Julian Graves
Whether you are on a free-from diet or just enjoy healthy eating Julian Graves has a fantastic and affordable range of store cupboard essentials such as dried fruits, nuts , seeds , spices and other healthy snacks. …More
Healthy Snacks
I am not ashamed to admit that I am a serial snacker! I rarely go for more than a couple of hours without a nibble, so I try to put some effort into selecting healthy snacks. Snacks can certainly be included as part of a balanced diet, but in case you are struggling for ideas I will share with you a few of my …More
Are oats gluten free?
A question I am often asked is are oats gluten free? Well the not-so-straightforward answer is it depends!
Confused? Hopefully you won’t be after you have read this simple summary.
Gluten Free Sausages
Today at the BBC Good Food Show I tasted the best gluten free sausages I have ever tried. Isn’t it great when you accidentally discover a delicious product that just happens to be allergy / intolerance – friendly. That’s what happened when I visited the Debbie and Andrew’s sausage stand. …More
Covent Garden Recipes
The Covent Garden Recipes in their book ’Soup and Beyond’ are nutritious, original and delicious. For the winter there are warming soups like parsnip, rhubarb and ginger or celeriac with green herbs and lime. Then as barbeque season approaches switch to the wonderful beany side dishes and salads. …More
Low GI Breakfast Cereal
Choosing a low GI breakfast cereal is not always an easy task. There are so many healthy-seeming products on the ever-growing cereal aisle but on further inspection many of these are packed with sugar. Let’s have a look at how to select some tasty low GI breakfast cereals without spending a small fortune. …More
Rapeseed Oil
Rapeseed oil (or Canola Oil) is a healthy and much cheaper alternative to olive oil, and has a pleasant light taste. We all know that Olive Oil is good for us – it’s a staple part of the ‘healthy’ mediterranean diet and a rich source of cholesterol-lowering …More
Whole grain & gluten free
We should all be eating more Whole Grain Foods for health but for those on a gluten-free or wheat-free diet, getting the recommended three portions per day can be particularly challenging. The range of ’free from’ foods is getting better all the time but so many of them use refined and white …More
Big OZ cereals
While scouring the supermarkets for gluten free Whole Grain cereals I found a great range of products – Big OZ Cereals. They have a large variety of free from cereals. …More
Low GI Cake
I had a play around in the kitchen today to make a cake that is both fussy foodie friendly and low GI. I managed to make a very easy low GI cake, using basic ingredients and no sugar, dairy, wheat or egg. If you can’t eat oats you could try using gluten free puffed rice cereal instead …More
Whole Grain Foods
People who eat plenty of whole grain foods reduce their risk of diabetes and heart disease and are less likely to be overweight. The health benefits of whole grains are not just down to the fibre content and the fact that they tend to have a low …More
Lactose Intolerance
Undiagnosed or poorly managed Lactose Intolerance can leave people suffering with stomach pain, bloating and diarrhoea amongst other symptoms. Here is a simple guide to what lactose intolerance is, how it is diagnosed, and how is it different from Cows Milk Allergy. …More
Coeliac Disease
People with coeliac disease have to follow a lifelong gluten-free diet. Even tiny amounts of gluten can trigger an immune reaction, which damages the gut (small bowel) resulting in digestive problems, nutrient deficiencies and increased …More
Farinata
A Farinata is quite like a Spanish tortilla or pancake but made with chickpea flour (otherwise known as gram flour) and it’s hard to believe there are no eggs in it! This was a bit of an experiment but a surprising success and as a farinata is free from all the major allergens is a perfect fussy foodie …More
Bone Health and Dairy Free
Bone health is something we often take for granted whilst young, fit and well but shocking statistics indicate that we should be taking much more care, especially if following a Milk Free or Dairy Free diet. One in two women and one in five men over 50 will break a bone …More
Fish supper
The food standards agency recommend we eat at least two portions of fish per week (one of which should be oily fish) but many people consume much less than this, if any. Fish is a good source of protein and oily fish (e.g. salmon, trout, sardines, mackerel, …More
Low GI diet
The GI (glycaemic index) of a food gives an indication of the effect of that food on blood glucose (sugar) levels. When we eat foods that contain carbohydrates (starches and sugars) the carboydrate is converted into glucose in the blood to give us energy. …More
Soya and Health
Soya foods are a staple part of the diet for many people on a dairy free, milk free or vegan / vegetarian diet and the good news is that there are lots of potential health benefits of consuming soya products. The nutrients in soya include omega 3 and omega 6 polyunsaturated fats …More
Allergy or intolerance?
If you are restricting your diet because of an allergy or intolerance you need to be sure that you only cut out the real ‘problem’ foods to avoid nutrient deficiencies. True food allergy is quite rare (1% of the population) and usually involves a sudden and severe antibody reaction. …More
