Tip of the day: Bread

Eat bread on its own or use it to dip,  mop up or lift the toppings rather than for spreading onto or sandwiching.

Bagette juliennes work best for this.

This has several advantages including:

You use less bread hence cutting down on gluten and carbs.

You appreciate the flavour of the bread itself.(no need for butter if you select good bread).

You get more intense flavours from the toppings, and

you can try a variety of different toppings in one meal without going overboard on calories.

Coming up next:

Photographed healthy suggestions for a variety of toppings, dips and mop ups!

Compensation nutrition

Love bread. There's nothing like good quality artisan bagette, ciabatta, focaccia, pave, boule, etc etc.  BUT THEY ALL contain WHITE refined flour!

That means fast- release carbs depleted of fibre and a range of vitamins including E and B complex ( for healthy bowels, E is an anti oxidant aging and anti cancer and B is involved in function and repair nervous system.

One way round this is lots of green salad of green low calorie vegetables in general such as curly kale and broccoli, eaten alongside these delicious comforting breads.

But for breakfast 400g spinach served alongside an English breakfast or savoury breakfast, (fried in 1 tablespoon of oil) goes a long way towards replacing fibre and nutrients s

But what if you don't want a savoury meal? Then just compensate with a teaspoon of compensation mixture.

Compensation Honey:

2 parts honey by volume to 1 part peanut butter to half a part
Toasted oat bran.

Rehydrating flame raisins

50 calorie Blueberry fruit bowl

50 calorie Blueberry fruit bowl Jam packed with anti oxidents and with another high vit C fruit source this is a perfect start to the day and excellent accompaniment to breakfast. Blueberries can be rather dull and sometimes sharp, so here's how to enjoy the culinary experience.

Preparing 4 day stock

4x1/4 cup frozen blueberries to 1 segmented and chopped sweet juicy orange. Use 1/4 of the orange for squeezing juice over the blueberries but eat the segment skins after juicing or add to blueberry mixture.

 If your oranges are not sweet chop in another sweet juicy fruit or add 3tblesp rehydrated raisins plus the excess hydrating water which is sweet from the raisin fructose (this has to be done overnight starting by just covering the raisins with warm water. Flame raisin are particularly sweet and big)

 For single portion 1/4cup frozen blueberries (need 30mins to thaw at room temp but perfect as a wholefood ice lolly substitute in summer)  to 1/2tblesp raisins or 1/3 sweet med sized orange chopped and segmented or 1/2 medium Clementine ( squeeze a little juice onto blueberries but be sure to eat the segment skins even if prepping in advance). 

Make sure it is a sweet orange otherwise use another sweet juicy fruit like half small pair or hydrated raisins then make up for vit C later eg in between meal snack.

More ideas for chilly morning breakfasts

1. Fruit and nut porridge crumble for a cold morning or on a camping trip.

1 quarter cup whole grain jumbo oats ...150 cal
1/2 cup water.
1 tablespoon raisins....50cals
Cook in microwavable bowl for 1 min
Stir then cook for further 3secs.......subtotal of 200cal

Layer onto a small bowl/ tupaware with lid (if you're on the go) into which you have already sliced 2/3 of a small to medium banana........50cal
and 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries.....20cal
Pop back into microwave for 15secs to thaw blueberries.
Add 1 tblesp of preprepared roasted oat bran powdered oats and powdered mixed nuts.(mixed in equal.proportion to provide a compensatory fibre topping for any dish)...50cal

Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon.dates over the top....30cal (optional....if you prefer to replace water with 1/2 cup unsweetened organic soya)
Total...
350 Cal

MALES increase nut and fibre mix to 2 tablespoons and have both soya milk and dates...increases calories by 100 to bring total to 450 Cal.

Taking stock

Having failed dismally to convert the family to a plant based diet and smug in the knowledge that Dr Mosley's most recent documentary on meat pointed to cured, smoked and red meats as the carcinogenic culprits not white meat and fish.

However, it is specifically nitrates used in commercial quick curing rather than traditional pure salt slow curing that has the strong link to certain cancers.

In 2015 it is possible to be very conflicted in the wake of the whole foods diet which definitely has its merits.

How should we strike a practical and ideal balance to maximise longevity and health.
AFTER ALL PREVIOUS ADVICE HAS BEEN REVISED AND NEW EVIDENCE HAS COME TO LIGHT, WE NEED TO TAKE STOCK AND UPDATE OUR EATING HABITS ACCORDINGLY. Don't get exasperated. Survival of the fittest is predicated on ADAPTATION!

CAN YOU STICK TO 5 WEEKLY DIETARY RULES from 5 TILL 5,  FOR 5 DAYS A WEEK?

THEN SPLIT YOU CALORIES UP everyday on average from Monday to Friday inclusive AS FOLLOWS:

100% unrefined foods, 75% vegan,  50% raw, 5% ACOHOL( PER WEEK), 1% preserved foods including cured or smoked.

The last category require that you take your reading glasses with you when you go shopping!!!! and alcohol allowance is for 7 days.

SLIGHT VARIATION: You might want to fast for 1 or 2 days a week for weight loss reasons

The first category NEGATES ADDED SUGAR BUT contains a provisor: ONLY BREAK ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS INCL. THE 100KCAL DESSERT AT THE MAIN MEAL.

WHAT THIS MEANS IN PRACTICE:
Raw vegetables contain maximum nutrients compared to cooked hence the recent resurgence of the so called Palaeolithic diet which also includes raw nuts, seeds and berries.

Whilst it's relatively easy to sustain a raw diet in summer its pretty tough in the winter. Hence I recommend 50% raw which does not compromise nutrient intake to a significant degree, since the rest of your calories will cone from food which generally needs cooking for digestibility and hygiene eg pulses, grains, and a host of animal protein sources.
HERE ARE SOME MEAL SUGGESTIONS FOR THE AVERAGE BUSY ADULT ON AN BUDGET ....THIS ISNT FOR ATHLETES AND MAY NEED SCALING UP BY 100CAL EACH MEAL FOR ACTIVE MEN.
BEAKFAST
350Kcal breakfast in 2 parts raw and cooked.

A.  Hot oats porridge (2 heaped tablespoons of raw oats, (cooked in the winter optl) with   half a sliced medium ripe banana and 1 heaped teaspoon raisins for sweetness and texture and  1 heaped tsps mixed raw nuts  (crushed to powder) especially walnuts for a high omega 3 content, plus hazelnuts, almonds  and brazil nuts)

Cook oats fruit and nut mixture for 2mins in microwave with double the volume of water...200Kcal

B. Raw chopped mixed fruit ( PEELINGS OF A WHOLE medium sized sweet APPLE and a chopped kiwi or chopped clementine, berries (2 heaped tablespoons preferably frozen blueberries because they're not as sharp and retain more nutrients in the course of a week, as other berries) and  garnished with 1 tsp of desiccated coconut OR 1 teaspoon of chopped dates, according to your taste...150KCal

total....350KCal...YOU MAY WANT TO COMBINE A AND B COMPONENTS INTO 1 BOWL FOR CONVENIENCE. I DONT RECOMMEND MILLING EG LIQUIDISING FRUIT MIXTURE AS YOU HAVE TO DILUTE FLAVOUR WITH A LITTLE WATER WHEN BLENDING ABD YOU LOSE TEXTURE AND CUT DOWN ESTING TIME....BUT ON THE OTHER HAND....Life in the fast lane should not exclude from doing whatever it takes to be healthy.

Tip: Leave fruit out at room temp overnight to take off the chill from fridge or freezer.

The beauty of this breakfast is that if you incorporate 2 teaspoons
of 3 parts oat bran to 1 part wheat bran mixture over component either component A or B it hardly affects the calories.
This allows you to treat yourself to oats porridge made with sweetened soya milk instead of nut mixture or a piece of baguette/petit pain, ciabatta bread or small croissant, to dip into coffee to replace either porridge or fruit mixture.

IN BETWEEN MEALS...only 100-150 calories...few suggestions...medium sized banana, 1/2 cup of sweetcorn, 1 cup lightly salted low fat popcorn...prefer homemade.

Because you've had all your vitamin C and more for breakfast treat yourself to
Jordan's muesli of your choice in a ramekin (3 heaped tablespoons)...NOTE Jordan's GENERALLY Jordan's do not have added sugar, added fat, candied fruit or powdered milk in their muesli

Alternatively dry seeded wholemeal toast for a healthy  carb fix with your tea if you don't fancy more fruit.

LUNCH....PURELY VEGAN

RAW vegetables chopped eg broccoli, cauliflower, peppers celery (unlimited except for colourful peppers

COOKED 1/2 cup Whole meal pasta with teaspoon pesto sauce/tomato sauce  and half cup beans/pulses of your choice or 1/2 cup brown rice  and beans in tomato/curry sauce sauce

COLD OPTION: Half cup whole meal pasta with Butter beans mixed with copped raw veg, olives, chopped spring onions and 1 teaspoon heaped with good quality full fat mayonnaise (EG LIDEL exclusive brand) or whole meal pasta mixed bean salad mixed with raw veg and dressed with Balsamic vinegar, olive oil and garlic vinaigrette.

SPRINKLE ALL LUNCHES WITH A HEAPED TEASPOON OF MIXED SEEDS INCLUDING LINSEEDS FOR OMEGA 3 AND ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS AND A STRONG IMMUNE SYSTEM.

ALTERNATIVE CARBS..1 slice of whole meal seeded pasta or small whole meal pitta breads instead of pasta or rice  is also an option.

DINNER...MEAT OR FISH

150-250 calories starch (1 cup)
150-250 calories protein (50-100g)
100-200 calories fat

OPTIONAL
100-200 calories wine/dessert (1 glass and a large single square (European style partitions..not a whole slab) of dark chocolate OR just 2 squares of chocolate without the wine.

OTHER DESSERT OPTIONS
Use ramekin and teaspoon to eat with
1. 2 round tablespoons  greek  yoghurt with round teaspoon honey

2. Slice of whole meal seeded toast with thin layer of peanut butter or honey.
3. 2 brazil nuts and 2 prunes
4. 2 -3 mixed Dried fruits from Lidel (dried pairs, prunes, apples etc in large chunks and slices) no added sugar) dipped in ricotta cheese or runny peanut butter  (meridian).
5. sliced banana with table spoon of runny peanut butter drizzled over the top or dessicated cocoanut if prefered.

WEEKEND BREAK...DEVIATE FROM THE RULES WITHOUT OVER INDULGING, BALANCING YOUR MEALS AND STICKING TO 5 A DAY. IN PARTICULAR NO SWEET TOOTH, FAST  FOOD OR JUNK FOOD...ITS NOT YOUR LIFE STYLE ANY MORE.

WELL BALANCED HOMEMADE FOOD IS THE KEY TO KEEPING HARMFUL CHEMICALS AWAY FROM YOUR BODY

AND BALANCE RICH MEALS BY REDUCING THEIR PORTION SIZE AND SERVING LEAN SIDE DISHES.

LIMIT REFINED CARBS,  AND WATCH WHAT YOU PUT ON YOUR BREAD!!!!!!
It is best to put nothing at all on your bread but eat good quality bread which you can dip into coffee and sauces.

At the weekend you have the option to treat yourself to a carb feast of soya milk porridge followed by bread/croissant on SATURDAY. Be sure to eat fruit in between meals though.

On SUNDAY treat yourself to a protein feast of a full english or scrambled eggs and mackerel. Accompany this with spinach cooked with onions and fresh tomatoes to balance the meal.

Have a small dessert following the main meal on Sunday.

ENJOY!

Changing 6 lives...on a Budget.

Following a recent documentry about in depth studies done on the  effects of animal proteins on artherogenesis and carcinogenesis (edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/19/heart.attack.proof.diet/index.html ), my husband and I have decided to drop at least 90% of all  animal products from our diet. We may in time end up on a 100% plant based diet depending on our own experience and on future scientific evidence for or againt this lifestyle.

The Science in this study is solid and although following the nutritional advice to cut out all animal products at least  minimise refined processed food and added oil if not cut them out altogether, sounds like the worst buzz-kill to your quality of life (and even ruffles the feathers of the most health concious vegetarians) it is the long awaited good news which promises to reduce our general risk of ever developing cancer, diabetes or cardiovascular disease down to a staggering 1% (from the established 20% due to unknown causes, including genetics, of cancer thus far quoted in the literature). This is othetwise known as Dr Esselstein's plant-based whole foods diet or the Fork over Knife diet.

Thanks to my husband's keen powers of research, a  year on from adopting alternate day fasting to reduce  IGF blood levels and other physiological
risk markers  for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer,  I am once again compelled to change my life for the cause. Except this time, I am taking my whole family with me on this journey.

As a scientist I cannot ignore the staggering results achieved by  Dr Esselstyne (heart surgeon) and Dr Cambell (co-auther of "The China Study" ), who themselves are living proof of  a long and healthy life,  treating cancer and heart patients not with drugs or surgery but with food!
The combination of decades of epidemiological and controlled nutritional studies  done on large population samples from various populations across the globe, including effects of migration and affluence on total protein intakes and protein sources and its strong correlation with liver disease, various cancers and cardiovascular disease together with the reversal of risk factors, physiological symptoms and morphology achieved in patients who adopted the Esselstyn diet, and finally the significantly strong corrolations between percentage milk or egg protein intake and cancer incidences in mice are irrefutable. Furthermore the biological mechanisms establishing a  causal link  has been established by neurologists and other  scientists cited in the documentary. So here we are once again persuing the priviledge of enduring health by taking responsibility not only for our own bodies but also for our planet. And yet again, the answer lies with food.

I have just been to Asda to study the range of convenience meat replacements available to vegans. The result was very interesting.

Firstly, I know we should be aiming for a 6-10% of calories from protein, according to Dr T Colin Cambell 's findings, (which works out at an average 10g of protein for a 500 calorie meal ..a typical non-dieting lady's meal). But what fat intake should we be aiming for? I know we have to keep it low, but while this is easily done with lean cuts of meat, most vegen alternatives rely more heavily on fat for binding, texture and flavour.

I therefore aimed for a max of 10g of  fat from the high protein vegetable source with 5g (half tablespoon per person) to spare for cooking or from other food components such as  reduced fat houmous, soy yoghart, salad dressings, olives, and seeds (eg in multigrain bread ). 15g of fat in a 500 calorie dinner is comfortably achievable and yeilds 27% of calories from fat which is towards the bottom end of the DV range recommended by the US FDA. If this figure is too high by 'Fork over knife' standards it can be further diluted by a lower fat breakfast (eg a small bowl of oats porridge with soya milk and raisins plus a slice of toast with peanut butter...sounds great!)
The other way is not to include added oils in the meal eg serving the product with a light tomato relish, or soy yoghart which is low in fat and kidney beans with rice, to name but one of many tasty low fat options available. This brings me back to the point of compensating to balance the diet rather than sticking to hard and fast rules.

Before I explain my choices in product here are some reference values:
A 500 calorie meal should be split up between high carb source, high protein source and total fat  as follows:   protein source approx.150, fat 100-150, carbs 200-250 calories.

It is easier to think of the nutritional value of a food in terms of the grammes of nutrient per 100 calories consumed. So our biggest plant protein providers should be able to pack a punch worth approx 5g of protein per 100 calories (this is equivalent to 1 tablespoon of peanut butter or half a cup of kidney beans both of which must be eaten with other plant proteins to complete the set of amino acids required by the human body).

Fiber content can be used as an index of how wholesome a food is, for the reasons outlined in the "Forks over knives" documemtary. Aim for approx 3g of fiber per 100 calories.

To cut a long story short, after an hour pouring over nutrition data,  ingredients lists and prices, I came away with 4 products which I was satisfied with, all of which contain absolutely no animal products including egg and milk, as well as no hydrogenated fats and no artificial ingredients. They would only however get an amber code in the Fork Over Knife diet.
They are as follows, starting with the best :(advantages are denoted with a + in front, disadvantages with a -)

1. Asda's Chosen by you "Moroccan Spiced Vegetable Quarter Pounders (+sunflower oil explicitly listed as the oil used, -high fat content means you have to consume 180 calories to get 6.5g of protein)

2. Birds eye vege fingers (+which I know will go a long way towards helping the kids adapt.-vegetable oil used however is not named which is a worry as this could be palm oil.)

3. This came from the packet section ie Asdas meat free savory mince. +versatile and textured soy protein yeilds a whopping 13g per 100 calories at 74p a packet (2-4 servings depending on whether you stretch it with kidney beans for example)+ high fibre and low fat) .
-lots to be done to transform into something edible including added fat. -nutrition data for portion size does not tie up with nutrition data per 100g .QUALITY of cooked product is yet to be determined.

Last but not least another packet mix for £1 from the well reputed Asdas chosen by you range + still only £1.20 for 3-4 portions +with textured soy and the corresponding high protein level in adition to its child friendliness. +target fibre levels, + there is a grill option to lower the fat content.-the only downer is there must be one is that the oil source is again not specified.
BIG SURPRISES
Apart from the steeply priced tofu and falafel (my husband has found these cheaper to buy from London stores Fresh and Wild  and Wholefoods) some Cauldren products, all Quorn  and many Linda Macartny products do not qualify not just by Dr Esselsteins standards but by mine. (cost nowithstanding). What I haven't told is that I intend to modify the diet not only to make it more practical cooking-wise and child friendly, at least until we are better at it.  I will also be drawing from the massive volume of evidence on good and bad fats, the impact of reduced calorie intake in the form of fasting or otherwise and positive effects of other lifestyle choices such as exercise.  I believe that all good science works together synergistically to unravel the mysteries of the human body.

With this in mind I challenge you to make the right choice for you and your family.

Note that the jury is still out on the taste of the chosen products and quality when cooked. Also although added sugar was not an issue in the foods studied (all below 5g per 100calories..another bench mark of mine), I did not take salt content into account. This will be addressed another time when we are better at the diet and besides, a high sodium level could be compensated for by not adding salt to  the rest of the meal.

This is day 1. I can't wait to try the myriad of delicious recepes available on-line. I just hope I can make the time and that the transition will not cause undue stress to the family.

Watch this space.