It’s no new news that Salmon is good for you but we thought you should get to know exactly how good this pink fish really is when it’s true wild salmon (not farmed). Salmon is without a doubt one of the best foods to eat when it comes to health foods. Salmon is true brain food and as an added bonus it’s good for the body too. Salmon is one of the best sources you can get for Essential Fatty Acids such as Omega 3, rich in protein, low in saturated fat, has minimal contaminants present and a wealth of other attributes that help us become healthy individuals.

If wild, Salmon can help prevent Dementia, adjust mood for the better, improve synaptic connections (that’s good too), improve your arteries (good for the heart naturally), reduce your risk of stroke and Alzheimer’s.

The humble apple is not so humble when it comes to health. Drinking a cup of fresh pure apple juice in the morning (make sure it’s fresh and not from concentrate) will give you a large variety of long term health benefits as well as ticking off a box for your five a day.

Apple extract has been recorded as having the second highest level of antioxidants present when compared to other typically consumed fruits. Apples contain a range of Phytochemicals which are well documented as being powerful antioxidants.

In fact apples have been shown to help reduce cholesterol, inhibit the spread of cancer cells, reduce the risk of asthma, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

So be sure you eat your apple a day to keep the doctor away!

There are many reasons why you should stop eating too many sugar filled candy treats. The top contenders to stop eating sweets are the risk of obesity, tooth decay and diabetes. One of the main problems we face today as a modern family is how we can get our kids to eat more healthily. It’s very distressing to hear tales of parents allowing their kids to become obese at a young age and letting them eat what they want. As parents it’s our role to make sure we look after our kids and keep them healthy and happy whilst in our care and even when they are all grown up themselves.

But how do you get your kid to stop eating sweets? First remove the temptations in the home. Buy healthy food stuffs only, fresh fruit is always a good thing to have plenty of around the home. If your child asks for a snack they can eat an apple or other such healthier alternative. If they don’t want the apple, they aren’t really hungry so don’t give in to them. It can be hard, but stick with it and stand your ground. As soon as the kid knows they can make you give in they will continue to do it.

Second, get the support of family and other people who look after them. make sure that whent hey go to Nanna’s house they can have the occasional treat but they don’t get loaded with crisps and pop. Your family will understand and respect your wishes if you talk to them about it.

Make sure you child has a pre-packed lunch without school pocket money for Tuc shop and lunch time snacks and candy machines. Give them lots of healthy treats to eat in their lunch box so they have more than enough healthy food to keep them going.

In order to have the right amount of fruit and vegetables per day for good health, you need to consume 80g per portion of both fruit and vegetables. It will be easier if we look at some examples:

1. Two Apples, One banana, One 80g portion of carrots, One 80g portion of Peas.

Example one consists of two portions of the same kind of fruit (Apples) so this is only FOUR of the five a day.

2. One Apple, One Banana, One Pear, One Plum, One Orange.

Example two contains only fruit. Vegetables are needed as well to make the five a day so this is at best only FOUR of your five a day.

3. One Apple, One Banana, One portion of mixed carrots, sweet corn and peas.

Example three has five different fruit and vegetables in it but does not have enough of them. In order to count as three separate portions of vegetables, the mixed vegetables would need to be at least 240g! This is therefore only THREE of your five a day.

4. One Apple, One Banana, One 80g portion of Carrots, One 80g portion of Peas, One 80g portion of Potato (Either Jacket, Chips, Mashed, Grilled, Roasted etc).

Example four has potato included which does not count as one of your five a day. Potato is a staple carbohydrate and not included in your five a day despite being a vegetable. This is therefore only FOUR of your five a day.

Just bear in mind that eating the same thing does not count as extra portions and potato in all its forms does not count as a portion at all.

Your health is important; you don’t need us to tell you that. A person’s health can affect their lifestyle, how they feel and what they can do. Likewise, a person’s lifestyle can affect their health. Health is on everyone’s lips this year as we are inundated with the dos and don’ts of health and wellbeing.

Have you had your five a day?

A shocking proportion of the population actually hasn’t, but believe in earnest that they have. The advertising for the five a day has been poor at best and the information that is most getting through is from food companies advertising their products as “One of your five a day” to cash in on this health advice. What people don’t understand is what constitutes a portion. Many believe having two or three apples, for instance, counts as three portions. This is not the case; the daily recommended amount of fruit and vegetables is based on the idea of you having five separate portions of different fruits and vegetables.

So what do you do if you need to use oil? Cooking methods like stir frying for example can be a very tricky process to try and improve on for healthier food. Some people have suggested just heating a small amount of broth in the base of your wok instead of oil. You will not be able to add the ginger straight away as it will stick to the base of the pan, but most Asian dishes will include a roughly quartered onion as prior preparation so using this as the first ingredient will help add moisture. You will then be able to add the ginger as normal.

If all else fails, there are some low calorie oil sprays you can buy instead that will at least cut down your oil intake.

Knowing the best health foods isn’t always everything you need to know when it comes to great health diet programs. Knowing what storage processes and how to cook it is also a vital part of being healthier. Obviously frying healthy foods makes them significantly less beneficial for you but there are other things you need to be aware of as well. In fact you can lose around 50 to 80% of the nutrients in your food by using conventional cooking methods. The best way to cook healthy food is to steam it. Naturally steaming foods are a great way to keeping the nutrients you need. If you are boiling your vegetables try adding some of the water you used to your gravy as quite a few nutrients will have been transferred to the water in the process and it will also add extra flavor to the gravy. These methods aren’t perfect but they can help to maintain more minerals nutrients from the food.

In reality, there are many more food stuffs out there that are great health promoters. The problem is, many of them will be prepared in an unhealthy way or stored in a way which takes most of the nutrients away. Ideally you want as many fresh foods as possible in your fridge but because they don’t last forever, frozen foods are the next best thing. Some nutrients are lost during the freezing process but they still have relatively high levels when you compare them to tinned goods. Try to avoid all tinned vegetables as much as possible. Not only will most of their nutrients have been reduced dramatically but they will also contain other ingredients such as preservatives and excess oil, salt or sugar.

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