Posts Tagged ‘nutritional concepts’

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Thai Beef and Mixed Pepper Stir-fry

Monday, January 31st, 2011

Ingredients:

500g lean beef fillet

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 lemon grass stalk, finely shredded

2.5cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and thickly sliced

1 green pepper, cored, deseeded and thickly sliced

1 onion, thickly sliced

2 tablespoons lime juice

Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

  1. Cut the beef into long thin strips.
  2. Heat the oil in a wok or a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the beef and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until lightly coloured. Stir in the lemon grass and ginger and remove the pan from the heat. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
  3. Add the peppers and onion to the pan and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the onions are just turning golden brown and are slightly softened.
  4. Return the beef to the pan, stir in the lime juice ansd season to taste with pepper. Serve with boiled noodles or rice.

Calories per serving – 255,     Serves – 4,     Preparation time – 20 minutes,     Cooking time – 10 minutes

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What’s the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist?

Monday, January 17th, 2011

Many people find it difficult to tell the difference between what a dietitian and a nutritionist does. Nutritional Concepts was founded by Sabrina Doyle who is herself from the Carlow/Kilkenny area to provide the latest diet and nutrition information in a professional, friendly and innovative way. Nutritional Concepts hopes that this blog entry will explain the differences and help you to decide which service suits your dietary needs best.

Dietitian

Definition: A dietitian is a health professional who has university qualifications consisting of a 4-year Bachelor Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics or a 3-year Science Degree followed by a Master Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, including a certain period of practical training in different hospital and community settings. Some dietitians also further their knowledge and skills by pursuing various Specialist Dietetic qualifications. Dietitian is an expert in prescribing therapeutic nutrition.

Regulation: All qualified Dietitians should have met national/international standards for professional legislation. The title “Dietitian” is protected by law in many countries such as Canada, USA, Australia, UK and Ireland.

Work: Dietitians can translate the science of nutrition into everyday information about food. They also have special skills in translating medical decisions related to food and health to inform the general public. Dietitians can work in both the hospital and community. They may work with people who have special dietary needs, inform the general public about nutrition, evaluate and improve treatments and educate clients, doctors, nurses, health professionals and community groups. They undertake the practical application of nutrition with both individuals and population groups to promote well-being and to prevent nutrition related problems. They are also involved in the diagnoses and dietary treatment of many diseases, such as food allergies, kidney disease, diabetes, cancer, etc.

Your safety: Registered Dietitians are members of one or more professional bodies, and therefore they are held accountable for their conduct and the care they provide. Because of this, the reliability and safety of their professional advice and care are ensured.

Nutritionist

Definition and Regulation: A nutritionist is a non-accredited title that may apply to somebody who has done a short course in nutrition or who has given themselves this title. The term Nutritionist is not protected by law in almost all countries so people with different levels of and knowledge can call themselves a “Nutritionist”.

Work: There are also qualified nutritionists, who are people who have completed University Degrees in Food Science, Human Nutrition, Food and Nutrition, or Food Technology. They are also called Food Scientists. University qualified Nutritionists and Food Scientists normally work for food manufacturers, retailed businesses, in research and public health promotion. Some may work as Dietitian Assistants or Food Journalists. Nutritionists do not have any professional practical training, and therefore they should not be involved in the diagnosis and dietary treatment of any diseases.

Your safety: Since the title ‘nutritionist’ has been used by many unqualified people to describe their involvement in food and nutrition related practice, you should be careful when choosing a qualified nutritional professional.

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Shaping Up for the New Year

Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

Have you over indulged this Christmas? Although it is all part of the fun it usually leads to gaining a few extra pounds. Many people make the New Years resolution to start trying to lose weight and here are some tips to help you achieve this.

 

Where to start?

First of all, try not to be tempted by the fad diets that are out there. Even though you can lose weight on these short-term crash diets, the weight is less likely to stay off and you may end up putting on more weight than you started with. Instead look for small, simple changes you can make that will give slower results, but will last longer. In the end you will lose more weight, and even better, you will be able to keep it off.

• Try to limit the amount of foods that are high in fat and/or sugar and usually have few other nutrients.

• Make sure you are eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and wholegrain foods, which are high in fibre. A high fibre diet helps you to lose weight and you need 5 or more portions of fruit and vegetables everyday.

• Choose lean meat, fish and chicken and grill, boil or bake it instead of frying.

 

Exercise

Exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. It can help you to lose weight as well as helping to prevent diseases such as heart disease. We need about 30 minutes exercise, 5 days a week at a moderate intensity. This means you should feel warm and be breathing a little faster when you exercise (you should still be able to talk). Always remember to check with your doctor before you start an exercise program if you have not been active for some time or you are unwell.

 

Alcohol

Alcohol is high in calories and will make a big difference to your weight. Keep alcohol to sensible levels. Check out my blog entitled Alcohol and Units – What Does It All Mean? to recap what these limits are. However if you want to lose weight, drinking less than this will help.

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Why bother with breakfast?

Monday, November 15th, 2010

Breakfast means “breaking the fast”. After a nights rest, eating gives you energy to spark the body into life again.

Breakfast also cuts down on mid morning ‘snack attacks’.

 

No time for breakfast?

  • Set the alarm 5 minutes earlier.
  • Make the sandwich the night before, pop it in the fridge, and eat it when you get to school / work with a carton of orange juice.
  • A glass of milk and a banana are very quick and easy to eat.
  • Fruit can be eaten on the way to school / work. Try bananas, apples, pears, peaches, etc.

Cereal and Milk

  • Healthy choices – Shredded Wheat, Weetabix, Shreddies, Puffed Wheat, Fruit ‘n’ fibre, Porridge, Ready Brek, Rice Krispies, Cornflakes.
  • Try not to add sugar, have sliced banana or sprinkle raisins instead. If you can’t do without, sprinkle less sugar or try an artificial sweetener instead.
  • Sugar coated cereals may damage your teeth, so have these only as an occasional treat.

Toast, bread or muffins

  • Choose wholegrain, high fibre white or malted grain varieties.
  • Try peanut butter, sliced banana or just a thin scrape of jam or marmalade.
  • Easy to eat on the move or on the way to school / work.
  • Use only a thin scraping of butter, margarine or a low fat spread. 

Cooked breakfast

  • Can be healthy, but choose wisely.
  • Try grilled tomatoes and mushrooms or baked beans on toast.
  • Don’t fry your breakfast – try grilling bacon or low fat sausages and scrambling the egg.

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How much water should we be drinking?

Monday, November 1st, 2010

Water makes up about two-thirds of our body weight. Water is essential for the body to grow and maintain itself, as well as being involved in a number of bodily processes e.g. it helps get rid of waste and regulates temperature.

Water is lost from the body through urine and sweat. To stay healthy, you need to replace the fluids you lose by consuming them through your diet. If you don’t consume enough you can become dehydrated.

One of the first signs of dehydration is feeling thirsty. If you think you might not be getting enough fluids, check if you are showing any of these other common signs of dehydration:

  • headaches
  • confusion and irritability
  • lack of concentration and tiredness
  • dark coloured urine and not passing much when you go to the toilet

In climates such as Ireland, we should drink approximately 6 to 8 glasses of fluid every day to stop us getting dehydrated. In hotter climates the body needs more than this.

How to maintain fluid levels – 

  • Have a glass of water when you wake.
  • Regular drinks during the day – don’t forget that tea, coffee and juices can count.
  • Keep a bottle of water in your bag for convenience.
  • Get into the habit of having a glass of water with every meal.
  • The sensation of thirst is not triggered until you’re already dehydrated, so it’s important to drink before you get thirsty.
  • Increase your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, as they too have a high water content.

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Halloween Treats

Monday, October 18th, 2010

Halloween Treats

Ingredients

  • 100g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
  • 275g plain flour
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

 To decorate

  • 400g icing sugar
  • 3-4 tbsp water
  • 2-3 drops food colouring

 

Preparation time: less than 30 minutes

Cooking time: 10 to 30 minutes

Preparation method

1.      Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2.      Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until combined.

3.      Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, a little at a time, until well combined.

4.      Stir in the flour until the mixture comes together as a dough.

5.      Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 1cm.

6.      Using Halloween-style biscuit cutters, cut biscuits out of the dough and carefully place onto the baking tray.

7.      Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Set aside to harden for 5 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

8.      For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir in enough water to create a smooth mixture. Stir in the food colouring.

9.      Carefully spread the icing onto the biscuits using a knife and set aside until the icing hardens.

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Supplements …. Too much of a good thing?

Monday, September 20th, 2010

In Ireland, one in four of us is taking a nutritional supplement (Food Safety Authority of Ireland, 2008), often to make up for what we feel is a lack in our normal diet, or because we feel generally run down, or to help fight off colds in the winter. But can they really make a difference?

Vitamins, minerals and trace elements are needed for your body to work properly. However, that does not mean that taking a supplement is necessarily going to be beneficial.

There is a variety of reasons why taking supplements is not as effective as you have been lead to believe, these include the following:

  • Intakes of vitamins and minerals can be taken in much larger amounts in pill form than would ever be managed from food alone, potentially leading to an ‘over-dose’ of a particular vitamin or mineral.
  • In general supplements do not work as well as nutrients obtained from food as they are not as biologically active; that means the body cannot use them as efficiently.

So as much as certain companies would like you to believe the bottom line is….
If you have a balanced diet, for most of us it shouldn’t be necessary to have vitamin and mineral supplements.

However if you really want to take a supplement keep to a one-a-day vitamin and mineral that provides no more than the daily recommended amounts and avoid taking supplements of single vitamins or minerals.

There are as ever some exceptions where due to pregnancy, certain medical conditions, gut surgery or restricted diets that a supplement will be recommended.

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Good Sources of Energy for Sport

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

Carbohydrate is the most important fuel for energy, so you should eat lots of foods that are rich in starchy carbohydrates.

Many different foods contain carbohydrate. The richest sources of carbohydrate are bread, rice, pasta, cereals and potatoes, but other foods also contain useful amounts, such as: fruit, vegetables, beans, pulses, yoghurt and milk.

Carbohydrate is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen, and if you get tired during your sport or activity, this might be because your glycogen stores are running low.

The more you exercise, the more carbohydrate you need. The actual amount you need depends upon the type of exercise you’re doing, the intensity, duration and frequency of the exercise, and your fitness level.

The bigger the glycogen stores in your muscles, the longer you can perform. So this is particularly important if you do an endurance sport such as marathon running or long distance cycling.

After exercise, your muscles can refuel their glycogen stores twice as fast as normal, so it’s important to eat foods containing carbohydrate soon after you have finished exercising.

 

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Healthy Eating for Sport

Monday, August 9th, 2010

Eating a healthy balanced diet will provide you with all the nutrients you need to take part in your favourite sport or activity.

This means eating a wide variety of foods, see below for how to get the balance right.

If you take part in a sport regularly, perhaps you’re a member of a club or team, or a regular at your local gym, then the best way to get the most out of your sport is to:

  • drink plenty of fluids
  • eat plenty of fruit and vegetables
  • eat plenty of starchy foods (carbohydrate) to keep you going during exercise such as rice, bread, pasta (try to choose wholegrain varieties when you can) and potatoes.
  • eat some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and pulses
  • have some milk and dairy foods
  • just eat a small amount of foods high in fat, salt and sugar
  • eat enough food for your level of activity. If you eat too little then you won’t be able to keep up your exercise levels

It is important to eat a variety of these foods to make sure we get all the nutrients our bodies need.

Timing of meals around workouts is just as important as what you eat if you want to keep your energy levels up. For the first two hours after exercise, muscles can refuel their glycogen stores twice as fast as normal so it’s important to eat carbohydrate-containing foods as soon as possible after a workout or exercise session.

See my next blog for more on starchy foods for exercise.

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Traffic Light Ice Lollies

Monday, July 12th, 2010

fruit-ice-lollies

Colourful, fun and a great way to give fresh fruit to your children.

 

Ingredients

250g strawberries

4½ tbsp runny honey

3 large ripe peaches or nectarines, peeled, stoned and sliced

5 large kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced

 

Method

1.   Puree the strawberries with a hand blender. Sieve the puree to get rid of the seeds.

2.   Stir 1 ½ tbsp of the honey into the puree. Then pour the strawberry puree into each of the ice lolly moulds until each mould is ⅓ full.

3.   Freeze until firm – this should take 1 ½ hours.

4.   Repeat this process with the peaches and 1 ½ tbsp of the honey, then the kiwi fruit with the rest of the honey, freezing between each fruit.

Prep time:           10 min, plus several hours freezing

Cook time:          0 min

Serves:               8

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