Foods to focus on during the outbreak
It was good to hear from so many of you after my last newsletter, do let me know what else you'd like help with.
A lot of you requested tips on how to stay healthy during the crisis. I'm sure you're aware that no one food or lifestyle change is suddenly going to transform your health or immunity and protect you from Covid 19, however I hope to inspire you with these simple additions that I feel have an impact on my own immunity, are part of my regular diet and can easily be incorporated into your diet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. GARLIC can add lots of flavour and health benefits to your diet. It contains a compound called allicin which is active once the garlic is crushed. It has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal properties; there is some evidence that this, alongside its many antioxidants can help fight off infection and may support immunity. It also contains good levels of B6, selenium, Vitamin C and manganese.
So you may already eat garlic but try these tips to get more of it into your diet ~
1. If your recipe calls for 2 cloves ~ double up and use 4
2. Roast whole heads of garlic. Tip ~ cut through the middle of the head horizontally so that you can place the two halves on a roasting tin, see pic below. Once cooked, scoop out the garlic cloves and add to your dish. I add them to lentils, roasted vegetables and salads and it really adds something to the taste.
3. Make a dressing and add a crushed garlic, our favourite dressing ~
1 tsp honey
1 tsp of mustard
2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp of olive oil.
Place in a jar and shake until you have a gloopy consistency then add crushed garlic.
* We aim to have a jar of this dressing in the fridge at all times, it livens up a salad or steamed vegetables like broccoli and spring greens.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2. MUSHROOMS pair well with garlic, they have quite a meaty flavour especially the Portobello and Shiitake varieties, plus they contain good levels of protein. I include them here as they contain beta glucans known for their immune modulating properties, which may give increased resistance to infection.
They also contain Vitamin D, also needed for optimal immunity, if grown using UV light (usually says on the packet) or you can place them outside in the sun and they will make Vitamin D.
My favourite way of eating them ~ 1. Sautéing a few cloves of garlic then adding a cup of mushrooms followed by a tbsp of balsamic vinegar - delicious, works well as a side dish or on toast.
2. Roasting mushrooms with a tray of other vegetables
3. Fill large portobello mushrooms with crushed garlic, thyme and butter and cook in moderate oven for 20 minutes. So tasty!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. OATS also contain beta glucans and good levels of fibre. Fibre encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut plus good levels can have a positive impact on our immunity (70% of immune cells are located in the gut!)
So how about ~
1. A bowl of porridge, granola or overnight oats
2. Adding a cup of oats to your smoothie (if you allow them to sit for 20 minutes they're easier to digest)
3.Homemade flapjacks
4. Whizzing oats in a blender and using them in place of flour
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4. GINGER, contains a pungent oil called gingerol, which seems to have some convincing benefits for our overall health. Some studies suggest it may be beneficial to our immunity too, as well as lowering blood sugar and easing digestion.
How about ~
1. Adding 1 tsp of dried ginger to your porridge
2. Adding a 2 cm piece of fresh ginger to a smoothie
3. Using fresh grated/chopped ginger in stir fires and curries
4. Simmering some slices of ginger in a pot and drink as a tea
5. Using in cakes and baked goods
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5. BERRIES such as blueberries, strawberries, cherries, raspberries are a fantastic source of antioxidants such as anthocyanin, resveratrol and ellagic acid. They are a good source of Vitamin C, folate, manganese, so I'm a big fan and eat them daily, here's how I include them ~
Add a cup to overnight oats, granola or porridge
Add a cup to smoothies
Serve with yoghurt
Freeze them and eat them frozen ~ good when you fancy something to nibble on in the evening and trying to resist the chocolate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6. OLIVES rich in oleic acid, which has proven benefits at helping fight infection and is anti ageing. They're loaded with antioxidants, Vitamin E and K and have anti inflammatory properties.
How to include them ~
1. Eat 4/5 olives when prepping your meal
2. Drizzle olive oil over pasta, rice and cooked vegetables; use as a condiment
3. Make your own dressings ~ see previous one above
4. Add olives to your salads
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stay healthy and let me know if you need any advice.
Thinking of you
Warmest
Amanda
