After enjoying the long bank holiday weekend this Easter, it can be difficult and tiring getting back into the work routine again. 

It’s easy to get used to those luxury lie-ins and there’s no worse sound than the trill of an alarm clock at 7am on Tuesday morning. Plus with all of those chocolate eggs consumed, we’ll all need at least a week to recover from the sugar coma.

Unfortunately office nap rooms haven’t been invented yet, so we’ll need to find other ways of fending off the midday fatigue. Often, we underestimate the importance of our diets and the drastic effects food has on our body and minds.

Next time you can’t stop yourself thinking about your cosy bed, try heading instead to the fridge.

Fighting fatigue is simply a case of arming yourself with the right weaponry, all easily available straight from your local supermarket:

Weapon one: Vitamin C

Fend off annoying sniffles and coughs with Vitamin C. Vitamin C comes in citrus fruit including oranges, pineapples, kiwis and grapefruit. Aim to eat two portions a day as vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, meaning that it strengthens the immune system and fights against viruses. It also encourages the absorption or iron from other food so your body can get the most of the nutrients from the food you eat.

Weapon two: Magnesium

Suffering from aches, muscle tiredness and cramps? You might not be consuming enough magnesium. Magnesium is essential for over 300 biochemical reactions across the body. It aides muscle contraction and therefore helps with movement. You can find magnesium in things like muesli, dried fruit and dark chocolate, making it easy to slip into breakfast or healthy snacks throughout the day.

Weapon three: Vitamin E

If you’re a fish lover, you’re in luck. Fish is packed full of Vitamin E, which plays a protective role in cellular membrane and helps the brain to function properly. This helps you to feel more alert and increases your concentration levels, allowing you to breeze through those morning meetings. Try to eat at least two portions of fish a week and try to choose oily fish such as salmon and mackerel for a good dose of healthy fat.

Weapon four: Calcium

As children we were constantly told to drink milk for strong bones. However, calcium is also great for easing muscle movement and boosting energy. Having a deficiency in calcium makes the smallest activity laborious and tiring, so make sure you stock up on natural yoghurt and milk.

Weapon five: Iron

Iron deficiency can make us look pale and feel week and is thought to be a cause of anaemia. Eat plenty of red meat, including steak, black pudding and roast beef for a boost of energy and strength to your blood.

Always consult a GP if you plan to significantly change your diet because everyone has different reactions to different foods. For professional nutritional advice, you are advised to see a nutritionist.

View and comment on the original Yahoo News article. 

Kit cooking is currently taking the supermarket shelves by storm, but are the next generation of ready meals really worth the price?

Meal kits providing you with a box containing both prepared ingredients and instructions on how to throw them together are presently experiencing a surge in popularity and could be set to overtake the ever-faithful microwaveable dinner. But are they really the sophisticated older sister of the traditional ready meal? Or are they a bit of a con?

A relatively new company called Scratch is soon set to launch their take on the ready meal in supermarket chain Sainsburys. All of the ingredients needed for dinner are contained within the box, with the chicken tikka masala kit containing chopped meat, curry paste, tomatoes, yoghurt and rice. The boxes are intended to feed one person a moderate sized portion and will set you back four pounds a pop – pretty pricey if you are looking to feed an entirely family.

The shelves are also currently awash with meal kits that are minus the perishable items. Mexican meal kits have long since been popular but now we are starting to see more and more Thai, Spanish and Japanese versions.

Whilst meal kits such as those mentioned do have clear benefits – namely convenience and simplicity – is that really enough to warrant paying through the nose for ingredients we could simply go around the supermarket and pick up ourselves?

Well some individuals are arguing yes and others no.

Many of these kits simply contain sachets of sauce and spice selections, which many individuals will assume are fixed and cannot be improved. They take the creativity and experimentation out of cooking and make the process rigid and regimented.

However, others argue that if you’ve never cooked and want to learn, these kits are good for holding your hand for a while.

Price wise the meal kits also come under scrutiny. Feeding a family of four with the Scratch kits would set you back a rather high £16 for one meal – considerably more than it would cost to buy the ingredients yourself (some of which could go in the store cupboard).

What’s your opinion of meal kits? Are you willing to pay more for convenience and simplicity?

View and comment on the original Guardian article.

Easter weekend is looming and, for the sweet-toothed among us, this means only one thing…

Chocolate. And lots of it.

The problem is that with all the delicious, calorie-laden treats on offer, it’s going to be very difficult to say no. For those of us trying to keep a healthy weight, Easter has the potential to undo all of our hard work.

The bottom line is this: it’s very difficult to lose weight in a culture that flaunts junk food at every turn. We need to have self-control of steel if we want to have abs of steel and when faced with a cupcake or a treadmill, the cupcake usually wins.

Luckily, the British Nutrition Foundation has come up with a few tips we can all try to follow this year to keep our hearts healthy and our figures in shape. Hopefully we won’t be forced to skulk in the corner with a salad while the rest of the family tucks into a mountain of chocolate.

Rule one:  No grazing. When every surface is covered in bowls of little foil-covered chocolate eggs, it’s easy to graze throughout the day. Unfortunately, this makes it very hard to keep track of everything you’ve eaten. If you do eat a couple of treats, keep hold of the wrappings as a reminder not to go overboard.

Rule two: Take your time. Don’t just eat until your full, or eat because the eggs are there. Set out a time for eating your chocolate and enjoy every mouthful. Remember that it doesn’t all have to be eaten at once. If you received a lot of chocolate from family and friends, think about handing some out at work on Tuesday.

Rule three: Go dark. Dark chocolate has a higher percentage of cocoa butter than milk or white chocolate and as such, contains less sugar and fat. It usually has a richer, more chocolaty flavour so you’ll become full more quickly and be less tempted to overeat.

Rule four: It’s not all about chocolate. If you have young children in your family, you could think about introducing other fun aspects to Easter that don’t involve egg hunts or nest cakes. Try painting hard boiled eggs with bright colours, or making wholemeal hot cross buns together. There are plenty of tasty and exciting Easter treats available that aren’t going to compromise your health.

Rule five: Go outside. Make the most of the beautiful crisp Spring weather this year. If it’s sunny, set up the table in the garden and soak up the Vitamin D from the rays (after applying sun protection of course). Take a brisk walk or two every day to burn off some of the excess calories, clear your head and escape the temptation of the cake tin!

Remember, it’s perfectly fine to treat yourself once in a while. Sometimes, depriving ourselves of the foods we love can make us unhappy and promote a negative relationship with food. Moderation is the key and exploring the alternatives makes for a fun and healthy Easter weekend.  

Read our previous article about enjoying an ethical Easter, or explore how a nutritionist may be able to help you become healthier by viewing Nutrition Topics.

View and comment on the original article at the British Nutrition Foundation. 

According to new research, people who eat chocolate on a regular basis tend to be thinner than those who don’t. 

Whilst eating chocolate does boost calorie intake, a recent study published in Archives of Internal Medicine has revealed that regular chocolate consumption was actually related to a lower body mass index (BMI).

The study in question involved the investigation of diet, calorie intake and BMI in 1,000 American study participants.

Interestingly, the researchers found that it was the individuals who ate chocolate regularly throughout the week that were slimmer on average that those who only ate it occasionally.

Though more research is needed to cement the theory, researchers believe that the reason for this could be related to the fact that chocolate contains a number of ingredients that may favour weight loss as opposed to fat synthesis.

Dr Beatrice Golomb (lead author) and her research team believe that antioxidant compounds present in chocolate which are known as ‘catechins’, can improve muscle mass and reduce weight.

Whilst the muscle mass studies have only currently been conducted in rodents, the findings so far have shown that epicatechin which is present in dark chocolate, improves exercise performance and noticeably changes muscle composition.

The research team have said that clinical trials will now need to be conducted in humans to see if these benefits also apply to them.

View and comment on the original BBC News article.

As part of the UK Public Health Responsibility Deal, 17 popular food and drinks companies have pledged to reduce the calorie content of their products by as much as 30%.

Big firms committed to the scheme include Mars, Coca-Cola, Subway, PepsiCo, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose and Marks and Spencer among others.

According to the Department of Health, England has one of the highest rates of obesity in Europe and easy accessibility to high calorie foods could be one of the main causes.

Health Secretary Mr Lansley said: “We all have a role to play – from individuals to public, private and non-governmental organisations – if we are going to cut five billion calories from our national diet”.

Drinks giant Coca-Cola has promised to reduce the calorie content of some drinks by a significant 30% by 2014 and Mars will set a maximum of 250 calories per chocolate bar- almost a 50% reduction.

As well as the calorie reduction pledge, many companies will be introducing different obesity-fighting measures. For instance, Cadbury’s has announced plans to introduce resealable packaging in a bid to discourage people from eating whole chocolate bars in one go.

The Health Secretary has stated that this pledge is only the beginning of a broader food movement designed to help nurse Britain back to health.

If you would like help and advice choosing and cooking healthy foods, you may benefit from contacting a nutritionist. You can do this quickly and simply by using the search tool and browsing our directory of nutritionist profiles.

View and comment on the original BBC article.

A study of 2000 women commissioned by bread company Warburtons has revealed that the average 45-year-old women has been on a staggering 61 diets.

From cabbage soup through to liquid only, some women have tried every dieting trick in the book and have still achieved very little success. However, in their endeavors to reach their desired weight, it has been reported that their fad dieting could be rubbing off on the next generation.

The results of the poll revealed that six out of ten of those surveyed had been asked by their offspring not to feed them foods such as bread, potatoes and fruit – wrongly believing that they are bad for them.

Whilst many diets promote cutting out carbohydrates, removing staple foods such as bread could actually be detrimental for a child.

Around half of the parents surveyed admitted to removing these foods from the diets of their children, without realising that they contained important vitamins in minerals.

For example, more than 85% of those surveyed did not realise that white bread is an excellent source of calcium, which helps to grow and maintain bones.

If you are a parent who is concerned about passing on unhealthy eating habits to your children, you may benefit from consulting a nutrtitionist who could help you to develop interesting and diverse meal plans and suggestions for your family.

Visit our Healthy Eating section to find out more about how to maintain a balanced diet, or use the search tool located on the homepage to get in touch with a nutritionist in your local area.

View and comment on the original Daily Mail article.

Sales of low alcohol beer are up 40% on last year as health-conscious Brits and tax-conscious brands jump on the reduced alcohol bandwagon.

Last October saw the introduction of a 50% tax break on beer containing less than 2.8% alcohol (saving an average of 35p a pint), spurring all the big names in booze to launch low-alcohol versions of their most popular products.

Now pub-goers can opt for low alcohol, low calorie versions of Guinness, Carlsberg, Carling and Sussex Stout to name a few favourite brands.

Whereas the average pint of standard-strength beer will contain over 100 calories, one pint of low-alcohol beer has only 60 calories, causing a sigh of relief from weight-conscious beer lovers across the nation.

Many veteran beer lovers however are bound to remain dubious; reduced strength often means reduced quality and reduced flavour.

Tesco’s beer buyer Chiara Nesbitt said: “More and more drinkers are prepared to buy lower-alcohol beers as long as the quality is good. The growth, particularly for non-alcohol beers, is remarkable, as they were previously frowned upon by drinkers who considered them thin and tasteless compared to the real thing.”

Due to new brewing methods that have been developed in recent years, beers can now be brewed with less malt rather than more water, allowing them to retain flavour.

Within the next few years Britain is expected to catch up with other countries like Australia, where low alcohol drinks dominate 10% of the market.

If you’re watching your weight, or trying to cut back on alcohol intake, low-alcohol beer is a great option. No more will you be forced to make a half-pint last all night or resign yourself to fizzy drinks. Beer also contains silicon, which is thought to help protect against osteoporosis.

For more advice for living a healthier life, you can contact a nutritionist here. 

To explore general health information, please visit our Nutrition Topics pages.

View and comment on the original Independent article. 

According to recent research, diets that are high in saturated fats could have a negative impact on sperm count.

The research in question analysed the diets of 99 men who were attending a fertility clinic in the US, and found that those who ate diets that were high in junk food were more likely to have poorer sperm quality.

The research team was led by Professor Jill Attaman from Harvard Medical School in Boston, and involved questioning the study participants about their diet, as well as analysing their sperm over a four-year period.

The results of the study showed that the men who consumed the highest amount of fat had a sperm count which was 43% lower on average with the men eating the least fat. In addition, the men eating the most fat also had a far lower sperm concentration.

“The magnitude of the association is quite dramatic and provides further support for the health efforts to limit consumption of saturated fat given their relation with other health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease.” Said Prof Attaman.

View and comment on the original BBC News article.

Cake: Britain’s favourite tea-time treat.

Think thick slabs of moist sponge loaded with sweet, buttery icing and topped with rich melted chocolate and fresh cream. Team that with a steaming mug of tea and a cosy fire,  and it’s next to impossible to say no.

But, as a nation of cake-lovers, we are inevitably also a nation riddled with what is now commonly referred to as the ‘obesity epidemic’. Today, every one in 11 deaths in the UK can be attributed to excess fat.

According to Professor John Prescott, author of Taste Matters: Why We Like the Foods We Do: “Comfort food evokes associations with positive relationships, acting as a surrogate in the absence of loved ones.”

Cake is often about comfort, as are many of our favourite foods- usually because they’re laden with fats and sugars and unrefined carbohydrates. Unfortunately, these so called comfort foods are probably the main reason behind our fast-expanding waistlines.

So, if we’re not willing to cut out cake to cut out obesity – what can we do?

Francine Raymond, of the Telegraph, believes vegetable cakes are the way forward.

She explains how, during the world war rationing, sugar was often substituted for cheaper, more accessible garden vegetables.

How does dark chocolate and beetroot cake sound? Beetroot is still used commonly to moisten chocolate sponge, enrich colour and add a rich, sweet flavour.

Parsnips, ginger and sweet potatoes were also used as natural sweeteners for cakes as substitutes for sugar during the war.

There is also a Welsh-Irish cake made of cooked potato mashed together with butter, flour and ginger to form two firm dough cakes which are then sandwiched together with sliced apple.

Other healthy cake ingredients to explore include sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, orange zest and almonds.

To find out more about the nutritional value of certain foods, take a look at our Balanced Diet page. To find a nutritionist near you, type your postcode into our search tool.

For more information, including recipes, visit the original Telegraph article.

Numerous studies have shown that high fibre foods could help to reduce cancer risk, heart attack risk and high blood pressure as well as helping you to stay feeling full. So what can we do to include more of it in our diets if we don’t always get our daily fill?

Below are some quick and easy ways to integrate some fibre into your day-to-day meal plans:

Breakfast

• Make your eggs more exciting: Whether you are having them scrambled or in an omelette, adding one-third of a cup of chopped onion and one clove of garlic will add 1g of fibre to your breakfast. Throw in half a cup of cooked broccoli for an extra 2g.
• Sprinkle flaxseed over your cereal: Two tablespoons of ground flax contains close to 2g of fibre. If your not keen on cereal try stirring this into yoghurt.

Lunch

• Substitute your normal bread for rye bread: Whether you are a white bread fan or a bread roll lover, try making your sandwiches with rye bread. Just one slice contains an average of 2g of fibre which is double the amount found in white bread.
• Stock up on microwaveable soup: These are a much better option than fast food if you need to have a working lunch. There is now a huge variety of tinned soups available that are high in fibre. Soups containing beans, black beans and lentils are usually particularly good.

Snack

• Graze on popcorn: This is much better for you than munching down on a packet of crisps, and there is approximately 8g of fibre in the average sized bag.
• Keep a fruit and nut mix handy: If you get hungry throughout the day then trail mix or dried fruit and nuts are great for snacking and contain high fibre.

Dinner

• Go wild with rice: Wild rice contains three times the fibre than white.
• Use whole-wheat pasta: Tastes great and contains 5g of fibre on average per cup.
• Cook your veggies: Eating your vegetables raw means you are losing out on fibre. Cook them and you will take in an average of between 3 and 5g of fibre per serving.

View and comment on the original Women’s Health article.