes well.

Now if you want a tasty low carb, (and gluten free) snack this just might be what you are looking for. Ideal for special occasions, family or friends gatherings or even a light lunch or snack ... it really tastes delicious.

Ingredients:
Serves 12
50 g blue Stilton
80 g lighter soft cheese
1 tbsp fresh chives, washed and chopped, plus extra left for decoration
1 red pepper, washed and chopped into bite-sized chunks
approx quarter (0.25) of a cucumber, washed and sliced into discs

Method:
1. Bring the Stilton to room temperature, then mix with the soft cheese and most of the chives, reserving half a teaspoon to garnish.
2. Spread the chunks of pepper and cucumber discs with the creamy Stilton dip. Lay the whole chives on a platter; place the Stilton bites on top and garnish with the reserved chopped chives.

Eat and enjoy - each serving provides:
2.6g carbohydrate 1.1g fibre 6.0g protein

Original idea here

Will you be making some soon, I know I will ...

All the best Jan

Blue Sky, Birds and a low carb fruit cake !

Wherever you are the weather plays an important part of your day. You may be stuck inside and looking out at a blue skied day wishing you were out there walking around the lake. Possibly you may be somewhere that is experiencing heavy rain and you are thinking thank goodness I am indoors. Others may even be enjoying some snow and looking out at a white world! Wherever you may be, as you sit beside a computer screen reading this, well I certainly hope some may be reading this! I do hope you are enjoying your day.

Earlier this week I was reading that in the UK "Smaller birds are surviving thanks to a warmer winter, and that there has been a 44% increase in long-tailed tit sightings. Indeed if you think you've spotted a few more birds in your garden than usual recently then you'd be right.

The warm winter has led to an increase in numbers of small birds visiting gardens around the UK this year.

According to the Guardian there has been a 44% increase in long-tailed tit sightings in comparison to figures from 2015.

But it's not just the tit that has been seen hanging around our greenery more this year, plenty of other small birds are also thought to have made the most of the warmer weather.

Other birds that have been seen in our gardens more frequently include goldfinches, coal tits, greenfinches and woodpigeons.

The results come from the 2016 Big Garden Birdwatch which is conducted by the RSPB.

A staggering 8,262,662 birds were counted, and the top 10 birds in 2016 were as follows: 
1. House sparrow
2. Starling
3. Blue tit
4. Blackbird
5. Woodpigeon
6. Goldfinch
7. Chaffinch
8. Great tit
9. Robin
10. Long tailed tit

The RSPB have suggested that the warmer weather in January meant more of the smaller birds survived the winter to be counted.

You can find out more about the Big Garden Birdwatch on the RSPB website here."

More story and picture from here

If you live further away than the British Isles, and I know many of our readers do ... I think you have similar to our RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) and indeed your societies carry out similar surveys.

If you may have been out enjoying a walk, can I suggest on your return you sit and enjoy a cup of tea and perhaps a slice of low carb fruit cake ...

For this lovely cake (only 5.4g carbs per serving) here are the ingredients you need:

170g Cranberries (dried)
½ cup Rum/brandy/gin
½ cup chopped Nuts (walnuts, Brazil)
1½ cups Almond meal
1 tbsp Natvia (or sweetener of your choice)
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Mixed spice
½ tsp Baking soda
¼ cup Butter
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1 tbsp Almond essence
4 Eggs
4 tbsp rum (extra)

Icing
½ cup Mascarpone cheese
1 tbsp Rum or brandy

Please see how to make it here

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a lovely day.

All the best Jan

Rethinking cholesterol’s role in heart disease

Is cholesterol the chief culprit behind heart disease? For decades, Americans have been told that to lower their risk of a heart attack, they had to lower their cholesterol levels, either through diet or drugs. But the old cholesterol theory is crumbling.

In recent months, there have been some dramatic changes in public health policy. For one thing, the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans don’t emphasize avoiding cholesterol in your food. Instead, Americans are advised to limit saturated and trans fats, added sugars and sodium. Eggs are now considered part of a healthy eating pattern (Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015).

The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology issued their own guidelines late in 2013. These organizations recommend that if diet doesn’t lower blood cholesterol, statins are the solution. According to their guidelines, at least one-third of American adults would be taking a prescribed statin. Nearly everyone between the ages of 66 and 75 would be on one of these drugs (JAMA Internal Medicine, January 2015).

But not all cardiologists agree that lowering blood cholesterol is the most important approach to preventing heart disease. Robert DuBroff, M.D., is a cardiologist and lipid specialist at the University of New Mexico. He has pointed out that high-risk populations don’t consistently benefit from statin therapy (American Journal of Medicine, March 2016). In his view, doctors do not have a good way to tell who might benefit from taking a statin to prevent heart disease. Clinical benefits, particularly survival, don’t correspond well to the amount that a statin lowers “bad” LDL cholesterol (Preventive Medicine, April 2016).

Dr. DuBroff, together with French physician Michel de Lorgeril, M.D., who oversaw the ground-breaking Lyon Heart Study in the 1990s, has written: “We conclude that the expectation that CHD [coronary heart disease] could be prevented or eliminated by simply reducing cholesterol appears unfounded. On the contrary, we should acknowledge the inconsistencies of the cholesterol theory and recognize the proven benefits of a healthy lifestyle incorporating a Mediterranean diet to prevent CHD” (World Journal of Cardiology, July 26, 2015).

If cardiologists can’t agree on the importance of lowering cholesterol with statins, it is hardly any wonder that patients are confused. What else can people do to keep their hearts healthy?

There are many nondrug approaches that are beneficial. You can learn more about them in our Guide to Cholesterol Control and Heart Health. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (71 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. C-8, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our website: www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Physical activity is important for health. If statins cause muscle pain or weakness that interferes with exercise, that could be counterproductive. So would be elevations in blood sugar. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of heart disease and a known complication of statins.

A Mediterranean diet, as Drs. de Lorgeril and DuBroff mentioned, also is great for the heart. A large randomized trial called PREDIMED showed that this type of diet with lots of olive oil or nuts prevented heart disease in high-risk individuals (New England Journal of Medicine, Apr. 4, 2013). Such a diet rich in vegetables and fruits also is helpful in reducing (not increasing) the risk of diabetes (Journal of Nutrition online, March 9, 2016).

http://www.abqjournal.com/

Graham

Tomatoes and their sometimes Mediterranean Influence

Tomato:
Pronounce it: toe-mart-oh

A member of the nightshade family (along with aubergines, peppers and chillies), tomatoes are in fact a fruit, but their affinity for other savoury ingredients means that they are usually classed as a vegetable.

Tomatoes originated in western South America, crossed the Atlantic to Spain with the conquistadors in the 16th century, but only finally caught on in northern Europe in the 19th century. Today they're one of the most important ingredients available, and are especially indispensible in Mediterranean cookery. The skin, flesh and seeds can all be eaten, but the green leaves are toxic, so should always be discarded.

The number of varieties run into the thousands, and they vary in size from the huge beefsteak to tiny cherry tomatoes, but most have a sweet, gently tangy flavour and are good both raw and cooked.

Availability:
All year round, with a constantly changing line-up of varieties from season to season. The British tomato season runs from June to October. In winter, you could use more canned tomatoes to save on food miles (the environmental cost of food transportation).

Tomatoes are easy to grow at home, especially the smaller tumbling varieties.

Choose the best:
Go for firm tomatoes with wrinkle-free skins and a noticeable tomato smell. Tomatoes have the best, sweetest flavour if they've been allowed to ripen on the vine before they've been picked but, if you buy under-ripe tomatoes, you can redden them by keeping them in a brown paper bag at room temperature, or on a windowsill.

The sooner you eat a ripe tomato after it's been picked, the better it will taste, so try to seek out locally grown tomatoes if possible. The leafy tops are a good sign of freshness; they should be perky, rather than wilted. Avoid any tomatoes that show signs of mould.

The type of tomato you buy depends on what you intend to do with it. Here's a run-down of some of the most common types.

Beefsteak: these are the biggest tomatoes, and have a meaty texture with a sweet, mellow flavour. They are good for salads, grilling or stuffing.

Salad (or round): this is the traditional British tomato - it's a good all rounder, but really needs to be ripe to get the best flavour.

Cherry: small and very sweet, cherry tomatoes are pricier than salad tomatoes but their intense flavour is worth the extra cash. They are good in salads, pasta sauces or roasted.

Plum: Available as a baby or full-grown tomato, plum tomatoes have an oval shape, with a rich flavour and comparatively few seeds. Good for making sauces and stews.

Green: there are two types of green tomato. One is unripe, and is quite tart but good for chutneys, or fried. The other is a variety that stays green when ripe, has a tangy flavour and is good in salads or, again, fried.

Yellow: these ripen to a golden yellow colour, and are good in salads, salsas and chutneys.

Prepare it:
Wash, and then leave whole or halve, quarter, slice, chop or dice, as required. If you want to remove the skins before making them into a sauce, cut out the green stalk and core at the top of the tomato, cut a small, shallow cross at its base, then put them in bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to stand for 30 seconds, then drain. When they are cool enough to handle, pull away the loosened skin. Tomatoes are also available tinned, pulped, purr'eed and juiced.

Store it:
Chilling tomatoes mutes their flavour so, unless they are very ripe, they should be stored at room temperature. If you won't be eating ripe tomatoes for a couple of days, put them in the fridge in a perforated bag, but take them out of the fridge for about 30 minutes before eating, so that they can warm up. If you don't use a tin of tomatoes all in one go, transfer the remainder to a non-metal, airtight container and store in the fridge - it will last for around two days.

Cook it:
Roast whole (15-20 minutes). Halve and grill (3-4 minutes). Slice and fry (2-3 minutes on each side). Use in sauces, soups, stews, salads.

Above details taken from here

If you are looking for a great recipe idea that includes tomatoes, this could fit the bill...

Sicilian Baked Red Peppers with cherry vine tomatoes

recipe idea can be seen here

or how about this delicious dish ...

Chicken Caprese with mozzarella and sliced tomato

recipe idea can be seen here

Surely tomatoes are great wherever you live, and if you can grow your own, even better. Why not put them on your shopping (or growing) list soon ...

We try and bring a variety of recipe ideas to 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.

All the best Jan

Many women needlessly take cholesterol-lowering drugs

More than half of middle-aged women who take cholesterol-lowering medicines called 'statins' have neither cardiovascular disease or diabetes, shows new research.

Statins are commonly prescribed as a 'primary prevention' against cardiovascular disease in high-risk individuals even if they don’t already suffer from cardiovascular disease or type-2 diabetes, and they are recommended as a lifelong therapy in people over 75 years.

But a new study questions their efficacy and raises concern that women over the age of 50 are needlessly prescribed statins to lower cholesterol.

“Cholesterol levels need to be lowered if they are 'elevated' but I think there is a tendency to over-treat, which is worrying," says co-author Helle Wallach Kildemoes, Associate Professor at the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

The study is published in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.

No need to take medication if you are healthy

In the new study, scientists looked at the use of statins in nearly 4.5 million Danes between 2000 and 2010, during which the number of people prescribed statin therapy increased more than tenfold.

To find out why, they examined records of hospital admissions and the use of prescription drugs. It is the first time that researchers have analysed the reasons for prescribing these cholesterol-lowering drugs.

They saw that 60 per cent of the 50 to 60 year-old women were prescribed medication even when they did not suffer from heart disease or diabetes.

"Treatment is given to people who are actually healthy, without understanding the effects. If you're healthy, I don’t think there is any reason to take [this] medication," says Mats Lindberg, a consultant in rheumatology and co-founder of the network Physicians Without Sponsors, in Denmark.

Kildemoes agrees.

"We don’t know if they has a preventive effect, and at the same time statins have side effects--muscle pain. It’s a problem,” she says.

Lindberg recommends that patients should monitor their cholesterol unless there are specific problems related to a family history of heart attacks or cardiovascular disease.

"It makes sense to take statins if, for example, you’ve had a heart attack or type-2 diabetes, otherwise preventive treatment is questionable," he says.

The drug has little effect

The preventive effect of the drug in healthy people is uncertain.

A previous study showed that statins have a limited effect in lowering cholesterol, even if you have had blood clots, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes.

In this study, statins prolonged the life of patients by 5 to 27 days after five years of treatment.

Professor Jesper Hallas, from the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Southern Denmark, was a co-author on this earlier study.

"Our study showed that the average delay of death is very small. It's just a few days,” he says. “So it might be good to know, for those who have side effects, that the longevity effect is quite small," says Hallas.

But he stresses that the efficacy of statins in preventing blood clots, for example, is well documented and can prolong life by a few days.

"But to start taking this medicine at 80 probably isn’t very rewarding,” he says. “If I was in my 70s and got a blood clot, then I would take statins, but I would quit if I suffered side effects, says Hallas.

Elderly are over-medicated

Despite the very limited effect on longevity, more and more elderly people are receiving statins.

In 2000, two to three per cent of elderly people aged 75 to 84 took statins. But by 2010 this had risen to more than a third, and it was slightly higher for men than for women.

"It’s problematic because there is no evidence that the drug has a beneficial effect in the elderly. Elderly people often take many different types of medication and they are more sensitive to the side effects," says Kildemoes.

Both Lindberg and Hallas believe that there is too much focus on the side-effects of statins, which, they say, are very limited and well documented. However Lindberg believes we should pay more attention to side effects in the elderly.

"Doctors must pay more attention to muscle pain and weakness in the elderly, who receive statins," says Lindberg.

He thinks that doctors should reduce the dose in the most elderly patients and stop treatment when it is no longer useful as a preventive treatment.

"There are studies and guidelines on when to start medication. These studies come from the pharmaceutical industry. But there are no studies on when to stop the medication," he says.

http://sciencenordic.com/

Graham

Sesame Crispbread : Low Carb

Do you love to sink your teeth into something crunchy now and then?

Forget about the shop bought crispbread and give these a try.

Good tasting crispbread the LCHF way.

Ingredients:

30 servings

1¼ cups (300 ml) sesame seeds

½ cup (100 ml) sunflower seeds

2 oz. (60 g) grated cheese

1 tablespoon psyllium-seed husk

½ cup (100 ml) water

2 eggs

¼ – 1 teaspoon salt

Tip!​ The sesame crispbread may also be made without cheese.

You can replace the sunflower seeds with things like pumpkin seeds.

See instructions here

What topping may you put on yours ...

All the best Jan

Sea bass with asparagus, broad beans and spinach

Sam Harris is Chef patron of Zucca, a modern Italian restaurant in Bermondsey, South London, where he loves to cook good Mediterranean food. I saw this springtime recipe of Sam's and definitely thought it one to share. Sea Bass with a great combination of asparagus, broad beans and spinach ... a wake-up call for the taste buds! Don't feel you have to wait 'til Friday to enjoy this fish dish.

Ingredients:

Serves Six
250 g new potatoes / swap for swede if preferred
500 g broad beans, podded
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 courgettes, diced
450 ml tub fresh vegetable or chicken stock
350 g asparagus, trimmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
260 g (bag) young-leaf spinach
1 tbsp finely chopped mint
6 sea bass or sea bream fillets
lemon wedges and extra-virgin olive oil to serve

Method:

1. Put the potatoes in a pan of cold salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool, then cut into quarters. / If using swede prepare, cut into small chunks and simmer for approx 15 minutes until tender. Drain and cool.
2. Cook the beans in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, drain and refresh in cold water, then squeeze from their skins.
3. For the vegetables, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large deep pan. Add the onion, fennel, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring now and then, over a low heat for 20 minutes, uncovered, until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden.
4. Turn up the heat, add the courgettes and potatoes / or swede, and stir over the heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
5.  Add the asparagus and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broad beans, then the spinach, in batches, and stir until the spinach has wilted.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and the mint. Season to taste.
7. Meanwhile, heat a griddle or frying pan over a high heat, season the fish and brush lightly with the remaining olive oil. Cook, skin-side down, for 2-3 minutes, turn and cook for 1-2 minutes.
8. To serve, spoon the warm vegetables on to a platter, top with the sea bass and serve with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon wedges.

Delicious ... and on a personal note my dear Dad, (90 years young!), loves the taste of sea bass, any day of the week!

Tip:
Get ahead: you can cook the vegetables a day ahead and reheat, but they will lose some of their vibrant colour ...

Recipe idea from here

All the best Jan

Paleo diet can cut your future diabetes, heart risks

Washington D.C, April 3 (ANI): Obese, postmenopausal women, you may want to start following a Paleolithic-type diet as a new study has found that it can help you lose weight, improve circulating fatty acid profile and lower your future risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Lead author Caroline Blomquist of the Umea University said that eating a Paleolithic-type diet without calorie restriction significantly improved the fatty acid profile associated with insulin sensitivity and it reduced abdominal adiposity and body weight in obese postmenopausal women.

She added that a Paleolithic-type diet, high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, may have long-term beneficial effects on obesity-related disorders, including reduced risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Blomquist and her colleagues conducted their 24-month intervention in 70 obese postmenopausal women with normal fasting plasma glucose levels. The Paleolithic-type diet was based on lean meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts and berries, with rapeseed, olive oils and avocado as additional fat sources. The diet excluded dairy products, cereals, added salt and refined fats and sugar.

At 24 months, the women eating the Paleolithic-type diet reported that their intake of saturated fatty acids decreased by 19 percent; of monounsaturated fatty acids increased by 47 percent; and of polyunsaturated fatty acids increased by 71 percent. The women on the prudent control diet reported no significant changes in their intake of fatty acids.

Specific fatty acids associated with insulin resistance were significantly lower in the women eating the Paleolithic-type foods compared with those on the prudent control diet.

"Obesity-related disorders have reached pandemic proportions with significant economic burden on a global scale. It is of vital interest to find effective methods to improve metabolic balance," Blomquist advised.

The results are presented at ENDO 2016, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, in Boston. (ANI)

http://www.aninews.in/

Graham

Papaya's - Fruit of the Angels

Did you know that Christopher Columbus, an Italian voyager reputably once referred to papayas as the fruit of the angels. The fruit which is extremely rich in Vitamin C has a wide range of health benefits making it a great fruit option to include in your diet.

One small papaya (152 grams) contains:
Calories: 59.
Carbohydrates: 15 grams.
Fiber: 3 grams.
Protein: 1 gram.
Vitamin C: 157% of the RDI.
Vitamin A: 33% of the RDI.
Folate (Vitamin B9): 14% of the RDI.
Potassium: 11% of the RDI.
Trace amounts of calcium, magnesium and vitamins B1, B3, B5, E and K.

Papayas also contain healthy antioxidants called carotenoids. They are especially high in a type of carotenoid called lycopene.

What’s more, these beneficial antioxidants are better absorbed from papayas than from other fruits and vegetables

Read more about Papaya's and their health benefits here

If the papaya is ripe, it can be eaten raw. However, unripe papaya should always be cooked before eating, especially during pregnancy. That’s because the unripe fruit has a high latex content, which can stimulate contractions.

Papayas are shaped similar to a pear, and can be up to 20 inches long. The skin is green when unripe, and orange when ripe. The flesh inside is yellow, orange or red.

The fruit also has many black seeds inside the center. These are edible, but do have a bitter flavor.

Here are a few easy recipe ideas using 1 small ripe papaya:

Breakfast: Cut it in half and fill each half with Greek yogurt, then top with a few blueberries and chopped nuts.

Appetizer: Cut it into strips and wrap a slice of ham or prosciutto around each strip.

Salsa: Chop papaya, tomatoes, onions and cilantro, then add lime juice and mix well.

Smoothie: Combine the diced fruit with coconut milk and ice in a blender, then blend until smooth.

Salad: Chop papaya and avocado into cubes, add diced cooked chicken and dress with olive oil and vinegar.

Dessert: Combine the chopped fruit with 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, 1 cup of almond milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well and refrigerate before eating.

These easy recipe ideas above are taken from article here

If you are looking for something different ... David Myers, and Simon King more often known as 'The Hairy Bikers' have a lovely looking salad recipe using a green papaya, it is called:

 Thai green papaya salad (som tum) 

This is a substantial salad that is tasty, sharp and spicy. It is great on its own or as a side dish with curry. Lime juice is an important ingredient so here is a top tip: roll the lime firmly with the palm of your hand over a work surface a few times before squeezing it and you will get more juice. And always cut the lime through the middle, not end to end.

You can see this recipe idea here

The Worlds Healthiest Foods here also has interesting details about this fruit.

We try and bring a variety of recipe ideas to 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.

All the best Jan

Rhye - Open

Time to chill before bed nightie night peeps

Graham

Christine and the Queens - Paradis Perdus

Saturday night is music night: This is a French band but enjoy the song

Graham

Chicken, Paprika, Chickpea and Kale - One Pot Meal

I just love adding kale to my one pot and casserole meals. Not only is it green and colourful - it has good nutrients too! The original recipe idea suggests serving with crusty bread. However if you are following a LCHF food template you may prefer to substitute a lower carb flax-seed bread. Or why not serve with buttery mashed swede. As always dear reader ... the choice is up to you.  

Ingredients:
Serves Four

15.7g carb per serving

1 tbsp olive oil
615g chicken thigh fillets
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
400g can chopped tomatoes
200ml chicken stock, made with half a stock cube
2 tsp smoked paprika
75g kale

salt and pepper to season, as required

(Optional - Crusty bread, to serve)

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a shallow casserole dish over a medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the onions to the pan and cook over a low heat for 5-6 minutes, until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute or two. Add the chickpeas, followed by the chopped tomatoes, chicken stock and smoked paprika. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it in under the sauce, and then top with the kale. Place the lid on the pan and cook on a low heat on the hob for 25 minutes, removing the lid for the last five minutes.
3. Season, as required, and serve.

(Optional -  with crusty bread on the side)

We try and bring a variety of recipe ideas to 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.

Original recipe idea here

Hope you may give this recipe suggestion a try soon.

All the best Jan

Dr Aseem Malhotra: Is it time to bring back the fat?

I’m delighted to share that for the next couple of weeks I’ll be touring three major Australian cities, speaking on some of the major health topics of the modern era.
I’ll be answering questions in relation to the impact of sugar on obesity and heart disease:

What led to the recent announcement of a sugary drinks tax in the UK?

How much fat should we be eating? Should we be avoiding saturated fat altogether to protect us from heart disease?

How effective are cholesterol lowering statin drugs and should we be taking these pills at all?

It’s an honour to be speaking alongside some prolific health activists:

Brilliant film maker and the star of “That Sugar Film” Damon Gameau whom I had the pleasure of meeting on several occasions on his recent tour to the UK including being involved in a discussion about his movie on BBC News.

It was also a special privilege to be on a panel with the shadow Public Health Minister Luciana Berger at a parliamentary screening of Damon’s game changing documentary towards the end of last year.

Christine Cronau is a nutritionist and best selling author who has been exceptional at organising such a great event at short notice. She will be talking about the launch of her latest book.

And last but by no means least the inspirational and very courageous investigative journalist with ABC Catalyst, Dr Maryanne Demasi who will be hosting all the events.

If you’re not afraid of controversy, and the subjects of sugar, fat and statins are of interest to you, there are some tickets still available, which you can purchase by clicking here.

http://doctoraseem.com/time-bring-back-fat/

Graham

No Bake Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake : Low Carb

The creator of this wonderful Low Carb, and Gluten Free, Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake, calls it "insanely delicious", and it is the "ultimate no bake low carb dessert, there's no need to turn on the oven". It certainly looks good to me ... and I'm sure that piece you can see in the background may have been cut for me? LOL!

Ingredients:

Serves 16. Each serving has 8.46 g of carbs and 2.81 g of fiber.

Total NET CARBS = 5.65 g

Crust:

1 & 1/4 cup almond flour 

5 tbsp cocoa powder

5 tbsp (Swerve) Sweetener

3 & 1/2 tbsp butter, melted

7 or 8 smallish strawberries, thinly sliced

Strawberry Cheesecake Filling:

3 cups chopped strawberries

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp water, divided

2 tbsp grassfed gelatin

1 cup whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup powdered (Swerve) Sweetener

1/2 tsp liquid stevia extract

Chocolate Ganache:

5 tbsp butter

2 oz unsweetened chocolate

1/4 cup powdered (Swerve) Sweetener

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

The creator of this delicious cake is Carolyn

(All Day I Dream About Food)

and you can see how to make it here

I wonder will strawberries be on your shopping list?

read more about strawberries and their health benefits here

All the best Jan

The 10 Worst Foods to Eat in the Morning

Franziska Spritzler has a BSc in nutrition and dietetics. She is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with expertise in carbohydrate-restricted diets for diabetes and weight management. She has recently written an article 'The 10 Worst Foods to Eat in the Morning'.

She writes: "You’ve probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

However, this is largely a myth.

Although it may be true for some people, others actually do better when they skip breakfast.
Additionally, eating an unhealthy breakfast can be far worse than not eating at all.
A healthy breakfast includes fiber, protein and healthy fat that gives you energy and makes you feel full.
In contrast, an unhealthy breakfast can make you feel sluggish, cause you to gain weight and increase your risk of chronic disease.

Here are the 10 worst foods you can eat in the morning.
1. Breakfast Cereals:
Bottom Line: Many breakfast cereals are even higher in sugar than cookies and desserts. Adding whole grains or artificial vitamins and minerals does not make them a healthy choice.

2. Pancakes and Waffles:
Bottom Line: Pancakes and waffles are made from refined flour and topped with high-sugar syrups. They may promote insulin resistance and increase the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and other diseases.

3. Toast with Margarine:

Bottom Line: Toast with margarine raises your blood sugar and insulin levels, causes rebound hunger and increases your risk of weight gain and heart disease.

4. Muffins:
Bottom Line: Muffins are usually high in refined flour, refined vegetable oils and sugar, all of which are very unhealthy.

5. Fruit Juice:
Bottom Line: Despite a reputation for being healthy, fruit juice is very hign in sugar. It actually contains a similar amount as sugary soda.

6. Toaster Pastries:
Bottom Line: Toaster pastries are high in sugar and refined carbs, yet low in protein, which can increase hunger and food intake.

7. Scones with Jam and Cream:
Bottom Line: Scones topped with cream and jam provide little nutrition other than calories. Easily digested carbs and a lack of fiber can drive hunger, leading to increased food intake and weight gain.

8. Sweetened Non-Fat Yogurt:
Bottom Line: Non-fat sweetened yogurt is very high in sugar, and may contain more of it than ice cream. It also lacks the natural dairy fat that can increase fullness.

9. Granola Bars:
Bottom Line: Granola bars usually contain several types of sugar that negatively affect blood sugar and insulin levels. They also lack protein and fiber.

10. Processed, Gluten-Free Breakfast Foods:
Bottom Line: Gluten-free packaged foods are made with flours that raise blood sugar, which may lead to elevated insulin, increased appetite and weight gain.They also lack protein and fiber, which contribute to fullness.

Take Home Message
Breakfast has the potential to set you up for a day of great energy levels, stable blood sugar and control over your appetite and weight.

On the other hand, making a poor choice at breakfast can leave you hungry and struggling to get through the rest of the day.

It can also increase your risk of developing health problems in the future.

If you’re going to eat breakfast, make it one that contains protein, healthy fat and fiber from unprocessed, whole foods."

Read the whole article with relevant links here

All the best Jan