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JANUARY 2007: ARTICLE - Too Much Pressure? All About High Blood Pressure
FEBRUARY
2007: ARTICLE - Aloe! Aloe!
MARCH 2007: ARTICLE - How Different Walking Surfaces can Give You a Spring
in Your Step
MARCH
2007
Hello healthy people,
Last weekend my husband Andy whisked me away to Aviemore for my birthday.
It was blissful - no email, no mobile phone reception and miles of walks
in the wilderness. It is embarrassing to admit that as we were walking
through the middle of nowhere, I came up with lots of excellent ideas
for this newsletter.
So here goes:
What's
in Season
It's good to eat seasonal fruit and vegetables, so here's a list of what's
in season locally:
Early rhubarb, spring onion, purple sprouting broccoli, radishes, parsley,
mint, beetroot, carrots, cauliflower, chicory and leeks.
Oatcake
Topping of the Month
Halfway through our walk in the snowy Glenmore forest we got a bit peckish.
All I had packed in the backpack was some dry oatcakes and a banana. But
heck, banana mashed on oatcake made a very satisfying snack and gave us
the energy we needed.
Easy
Recipe
Energy-Giving Pasta Salad
Pasta salad makes a great lunch - it's easy to prepare, full of goodness
and keeps well out of a fridge (it actually tastes better when not fridge
cold). Great for picnics and the great outdoors…
For two people, cook ½ packet of pasta (penne or bows, a short
variety that's easy to eat with a fork only). I usually cook a whole packet
for dinner and keep half aside for making pasta salad for the following
day. When you've cooked and drained the pasta, toss it in a large salad
bowl with a drizzle of olive oil. This stops the pasta sticking together.
Now you can get inventive, add a selection of the following:
sun dried tomatoes
stoned olives
capers
finely chopped red onion
oven roast or fresh peppers
fresh herbs (i.e. ripped basil (best to put in on the day of eating as
it goes limp), parsley, oregano, in fact anything you like)
rocket or shredded little gem lettuce (choose a lettuce with thicker leave
that won't go soggy easily)
chilli peppers
chopped tomatoes
small bits of gorgonzola / blue cheese
chopped cucumber
garlic, grilled or fresh mushrooms
tinned sweetcorn
roasted pine nuts
drizzle balsamic vinegar
pesto
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
That's it! Easy hey?
A Social Bike Ride
I will be leading an informal bike ride for the Sunday Brunch Club on
Sunday 25th March (rescheduled from January, when the weather was inclement
to say the least). It's a social gathering of mixed abilities and we will
stick to bike tracks. Our route is the rather scenic and flat round trip
from The Shore at Leith to Cramond, where we can stop for a bite to eat
at the Cramond Inn before returning back. We'll be leaving from outside
Café Truva on The Shore at 11am returning by 4pm at the latest.
You can telephone / text me on 07743 741 088 if the weather is squiffy
to make sure it's definitely on.
Resisting
Temptation Hint of the Month
Is Friday after work your undoing? Many of us live for the weekend, and
when it arrives undo the healthy living that we have been enjoying all
week. If you know your trouble spot is Friday evening, change your routine.
If you always go to the pub or open a celebratory bottle of wine when
you get in the door, think about changing your habits. An after-work yoga
class (Friday afternoon classes tend to be quiet), a swim, or a walk home
from the office can diffuse the urge to over-indulge.
Exercise
of the Month
Go natural! A highlight of my weekend away was the lovely walks on dirt
tracks. After an hour or so I worked out why - it was a relief to walk
on a non-concrete surface. If you usually pound the pavement, take the
time this weekend or the next to go for a walk on grass or bare earth.
You will feel well-grounded and it will give your knees, ankles and feet
a break from unforgiving concrete.
Read the article below on trying different surfaces for running and walking.
Article - A Spring in Your Step
Newton's third law: "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction". Bet you never think of physics when you are out and about, but perhaps you should.
I do a heck of a lot of running. I like it. I enjoy getting folk moving, however I feel that there is a factor that many of us never think of. Sure, we've got good trainers, but do you ever think of the surface beneath your feet?
Newton's third law basically says that the harder you step, the more the reverberation. Have you ever wondered why you have sore legs after a long run (or even a hard day's shopping)? It's partly the shockwaves sent back up your legs from pounding the pavement.
Concrete is not a forgiving surface. Nor is tarmac, or most other hard-wearing traffic-bearing materials. They're made like that to last. Do you thin our forefathers and mothers would have sprinted across lengthy rock surfaces? In a word, no. Our bodies are designed to step on softer surfaces, which is why so many long-distance roadrunners end up with shot knees, shattered tibias and shin splints.
Grass and dirt tracks absorb the shock from your legs more, and are 'spongier' surfaces on which to run. Another interesting thing about off road running and walking is that the surface is likely to be more uneven, so you will need to concentrate more on where you put your feet. The advantage of this is that is will help strengthen your ankles and lower legs. However do be aware of twisted ankles, especially on pebbly or rocky tracks.
Running or walking in the sand is another idea. The deeper the sand, the more intense the workout. For a faster run or walk, stick close to the water on the hard sand. Masai Barefoot Technology shoes are a new invention which are replicate the uneven feeling of walking on sand (based on the Masai tribe, who run great distances in the African sand). They're about £140 and are shaped like platform shoes with a curved sole. MBT's are meant to get the core muscles working through being inherently unstable. However, why pay top dollar for some crazy looking shoes when you can walk on bare earth or sand yourself?
So consider changing your regular route to incorporate varying surfaces and feel the difference in your weary pegs. Viva la difference!
FEBRUARY
2007: ARTICLE - ALOE! ALOE!
Hello healthy people,
Wishing you a lovely Valentine's day, or a fabulous midweek if you're
not in the mood for lurve! There's a loose love theme for this newsletter,
with the article of the month focussing on a particular plant that I adore.
What's
in Season
It's good to eat seasonally, so here's a list of what's in season:
Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, leeks, kale, squash, chicory, cabbage, parsnip,
shallots, forced rhubarb, celeriac, Jerusalem artichoke
Oatcake
Topping of the Month
It seems wholly appropriate that Avocado, known as "the fertility
fruit" by the Aztecs, is the Valentines oatcake topping of the month.
Avocado is a very nutritionally 'complete' topping, a slow burning fuel
packed full of minerals and vitamins, as well as good monosaturated fats.
Buy avocados hard and ripen them on your window sill. They are ripe when their stalk wobbles and they give slightly to the touch.
Slice them or mash
them onto oatcakes with ground pepper or harissa (a piquant North African
pepper paste).
Seasonal Recipe
HOT! HOT! HOT!
Baked Potatoes
Yes, the humble spud
is a tasty and cheap standby for when you're really not in the mood (to
cook). Eaten with the skin on, they provide nearly half of your daily
vitamin C and are a good source of potassium and fibre. One medium-sized
potato has 100 calories and provides complex carbohydrates needed to fuel
our brains and bodies (the very useful carbs a reason for it's bad press
in the past).
To bake a potato, scrub well, then prick the skin all over with a fork,
brush lightly with olive oil and bake in an oven at 220 degrees for an
hour and a quarter. If you're in a hurry, microwave for a few minutes
and finish off in a pre-heated oven. Cut a cross in the top and mash the
middle with a fork.
The trick is to keep
the toppings healthy, so here are some ideas:
- Fresh tomato with finely chopped onion and ripped basil. Add a drizzle
of olive oil, squeeze of lemon and a tiny bit of sugar if you are using
'inferior' tomatoes (i.e. any tomatoes in Scotland at this time of year)
- Fresh rocket with a splash of balsamic vinegar is healthy green option.
Rocket stands up to the heat of a potato better than lettuce, which tends
to go limp.
- Garlic mushrooms: Melt a tablespoon of proper butter in a non-stick
frying pan on a medium heat and add three (yes three!) sliced cloves of
garlic to a couple of handfuls of sliced mushrooms. Push around with a
wooden spoon, adding a touch of water when the pan dries out to get a
good garlic-ey brown sauce. Makes enough for two.
- Cottage cheese with pineapple or herbs is a classic.
- Baked beans (check the nutrition label for the healthiest brand) with
fresh thyme or parsley.
- McSween's Vegetarian
haggis is great on baked tatties, and really filling.
- Instead of sour cream, try a dollop of hommous on top, or even some
natural yoghurt. If you insist on melted cheese in your potato, use half
of what you would usually use, grate it finely and mash it into the potato
it will taste like twice the amount of cheese!
Resisting
Temptation Hint of the Month
If the only reason you buy biscuits and cakes is to cater for your other
half, reconsider.
I asked my husband
Andy if he'd mind not buying digestive biscuits as I eat half a packet
in one sitting. He was amazed that one woman could eat so many biscuits.
He doesn't really mind either way, and it has removed one temptation from
our kitchen.
Exercise of the Month
Get together! Exercise is nearly always more fun with someone else. Arrange
to go to a dance class with a friend, or out for a walk on the weekend.
Ask around your office and find out if there is someone else who would
like to go for a lunchtime walk with you. Getting and staying fit needn't
be a solitary road…
You can save money by booking in for fitness sessions with a friend or
partner. At only £30 per one hour session for two people, you can
save a bit of dosh and also have fun. Rates for larger groups / workplaces
on application.
Article - Aloe! Aloe!
In
Australia, when I was 18, I was seriously knocked off my bike and consequently
half of the skin from my left cheek was left on the road, to be replaced
with tarmac embedded in my cheek. The Doctor treated it as a third degree
burn and prescribed burn cream, which disinfected it but didn't help the
wound to heal. He also warned me that there was a possibility of permanent
scarring.
My hippy housemate at the time pulled off a frond from a cactus-looking plant in the back garden and insisted that I rub the goo on my face. The plant was aloe vera. It was surprisingly soothing and refreshing on the wound, and within a week of applying aloe twice a day, was healed with fresh pink skin in it's place. Amazing!
Since that experience I have been using aloe vera gel every day. I have found that it is especially good for cuts, grazes, sunburn and other injuries that break or damage the skin. Actually we even have an aloe vera plant in our office.
Because it is my favorite plant, I have decided to start selling the stuff (I can't bear to pull my own plant apart), and am now an independent distributor of Forever Living Products, who specialise in high-grade aloe vera. Below is more information on aloe, and please feel free to email me if you would like further information or are interested in trying it for yourself.
Appearance - There are more than 250 types of aloe, however only three or four have medicinal properties. Growing in hot climates, the aloe plant is a spiky succulent with sword-like thick leaves full of gel. The genus aloe can be classified as a xeroid; a type of plant able to close their stomata ('pores' in the skin of the leaf) to withhold water in drought conditions. To understand the properties of aloe vera, you need to realise that it has the unique ability to close any damage to the outer skin almost instantly, thereby 'healing' itself and preventing loss of water.
History - Aloe Vera has been used for its medicinal benefits since 2100BC. The early Egyptians revered aloe and called it 'plant of immortality'. By 600BC aloe had reached Persia and India, probably through Arab traders. Around 50AD Greek physicians confirmed numerous medical properties of this plant. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the use of medicinal aloe spread northwards into Europe.
Perhaps because it only grows in hot climates and because the leaves need to be used fresh for maximum effectiveness, it fell from grace in temperate climates until relatively recently. In the 1970's scientists discovered a method to stabilise and preserve the inner gel, thereby making it essentially identical to gel taken fresh from the plant and retaining its healing characteristics.
Uses - The inner gel of the leaves is used for a multitude of purposes. The gel itself contains over 75 nutritional compounds, including Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C and E as well as over 20 minerals, including Calcium and Zinc, as well as essential amino acids and enzymes.
Externally - In gel form or straight from the plant it can be used for sunburn, grazes, acne and minor skin irritations. It can also help psoriasis, eczema and other skin conditions. Aloe has ability to increase production of fibroblast cells, which in turn stimulates the production of collagen, the skins own protein. Theoretically then, it should help to prevent wrinkles. I have been using it on my face every day since I was 18, and it's one of the few treatments that reacts well with my ordinarily dry skin. I'll let you know in twenty years if it has personally worked for me!
Internally - In drinking form (which must be kept in the fridge), aloe vera is a detoxifier and provides all of the above nutrients. Drinking aloe vera can help stomach conditions (including ulcers and IBS) and generally aids the digestive system.
Buying Aloe Vera - It is essential to buy high-quality aloe as it loses its unique properties if not stabilised correctly. I have tried aloe gel for drinking from various shops, but find the Forever Living Products version the best by far. FLP offer a 60-day money back guarantee, so go on, give it a go!
And last but not least…
Healthy food at The Gyle - the Streetlife
Fare van
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best, and David Haggarty fulfils
a much-needed purpose. He does a sandwich van run of The Gyle (Edinburgh
business park), providing healthy nosh to office-workers. So if you work
in the The Gyle, look out for his van at the following times:
9.20 - 9.40am HSBC
/ NTL Telewest, 2 Lochside Way
10.45 - 11.15am JPMorgan / Miller Group, 2 & 3 Lochside View
12.30 - 12.45pm HSBC / NTL Telewest, 2 Lochside Way
12.45 - 13.15pm JPMorgan / Miller Group, 2 & 3 Lochside View
JANUARY 2007: ARTICLE - TOO
MUCH PRESSURE? ALL ABOUT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Happy New Year! I hope you had a relaxing break and are raring to go for
2007.
You may notice that this newsletter is a little late - that's because
I'm changing the delivery date to mid-month. Many newsletters are sent
out at the beginning of each month, and Inboxes tend to bulge on the 1st.
I would like your full attention, so you'll be getting this mid week mid
month from now on.
So, here we go for 2007:
What's in Season
It's good to eat seasonally, so here's a list of what's in season in Scotland:
Vegetables: beetroots, all cabbages: red, white and green, celeriac, kohlrabi,
Jerusalem artichoke (see recipe), leeks, onions, potatoes, spinach and
chard.
Fruit: The last of the apples and pears
Testing…
Testing…
Have you ever wondered how much body fat you have? Some people do wonder,
and some people don't bother. If you'd like a reading of your body composition,
please let me know. In conjunction with Amanda Gilles, a friendly Herbalife
person, I am now offering Bio-Electrical Impedance testing. It's an accurate
measuring device that sends an imperceptibly tiny electrical current from
your foot to your hand measuring how much fat and lean tissue you are
carrying around. Test sessions are £20.
A
Social Bike Ride
I will be leading an informal bike ride for the Sunday
Brunch Club this Saturday 13th January. It's a social gathering of
mixed abilities and we will stick to bike tracks. Our route is the rather
scenic (and flat) round trip from The Shore at Leith to Cramond, where
we can stop for a bite to eat at the Cramond Inn before returning back.
We'll be leaving from outside Café Truva on The Shore at 11am on
Saturday, returning before it's dark… Friday is forecast to be awful
weather, however it's meant to clear by Saturday. You can telephone /
text me on 07743 741 088 if the weather is squiffy to make sure it's definitely
on.
Oatcake
Topping of the Month
It was the night before this newsletter was to be sent out and I still
hadn't come up with a topping. In desperation, a solution:
one can kidney beans
(drained) blended with a random selection from the cupboard: cumin, chilli
sauce, pepper, squeezed lemon, a chopped spring onion and a handful of
parsley.
Throw the whole
lot in your blender, blend until creamy, serve straight onto oatcakes
at room temperature. It's enough for about 20 oatcakes for about 50 pence.
You can change the ingredients, adding your favourite fresh herbs and
other seasonings. Suprisingly tasty, it's a humble can of beans gourmet
style.
Seasonal
Recipes
Corny
Fritters
(serves 4, or two people two meals)
150g dried polenta
40g plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
500mL milk
300g corn kernels
1 Tab melted butter
1 Tab finely chopped spring onions
2 egg whites
pepper and salt (optional)
- mix polenta, flour and bicarb in a big bowl with the milk
- stir in corn, melted butter and spring onions
- whisk egg whites until peaks form and gently fold into mixture (do this
just before cooking)
- In a heavy bottom frying pan, heat a drop of olive oil to a moderate
heat
- drop large spoonfuls of the mixture in and cook both sides until golden.
The batter keeps
OK in the fridge if you'd like to save some for the next day.
Serve with Fennel
and Tomato Bake. In winter, you can replace the fresh cherry tomatoes
with a good quality tomato sauce / puree. If you don't fancy the bake,
serve the fritters with something rich and tomato-ey.
A Salad for Winter
(Serves 2)
I have recently discovered Jerusalem artichoke, it's actually not an artichoke
at all, but a winter root native to Peru (fancy that!). It has a mildly
sweet, smoky flavour and crunchy texture and can be eaten raw or cooked.
And it's in season. Fab! Be aware that it discolours when sliced, so pop
the sliced root into a bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon until ready
for use. See Eat
The Seasons website for more information.
2 Tab roasted pumpkin seeds
2 handfuls rocket, washed
1 little gem lettuce, washed and chopped
1 Jerusalem artichoke
½ lemon, juiced
drizzle olive oil
1 Tab balsamic vinegar
- To roast the pumpkin seeds: heat them in a heavy bottomed saucepan on
a medium heat. Agitate regularly or they will burn. Give the pan a shoogle
when you see the seeds puffing up. Place aside in a bowl to cool.
- Wash and chop lettuce and combine with the rocket in a salad bowl.
- Finely slice the Jerusalem artichoke and it place into a bowl of water
with a dash of the squeezed lemon until time for serving.
- In a small bottle or jar combine the rest of the lemon juice, balsamic
vinegar and olive oil. Stopper the container and shake.
- When the seeds have cooled down, add them to the salad
- Just prior to serving, add Jerusalem artichoke and toss salad to combine
- serve with dressing on the side
Resisting
Temptation Hint of the Month
If you're anything like me, you will have ended up with boxes of Christmas
chocolates, puddings and biscuits… Instead of thinking that you need
eat them all to empty the cupboards, see how long you can make them last.
Can you make a box
of chocolates last until March? An easy way to do that is to hide them
at the top back of the cupboard behind healthy food. See if you can make
these things last until the expiry date… I dare you!
Exercise of the Month
The days are getting longer with almost eight hours of daylight, and it's
important to get outside as much as possible to avoid that winter slump.
The best thing about cold weather is that you can move at a fast pace
without getting hot and sweaty. Get out for a fast walk, walking at such
a pace that you're feeling nice and cosy on the inside, even if it's chilly
on the outside. You might even want to take it up to a jog - this time
of year is a great time to start.
Article - Too Much Pressure? All about
High Blood Pressure
We
all know that we have a measurable blood pressure, but have you ever stopped
to think about exactly what your blood pressure means? What is your GP
measuring when they place that nifty inflatable cuff on your arm and what
relevance does it have to your well being?
Your heart pumps blood to all parts of your body through arteries. When your heart beats, and a surge of blood is pushed through your arteries, the pressure against your artery walls is at it's highest. This is called the systolic reading (the higher number of the two). When your heart is at rest between beats, this is the lowest pressure, or diastolic pressure.
Your blood pressure reading always shows both your systolic and diastolic blood pressure, the systolic (larger number) over the diastolic (lower number).
Your blood pressure varies throughout the day depending on your level of activity and / or emotions (i.e. nervousness temporarily increases blood pressure). However, overall you have an average resting blood pressure, which is why you are seated when you have your blood pressure measured.
An overall higher blood pressure reading means that your heart has to do more work to get the same amount of blood to your extremities. Not only this, but your arteries have a harder time as there is more internal pressure on them. This can lead to the walls of your blood vessels thickening to deal with the increased pressure. A thickened blood vessel wall means less blood can get through. High blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure.
Normal blood pressure is 130/85 or below, while up to 140/90 is called 'high normal' and anything above 140/90 is high (hypertension).
If you have high blood pressure, or are keen to keep yours at a healthy level, there are a number of lifestyle aspects to consider:
Salt - Reduce the amount of sodium that you consume. Studies have shown that an increased consumption of salt leads to higher blood pressure in many individuals. Salt causes our body to retain more water. In turn this extra water in our blood vessels can increase blood pressure (as there is more liquid being pumped through). Excess salt can also damage kidneys, which remove sodium from the body.
Processed food is
where the western diet gets most of it's salt. If you do eat supermarket
packaged food, check the labels for the level of salt (sodium). Even better,
eat fresh natural food and avoid pre-packaged meals.
A simple guideline is to avoid foods that contain more than 0.2 grams
of sodium per 100 grams of food and choose foods that contain less than
0.1 grams of sodium per 100 grams. The aim is to get your salt intake
to less than 5 to 6 grams a day (or lower if possible), which is the same
as 2 grams of sodium (one teaspoonful).
It should also be noted that salt levels vary wildly from one brand to
another. For example, Morrisons baked beans contain 3.2g g of salt, that's
53%, over half of the recommended daily salt levels. Co op and Heinz contain
a more sensible 2.1g, which is 35% of the daily salt levels. This example
also illustrates that packaged food contains a disproportionately high
level of salt.
As a personal note, when I first met my husband Andy, he ate microwave
meals nearly every day - the life of a bachelor! Anyway, we started cooking
food together and he started eating freshly prepared food every night.
After a year or so, he bought himself a microwave meal as a treat and
couldn't eat it as it tasted too salty. Our tastes do adjust and you can
make fresh food tasty using herbs, spices and lemon or lime juice.
Exercise - getting regular exercise can help lower your blood pressure. Regular pulse raising activity exercises your heart, the most important muscle in your body. Many athletes have a low resting heart rate and low blood pressure as they regularly train their body to deliver oxygen more efficiently around their bodies, thereby moving more easily and breathing more effectively. Losing weight is a very effective way to lower your blood pressure!
Alcohol - excessive alcohol consumption (more than 14 - 21 units per week for women, 21 - 28 for men) can cause an increase in blood pressure. Increased alcohol consumption also leads to increased weight, and so the individual has more physical bulk to carry about.
Give up smoking - a fairly obvious one methinks!
Cholesterol levels - as per my previous article on cholesterol, which can build up in blood vessels and cause a restriction to the amount of blood that can be pumped through. If you have high cholesterol levels, a high blood pressure can prove fatal.
Stress levels - Do you have a stressful job? Or are you always worrying about something? High stress levels can lead to an increase in blood pressure. If you are 'stressed' for a large portion of the day, this may mean your blood pressure is elevated unduly. Try going for a walk at lunch, or try a yoga or mediation class. I find Hatha Yoga a great way to unwind and chill out.
By considering all of the above points and making some (sometimes small) changes to your lifestyle, you can bring down your blood pressure and improve your quality of living.
© all material Tracy Griffen 2005 - 2007
