8 Foods Nutritionists Never Eat

There is an argument that all foods are OK in moderation, and this is largely based on not having ‘being healthy’ become something that feels a chore or that has you missing out on some of the things you really enjoy. 

But as a nutrition professional, there are a few things that I NEVER eat. 

1 Reduced fat foods / diet foods

These foods are, by definition, very highly processed. Where fat is taken out of a food, what nearly always goes in instead is either sugar or artificial sweeteners. The idea that fat is bad or leads to weight gain has now been acknowledged as being entirely wrong. We now know that sugars (and excess starchy carbs) are what mostly leads to weight gain and keep you craving sweet things. Many artificial sweeteners aren’t great for gut health either. I’d far rather stick to the natural, full fat version. 

2 Margarine and butter substitutes

Margarine and vegetable spreads are the nutritionally poorer relations of real butter, coconut oil and other healthy fats like olive oil. Again, they are heavily processed. Often what draws people to them is the thought that they are somehow healthier because of their lower levels of saturated fats. Given that saturated fat is not the enemy to your health – while artificially hardened vegetable oils (think trans-fats) are -, it’s far better to stick to unadulterated fats, using ghee (clarified butter) and coconut oil, or olive oil for cooking at lower temperatures. 

3 Sugar free fizzy drinks, diet drinks and energy drinks

Sometimes I see clients ‘filling up’ on diet drinks, which (although they contain no actual calories) are doing your body no favours. They’re still conditioning your body to expect more sweet stuff, and the jury is still out on whether artificial sweeteners are not great or seriously detrimental to health. Energy drinks often provide a dual hit of very large amounts of caffeine accompanied by either a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners. When I’m working with clients who are propping themselves up with these drinks, I like to get to the cause of their fatigue, because what’s in the tin of Red Bull (or similar) will not be helping. 

 

4 Hotdogs and processed meat

It is quite shocking how little actual meat goes into hotdogs, and processed deli-style meats are often pumped with water, sugar (even if it’s not actually called sugar, look out for anything ending in ‘-ose’ – like dextrose) and preservatives. Some of the additives in processed meats have been linked to increased risk of colon cancer. If my family demand ham, it’s pretty easy to pick up a small ham joint and cook it myself.

 

5 Shop-bought cereals

Most supermarket cereals are filled with sugar and very high in starchy carbs, which will have your energy levels crashing come mid-morning. Better options include home-made granola (like the cinnamon pecan granola from Deliciously Ella), which are easy weekend jobs and last a good while, porridge or overnight oats, omelettes or poached eggs (in fact, any kind of eggs) on wholemeal toast.

6 Rice cakes

These are often a go-to food for anyone counting calories. Unfortunately, they will skyrocket your blood sugar levels. A better choice would be a couple of oat cakes topped with unsweetened nut butter or a little hummus. 

7 Agave nectar / syrup

Agave syrup comes from a cactus, and the syrup is made from the pulp of the leaf. It’s very highly processed and is mainly fructose, which needs to be processed by the liver, causing more stress for an already over-worked organ. Fructose is actually worse for you than glucose (which is effectively what we are talking about when discussing ‘blood sugar’). Agave syrup (or nectar) is very similar to the (deservedly) much-demonised high fructose corn syrup, that has contributed greatly to the obesity epidemic in the US. My advice? Do not use it!

8 Mycoprotein like Quorn

Quorn is a very processed food that comes from a fungus Fusarium venenatum and is fermented.  It has a lot of other ingredients added – like flavourings, yeast, starches and colourings, gluten to give it the texture and flavour of meat. Lentils, pulses, tofu and tempeh are a much healthier alternative if you’re after vegetarian choices.

9 Fruit Juice

The easiest way to get lots of sugar into your system in a short space of time is by drinking it. And since it comes in as liquid, the body doesn’t register it as “eaten”, so it cunningly slips past any detectors that might otherwise signal satiety or ‘satisfaction’. Fruit juice – particularly when freshly squeezed – certainly contains lots of lovely vitamins and minerals, but it contains just as much sugar as that can of Coke. So, don’t kid yourself: fruit juice is not healthy. If you want fruit, eat fruit. Don’t drink it.

Did any of these surprise you?

Fancy a cuppa?

As though we need any excuse for a cuppa, this week is Afternoon Tea Week so a perfect time to you all about the beautiful health benefits of tea, and how to make sure your cuppa is doing the very best for your health.

When you’re standing in the supermarket aisle or in the bespoke tea shop, it’s easy to forget that tea drinking has been an activity spanning millennia and, though we might use it as a pick-me-up in the morning or the vehicle for a good gossip with friends, it’s been revered - almost sacred - as a ritual for a long, long time.

Think of this blog as a celebration of the cuppa in which I’ll be walking you through where it came from, whether it’s any good for your health, how much you should be drinking and some fabulous ways to honour this amazing drink. 

Here’s who ‘invented’ tea

The origins of tea date back thousands of years in ancient China. Legend has it that in 2737 BC, the Chinese emperor Shennong accidentally discovered tea when leaves from a nearby Camellia sinensis plant blew into the bowl of hot water he was drinking.

From these legendary beginnings in China, tea's consumption spread throughout East Asia, to Japan, where it became an integral part of Zen Buddhism and the traditional tea ceremony. 

By the 9th century, tea had reached the Arab world and eventually made its way to Europe in the 16th century, thanks to Portuguese and Dutch traders. The British, in particular, embraced tea passionately, leading to the establishment of tea plantations in India and Sri Lanka. The British East India Company helped popularise tea drinking in the West in the 17th century. It was a popular trade commodity, travelling along routes like the ancient Silk Road.

Different types of tea

There are four main types of true tea - white, green, oolong, and black - all derived from the Camellia sinensis plant. The difference lies in the processing methods used.

WHITE TEA is the least processed, using just the young buds which are steamed and dried. Originated in China in Fujian Province. 

Flavour: delicate, light, slightly sweet.

Reported benefits: contains anti-aging properties and supports immune health.

GREEN TEA originated in China and Japan. The leaves are heated through pan-firing or steaming to prevent oxidation. Green tea has gained popularity over the last decade, and you’ll find many products in supermarkets today. 

Flavour: fresh, grassy, slightly sweet.

Reported benefits: high in antioxidants, aids in weight loss, and boosts brain function.

Famous teas: Japanese Matcha or Sencha, rolled gunpowder green teas from Morocco, Dragon Well green tea from China.

OOLONG TEA from China and Taiwan is semi-oxidised.

Flavour: Complex, ranging from fruity to floral.

Reported benefits: aids digestion, promotes healthy skin, supports metabolism.

Famous teas: Da Hong Pao oolong.

BLACK TEAS are most plentiful. Originating in China, India (Assam and Darjeeling), and Sri Lanka (Ceylon), they are fully oxidised before heating, resulting in their dark colour and rich flavour. This is your ‘regular’ tea; think English Breakfast, Assam and Earl Grey.

Flavour: bold, robust, floral, malty (varies greatly).

Reported benefits: improves heart health, enhances gut health, provides a steady energy boost.

Famous teas: Lapsang Souchong, Darjeeling from India.

PU-ERH from China’s Yunnan Province.

Flavour: earthy, rich, smooth.

Reported benefits: Known for its probiotic properties, aids in digestion, and may help with weight loss.

Famous teas: Menghai Da Yi (Dayi), Xiaguan Tuocha, Lao Ban Zhang.

HERBAL TEAS

Beyond the traditional teas, there are also herbal tisanes made from flowers, fruits, and herbs that offer their own unique flavours. 

These teas are not caffeinated, which means you can drink them freely without them impacting your sleep. 

This is why a cup of tea might relax you…

True tea (that’s the white, green, black, oolong and pu-ehr teas) naturally contains the amino acid L-theanine, which has some unique and beneficial effects. It’s what gives you that ahhhhhh moment when you enjoy a cup of tea. It’s particularly abundant in green tea leaves.

Reasons to love tea

Promotes ‘calm alertness’ - L-theanine has been shown to induce alpha brain waves, helping you feel more calm and relaxed while also maintaining focus and alertness. This makes tea a great beverage for enhancing concentration without the "jittery" effects of caffeine alone.

Reduces stress and anxiety - studies indicate L-theanine can help lower psychological and physiological stress responses by prompting an increase in serotonin, dopamine, GABA and other calming brain chemicals. This anxiety-reducing effect makes tea popular for unwinding.

Boosts mood and cognitive performance - the combination of L-theanine and caffeine in tea has been linked to improvements in cognitive abilities like reaction time, memory, and mental focus. It can provide an overall mood and mental clarity boost.

Supports immune function - some research suggests L-theanine may help strengthen the disease-fighting capacity of human gamma delta T cells, which are a part of the body's immune defenses.

How much tea is it OK to drink?

Despite the health benefits, it's important not to go overboard. The recommended upper limit is around 3-4 cups (700-900ml) of tea per day for an adult. Drinking much more than this could potentially cause side effects like anxiety, headaches, and insomnia due to the caffeine content.

Some people are genetically more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than others. If you’re sensitive, you will likely find you do better with far less caffeine; maybe even none. 

In any case, everyone should be mindful of the half-life of caffeine. This is the amount of time it takes for half the caffeine in your cup to leave your body, which is between six and eight hours. So, that means it will take up to eight hours for half the caffeine in the cup to leave your body. Caffeine is a stimulant, so afternoon drinking is not advised. Even if you don’t have trouble dropping off to sleep, if you go to bed around 10pm and you’re having a cuppa after 2pm, somewhere along the line that caffeine will be affecting the overall quality of your sleep. 

TIP: the quality of bagged teas you'll find in most supermarkets can vary quite a bit. Many contain "tea dust" or the lower grades of broken/crushed leaves. For a higher quality tea experience, opt for loose leaf teas when possible. Loose teas tend to use more intact leaves which results in a richer, more full-bodied flavour.

Other tea tips:

• Herbal/fruit tisanes make a nice caffeine-free option for iced teas
• Don't throw out those used tea leaves. They can be composted or used on houseplants as fertiliser.
• Black tea can help food remain fresher longer due to its antioxidants - try storing baked goods with a few loose tea leaves.
• The tannins that give tea its slightly dry feeling in your mouth can actually help cut through rich, fatty foods.

How to keep your skin looking at its best

For some, one of the most bothersome things about the ageing process are wrinkles and the dullness your skin can take on. Although it’s not possible to turn back the clock, there are a number of things you can do to bring back that feeling of radiance.

The ageing process is due to inflammation of one sort or another. I know you’ll get that in relation to joint pain, but did you know that what you eat has a big impact on how your skin ages?

Eating too much sugar and processed carbohydrates (like pasta, bread, and baked goods such as cakes and biscuits) can lead to damage in your skin's collagen, which keeps your skin elastic and helps it resist wrinkles. This is largely caused by a high glycaemic diet. High sugar foods, like the ones listed, tend to spike our blood sugar, which causes glycation. 

Glycation is a process caused by the presence of excess glucose in skin fibres. Glucose surrounds around the collagen and elastin fibres and, over time, causes them to become rigid and even break, losing their activity. With age, these molecules accumulate in the skin and end up destroying the supportive cushion formed by elastin and collagen.

Alcohol and caffeine can also have a negative effect on the appearance of your skin. Dehydration from coffee or alcohol can also cause skin redness or inflammation. Dry skin patches may appear around your nose and chin area.

On a more positive note, you should bring more of the healthy fats into your diet. Essential fats found in fish, avocados, nuts and seeds keep cell membranes soft and smooth – they’re nature’s perfect skin plumpers. 

If you have even a passing interest in face creams, you’ll likely have read about how some ingredients fight age-accelerating particles called free radicals. The magic ingredients in this case are antioxidants, and they’re in plentiful supply in fruit and vegetables of all colours. Eating as many different colours over the course of a week is helpful.

As a very general rule, each different colour group contains a different set of plant chemicals. Scientists now know that bringing a variety of different antioxidants into your diet has a synergistic effect, which means the combined result is more powerful than the individual parts.

Would you like to know more about skin health? Nutrition can help with conditions such as skin ageing, acne, psoriasis, eczema and dermatitis. If you’re interested in knowing more, why not get in touch? 

Summer Drinks

Summer parties are often filled with sweet, alcoholic drinks that can lead to rollercoaster blood sugar levels. 

It’s not always easy to know what to drink instead without feeling deprived. But I’ve got a few delicious and refreshing alternatives for you to try. 

Strawberry lemonade 

Serves 8

2 litres water

8 lemons, squeezed (around 280 ml)

1/2 -3/4 tsp liquid stevia (try NuNaturals)

250g strawberries, sliced  

In a large jug combine water, lemon juice and stevia. Simply stir in sliced strawberries and serve over ice.

Cucumber, mint and lemon fizz

Serves 6

1.5ltr sparkling water

half a cucumber, sliced

10 mint leaves

1 lemon, sliced

Put all the ingredients in a large jug, chill and serve. 

Sparkling cherries

Serves 2

4tbsp Cherry Active

500ml sparkling water

Add sparkling water to the Cherry Active and serve with ice.

Sparkling lime water

Exactly as it sounds … 

Sparkling water with a good squeeze of fresh lime juice over ice. Simple and refreshing – and you can guarantee a pub with have the ingredients (but likely you’ll need to remind them about the fresh lime and not cordial!). 

Garden Sour

Seedlip Garden (a distilled, non-alcoholic drink*), 50ml 

Cloudy apple juice, 35ml

Lemon Juice, 15ml

Cider vinegar, 5ml  

Sprig of rosemary & thyme 

Seedlip is premium distilled non-alcoholic drink. The price may make you wince (it’s no cheaper than buying alcoholic spirits) but it’s hot news this year and making an appearance in all the top bars…

Find it at www.seedlipdrinks.com

Sparkling kombucha

Kombucha is a healthy alternative to sparkling soft drinks known for being full of naturally occurring vitamins, acids, and beneficial bacteria. Making it is a labour of love. Learn how to make it here: https://happykombucha.co.uk/pages/how-to-make-kombucha. 

Alternatively, you can buy it ready-made, especially if you want to try before you invest your own time in making it? Don’t blame you. I like Equinox Kombucha (www.equinoxkombucha.com). 

Why We Should All Eat the Seasons

A restaurant menu focused on seasonal produce is often a go-to sensation, but do you know why it’s important to eat seasonally?

Quite simply, when you eat locally and seasonally you know you are eating the freshest, most abundantly available produce. It is better for everyone – you get the tastiest veg, the local farmer benefits, and food miles (the distance our food has to travel from the farm to your fork) decreases so you get to save the environment, too. 

Another unexpected benefit is to reconnect to nature’s seasonal cycle. If you have children, this is especially important as it teaches that food does grow at specific times, a hard concept to grasp when imports from all around the globe ensure that supermarket shelves look the same practically every week of the year.

If you're wondering when you should start, the answer is: now. A survey in BBC Good Food magazine showed we’re not as good as we think at figuring out what is in season when. Of the 2000 people it asked, 86% claimed it was important to shop seasonally, 78% said they were doing it – and yet only 5% could say when blackberries were at their best.  

I want to help make this the year that you can embrace this concept.  Firstly, you can check my newsletter or Instagram for regular reminders of what’s in season each month and a little inspiration for what to do with it (Link to sign up to the newsletter – www.alexallannutrition.co.uk/sign-up).

Where to buy seasonally

Farmers’ markets are a great place to find local seasonal veg. Make it your mission this month to find out what’s on near you. Ask friends and family and, if you’re feeling bold, ask the question on your Facebook page to get the quickest response. 

Failing that, try these two resources to find a place near you:

http://www.findlocalproduce.co.uk/ 

https://artisanfoodtrail.co.uk/events/

https://saturdayandsunday.co.uk/weekend-farmers-market-directory/

Having someone else do the hard work and just bring you the goodies is also a good thing. If you’ve never considered getting an organic veg box, it can be an amazing experience. It’ll teach you super fast what is in season when, you’ll get some of the best produce available in your area and delivered to your door, and it will wake you up to the magic of cooking. 

I wonder whether this resonates with you. I actually LOVE cooking but with a family and running a busy clinic, even for me it often turns into a real chore; a juggling act between what everyone wants to eat (usually the same things week in, week out) and what I have actually got in the fridge or cupboards. Inviting a veg box into your life forces you to try something new, and this can be very invigorating. Of course, you can pick and choose the types of ingredients you want and avoid having things added that your family hates, but I urge you to have a go and see what happens. 

The following offer a huge variety of veg-only or fruit and veg boxes, some even with a ‘pick your own’ element where you can pick and choose exactly how much of what you have

https://www.riverford.co.uk/shop/veg-fruit-and-meat-boxes

https://www.abelandcole.co.uk

http://www.farmaround.co.uk

https://www.eversfieldorganic.co.uk

Do check my blog for recipe inspiration, but let’s start off with something delicious that you might not have tried that’s in season this month – courgettes!

Courgettes are a great source of potassium, a mineral which helps to keep our muscles working properly so we can move around. Courgettes also contain a good amount of both vitamin C and folic acid. Just half a large courgette counts as one of your 7-a-day (one portion of veg or fruit is 80g raw weight).

Courgette, green bean, and feta salad

Serves 4-6

3 medium courgettes, sliced 

300g trimmed green beans

2 x 200g blocks of feta, each cut in half

4 tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, crushed

Handful thyme leaves

Zest of 3 oranges

50g fresh gluten-free breadcrumbs

75g hazelnuts, roughly chopped

extra virgin olive oil, to serve

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. 
• Prepare the courgettes and green beans and lay out on a baking sheet. Pop the feta in a small flameproof tin. Drizzle 3 tbsp of the olive oil over the veg, and the rest over the cheese. 
• Crush the garlic and mix with the chopped fresh thyme, reserving some of the thyme to one side. Add about two-thirds of this mixture to the veg, then sprinkle the rest over the feta. 
• Sprinkle the zest of 2 oranges over the veg and the rest over the feta. Season the veg and feta to taste. Toss the veg together and tip into a bowl. 
• Take a teaspoon of the marinade and add to a frying pan. Tip the breadcrumbs and chopped hazelnuts into the pan, and heat gently on the hob for a few minutes until crispy and golden. Set aside to cool.
• Pop the veggies into the oven for 20 minutes until lightly browned and tender. Add the cheese for the final 10 minutes  until the cheese has softened, but not melted.
• Add the veg to a serving dish and sprinkle with the breadcrumb/hazelnut mix. Add the slices of feta to the top and serve.
• Enjoy!

Good Mood Foods

How we nourish our bodies has a profound effect on our mood. Here are my top foods to include… and what to avoid.

IN

• Eat 3 meals a day - only snack if needed.
• Eat sufficient protein to give you an optimum supply of essential amino acids.
• Have some form of protein with every meal and snack.
• Eat whole, unadulterated food, high in soluble fibre (beans, lentils, oats).
• Choose vitamin B foods like nuts, seeds, beans and green leafy vegetables (which also include essential zinc and magnesium), which are good for mental stability.
• Foods containing high amounts of essential omega-3 fats as well as vitamin D are helpful. Include a serving of each these foods every day: fish (like salmon, mackerel, herring, kippers, sardines, tuna), free-range eggs, free-range chicken or turkey.  
• Nuts and seeds (especially flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, almonds) and all beans. 

• All berries, cherries, plums, apples and pears, green vegetables but especially broccoli, asparagus, peas, artichoke, kale, cabbage, watercress, and rocket.

OUT

• Avoid sugar in its many disguises and limit foods containing carbohydrates that break down into sugar fast – bread, rice, pasta, pastries, cakes and cookies.
• Avoid foods high in hydrogenated, processed fats or damaged fats, such as sausages, fried foods and junk food.
• Limit or avoid caffeinated drinks (1 coffee or 2 weak teas a day).
• Limit or avoid alcohol (no more than 3 small glasses of wine, half-pints of beer or measures of spirit a week – and not all on the same night).