Why don’t we just move more?

By David Stalker, CEO of the not-for-profit health body, ukactive

There’s one single message that will help us tackle the inactivity crisis: Just do more than you’re currently doing.

Researchers are saying current exercise guidelines are unrealistic. In the British Medical Journal, they argue the ‘150-minutes of physical activity’ message needs to change. We need to see a greater emphasis on simply getting inactive people to move more.

Smoking kills – we know that. Inactivity kills – we now know that, too. Cambridge University released research last week, showing that twice as many deaths in Europe are caused by physical inactivity than obesity – if that’s not enough of an incentive to get up off the couch and go for a walk, we’re in deep trouble.

The evidence continues to mount on the impact inactivity is having. Although you may not know what technically qualifies someone as ‘obese’ (the BMI scale), everyone has an idea of what obesity looks like. It’s easy to look in the mirror and think, ‘I’m not overweight, what have I got to worry about?’ This has got to change. It’s time to think about the health of our hearts, not just the size of our waists.

The Cambridge study bolsters the ukactive’s ongoing work to underpin the fight against inactivity with a firm evidence base. It’s a welcome piece of work on the European population, but closer to home, the recent report Steps to Solving Inactivity showed the UK’s inactivity rates are among the worst in Europe, with around 30% of adults classed as inactive.

Is message is getting through?
When it comes to explaining how much physical activity is required, it feels complicated. The Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines tell us adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week.

Research has shown even GPs struggle to recall the appropriate dosage of movement needed by their patients. For people who are completely inactive, just the thought of attaching measured requirements to exercise can fill them with dread. On the other hand, we need to know what we’re aiming for; and these guidelines have been judged by leading scientists as the minimum for good health, not the summit.

So what else can be done to get people off the couch? Here are my prescriptions:

• More local authority funding for local physical activity schemes, such as Birmingham’s ‘Be Active’ initiative, where Birmingham City council and three local PCTs work together to increase physical activity in the area by providing free access to public leisure centres, green spaces and structured chronic disease management services. 
• Greater focus on strong evaluation, providing evidence of what works and how this can be rolled out more widely. 
• More action by the government to highlight the dangers of inactivity for health. We’ve done it for smoking, with billboards and posters to tackle the issue, so why not for inactivity? 
• Get activity embedded in our DNA at a young age. Children are now doing less PE now than ever before. Organisations such as ‘Fit For Sport’ that work with schools to provide physical activity programmes are a great example of what can be done.

As individuals we need to ask: are we active enough? We all have a responsibility to take care of our own health. There is a school of thought that says if you’re sitting; stand, if you’re standing; walk, and if you’re walking; jog; if you’re jogging, start trying some box jumps!

Is it simply enough to tell yourself to ‘just do a bit more than you did yesterday?’ Looking at the inactivity figures in this country, I’m inclined to say ‘yes’. Your life depends on it.

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The Medicinal Chef's Jerusalem artichoke soup

By Dale Pinnock

Let’s start with a little warning. When you first try this soup you may think I have played an evil prank on you. Because initially it may feel like digestive warfare has unfolded and you will feel bloated and gassy afterwards. But what you are experiencing is a massive feeding of the good bacteria in the gut, which will cause the bacterial colony to grow and strengthen.

The long-term benefit of this is that bloating will ease and many aspects of digestion and digestive health will improve. Another odd thing: these vegetables are not artichokes and have nothing to do with Jerusalem. Weird!

Jerusalem artichoke soup

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 30 min
Serves 2

1 large white onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1tbsp olive oil
500g Jerusalem artichokes, skin-on, chopped
500ml reduced-salt vegetable stock, plus more if needed
Chilli oil and chilli flakes, to serve (optional)

1. In a large saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil, until the onion softens. Add the Jerusalem artichokes and enough stock to cover. You can always add more if the soup is a little thick, but watery soup is just like gruel!

2. Simmer gently for around 20 min, until the artichokes have softened. Blend into a thick, smooth soup, adding more stock if you would like it thinner. Serve with a drizzle of chilli oil and a sprinkle of chilli flakes (if using).

Per serving (chilli oil not included):
215kcal
6.3g protein
6.5g fat
1g saturates
38.8g carbs
11.3g sugar
14g fibre
1.5g salt
105mg calcium
1.4mg iron

LOW CAL
LOW FAT
LOW SAT FAT
LOW SUGAR
LOW SALT
HIGH FIBRE
VEG
DAIRY FREE
4 OF 5-A-DAY

This recipe is taken from Dale Pinnock's new book Digestion: Eat Your Way to Better Health (Quadrille, £14.99), out now.

WIN a Sophie Michell cookbook and a month’s supply of Total Greek Yoghurt!

Dark, dreary days and unrealistic weight loss resolutions getting you down? We’ve got a competition prize that’s sure to brighten your mood – and you might even shed a few pounds, too…

Total Greek Yoghurt is offering HFG readers the chance to win a copy of The Total Greek Yoghurt Cookbook by TV chef Sophie Michell, featuring over 100 quick and healthier recipes (find an extract in the February issue of Healthy Food Guide). Plus, the winner will also receive a month’s supply of Total Greek Yoghurts, plus a Black + Blum limited edition lunch pot and other treats.

By using thick and creamy Total Greek Yoghurt to replace traditionally high-fat ingredients, such as coconut milk in your curries or even butter in your bakes, you could save fat and calories. That’s because the yogurt – made in Athens using the traditional Greek straining method – contains only milk and live cultures, meaning it’s 100% natural, low in calories and packed with protein. Needless to say, it’s a HFG staple.

HOW TO ENTER

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Terms and conditions

This competition is open to Healthy Food Guide readers, registered on the website (free) and who are UK residents, aged 18 and over, excluding employees (or families of employees) of Eye to Eye Media Ltd, or anyone linked to the competition. Website entry closes 11.59pm 28 February 2015 and entries received after the closing date of the promotion will not be considered. No responsibility is taken for entries lost or delayed. The winner will be drawn at random and the judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into. The winner will be notified in writing within 28 days of the closing date. There are three prizes to be won. The winner will receive a copy of the Total Greek Yoghurt Cookbook by Sophie Michell, one month’s supply of TOTAL Greek Yoghurt, a TOTAL Greek Yoghurt Tshirt and a Black + Blum limited edition design for TOTAL Greek Yoghurt lunch pot. In the event of developments outside its control, the promoter reserves the right to offer an alternative prize of equal or greater value. The winners may be required to participate in future publicity. The promoter’s decision is final and binding in all matters and no correspondence will be entered into. Promoter: TOTAL Greek Yoghurt

WIN a De'Longhi Multifry Extra worth £199.99!

Cake, creamy risotto, fried fish and chips… so much for lighter eating, right? Well, actually, yes – made in a De'Longhi Multifry Extra and traditionally high-fat dishes such as these could receive the healthy seal of approval. That’s because this innovative cooking appliance can bake, stew and air-fry with the minimum amount of oil – in fact, just 1tbsp oil (equivalent to only 2.3% fat) is needed for the Multifry to turn 1kg potatoes into crispy, healthier chips. But here’s the best bit – WE’VE TWO TO GIVE AWAY!

So how does it work? The unique Surround Heating System cooks food quickly and effectively, surrounding the food with (you guessed it) heat to ensure even cooking. The upper heating element and fan deliver uniform heat from the top; the lower heating element delivers heat from the bottom.

Then there’s the removable mixing paddle which, when attached, will take care of stirring the food as it cooks (no more hovering by the hob while your risotto thickens), while the adjustable thermostat and timer mean you can get on with other tasks safe in the knowledge that dinner is taking care of itself. Hello stress-free family meals!

You can also download the De'Longhi Recipe Book app available through Apple and Android, which has over 250 recipes.

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Terms and conditions

This competition is open to Healthy Food Guide readers, registered on the website (free) and who are UK residents, aged 18 and over, excluding employees (or families of employees) of Eye to Eye Media Ltd, or anyone linked to the competition. Website entry closes 11.59pm 28 February 2015. Entries received after the closing date of the promotion will not be considered. No responsibility is taken for entries lost or delayed. The winner will be drawn at random and the judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into. The winner will be notified in writing within 28 days of the closing date. There are 2 prizes to be won. Each winner will receive a DeLonghi Multifry Extra. In the event of developments outside its control, the promoter reserves the right to offer an alternative prize of equal or greater value. The winners may be required to participate in future publicity. The promoter’s decision is final and binding in all matters and no correspondence will be entered into. Promoter: DeLonghi

Can you get healthy fish and chips?

By Juliette Kellow

It’s not the obvious event for a dietitian to attend, but on Tuesday I went to The National Fish & Chip Awards 2015. Living by the seaside and being a firm supporter of the fishing industry (as well as working as a nutrition consultant for Seafish, who organised the event), I wanted to fly the flag.

How can I defend this? Fish and chips is loaded with calories and fat – a disaster for our waistline and heart with a typical portion of cod in batter and side of chips containing around 880kcal and 44g fat. Then we smother it with salt that’s just waiting to push up our blood pressure! And we add more salt and sugar when we dollop on ketchup – and extra calories and fat if we dip our chips in mayo.

With about 10,500 takeaway fish and chip shops in the UK, collectively serving around 380 million meals each year, that’s a huge contribution to our national intakes of the bad stuff. Indeed, a typical cod and chip supper provides 44% of daily calorie needs and 63% of a day’s needs for fat. But before we write off this classic combo, there’s plenty of good stuff to consider.

The good nutrition

• Providing you skip the salt pot, a typical portion of cod and chips contains no more than 0.4g salt. As we should have less than 6g a day, that makes it a good choice for a main meal. 
• It’s loaded with protein, which improves satiety – a serving provides three-quarters of our daily needs. 
• It’s not just protein that provides the filling factor – one portion also has almost a third of our daily needs for fibre – and that’s without mushy peas. 
• It’s the vitamins and minerals that really shine through. Most dietitians recommend that a main meal provides around 30% of our daily needs for calories and nutrients. This meal is a real winner, containing at least 30% of our daily needs for magnesium, copper and vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B6.
• Better still, a typical portion provides 63% of our daily needs for folate; 72% phosphorus and selenium; almost one and half times more vitamin B12; and over twice the amount of potassium and iodine!

A worthy award
All in all, it appears to be a dietitian’s dream plate of food! But the calories and fat still worry me, especially as obesity is headline news and heart disease remains the number one killer in the UK. So I was particularly pleased to see one of the awards was for Healthy Eating Fish and Chips. There were three nominations, including Fishcity in Ballynahinch, County Down, and Harbourside Fish & Chips in Plymouth (pictured, above). I’d actually been to the latter after a family outing to Plymouth Aquarium (oh the irony)! And we all agreed it was the best fish and chips we’d ever eaten.

In fact, the award went to Towngate Fisheries in Bradford. This chippie offers lighter options, including a mini haddock and small chips plate for 499kcal and 28g fat (or 571kcal with the addition of peas). They also offer alternatives to traditional battered fish, including poached haddock – perfect for anyone counting calories or who needs to avoid gluten or wheat. Plus, LoSalt – an alternative to salt that replaces around two-thirds of the sodium in salt with potassium – is offered as well as the regular white stuff. In fact, LoSalt (who sponsored this award) are working with hundreds of fish and chip shops to help fans reduce the amount of sodium – the blood-pressure-raising component of salt – in their diet.

As for the menu at the event! Well, naturally, I was expecting fish and chips. But even I can see how that could leave hotel chefs sinking rather than swimming – 650 portions of fish and chips for, well, 650 experts on this dish! Instead, we had delicious smoked cod with curly kale, rösti potato, baby leeks, baby onion and a champagne sauce.

How to get healthy this weekend

Every January people resolve to join the healthy brigade, and those of us who are already longstanding members vow to maintain the balance between eating well, exercising regularly – and having fun while we’re at it. But sometimes we all need a little live-well inspiration, and this weekend’s Fare Healthy event is an ideal place to find it…

If you’re in the capital on Saturday, head west to Paradise By Way Of Kensal Green, a baroque-style pub, which, for one day only, will be transformed into a healthy haven. Organised by boutique catering company Peardrop London, Fare Healthy brings together cooks, nutritionists and fitness experts (many of which you’ll have read about in Healthy Food Guide) for an event like no other. There’ll be talks, demos and book signings from the likes of Hemsley + Hemsley and Deliciously Ella, exercise classes such as yoga and a Beyoncédance workshop (it promises to be bootylicious…), plus stalls selling guilt-free treats and stylish sportswear. Did we mention there’ll be cakes and cocktails, too? 

 

‘If this January’s anything like the last one (and the one before that), the dark winter days will be giving our willpower a workout,’ says Peardrop founder and event organiser Rose Lloyd Owen. ‘So we’re getting everyone together to bring some collective resolve to those New Year’s resolutions. To get fit and healthy – and to stay that way.’

When: Saturday 24 January, 9.30am–6pm

Where: Paradise By Way Of Kensal Green

Price: £17 for general admission and one book-ahead talk or exercise session; £10 general admission on the day

For more information and to book your ticket, visit peardroplondon.com/fare-healthy

A weighty question

With one in four adults in the UK considered obese, we’re delighted to support this initiative in helping tackle the problem of being overweight. Last week (12-18 January), saw National Obesity Awareness Week, a well-planned programme of events to help children and adults understand more about obesity and how to tackle it. Whether it’s by cooking more healthily, or being more active, the idea is to encourage a positive approach to the problem.

One fun idea for the campaign was a quiz where MPs and school children put their nutrition knowledge to the test. It was organised by the Eat Like A Champ (run by Danone), part of the Change4Life scheme designed to encourage healthy lifestyles among pupils between nine and 10.

So how much do you know about nutrition and healthy eating? Why not take a look at this extract from the quiz and see for yourself (answers at the end).


Eat Like A Champ Quiz

Q1 The Eatwell plate is the UK healthy eating model. How many food groups does the Eatwell plate have?
(a) 7 (b) 6 (c) 5

Q2 Which of these two Eatwell plate food groups are the same size?
(a) Milk and dairy foods group and Meat, fish, eggs, beans group (b) Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta group and the Fruit and vegetables group (c) Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar group and Milk and dairy foods group

Q3 How many portions of fruit and vegetables should we eat each day?
(a) At least 5 portions (b) 2 portions of fruit and 2 portions of vegetables (c) 5 small spoonfuls

Q4 Which one of these should be included in your lunch every day?
(a) a large portion of food high in fat (b) a portion of oily fish (c) a portion of starchy food

Q5 Approximately how much more fat do crinkle cut crisps have compared with baked crisps?
(a) twice as much (b) three times as much (c) four times as much

Q6 Which of the following does not count as 1 of your 5 a day?
(a) a glass of fruit juice (b) a portion of raisins (c) a jacket potato

Q7 How many drinks should a primary school pupil have each day?
(a) 10-12 drinks (b) 6-8 drinks (c) 3-4 drinks

Q8 If you don’t eat regularly, you will probably feel…
(a) healthy and happy (b) tired and hungry (c) focused and energetic

Q9 Which of the following snacks is highest in sugar?
(a) a berry muffin (b) a portion of potato wedges (c) a ring doughnut

Q10 Which of the following do we need to do to be a healthy weight?
(a) eat fruit, vegetables and salad (b) do a lot of sport (c) eat well and be active

Q11 Which of these nutrients is needed for healthy bones?
(a) carbohydrate (b) calcium (c) protein

Q12 Which of these activities would use the most energy if they were carried out for 15 minutes?
(a) swimming (b) cooking (c) football

Answers:
Q1 (c) 5 Q2 (b) Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta group and the Fruit and vegetables group Q3 (a) at least 5 portions Q4 (c) a portion of starchy food: Q5 (c) four times as much Q6 (c) a jacket potato (explanation: potatoes are high in starchy carbohydrate and therefore count as a starchy food such as bread, rice and pasta) Q7 (b) 6-8 drinks Q8 (b) tired and hungry Q9 (a) a berry muffin (explanation: a berry muffin = 16.8g sugar, a portion of potato wedges = 0.5g sugar, a ring doughnut = 9.2g sugar.) Q10 (c) eat well and be active Q11 (b) calcium Q12 (a) swimming