Monday, August 22nd, 2011
When we think of summer we think of sun, sea, sand, holidays, relaxing, BBQ’s and……. picnics in the park. A typical picnic involves sandwiches, juice, crisps. Why not try these gut loving alternatives that will not only keep our digestive system in check and provide us with a good variety of nutrients but will give us an exciting burst of flavours and textures compared to a standard picnic.
Orange chicken mini kebabs:
These are quick and easy to prepare in advice and are a zingy addition to a traditional picnic whilst also providing us with vitamin C to ease the digestive path and get things moving. You can add a variety of spices to flavour the chicken or just plain grill before adding to the skewers.
Peeled grated carrots with chopped dates (with cumin, minced chilli, lemon or lime juice, mint or parsley):
This unusual combination with provide us with a great source of fibre.
Roasted pepper cous cous salad:
Cous cous salad is quick and easy to make and goes well with a variety of fruit and vegetables which will also help top up your ‘five a day’.
Cold Teriyaki chicken wings/thighs:
Combine equal parts soy sauce, mirin and saké with a little sugar and sesame oil; boil for a minute. Use this to baste chicken thighs or wings you grill it. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and/or chopped spring onions – ginger and/or lemon are good too. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before putting into the fridge until you are ready to go on your picnic
Other ways to top up for fibre content to keep your digestive system healthy are:
- Swop white bread/roll to brown or whole meal bread/rolls.
- Aim to have at least 5 different types of fruit and vegetables within your picnic. This will be easy to achieve if you prepare a variety of salads and fruity desserts.
- Ensure that you store all food correctly. By placing ice packs at the bottom of your picnic packet will ensure you food is kept cool for as long as possible meaning germs ad bacteria will find it hard to grow and multiply.
Tags: bacteria, dietary fibre, digestion, digestive health, digestive system, fibre, good digestion, picnic, Vitamin C
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Monday, July 25th, 2011
The school year has finally finished, the sun should be shining brightly and many of us will have holiday plans on the horizon. Whilst all this sounds like ‘heavenly bliss’ getting to the point of relaxing on the beach can often prove to be quite stressful with packing, sorting out the currency, arrangements for family pets etc. Furthermore when we actually get to our exotic destination of choice we have other factors to consider such as coming into contact with different germs and bacteria. Therefore it is also important we plan ahead for the potential dreaded ‘Delhi belly’ to help prevent this and to ensure we get a well-deserved break.
Why not try the following steps to help your digestive health and you can enjoy your trip away in paradise:
- Top up on good bacteria before you go: This can be done by increasing your consumption of prebiotics such as fruit and vegetables and also probiotics.
- Don’t overindulge on the food: Visiting different countries means you will be exposed to many dishes you may not get at home. Whilst this is very exciting our digestive system may not be used to some of these combinations of food. You should aim to be sensible with your choices however don’t be discouraged from trying new things.
- Go easy on the alcohol: When we are abroad we may tend to consume more alcohol as we don’t need to be thinking about getting up early for work the following morning. Whilst it sounds exotic having cocktails by the pool or beach ensure you also keep drinking sufficient water so as not to become dehydrated. Did you know that we are dehydrated way before we are even thirsty?
- Work in some exercise: Exercise is always a healthy part of any schedule, even when you’re traveling. Exercise can help ward off constipation, not to mention burn off some of those extra calories you might be taking in. Why not try swimming a couple of lengths of the pool before the end of the day or take a nice long stroll along the promenade after dinner.
- Pack your medications: Whilst we can prepare our digestive health to ensure we do not become ill on our holiday, sometimes it is impossible to prevent. Therefore it is important that you bring the essential medication such as heartburn, constipation, or diarrhoea tablets.
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Monday, July 18th, 2011
There are more bacteria in your colon than there are humans in this planet! And just as on this planet, there’s competition for space to live. Just as local conditions affect peoples’ choice of where to live, the local conditions in the large intestine determine the types of bacteria that will grow. Like people, bacteria directly affect their environment, while some bacteria have minimal effect, “harmful” bacteria may damage their environment and increase the risk of gastrointestinal problems such as bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, where as “good” bacteria help to keep the environment healthy and often improve digestion and produce certain vitamins. The key is to get a balance between the “good” and “bad” bacteria in the intestines.
The “good” bacteria can be consumed in foods called “probiotics” – the friendly bacteria; these are generally in the form of fermented milk drinks and yoghurts. A good quality probiotic is proven to survive the hostile stomach acids, so they reach the gut in sufficient numbers and able to set up home for a while in your gut flora. Probiotics taken on a daily basis can help to “top-up” levels of the beneficial bacteria in the intestines. They are not a quick fix and need to be seen as a long term investment, as the effects may not be very obvious or immediate.
So have you had your probiotic today?
Tags: bacteria, colon, digestive health, gut, probiotics, stomach acid, vitamins
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Monday, July 11th, 2011
Whilst the British summer often lets us down there will still be plenty of opportunities to have BBQ’s and watch the sunset with family and friends. Although we may not think it at times, the warmer temperatures are an ideal climate for bugs and bacteria to grow causing an increase in food poisoning in the summer months. BBQ’s and picnics can also contribute to this increase as often the storage of food (during the transportation to your picnic’s to your chosen destination) and the preparation and cooking of meat on the BBQ is often an ideal situation for bacteria to multiply putting us at more risk of having an upset stomach. If food is not stored, prepared or cooked properly then food bugs like campylobacter, salmonella and E. coli can cause severe illness.
Following the below steps will take no extra time just a little thought and will help prevent the bacteria getting the better of us and making us ill.
- Always wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food, after touching raw meat and before eating.
- Raw meat can contain harmful bacteria and should be separated from cooked and ready-to-eat food. Do not put raw meats near salad or burger buns.
- Use separate utensils for raw and cooked meat. Never put cooked food on a plate or surface that has been used for raw meat.
- Don’t add sauce or marinade to cooked food if it has already been used with raw meat.
- Barbecued food may look thoroughly cooked when it isn’t. To be sure that it is safe to eat; check that it’s piping hot all the way through, that none of the meat is pink and any juices run clear.
- If travelling with food ensure you take it out of the fridge at the last possible moment and pack with ice back to keep cool for longer.
Tags: bacteria, BBQ, picnic, upset stomach
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Monday, July 4th, 2011
Hay fever affects around 25% of the UK population and the Brits spend more than £80 million a year on pills, sprays and eye drops to ward off the symptoms – the main cause being grass pollen. Hay fever is an allergic reaction to the grass pollen and the immune system responds by producing excessive amounts of an antibody (IgE), which in turn stimulates the release of histamine to flush out the spores. This irritates the airways making them swell and produces the symptoms of hay fever.
Some of you may remember the headlines below;
“Probiotics may soothe hay fever” (Belfast Telegraph, 2008)
“Probiotic hope for hay fever misery” (Big Print, 2008)
“Probiotics could tackle hay fever” (Metro London, 2008)
About 60-70% of the immune system lies within the gut so it was proposed that by drinking a daily probiotic, the symptoms of hay fever may be alleviated.
A five-month pilot study published in the summer of 2008 looked at twenty volunteers, where half was given a probiotic and the other half given a placebo, blood samples were taken before, during and after grass pollen seasons. There were lower levels of IgE in the probiotic group compared to the placebo group during and after grass pollen seasons. So in the summer of last year, researchers were looking to recruit a higher number of volunteers to further the study – keep an eye on this space!
Tags: gut, hayfever, immune system, probiotics
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