Ingredients

• 2 Tsp cumin seeds
• Pinch chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 600g carrots
• 140g split lentils
• 1 litre hot vegetable stock
• 125 ml milk

Method

1. Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas.
2. Scoop out about half of the seeds with a spoon and set aside.
3. Add the oil, carrot, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have swollen and softened.
4. Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth (or leave it chunky if you prefer).
5. Season to taste and finish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted spices.
6. Serve with warmed naan breads.

So what did you get up to this Bank Holiday? With the wet and windy weather – I wouldn’t blame you if you just stayed indoors!

The grey weather seems to be staying for a while…so below are a few tips to keep your gut healthy, helping to boost your immune system, which may reduce the chances of you catching a cold or the flu as about 70% of your immune system lies within the gut

• Probiotics and Prebiotics – Taking a daily probiotic will increase the number of beneficial bacteria in your gut. This will reduce the chances of the “bad” bacteria from affecting the host. Why not also have choose foods containing prebiotics in your diet? Prebiotics are foods that will stimulate the growth of your own beneficial bacteria in the gut; foods include bananas, onions and leeks.

• Eat plenty of fruits and veg – Fruit and vegetables contribute to a healthy and balanced diet. They’re an excellent source of dietary fiber, which helps maintain a healthy gut and prevent constipation and other digestive problems. They are also a good source of vitamins and minerals, including foliate, vitamin C and potassium.

• Porridge – Eating a warm bowlful of porridge on a cold morning isn’t just a delicious way to start your day, it also helps you to boost your intake of starchy foods and fiber, which give you energy and help you feel fuller for longer, stopping the temptation to snack mid-morning. Oats also contain lots of vital vitamins and minerals.

• Exercise – Regular exercise will make you feel more energetic, especially during these gloomy days, your body’s defences will also benefit. You may be tempted to eat more during the colder months. Exercising will help you manage your weight better and keep your body in shape.

Ingredients

• 1 courgette  sliced lengthways
• ½ red and ½ yellow pepper, cut into strips
• olive oil, for drizzling
• 50 grams butter beans
• 50g sundried tomatoes
• 50g raisins/sultana’s
• 200g/7oz wholemeal couscous, cooked according to packet instructions
• 1 orange, juice and zest
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• small handful fresh mixed herbs such as parsley, mint, basil and coriander, chopped
• 2 tbsp black olives, stones removed
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method

1. Drizzle the courgette and red pepper slices with olive oil (do not overload).
2. Place in the oven and roast until softened.
3. Chop the courgette and red pepper into slices
4. Place the couscous into a large bowl. Add the courgette and pepper pieces and all the remaining ingredients and mix well.
5. To serve, place into a serving dish.

Feeling bloated and guilty due to eating too many Easter Eggs? By following the below advice we will help kick start your digestive health, help you get into better shape and be ready for summer.

• Don’t peel your vegetables. This will help increase the fibre content (however please ensure that they are washed properly).
• Have fibrous cereal e.g. shredded wheat, Branflakes and Shreddies. Fibre adds bulk and helps keep.
• Aim to do 30 minutes of exercise per day i.e. walking the dog, getting off a stop early, going for a walk at lunch etc.
• Always choose the ‘brown/wholemeal’ option. For example brown/whole grain rice, pasta and bread.
• Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. It encourages the passage of waste through your digestive system and helps soften stools.
• Cut down on fatty foods a good method is to grill instead of fry, that way you can still have your chips but the healthier way.
• Go easy on spicy food. Many people love spicy food and it doesn’t bother their digestive system however others find it upsets their stomach. It’s not just scorching hot foods like chillies that trigger heartburn. Milder foods such as garlic and onion can also bring it on.
• Limit your intake of caffeinated and or fizzy drinks as these can sometimes boost the acid in your stomach as well as caffeine acting as a diuretic.

With modern day life, everybody will experience stress to some degree or another.  Small amounts of stress may actually be good, as it keeps us alert and energised. However, too much stress may result in problems!

One of the first parts of the body to react to stress is our digestive system, causing gastrointestinal problems such as bloating, constipation and diarrhoea.

The release of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, makes our heart beat faster, this will in turn influence the motility and the natural movement of our digestive system. Hence, after an episode of extreme stress, people are more than likely to suffer a bout of diarrhoea, and in some case even vomiting.  Long term stress can increase the risk of chronic conditions such as ulcers and a range of gut complaints.

Not only stress itself can affect the digestive system,  being stress also means we may be more likely to indulge in lifestyle habits that are not ideal for our digestive system, such as excessive smoking and drinking, less exercise, poor eating habits resulting in an unbalanced diet, in turn causing an unbalance of good and bad bacteria in our gut.

A few points to consider in relieving stress:

• Breathe deeply – take long deep breaths which may calm us down
• Plan ahead – make plans for your commitments so you feel more in control
• Limit intake of caffeine – stimulants can worsen stress levels
• Exercise – exercise dissipates the adrenaline that builds up within us during stress

So make sure you take time out to relax and enjoy life!  

Did you have some “me time” this bank holiday?

How to beat those usual digestive problems!

Feeling bloated and guilty due to eating too many Easter Eggs? By following the below advice we will help kick start your digestive health, help you get into better shape and be ready for summer.

• Don’t peel your vegetables. This will help increase the fibre content (however please ensure that they are washed properly).
• Have fibrous cereal e.g. shredded wheat, Branflakes and Shreddies. Fibre adds bulk and helps keep.
• Aim to do 30 minutes of exercise per day i.e. walking the dog, getting off a stop early, going for a walk at lunch etc.
• Always choose the ‘brown/wholemeal’ option. For example brown/whole grain rice, pasta and bread.
• Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. It encourages the passage of waste through your digestive system and helps soften stools.
• Cut down on fatty foods a good method is to grill instead of fry, that way you can still have your chips but the healthier way.
• Go easy on spicy food. Many people love spicy food and it doesn’t bother their digestive system however others find it upsets their stomach. It’s not just scorching hot foods like chillies that trigger heartburn. Milder foods such as garlic and onion can also bring it on.
• Limit your intake of caffeinated and or fizzy drinks as these can sometimes boost the acid in your stomach as well as caffeine acting as a diuretic.

Why not keep in mind some of the below tips that may reduce the chances of you getting the above gut problems;

Constipation:

• Top up on fibre intake – try to eat more high-fibre cereals or dried fruits, which can help digestion and reduce constipation. For a healthy bowel, you need a variety of fibre such as wholemeal bread, brown rice, fruit and veg, beans and oats.
• Reduce fat intake – fatty foods, such as chips, burgers and fried foods, are harder to digest and can cause stomach pain and heartburn. Cutting back on greasy, fried foods eases your stomach’s workload. Try to eat more lean meat and fish, drink skimmed or semi-skimmed milk and grill rather than fry foods.
• Stay hydrated – drink plenty of fluids, especially water. It encourages the passage of waste through your digestive system and helps soften stools. Fibre acts like a sponge, absorbing water, and without fluid the fibre can’t do its job, causing constipation.

Diarrhoea:

• Reduce fat intake – foods high in fat / high in oil can aggravate diarrhoea.
• Food/drink intake – reduce the amount of liquids you are drinking as it may make the diarrhoea worst. If you feel hungry, try to eat dry foods such as toast, biscuits and crackers.
• Take care with food and personal hygiene – Many cases of diarrhoea are caused by food poisoning; take care when dealing with raw and cooked meats, use a different chopping board for meat and vegetables.
• Antibiotics – When taking antibiotics, you may experience mild diarrhoea so you should try to repopulate your gut with friendly bacteria – probiotics!

Wind and Bloating:

• Eat and drink more slowly as this will reduce the amount of air you swallow when you eat.
• Reduce the amount of foods that are known to cause gases i.e. onions, baked beans, whole grains.   
• Reduce the amount of starchy foods in your diet – they produce gas when broken down in the intestines (except rice and rice flour), substitute potato with rice or wheat-based carbohydrates.

Have a look at your diet to see what changes you can make that may reduce the chances of you experiencing tummy troubles!

One common reason we may become bloated may be that we have an imbalance in the gut flora. For example, this may be due to going travelling or having a stomach bug. Constipation is another known factor in increased gas and having that bloated feeling. Interestingly densities of the well-known beneficial bacterial species Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus were observed to be lower in patients with constipation, and concentrations of potentially pathogenic bacteria and yeasts such as candida albicans may be higher. These often produce hydrogen or methane gas which contributes to making you r stomach feeling uncomfortable however the symptoms will be alleviated once this imbalance has been corrected. One way to fix this imbalance is to increase your consumption of foods that contain the beneficial bacteria, for example fermented milk products, yoghurts and also foods that promote the growth of the beneficial bacteria
Food that may help include promote the growth of beneficial bacteria may include:
• Garlic
• Asparagus
• Onions
• Leek
• Wheat bran
• Banana.
As mentioned above a common problem of a bloated stomach may be maldigestion or malabsorption of carbohydrates. Unabsorbed carbohydrates in the colon act as food for bacteria, this breakdown produces hydrogen gas and short chain fatty acids. At the low end of the scale this can produce wind, and at the high end, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Lactose intolerance is a potential culprit, as is celiac disease.
Therefore you should try and limit you intake of foods containing gluten such as barley, rye, wheat and lactose i.e. foods such as dairy foods. However it is important to remember that these foods also contain essential vitamins and minerals such Calcium, vitamins A and D therefore you should ensure that you get these from other sources in your diet.
If the above symptoms persist, you may need to seek advice from your GP or Nutritionist to get a true diagnosis.

Busy day? Busy week? No time to think about what to eat? …Why not try the below recipe for a mouth-watering lunch/dinner?

Basil and Lemon Chickpeas with Mackerel

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 bunch spring onion, sliced
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
• Zest of 1 lemon and squeeze of juice
• 2 cans of 400g chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 150ml vegetable stock
• 85g sun blush tomatoes, halved
• 4 mackerel fillets, with skin
• 1 large bunch of basil

Method:

1. Using a large shallow pan, heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Add the spring onions, garlic and lemon zest and cook for 2mins until the onions are tender but still green. Add the chickpeas and coat well in the onion mixture. Crush the contents in the pan lightly with a potato masher. Add the vegetable stock and tomatoes and simmer for 3-4mins, until the liquid is reduced. Set aside to cool.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a non-stick frying pan. Season the mackerel fillets on both sides and fry on each side for 3mins, starting with the skin side down.
3. Add the basil and lemon juice to the chickpea mixture and season to taste. Spoon the chickpea mixture on a serving plate and place mackerel fillet on top.

There you have it – a healthy, low GI meal! What’s great about this meal is that it is low GI so you will feel fuller for longer and you are consuming your one of three portions of oily fishes per week.

A healthy balanced diet contributes to a healthy digestive system – resulting in health benefits such as boosting energy levels and mood, feeling great inside and outside! Having an unhealthy digestive system may cause gastrointestinal problems such as bloating, constipation and diarrhoea.