Posts Tagged ‘fibre’
Monday, March 11th, 2013
Travelling abroad? Going on holiday to beat the Easter break?
It’s not just about being trim and looking good for the beach, but also avoiding the risk of tummy upsets that are common and can make many holidays become miserable. A survey conducted by Yakult showed that a staggering 10 million Brits have had their holiday hampered due to digestive problems. One in five people have suffered from either diarrhoea or constipation whilst being on holiday. The risk of developing travellers’ diarrhoea is between 5-10% if you’re visiting places such as North America, Northern Europe, Australia and New Zealand but this increase to about 50% for places such as North Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.
Long periods of inactivity on the plane or sitting by the pool, changes in air cabin pressure, dehydration, and different eating and drinking habits, can all contribute to holiday bloating, constipation or diarrhoea. Obvious precautions you can take once abroad include; avoiding local tap water and ice, peeling fruit and veg, and avoiding foods that look as though they have been kept in the warm for hours. However, not many people realise there are actions you can take to help protect your gut prior to traveling. By taking these precautions you can minimise the chances of digestive health problems when you arrive so that you can enjoy your much deserved holiday!
A few tips to consider before and during your travels:
- Look after your gut – Before traveling try to improve the health of your gut through diet. Consider including prebiotic foods in your diet such as asparagus, onions, and artichokes, eating a well-balanced diet and taking a regular probiotic product.
- Be prepared – pack some high-fibre cereal or dried fruits in your suitcase so you can have it for breakfast or as a snack. It is often a challenge to eat enough fibre whilst being on holiday, which can soon effect on your digestion.
- Stay hydrated – Dehydration is a major cause of gut problems when you’re on holiday so drink plenty of water and juices throughout your holiday, especially if you’re in the sun or on the plan as the dry cabin air can dehydrate you.
- Stay active – long periods of inactivity can make the digestive system sluggish so if you’re travelling on the plane do your leg exercises as suggested in your flight handbook or walk up and down the aisle every so often. When you’re relaxing by the pool or lying on the sun loungers, get up and move around every hour.
- Finally visit your GP prior to travelling to see if there are any vaccinations you may need to have before travelling to your chosen destination.
Tags: constipation, diarrhoea, digestive health, digestive system, fibre, Gut Health
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Monday, January 28th, 2013
It’s that time of the year! Planning a ski trip or have one booked already? Whatever your plans are, a ski trip is always an excitement!! It is always a good idea to take a few precautions to help you minimise the chances of digestive health problems when you arrive at your destination so that you can enjoy your much deserved holiday!
A few tips to consider before and during your travels:
- Look after your gut – Before traveling try to improve the health of your gut through diet. Consider including prebiotic foods in your diet such as asparagus, onions, and artichokes, eating a well-balanced diet and taking a regular probiotic product.
- Be prepared – pack some high-fibre cereal or dried fruits in your suitcase so you can have it for breakfast or as a snack. It is often a challenge to eat enough fibre whilst being on holiday, which can soon effect on your digestion.
- Stay hydrated – Dehydration is a major cause of gut problems when you’re on holiday so drink plenty of water and juices throughout your holiday, especially if you’re in the sun or on the plan as the dry cabin air can dehydrate you.
- Stay active – long periods of inactivity can make the digestive system sluggish so if you’re travelling on the plane do your leg exercises as suggested in your flight handbook or walk up and down the aisle every so often. When you’re relaxing by the pool or lying on the sun loungers, get up and move around every hour.
- Finally visit your GP prior to travelling to see if there are any vaccinations you may need to have before travelling to your chosen destination.
Tags: digestive health, digestive system, fibre, healthy diet, hydration
Posted in FIBRE, Gut Health | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013
Happy New Year everyone!
2013 has arrived and the Christmas period is well and truly over leaving many of us with bulging bellies filled with guilt from all the delicious festive food we consumed.
With many of us making New Year resolutions and failing within the first few days why not scrap the idea of saying you are going to stop eating this, going to do that etc. and set out a list of goals or achievements for the coming year instead.
For example instead of saying you are going to lose weight perhaps state what weight you would like to be by the end of the year (or by a certain date) and what steps you are going to put in place. This may help you to reach your goal. It is also important to have reasonable expectations of what you can achieve as there is no point putting a plan into place that does not fit into your daily routine setting you up for an instant fail.
It may also be a good idea to not stress over putting your New Year ‘resolution’ into place straight away. Research has shown that there is a high instance of New Year resolutions being broken shortly after they were made. Getting back into the way of things after the Christmas period can be a bit of a struggle as the January blues set in and we get back to the grind stone. Why not ease yourself back into things first before setting your resolution.
Furthermore, our digestive health may not be at its best due to all the luxurious food we have eaten as well as the size of portions tend to be more generous and that extra chocolate too tempting. Not to worry though as once you are back into your usual routine, things should start to level out and your digestive system running more smoothly. To give yourself an extra digestive boost why not try to add a bit of extra fibre into your diet though eating brown bread, pasta and rice instead of white and a glass of orange juice to help kick start things. A brisk walk in the evening may also help to get things moving as well as making you feel more energised and good about yourself.
Whatever your plans for 2013 are, may we wish you the best of luck and success in achieving them!
Tags: bacteria, constipation, digestion, digestive health, digestive problems, digestive system, fibre, fruit and vegetable, good digestion, Gut Health, nutrition, Vitamin C
Posted in FIBRE, Fitness, Gut Health, News, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, December 10th, 2012
So much to do and only two weeks to go until Father Christmas will be popping in for a visit. Love Your Gut knows how tempting it can be to buy shop bought treats instead of homemade treats as there just aren’t enough hours in a day so…… we decided to try and make your life a little bit easier and give you our top tips on how you can ensure your digestive system has a great Christmas period too.
- If you are feeling bloated try some chamomile or peppermint tea after food. This will help to eliminate intestinal gas and aid digestion.
- Ensure you chew that delicious Christmas dinner rather than gulping it down. This will ensure digestion kicks off to a good start.
- If making Christmas treats always use wholemeal flour to increase your fibre intake.
- Where possible use the low fat option i.e. margarine instead of butter crème fraiche instead of cream, semi skimmed or skimmed milk instead of full cream milk.
- After dinner go for a brisk walk to burn off some of those extra calories we all know we will have consumed.
- If using tinned fruit for your trifle make sure it is in fruit juice not syrup.
Tags: bacteria, constipation, dietary fibre, digestion, Exercise, fibre, good digestion, Gut Health, gut tips, healthy diet, healthy food, Love Your Gut, nutrition
Posted in 5-a-day, FIBRE, Gut Health, News, Recipes, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, October 29th, 2012
It’s that time of year again where the nights are drawing in, the weather is getting colder and we have our pumpkins at the ready for Halloween. Whilst pumpkins are nice to look at once carved it can difficult to vary what you cook with its contents. Why not try this alternative recipe to avoid wastage as well as topping up the fibre in our diet aiding our digestive health.
Gingerbread pumpkin bread
Ingredients:
12 tablespoons margarine, melted, plus extra for pan
2 ½ cups flour, plus more for pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
½ pumpkin puree
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Grease and flour two loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients (excluding white and brown sugar).
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the butter, pumpkin, sugars, and eggs.
- Add dry mixture and stir until just combined.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake 45 to 50 minutes, until the mixture is firm to touch.
- Cool 15 minutes, remove from pans, and cool completely before serving.
Filo pumpkin pie
Ingredients
- 750g butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces
- 150g broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 roasted red pepper sliced
- 60g butter, melted
- 8 sheets filo pastry
- 100g pancetta, torn into large pieces
- 100g feta, broken into large pieces
- 8 eggs, lightly whisked
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 125g haloumi, cut into 2cm pieces
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 15g baby rocket leaves
- 1/2 cup small fresh continental parsley leaves
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
Method
- Preheat oven to 180ºC. Place pumpkin in a steamer basket over a saucepan of boiling water. Cover. Steam for 15 minutes or until just tender. Add the broccoli to the steamer basket. Steam for 5 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp.
- Lightly grease an ovenproof frying pan. Place the filo onto a clean work surface. Cover with a dry tea towel, then a damp tea towel (this prevents it from drying out). Brush 1 filo sheet with a little of the melted butter. Fold in half, crossways. Place in the pan, allowing it to overhang slightly. Repeat with remaining filo and melted butter, turning and overlapping each sheet slightly to line the pan completely.
- Arrange the pumpkin, broccoli, pancetta and feta evenly over the filo. Pour over the egg mixture.
- Fold the pastry over the filling to slightly enclose. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until set and golden.
- Heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium-high heat.
- Add the haloumi and cook, turning occasionally, for 2 minutes or until golden. Add the lemon juice and toss to coat.
- Combine haloumi, rocket, parsley and shallot in a bowl. Top the frittata with a little haloumi salad. Serve with the remaining salad.
Tags: constipation, dietary fibre, digestion, digestive health, digestive system, fibre, fruit and vegetable, good digestion, Gut Health, Love Your Gut, nutrition
Posted in FIBRE, Gut Health, News, Recipes | No Comments »
