Posts Tagged ‘diet’
Monday, May 27th, 2013
What students eat and drink in the run up to their exams can affect their performance. Taking the time to eat healthily, get fresh air and exercise are very important preparations for a clear and focused mind during exam time.
Nutrition Tips -
Breakfast
Skipping breakfast can mean loss of recall and concentration both detrimental to a student so ensure you choose foods that are high in fibre and give your body a slow steady release of glucose for example
• Wholegrain cereal with milk, fresh orange juice.
• Bowl of porridge with sultanas.
• Wholemeal bread toasted with chopped banana.
Snacks
Snacking regularly on healthy foods can also ensure a steady slow release of glucose to the brain. Useful foods as snacks include
• Fresh fruit or vegetables.
• Popcorn.
• Fruit /Wholemeal scone.
• Dried fruit /nuts.
• Wholegrain cereal bars.
Lunch
Many students will be sitting two exam papers /day so eating a good lunch is very important. Here are some good options -
• Bowl vegetable soup and wholemeal scone/bread
• Wholemeal chicken/ham/egg/cheese sandwich
• Chicken/tuna wrap
Tags: 5 a day, activity, brain, carlow, diet, energy, exam, exercise, fruit, healthy eating, kilkenny, vegetables, vitamins and minerals
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Monday, April 29th, 2013
- Plan what you are going to eat for the forthcoming week and write a shopping list.
- Stick to your shopping list when you are in the supermarket.
- Take a pen and tick off the items on the list as you go, so that you buy everything you needed and so that you don’t stray from the list.
- Don’t be swayed by special offers on unhealthy foods.
- Don’t go shopping when you are hungry.
- Don’t buy foods that you know you will not be able to resist such as biscuits and chocolate.
Tags: carlow, diet, healthy eating, kilkenny, lose weight, nutrition, nutritional concepts, shopping
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Monday, December 10th, 2012
It’s the Christmas party season again! How can we avoid putting on extra weight while having a great time? The following are some holiday eating tips to help you do just that so that you can still look good and be healthy in January.
- Don’t go to a party hungry. We often eat faster and more when we are hungry – therefore eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch on the day to avoid overeating at the party.
- Watch your portion. Treat yourself a nice drink, dessert, chocolate or sweets without guilt, but always watch your portion. Go for small portions. This way you can sample all the different foods. Moderation is always the key.
- Make a conscious choice to limit high fat items. High fat food items can be found in fried food, cream-based soup, cheese-filled casseroles, pies, processed meats such as salami and sausages, some pastries and baked goods.
- Try other versions of alcohol. Instead of beer, cider, creamy liqueurs try dry wine or spirits with diet mixer, which have fewer calories.
- Drink plenty of water. Alcohol and coffee can dehydrate your body.
- Physical activity. Take nice brisk walks with your loved ones and enjoy their company in the holiday season.
Tags: activity, alcohol, calories, carlow, christmas, diet, fat, healthy eating, kilkenny, nutrition, party, portion, snack, sugar, winter
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Monday, July 2nd, 2012
Ingredients
1 banana
200ml low fat strawberry yoghurt
120ml low fat milk
120ml crushed ice
Method
- Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor.
- Blend for 30 seconds to a smooth, thick drink.
- Pour into a tall glass, add ice and strawberries to decorate if you wish.
Tags: 5 a day, banana, calories, diet, drinking, energy, fruit, healthy eating, lose weight, low fat, stawberry, vitamins and minerals
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Monday, May 21st, 2012
Takeaways are often cheap, convenient and satisfying but, unfortunately, they are not always very healthy. Here are some tips on foods to avoid and healthier options when ordering your favourite takeaway.
Fish and chips
- Try to avoid: thin-cut chips, pies such as cheese and onion pie or steak and kidney pie, jumbo sausage.
- Healthier options: fish coated in breadcrumbs, mushy peas, thicker-cut chips without salt.
Italian
- Try to avoid: large deep-pan pizzas, pizzas with the crust stuffed with cheese, triple cheese with pepperoni pizzas, creamy pasta sauces, garlic bread.
- Healthier options: small or medium pizza with a thin base and vegetable or lean meat topping, tomato-based pasta sauces, bruschetta.
Chinese
- Try to avoid: sweet and sour battered pork balls with special or egg fried rice, prawn toast, spring rolls.
- Healthier options: crab and corn soup, steamed dumplings, steamed vegetables and plain boiled rice, steamed fish, chicken chop suey, Szechuan prawns.
Thai
- Try to avoid: fried rice, fish cakes, spring rolls, prawn crackers, satay skewers with peanut sauce and sweet and sour dishes.
- Healthier options: clear soups such as tom yum, salads, stir-fried meat, fish or vegetable dishes, steamed seafood dishes, such as fish or mussels.
Indian
- Try to avoid: any creamy curries such as korma, passanda or masala with pilau rice, naan, bhajis, pakoras and poppadoms.
- Healthier options: tandoori or madras with chicken, prawns or vegetables, plain rice and chapatti.
Kebab and burgers
- Try to avoid: large doner kebab with mayonnaise and no salad, burgers with cheese and mayonnaise, thin-cut chips, chicken or fish patties deep fried in batter.
- Healthier options: shish kebab with pitta bread and salad, grilled burgers made from lean fish or meat (beef or whole chicken breast) and without cheese and mayonnaise.
Tags: calories, carlow, diet, fat, kilkenny, lose weight, nutrition, nutritional concepts, saturated fat, sugar, takeaway
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Monday, April 9th, 2012
So it’s Easter time again! As I researched the content for this blog I came across this article on the Daily Mail website and decided to share it with you all. It’s definitely an interesting read. I hope this helps to keep you all on the right track. Enjoy!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-382232/Easter-Eggstravaganza-Surviving-Easter-diet.html
Tags: activity, calories, carlow, diet, easter, energy, fat, food label, healthy eating, kilkenny, lose weight, nutritional concepts, saturated fat, sugar
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Monday, February 13th, 2012
Valentine’s Day might mean that there is a chance you’ll be eating out. However, eating out usually means that we have little control over how the food is prepared or how large the portion is. Unlike packaged food, foods bought from cafes, restaurants etc. don’t have to carry nutritional information and so opting for the healthiest option might not always be easy. However, with these helpful tips eating out on Valentine’s Day can be both enjoyable and healthy!
General tips
- Never arrive at a restaurant hungry!
- Think ahead, if you know you’re eating out later, choose wisely earlier in the day to keep calories, fat, sugar and salt intakes under control.
- Leave a little time for your food to digest before you order a dessert. Give your stomach time to send signals to your brain you are full (approx 20 minutes). If you still want a dessert, consider splitting it with one of your friends. Opt for sorbets, or fruit dishes to balance out a heavy main course.
- Speak up about how you’d like a dish prepared e.g. ask for no mayonnaise.
- You’re more likely to overeat at an ‘all you can eat’ style buffet.
- Choose side orders of salad or vegetables to fill up on.
- Cut off any visible fat from meat to keep saturated fat intake down.
- Look out for smaller portions i.e. a main meal option as a starter size.
- Opt for dishes which are grilled, baked, steamed, poached rather than fried.
- Check the menu for dressings on salads and ask for it to be on the side. An otherwise healthy and nutritious salad could be drowned in a high fat sauce, bumping up its calorie content.
- Avoid cheese, cream or butter-based sauces
Tags: calories, carlow, diet, eating out, fat, healthy eating, kilkenny, low fat, nutrition, nutritional concepts, portion, saturated fat, sugar, Valentine's Day, vegetables
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Monday, January 30th, 2012
Golden rules to keep your skin looking youthful – the best way to do this is by choosing the right di
et.
Eat your 5-a-day
Fruit and vegetables contain powerful antioxidants that help to protect against the cell damage caused by free radicals, which include smoking, pollution and sunlight. Vitamin C is one of the most powerful antioxidants. It is found in all fruit and vegetables but especially in citrus fruits, red peppers and kiwi fruit. Betacarotene, found in pumpkin, carrots, and sweet potatoes, and lutein, found in kale, papaya and spinach are also antioxidants.
Cut out crash diets
Repeatedly losing and regaining weight can take its toll on your skin, causing sagging, wrinkles and stretch marks. Crash diets are often short in essential vitamins, too.
Stock up on selenium
This is also a powerful antioxidant – studies suggest that a selenium-rich diet can help to protect against skin cancer, sun damage and age spots. One way to boost your intake is to eat brazil nuts, fish, shellfish and eggs.
Drink up
Even mild dehydration will cause your skin to look dry, tired and slightly grey. Drink at least six glasses of water a day – all fluids count towards your daily allowance, but water is the healthiest.
Don’t be afraid of fat
Good fats – the type found in avocados, nuts and seeds – provide essential fatty acids, which act as a natural moisturiser for your skin, keeping it supple.
Zap up your zinc
Zinc is involved in the normal functioning of the oil-producing glands in the skin, and also promotes skin healing. Zinc-rich foods include red meat, wholegrains, wheatgerm and shellfish.
Tags: 5 a day, anti-oxidants, carlow, diet, drinking, fat, fruit, healthy eating, kilkenny, low fat, nutrition, nutritional concepts, skin, vegetables, vitamins and minerals
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Monday, January 16th, 2012
Good nutrition is important all through life and particularly so when trying to become pregnant. 
It is a good idea to make any changes to your diet and fitness in plenty of time before you become pregnant (at least 3-4 months beforehand). This helps to boost your fertility and makes sure that your stores of key nutrients are at their best and that your weight is stable.
Lifestyle changes are just as important for men as for women. Obesity, alcohol intake and nutritional deficiencies can have a negative effect on both male and female fertility- so look at taking these positive steps together.
So here are some tips to achieve that healthy lifestyle and help you on your journey to become pregnant -
- Try to get to a healthy weight – follow healthy eating guidelines and exercise routines.
- Take a folic acid supplement every day – Folic acid is a B vitamin that plays a crucial role in the formation of the spinal cord and brain by helping the neural tube to close over properly. Simply start taking a 400mcg folic acid tablet every day at least 10-12 weeks before you plan to get pregnant. Continue to take it until week 12-14 of your pregnancy.
- Eat more iron rich foods – Most women in Ireland don’t eat enough iron rich foods. Including rich sources like lean red meat, chicken, turkey and oily fish several times a week will help to boost your stores. Including plenty of vitamin C from fruits and vegetables and cutting down on your tannin (tea, red wine) boosts your iron absorption.
- Calcium & Vitamin D – Good stores are needed for baby’s development and to protect mother’s bones. Be sure to eat at least 3 servings of dairy foods (milk, cheese, yoghurt) every day to meet your calcium needs. Vitamin D is found in foods like oily fish, margarines, cheese and eggs. It is also made in the skin through the action of sunlight. Just 20 minutes daylight on hands and face everyday will help to boost your stores.
- Alcohol- cut it down or cut it out – Alcohol intakes higher than the guideline of 14 units a week for women and 21units a week for men may have a negative effect on fertility for both men and women. Excessive alcohol is harmful to your baby’s development, and the early days and weeks of life (when you may not know that you are pregnant) are most sensitive to even moderate amounts of alcohol.
- Smoking- quit now – Smoking cigarettes reduces your fertility. Smoking when pregnant is harmful to your baby and is linked with low birth weight and premature birth.
Tags: activity, calories, carlow, diet, fertility, healthy eating, kilkenny, lose weight, nutrition, nutritional concepts, preconception, pregnancy, vitamins and minerals
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Monday, January 2nd, 2012
So it’s the time for New Year Resolutions again! As I researched the content for the first blog of 2012 I came across this video on the BBC website and decided to share it with you all. 
It gives us an insight into the psychological impact of sticking to New Year Resolutions. I hope this helps to keep you all on the right track. Enjoy!
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/news/health-12068595 >
Tags: activity, calories, carlow, diet, healthy eating, kilkenny, lose weight, new year resolution, nutrition, nutritional concepts, portion
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