Dr. Ailís and the Healthy Cooking Demo at An Ríocht

Dr. Ailís Brosnan (centre) pictured with Ireland AM presenters, Anna Daly and Simon Delaney during her appearance on the show.
Dr. Ailís Brosnan (centre) pictured with Ireland AM presenters, Anna Daly and Simon Delaney during one of her TV appearances.

Food not only fuels our everyday activities it is also used to form every cell in our bodies, as the saying goes ‘You are what you eat’.

It really makes sense then to think about our food choices and choose wisely!

You can learn more about healthy eating and how to create delicious summer salads, juices, smoothies, energy balls, healthy ice-cream and chocolates and more at Dr. Ailis Brosnan’s upcoming Healthy Cooking demo in An Riocht on this Sunday, June 11th from 11am. to 4pm.

In the meantime, here are 10 steps to help you up your game and improve your health:

Focus on Nutrients, Not Calories

Food is nourishment for our body and is used as the building blocks for every cell.  We need to stop seeing food as calories, ‘sins’ or ‘points’ and start to look at food for its nutrient value. Food is about nourishment – not calories. For example, 100 calories of spinach has a completely different nutrient profile to 100 calories from a can of coke.

Up your Fruit and Veg

Veg and fruit should make up at least half your plate at every meal. This should be more veg than fruit and ideally include green leafy’s for their high nutrient density.  Think of a getting a mix of colours so your range of veg should look like a rainbow of colours.
Build up the Beans

Plant based sources of protein, such as beans, peas, lentils and tofu are a much healthier option to animal protein for a variety of reasons.  They have fiber, protective phytochemicals, antioxidants and plant sterols that all contribute greatly to health and longevity. Plus they don’t contain the saturated fat and cholesterol that are present in animal proteins.

Go Nuts for Nuts

Nuts and seeds tend to be overlooked at lot, possibly because of their high calorie content. However, they are full of protein, fiber, vitamins and trace minerals etc. and are a good source of essential fatty acids.  If you are on a weight loss program, then limit them to one to two tablespoons a day.

Careful with Carbs

Carbs have had a bad rap over the past few years which has caused a lot of confusion and carbophobia.  So, what’s the story… well the key to understanding carbs is recognising that there is a big difference between refined carbs and unrefined carbs. Refined carbs such as white flour, have had most of the goodness removed 90-95% of the phytochemicals, 80-90% of the fiber and 70-80% of the vitamins and minerals.  So, not good! Plus, we rarely eat white flour on its own – fat, sugar and additives are usually combined with it to create products.  So carbophobia should be applied to refined carbs.

Unrefined carbs on the other hand, foods such as whole-grains, legumes (beans, peas, & Lentils) contain more of their natural nutrients so are much healthier for you.  Eating these foods is beneficial to your health. So as you can see it’s about distinguishing between refined and unrefined carbs and not bulking them all together.
Confusion Around Fats

Like carbs, there has been a lot of confusion around fats. The key message is to avoid trans fatty acids at all costs and to limit saturated fats.

Oils such as olive and sunflower oil should be used sparingly. They are very refined, so just like the refined carbs, they have had most of the nutrients removed and have a low nutrient density (low nutrients to high calories).

With regard to essential fatty acids, most people over consume omega 6 and don’t get enough omega 3’s. Good sources of omega 3’s included flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds and walnuts.

Cut Back on Meat

It has been well documented that red meat and processed meat have a negative effect on our health. Only last year the World Health Organisation stated that processed meat causes cancer and red meat probably does. Red meat consumption has also been linked to higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and early death.

Herbs and Spices

Don’t underestimate the benefits from herbs and spices. Many of them have healing properties, antioxidants and phytochemicals, not to mention the great flavours they add to food.

Avoid Sugar
Refined sugars, such as white sugar, have been linked to many health problems from high blood pressure to heart disease.  One of the biggest sources of refined sugars is sugar-sweetened drinks and there is a high correlation between obesity and sweet drink intake. Sugar can also become highly addictive as it stimulates the brain in similar ways to illegal drugs. It is best to work toward eliminating added sugars from your diet completely.

Drink Lots of Water

Our bodies are made up of 60-70% water and we need it for the majority of chemical reactions in our bodies.  Aim for eight glasses of water a day with additional allowances for hot weather and exercise. Vary it up so you don’t get bored with water. Add lemon, cucumber, mint etc to add flavour and variety.

Click here for more information: http://yourhealthylivingcoach.com/shop/healthy-cooking-demo-110617

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