World Diabetes Day 2014

Today 14th of November 2014 marks another World Diabetes Day.
World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organisation in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat that diabetes now pose. It became an official United Nations Day in 2007 with the passage of United Nations Resolution 61/225.
World Diabetes Day campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and its members. It engages millions of people worldwide in diabetes advocacy and awareness. The campaign draws issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public spotlight.

 The body needs the hormone insulin to use glucose as fuel for cells and to control the amount of glucose in the blood. Diabetes develops when the pancreas cannot produce insulin normally or when the body cannot use the produced insulin effectively.This results in high levels of glucose in the blood if the condition is not controlled. People with diabetes can lead a full and active life.  But if uncontrolled, it can cause a number of serious problems over time such as blindness, kidney failure, foot ulceration and nerve damage. Also, people with diabetes are at greater risk of developing heart disease than healthy people. So it is very important for those diagnosed with this condition to control their blood sugar levels and their blood pressure, to eat a healthy diet, be physically active and to lose weight if necessary.
There are two types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes

This is the insulin dependent diabetes and it usually occurs in people below the age of 30. The cells in the pancreas that produce insulin have been destroyed in people suffering from this, so people with type 1 diabetes need to help their body to use glucose properly by using insulin injections. Nobody fully understands why these cells become damaged, but it may be triggered by a viral or other infection. Type 1 diabetes is managed by insulin injection coupled with a healthy diet.

Type 2 diabetes

If you have type 2 diabetes, then your body either cannot produce enough insulin, or the insulin your body produces does not work properly. Type 2 diabetes tends to be diagnosed in older people, although increasingly, the symptoms are being seen in younger adults and even children. Type two diabetes is caused by obesity (most common cause); hereditary; a diet high in energy, fat (especially saturates) and low in fibre (this diet is harmful because it can cause weight gain and also impairs insulin action); deprivation (people in lower socioeconomic groups: linked with obesity, physical inactivity and a less healthy diet) and high waist circumference (the cut-off waist measurement for increased risk is: 80cm for all women, 94cm for black and white men and 90 cm for Asian men). Type 2 diabetes is strongly linked with obesity and can generally be treated by diet modification and physical activities, although some people do require medication too. 

Prevalence
Around 2.5 million people in the UK suffers from diabetes and this is rapidly increasing. This increase is thought to be linked with obesity epidemic (more than half of adults in the UK are overweight, and about one in four are obese), because obesity is a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes.At least 8 out of 10 diabetics have type 2 diabetes. It is also estimated that up to 750,000 people may have diabetes without knowing it.

Symptoms of diabetes

The main symptoms of untreated diabetes are:

• Increased thirst, and increased drinking of fluids
• Need to pass urine much more often, especially at night
• Weight loss
• Tiredness
• Slow healing of wounds
• Blurred vision
• Itching of the genital organs or repeated bouts of thrush.

In type 1 diabetes, symptoms will usually develop rapidly over a few weeks, often during childhood. There is currently no cure and treatment with insulin is lifelong.

In type 2 diabetes, symptoms develop more slowly, typically over a period of months. Some people have very mild symptoms, which they believe may have other causes so their condition may go unnoticed. A few people show no symptoms at all. It is often preventable and reversible in the early stages if excess weight is lost and a healthy lifestyle maintained.

In the two types of diabetes, added sugar should be avoided, 5-a- day should be eaten (check post on fruit and vegetables for more info), regular meals with plenty of fruits and vegetables containing starchy carbohydrates particularly whole grain and less fat should be eaten to avoid erratic blood glucose- levels, overweight should be avoided. 

Recommendations for diabetes prevention

•  Maintain a healthy body weight (BMI 20-25kg/m²) 
•  Keep physically active 
•  Eat a healthy, varied diet.
•  Base meals on starchy foods, like potatoes, rice, pasta, bread and breakfast cereals. 
• Choose high fibre, wholemeal products.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables, aim for at least 5 portions a day.
• Eat fewer fatty and sugar-containing foods, e.g. fried foods, sweets or pastries.
• Choose lean meat, poultry, fish, beans and alternatives, instead of fatty meat or meat products.
•  Choose low-fat dairy foods, like skimmed or semi-skimmed milk or low-fat yogurt.
• Use vegetable oil in cooking but only in small amounts.
• Choose products lower in salt and use less salt in cooking.

More information on:

http://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/disease/diabetes

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diabetes/Pages/Diabetes.aspx

http://www.idf.org/about-diabetes 

Thank you for reading!!!, Please share

Butternut squash crisp

Hello everyone

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity of demonstrating how to make butternut squash crisp to the people of Kingstanding Community and guess what???? Everyone loved it!!!
Butternut squash crisp is the healthier and tastier version of the our everyday crips. Made with yummy butternut squash, this crisp is simple and quick to make. It is seasoned with cinnamon to give it that lovely aroma and flavour!. Fresh rosemary was added for additional flavour; if you don't like rosemary feel free to use any other herb. You can roast it with the peel as it becomes soft and palatable when cooked. Below is the recipe, just a few lines

Ingredients
One small Butternut squash
few sprigs of Rosemary, chopped
1 tsp Cinnamon
Freshly ground black pepper and salt to season
Olive oil
Method
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/ 190C/ 375F and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
Bring a large pot of water to boil.
Peel the butternut squash and cut in half lengthwise.  Using a very sharp knife, thinly slice the squash to about 1/2 an inch thick (the thinner the cut, the faster and crispier it will cook).
Boil the slices for 1 -2 minutes. Remove from water and lay flat in a single layer on a paper towel to dry
Pat completely dry and transfer to the baking trays, make sure the slices don't overlap at all.
Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the cinnamon, rosemary, salt and black pepper
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20mins checking frequently after 10 minutes to make sure they don't burn.
Remove from the oven once they are crisp and start to brown.
Serve immediately.

Your butternut squash crisp is ready to be eaten!!!

BANANA BREAD

Hello Everyone, 

Wondering about what to do with those overripe bananas? Have you got overripe banana lying around or you just want to try making something new for tea today?; You don't have to worry anymore because the answer to those questions are here……….. let’s go bake some banana bread. Don't be put off by the word “bread” as this recipe does not require any kneading, I mean this is an easy recipe that gives perfect result every time. Just make sure that you use overripe banana for that rich banana taste.  This banana bread tastes so yummy and I am absolutely sure that you will enjoy it. 

Serves 10

Preparation- less than 30min 

Cooking time- 30min – 1hr

Ingredients

285g/10oz plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1tsp ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground mixed spice

½ tsp salt

110g/4oz butter, plus extra for greasing

225g/8oz caster sugar

2 free-range eggs, beaten

4 ripe bananas, mashed

85ml/3fl oz buttermilk (or normal milk mixed with 1½ tsp lemon juice or vinegar)

80g raisins

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, mixed spice and salt into a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together using a wooden spoon or handheld mixer until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk, raisins and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well. Fold in the flour mixture.

Grease a 20cm x 12.5cm/8in x 5in loaf tin or two smaller tins and pour the cake mixture into the tin.

Transfer to the oven and bake for about an hour, or until well-risen and golden-brown.

Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Suggested variations

Use half wholemeal flour and half plain flour to get more fibre, add chopped walnut or pecan nuts to the mixture to make it nutty. Add cocoa powder for that lovely chocolate flavour

Serving suggestion

This bread can be eaten at anytime of the day and it can also be toasted with butter

Nutritional Analysis

Nutrient	Per 100g	Per serving
Energy (Kcal) Of which sugar (g)	248 26	333 36
Fat (g) Of which saturates	8 5	11 6
Fibre(g)	1	1.34
Sodium(mg)	219.69	295.49

RECOMMENDED DIETARY ALLOWANCE

Hello everyone!!! Hope you are enjoying the day. 
Today's post is about the Recommended Dietary Allowance. The Recommended Dietary Allowance also known as Guideline Daily Amount Values/ Dietary Reference Intake is a system of nutritional recommendation that shows the quantities of nutrients in the diet that are required to maintain good health in people. It is to serve as a guideline to inform people of how much of a specific nutrient the body needs on a daily basis. The current guidance is based on the recommendations of the UK Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA).
The table below shows the Guideline Daily Amount Values

Typical values	Women	Men	Children (5-10 years)
Calories	2,000 kcal	2,500 kcal	1,800 kcal
Protein	45 g	55 g	24 g
Carbohydrate	230 g	300g	220 g
Sugars	90 g	120 g	85 g
Fat	70 g	95 g	70 g
Saturates	20 g	30 g	20 g
Fibre	24 g	24 g	15 g
Salt	6 g	6 g	4 g

(Image gotten from http://www.gdalabel.org.uk/gda/gda_values.aspx)

The recommended dietary allowances are average daily intakes of nutrients over a period of time for the majority of the population. They are not absolute daily dietary requirements. Try to eat no more than the GDA for sugars, fat, saturates (saturated fat) and salt. As you will see in the table above there are separate GDAs for women, men and children. Typically, men require slightly more nutrients than women with the exception of salt and fibre. Individual nutritional requirement can vary depending on weight, lifestyle, activity level, age,  physiological state e.g. pregnancy and lactation; meaning some people may need to eat more and others less. the above.
Besides the above, It is also recommended that the women should consume no more than 2-3 units of alcohol daily with a maximum of 14 units per week and 3-4 units daily for men with no more than 21units in a week.

Something for Eid!!!

Hello everyone out there; Eid Mubarak!!! Taqaballah mina wa minka (Amin)

Today I have got something fantastic for you called MELTING MOMENTS; although a bit fatty but never mind it is Eid so let's feel free to indulge for once we only celebrate Eid-Fitri once in a year; we can think about losing the extra fat later.

I got this recipe from ‘theboywhobakes.co.uk’ then decided to try it adding my own twist and it tasted so yummy…I mean it's the best thing since the creation of slice bread; so yummy, so buttery, so rich ;) you just don't want it to finish.

You don't have to be expert to make this fantastic cookie. They can be made in almost any flavour that springs to your mind, try adding vanilla paste or chocolate instead of orange. Get your Apron and off we go to the kitchen. You can thank me later.

Ingredients

For the biscuit: - 250g unsalted butter, room temperature

                          Zest of one orange

                         2tsp orange juice

                         250g Plain flour

                         85g icing sugar

                         40g custard Powder

                         1/4 tsp of salt

For the filling: - 75g unsalted butter, room temperature

                          150g icing sugar

                          2tsp orange juice

                           Pinch of salt

                           Orange marmalade/ strawberry jam/ raspberry jam

·         Preheat the oven to 160C (140C fan, 325F, Gas 3) and line two baking trays with parchment papers

·         Place butter, orange zest and juice in a bowl and beat together till smooth and creamy

·         Sift the remaining ingredients and mix together in a bowl either with hand, mixer or wooden spoon until you form a uniform dough

·         Using your hand, roll the dough into small balls about 20g each (I weigh this) and place onto the prepared trays leaving space between them

·         Dip a fork inside flour and press it onto the centre of each biscuit leaving an indent

·         Bake the biscuit in the centre of the preheated oven for 20 - 25minutes or until uniformly coloured. It should not be brown around the edges

To confirm they are fully baked, there should be uniform golden colour across the base when a biscuit is flipped over. If there is a darker, almost damp looking patch in the middle pop them back into the oven and bake for a few minutes

Allow the biscuit to cool on a baking tray for five minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

Whilst the biscuit is cooling make the buttercream. Place the butter into a large bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Slowly add the icing sugar little at a time, beating until fully combined. Add the orange juice and salt and beat together until light and fluffy

To assemble the biscuits place the buttercream into a piping bag with a small plain nozzle, pipe a circle of buttercream around the edge of half the biscuit (you can use a spoon if you don’t have a piping bag) fill the hole left behind with some jam or marmalade then top with a second biscuit. 

They will keep for about five days in a sealed container

ENJOY YOUR BISCUIT!!!

Drinks

In my previous post about water I advised that we should have about 6-8 glasses a day and this is dependent on the weather and daily activities. It is not only water that is classified as drink. All drinks count but water, milk and fruit juices are the healthiest; it is best to avoid alcoholic drinks.  Drinks include milk, soft drinks, tea, coffee, energy drinks, fruit drinks, smoothies e.t.c

When choosing the type of drink to consume, we should try to choose the healthier ones for a healthy, balanced diet. Try to avoid soft drinks with added sugar because of their high sugar content which can damage the tooth and drinks that are high in sugar are often high in calorie and eating too much calorie can lead to weight gain. Check the nutritional contents on soft drinks such as fizzy drinks and juice drinks so as to make healthier choice
Take a drink whenever you are thirsty in order to avoid dehydration; dark yellow urine during the day is one of the symptoms of dehydration. Water is the healthiest form of drink as it does not contain calorie and sugar. Choose semi-skimmed or skimmed milk for a healthy choice of milk and limit the intake of flavored milk, condensed milk, milkshakes and milk-based energy or sport drinks because they contain added sugar. Choose fruit juice and smoothies that are made up of 100% fruit as they contain a lot of vitamins and also count as one of our five-a-day instead of juice drinks that contain as little as 5% fruit juice and contain added sugar. Tea and coffee contain caffeine which is a stimulant. It is fine to drink tea and coffee as part of a healthy diet but make sure they are not the main source of fluid in the diet. Energy drinks also contain caffeine and are often high in sugar. Some contain other stimulants, vitamins and minerals or herbal substance. Caffeine is not suitable for young children and pregnant women should consume a small amount of caffeine because it causes the baby to have low birth weight. After high intense exercise that last for more than 40minutes drinks that contain little added sugar and salt such as sport drinks and their home-made version should be consumed in order to replace the extra fluid lost as sweat. Sport drinks are similar to soft drinks as they are high in calorie; they should only be consumed when taking part in strenuous exercise

Remember Don't just consume any drink choose the healthy ones!!!

Salt

Salt is made up of sodium and chloride and it is the main source of it in the diet. It helps in food preservation, sharpening the taste bud as well as making food tastier and more appetizing. Excessive consumption of salt triggers high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke

Most people consume more salt than is required in the diet. The recommended amount of salt to be consumed by an adult is 6g a day which is equivalent to a level teaspoon. Most salt in the diet is not from cooked food; about 75% of the salt in the diet is from everyday food such as processed foods, bread, biscuit, breakfast cereals crisp, bacon, and cheese.  The following foods are always high in salt: prawn, dry fish, anchovies, soy sauce, salted fish, stock cube, pizza, ready meals, tomato ketchup, mayonnaise and other sauces, pickles, gravy granules e.t.c.   In order to be able to reduce the amount of salt we consume we should try to reduce the consumption of foods high in salt, snack with fruits rather than biscuit, reduce the salt added to food and use black pepper to season foods such as scrambled egg, pasta, pizza, fish rather than salt, add fresh herbs and spices such as ginger, lime, garlic and chilli to food to taste. A squeeze of lemon makes food taste saltier without adding salt. We should choose foods with lower salt content by checking and comparing labels before buying ; this can be done by checking the nutritional figure for salt and sodium per 100g, the ones high in salt is more than 1.5g salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium) while low is 0.3g salt or less per 100g (0.1g sodium).

Remember Snack with Fruits instead of Biscuits for a healthier diet

Foods high in Fat and/ or sugar

We should eat very little from this group. The UK healthy eating guideline recommends not more than 8% from this group, Australia recommends a very small amount once in a while leaving it out of the main circle and America does not have it in or around their circle so that people will not eat much from it. Foods that are high in fat includes :- butter, margarine, other spreads including reduced fat spreads, cream, rich sauce, gravies, ice-cream, cookies, cakes, puddings, pastries, cooking oils, oil-based salad dressing, fried foods including fried chips, biscuits, crisp, most chocolate. Foods that are in sugar includes:- Jam, sweets, sugar, honey, cakes, biscuit, ice-cream, puddings, pastries, fizzy drinks (excluding diet drinks), juice drinks e.t.c.

The body needs some fat to function properly. Fat helps in transporting fat-soluble vitamins to the body. They also provide the body with more concentrated form of energy.  Foods that contain a lot of fat are high in calorie; so people trying to lose weight should eat less of it as 1g of fat provides 9kcal which is more than double the amount of fat gotten from carbohydrate and protein. We should cut down on foods containing saturated fat (such as some foods from animal origin, cakes, biscuits, pastries) and Trans fat which are found in small amount in meat and dairy products as well as hydrogenated vegetable oils and foods made with them; this is because they can raise the cholesterol level. There are two types of essential fats that should be supplied by the diet in small amounts; omega-3 fatty acid (which is found in olive oil also present in small amount in rape seed oil, walnut and soya oil) and omega-6 fatty acid (which is found in sunflower, corn and soya oil as well as spreads made from them). Sugar adds sweetness and flavor to food but we should try to consume very little from it as it causes tooth decay. Processed foods are usually high in fat, sugar and salt. Diets high in fat and sugar are associated with modern day illness such as obesity, heart disease, tooth decay, type-2 diabetes, over-weight, high-blood pressure and other coronary-heart disease. In order not to eat too much from this group, we should try to use very little amount of fat in cooking, eat scones, malt loaf and teacakes rather than cake and biscuit, spread bread with low fat spread, sliced banana or low fat cream cheese instead of jam, marmalade, syrup or honey, compare food labels and choose reduced fat and reduced sugar foods where possible, choose foods containing unsaturated fatty acid, limit consumption of sugar and sugar-containing foods, dilute fruit juice with sparkling water instead of soft drinks, choose can of fruit in juice rather than fruit in syrup, try leaving butter out when making sandwich.

Remember Try reducing the amount of sugar you add to foods, snack with fruits and vegetables rather than junks and use unsaturated fat instead of saturated fat

Water

Happy World Water Day !!!.
World Water Day is held every 22nd of March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of fresh water and support for the sustainable management of fresh water resources. It dated back to 22nd March 1993 and it was recommended at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992.

Water is very important in our existence. About two-third of the body weight is water. An adult can survive for many weeks without food but can survive for only a few days without water. Though it is not classified as a nutrient, it is very important in our diet and the need for water in our body is second to air. In order to be healthy, it is important that we replace the fluid we lose when we breathe, sweat or urinate. The amount of water needed in the body is determined by temperature, state of health, physical activities, diet and nature of work. In the temperate climates such as UK, about 1.2litres (6-8 glasses) of water and other fluids are required in the body daily.
There are many uses of water in the body such as regulation of body temperature, lubricant for joints, medium for body reactions and swallowing. Drinking a lot of water prevent illness as the water we pass out of our body cleanse the body. Drinking too much water is not good as it can lead to water intoxication.
We should not replace food with water in our diet as each of them plays different roles in the body.

We should ensure that we drink pure water. If we are not sure about the pureness of our water we can boil it and leave it to cool before drinking.
We should try as much as possible to avoid wasting water.
I hope you enjoy your celebration

Remember As an individual we are one drop but together we are an ocean; let's manage the water we have!!!

Meat, Fish and Alternatives

Our body need a wide range of food in order to function properly. The meat, fish and their alternatives are very important in our diet as they help in tissue and body growth and repair, healthy red blood cells, nerves functioning as well as providing energy because of their protein, iron, vitamin B-complex, phosphorous, calcium, omega-3, magnesium, zinc and vitamin D content.

Foods in this category includes meat, poultry, fish, egg and other non-dairy sources like bean, nuts, tofu, pulses (e.g. ,chickpeas, lentils, split peas), mycoprotein(quorn), seitan, legumes, pulses, nuts etc.

Like the milk and dairy products group it is recommended that we eat moderately from this group. About 2-3 portions (12%) will satisfy our daily requirement. We should try to eat 2portions of fish per week one of which should be oily fish such as fresh tuna, herring, sardine, and mackerel because of their omega-3 content which help in protection against heart disease. Some meats are high in fat most especially saturated fat and eating a lot of this can increase the cholesterol level which increases the risk of heart disease. The type of meat we choose and the cooking method can make a huge difference to this. We should avoid adding extra oil or fat when cooking and use grilling or roasting method rather than frying. Roast on a metal rack over a roasting tin so fat can run off. If you decide to fry, fry with oil that is high in unsaturated fat such as rape seed or sunflower oil. The healthy eating guidelines advise us to choose lean meat. We should also try to remove any visible fat from meat as well as skin from poultry. Generally, the more white we see on raw meat, the more fat it contains. We should also cut down on red meat (pork, beef or lamb) as well as processed meat such as sausage, salami, ham, bacon and pate. Reduce the amount of meat in dishes and add more vegetable, pulses and starchy foods. Eggs should be boiled or poached rather than fried. Eating raw egg can cause food poisoning, try using pasteurised egg when using egg to prepare food that won't be cooked such as home-made mayonnaise, mousse as pasteurisation help in killing the bacteria in egg. Eating a lot of non-dairy sources of protein is good.

Remember Beans and Pulses also count as one of our 5-a-day. 

Thank you for reading.