Blog Posts by Rachael Anne Hill

1. Slow releasing, low GI carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are essential for the uptake of serotonin — the number one neurotransmitter or brain chemical responsible for promoting feelings of happiness, calm and relaxation. Research shows that slow releasing, low glycaemic carbohydrates such as wholegrain breads, cereals, oatmeal, brown rice and oats are particularly beneficial as not only do they stimulate the uptake of serotonin, they also help to prevent fluctuations in mood by keeping energy levels constant throughout the day

2. Turkey and chicken

Turkey and chicken along with other protein rich foods such as fish, beans, nuts and seeds all contain tryptophan  - an amino acid essential for the production of the happy hormone, serotonin.

3. Oily fish

Low levels of omega three fatty acids can trigger low mood and increase vulnerability to depression so eat plenty of fresh tuna (not canned), salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines, avocado, nuts, seeds and oils such as hemp and flaxseed.  These

Five a day keeps the doctor away.  That's the healthy eating message we've been fed for a long time now but according to the findings of the largest ever study on diet and cancer our risk of developing the disease is only reduced by 3% with every two extra servings of fruit and vegetables that we eat  - so will eating our greens really keep us in the pink?

Scientists from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York examined the diet, lifestyle and cancer risk of over 400,000 people across Europe for a period of 8 to 9 years. During this time, 30,000 people developed cancers. The researchers then looked for links between fruit and vegetable consumption and cancer risk and found that if everyone ate an extra 2.5 portions of fruit and veg every day, it would only reduce the risk of developing cancer by around 3%  - but before you swap your carrot sticks for crisps and your banana for a biscuit read on ….

Three reason to keep eating at least 5 a day

1. Eating fruit and vegetables

There's no need to deny yourself the delicious, mouthwatering pleasure of chocolate. But if you're conscious of the effects such indulgences will have on your waistline, opt for these healthier, but no less tasty, options the next time a craving hits.

McVities Jaffa Cakes 12 pack £1.19
Each light and fluffy Jaffa Cake has just 46 kcals and 1 gram of fat. Just make sure you stick at two if you want to stay under 100 calories!

Choxi+ Dark Chocolate Bar 70g £1.99
Available from www.prestat.co.uk
Just two squares of this scrumptious dark chocolate contain all the antioxidants your body needs for a whole day — about the same as two bowls of blueberries or a pound of Brussels sprouts - all for just 50 calories and 2.3 grams of fat.

Muller Light Vanilla and Chocolate Yogurt 61p per pot

Toffee Crisp - £1.39 for a pack of 7
Nestle

Artificially sweetened products have never been more popular.  Last year alone we consumed over 66 tonnes of the stuff, nearly ten tonnes more than a decade ago.  They're in our drinks, desserts, snacks, even our crisps, vitamin pills and medicines but do they really work?  A growing number of experts think not.  Here's three reasons why:

1) Artificial sweeteners may trigger cravings for the real thing.
When trying to find out which food additives would make pigs eat the most, researchers at Louisiana State University tested twenty nine different combinations and artificial sweeteners came out top.  Studies on rats have shown similar findings and researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Centre have found the same to be true in humans.  Their study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, analysed over 7 years worth of data on 1,550 Americans (aged 25 to 64) and showed that those who drank diet drinks had a far greater chance of piling on the pounds and

Feeling tired all the time?  Can't seem to get yourself going in the morning and desperate to flop into bed at night?  Follow these few simple tweaks to your daily eating habits and double your energy levels in just five days!

Eat at least two low GI meals a day
Many of the
carbohydrate based foods that we eat on a daily basis such as breads,
pasta, rice, cereals, cakes and biscuits are highly processed, refined
and lacking in their natural fibre therefore, once eaten, they are
broken down very quickly causing our blood sugars to surge.  These
surges are followed by a sudden drop leaving us feeling tired, lethargic
and lacking in concentration.

Research shows that swapping
fast releasing, high GI, foods for lower GI alternatives such as
wholegrain cereals, rye bread, wild or basmati rice, beans, pulses and
fresh fruit and vegetables is an excellent way to significantly increase
your energy.  This is because they are packed with energy boosting B
vitamins and they also release their

According to the results of a recent food survey by the Food Standards Agency supermarket ready meals have ballooned over the past 15 years with products such as curry, cottage pies, pasta dishes and casseroles now weighing in at twice the size they were in the 1990s.

The same appears to be true for a wide range of takeaway meals with items such as burgers, fries, sandwiches and soft drinks being sold in serving sizes that are up to 100% bigger than they were two decades ago.  Add this to the fact that during the same time period activity levels have either stayed the same or decreased and that eating just 200 extra calories a day over a year can equate to a weight gain of over a stone and it's not hard to see why obesity levels have reached an all time high.  That's why I've put together my top five tips to avoid overeating.

1. Take your serving sizes in hand
Below is an indication of how much an individual serving really should be according to the Department of Health's healthy

Did you know that a pound of body fat is equal to 3,500 calories?  Therefore, to lose a pound of body fat you need to either eat 3,500 calories less or burn 3,500 calories more.  Sounds like hard work?  It needn't be.  Just follow these super simple, calorie and cost cutting tips and you could be a stone lighter and £220 better off in just eight weeks!

1. Cook up a curry
An average Indian takeaway meal with rice, naan and poppadoms contains approximately 1,500 calories and costs around  £10 per person.  Switching to a home cooked version instead is far kinder to your wallet and your waistline.

For a delicious, super fast, low calorie chicken curry simply sauté 1 chopped onion in a non-stick pan with little water and a tablespoon of Worcester sauce until soft.  Add 400g of diced chicken, sauté for 5 minutes until browned on all sides then pour over a jar of Tesco's Light Living Tikka Sauce, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Serve with 100g of boiled rice.  Serves 4.

Money and calories

All that talk of 'New Year, New You' is all very well but if the urge to comfort eat yourself through these cold dark days is wreaking havoc with your good intentions, read on.

Craving: afternoon tea and biscuits
Kcal: approximately 276 Fat: 12g

Why we crave it?
A
lunch containing fast-releasing carbohydrates such as bread, baguettes,
large bowls of pasta, cakes, crisps or chips invariably causes blood
sugars to rise sharply and then fall - hence the '3pm lull'. Again, as
with the morning coffee and cake, our bodies begin to crave something
sweet in an attempt to restore blood sugar levels and tea and biscuits
can seem like the perfect way to satisfy that need but the calories can
soon add up.

The healthier alternative:
Tea and a handful of ready-to-eat dried apricots
Kcal: 83 Fat: 0.5g Saving: Kcal: 193 Fat: 11.5g
The
natural sugars in the apricots will more than satisfy your sweet tooth
but because they come wrapped up in a high-fibre food they will release
more slowly, leaving