Posted by kathryn in Blogging
I’m signing off now – so it’s officially the end of the inaugural Q&A Thursday. Thanks for all your excellent questions, I’ve enjoyed answering them and I’m looking forward to next week already. If you do have any more diet dilemmas then leave a comment or send me an emal, and I’ll answer them next Thursday.
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31 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Vegetables
Melanie, the British dietician from Dietriffic, asks about potatoes: bq. we classify potatoes as a vegetable, however we group it together with the breads and cereals in relation to the food pyramid", what’s the situation in Australia? I think we’re as loose with our classification of potatoes as you are in the UK! Yes, potatoes are a vegetable and often included in the classic Australian dinner structure of “meat and three veg”. Our standard nutritional recommendations include having five …
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31 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Grains
The next Question in Q & A Thursday is from Andrew and it’s all about rice: bq. is rice a low fat, low salt, healthy grain, or a carbohydrate-containing food that causes health problems with over consumption? There’s no black and white answer to this one – it depends on how much you eat and your current health. h3. The nutritional content of rice While the primary constituent of rice is carbohydrate, it does contain other nutrients: * Small …
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31 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Nutrition
Next on Q & A Thursday a classic vegetarian dilemma from Lucy – how do you know you’re having enough iron? The only way to 100 percent, guaranteed, know you’re getting enough iron, is to have a blood test. This will tell you if you’re anaemic and if low iron intake is the problem. It’s easy to get done and you’ll have the test results back within days. h3. Which foods contain iron Iron can be an issue for vegetarians. …
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31 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Fish
Claire has asked a question about mercury and tinned tuna: bq. We eat a lot of tinned tuna in our family, maybe once or twice a week, sometimes more. We use Serina tuna in oil mostly, and I have concerns about the mercury content of such a product . . . should we be avoiding tinned tuna? Claire thanks for your question and the short answer is, no, you don’t have to worry about mercury in tinned tuna. h3. Mercury …
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31 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Dairy and Labels & advertising
Today is the inaugural Q & A Thursday – your weekly opportunity to get answers to all those niggling nutrition, food and diet questions. h3. Question Matt asks about “lite” yoghurts, following the release of a new Choice report – are they good for you and what exactly qualifies as “lite”. I have to say that food labelling is one of my favourite topics, so I’m very happy to be starting off with this question. h3. Light / lite yoghurts …
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31 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Blogging
Just a reminder – the first " Q & A Thursday ":http://www.kathrynelliott.com.au/2007/05/26/q-a-thursday/ is tomorrow. I’ve had some great questions already and I’m looking forward to answering them. Let me know if you have a food, nutrition or diet dilemma, either by leaving a comment or emailing me directly.
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30 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Vegetables and Dairy
The only thing against my dinner last night – no leftovers. However, I was so smitten with the fetta and yoghurt combination I made some more and had it on my salad for lunch today – this time with finely chopped mint mashed through. Also delicious.
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30 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Vegetables, Recipes, Dinners, Winter and Dairy
I recently asked the question what’s your perfect mid-week meal and received some interesting and useful responses. I had assumed everyone would be after speed and minimal preparation, but readers also commented they were looking for ways to use up leftovers, meals to freeze and how to recycle last night’s dinner into something new and fabulous. I’m still mulling over these answers, but they have persuaded me I need to tweak my recipe categories, as well as alter how …
Posted by kathryn in Labels & advertising
Food Standards Australia New Zealand have released a new booklet called Choosing the right stuff. It’s a guide to food labels and food additives, as well as the fat and kilojoules of common foods. There’s a report from the SMH here and more info about the booklet on the FSANZ site.
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30 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Nutrition
I’ve just been eating a beautiful organic pear and thinking about my other gripe around the super-food concept. It sets up a small and restricted group of foods as being the only ones worth bothering about. As though these were the only foods you needed in your diet. Which is rubbish. We need variety, we need all sorts of different foods to give us a balanced diet. Yes, the superfoods are high in nutrients and, yes, they do contain a …
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29 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Nutrition
I’m not a big fan of the superfood concept. Well, it’s not so much the concept itself, as all the promotion and marketing that’s taken over. It seems every year there is a new superfood, the one we HAVE to eat in order to have optimum health. This year’s is always bigger and better than last year’s. The latest superfood is never something we eat as a normal part of our diet – it’s always someting super-expensive and hard …
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29 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Lifestyle
A follow up to the previous story – the City of Knox has responded to the Melbourne University research. The local council have joined forces with community and health services to try and make it easier for mums to walk more. bq. Wendy Smith, the Knox City Council’s coordinator of social planning and research, says the research highlighted the dependence of many Knox residents on their cars for short trips around the neighbourhood. As a result, the Council, working with …
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28 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Lifestyle
A new study shows where you live can influence your health. It’s not surprising news, but this three year study by the University of Melbourne has shown the more fast food outlets and the fewer walking tracks a suburb has, the more unhealthy its residents. Location affects the food residents eat, the amount of exercise they do and their weight. The report looked at 50 different areas and the food purchasing and exercise habits of about 5,000 residents. The study …
Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea
I recently came across this article on the current top US food trends and it’s an interesting read. While we do follow many overseas trends, there are strong differences between the US and Australian food industries. Dining at home is on the rise in the US, because of economic concerns, however we’re in a different economic situation here in Australia, plus we still have so many reasonably priced eating out and take-away options. I do think we’re catching the US …
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26 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Blogging
The availability of TV, magazines and the internet mean we’ve never had more diet and nutrition information available to us. Yet it seems people have also never been so confused about what makes up a healthy diet. One of the things I try to do in my professional life is sort through this clutter of information and provide practical and useful answers. It’s certainly my aim for this blog, but it’s also something I try to do with clients, …
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26 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Vegetables
I’ve written before on strategies for getting kids to eat more vegetables. Even the best eaters tend to go through a phase where they “go off” vegies. Persistence and consistency are important, but sometimes meals are in danger of becoming a battlefield. In that situation I recommend vegies by stealth: bq. Hide the vegetables in what you’re making. Add vegetables to soups and then puree the lot; make a risotto with the vegetables grated through; make fritters and burgers that …
Posted by kathryn in Dinners
I have my own business and when I’m not seeing clients at the clinic, I work from home, which I really enjoy. I’ve been thinking over the last few days about what, for me, makes the perfect mid-week meal. It really started when I put together an easy vegetable casserole this week. It took ten minutes of preparation and then cooked away, by itself, in the oven for an hour. Food and eating well are such an important part of …
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25 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Grains
Gluten-free Girl has a post about why going gluten free is not the end of the world. Look at all the beautiful food photos she’s included in her post – they’re all gluten free dishes. Shauna also points to two online quizzes, to check if you might be coeliacs. Filling out an online quiz won’t give you a definitive diagnosis, but it can give you an idea of whether gluten is a problem or note. The quizes are: the National …
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24 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea
As well as running Healthy Shopping Tours, over the next few months I’m joining together with psychotherapist and life coach Andrew Callinan and registered fitness instructor, Alexia Morris to run a programme called Life Plan. I’m really excited about this wonderful six-week programme – which approaches health and life change from the three crucial angles: motivation, diet and fitness. Participants will work with Andrew to overcome obstacles, set new goals and establish strategies for fulfillment in both personal and business …
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24 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Work life integration
Dietriffic has posted some good advice on how to increase your physical activity during the day. Many people say they don’t have the time to exercise, but being active isn’t always about setting aside tens of hours per week to go to the gym. Most of us can structure more exercise into our daily lives, simply by doing more incidental activity. This can range from getting yourself a bike and cycling up to the paper shop on the weekend, through …
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23 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Nutrition
Some of you may have heard about the positive health benefits of drinking green and white tea. Indeed, there was a period when it seemed I couldn’t open a magazine without reading about the wonders of white tea in particular. While it’s true that green and white tea are both rich sources of antioxidants, you don’t have to give up your black tea, as it’s also full of antioxidants. White, green and black tea all come come from the …
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23 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Nutrition
New research from the UK suggests that tea may be a healthier drink than water. Not only is it full of antioxidants, but, contrary to popular opinion, it doesn’t dehydrate. According to Dr Claire Ruxton one of the study leaders: bq. Studies on caffeine have found very high doses dehydrate and everyone assumes that caffeine-containing beverages dehydrate. But even if you had a really, really strong cup of tea or coffee, which is quite hard to make, you would still …
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22 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Dairy
An article in last week’s Herald and UK Independent reported on research by the Harvard School of Public Health, showing a link between milk intake and acne. This study, undertaken by Walter Willet and his team, used information from the large-scale Nurses Health Study II, which examined the diet and lifestyle of about 47,000 women. A link was found between women who had acne and those who drank a lot of milk. The Harvard team has theorised that hormones …
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21 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Blogging
Limes & Lycopene is experiencing a few technical problems at the moment – some of you may have had difficulties getting to the site in the last few days? If so, I’m really sorry and we’re working on it. Hopefully normal non-bug-filled service will resume very soon. If you have any questions or comments, you can always send them by email to me@kathrynelliott.com.au
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19 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Blogging, Vegetables, Nutrition, Myths and Salads
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19 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Nutrition
US Food Policy reports on the anti-childhood obesity programme in Somerville, MA. Called Shape Up Somerville, it’s an example of what happens when a whole community joins together to tackle this problem. A wide range of measures have been set in motion, offering a school, parent and community programme that comes at the issue from several angles: * By improving the food served in school canteens * Including healthy eating as part of the school curriculum * Encouraging after …
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17 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea
This week is Autism Awareness Week. There’s lots going on Neil over on At My Table is writing a series of blog posts about autism.
Posted by kathryn in Junk Food and Labels & advertising
The calls for restrictions on junk foods advertising to kids are gaining momentum.
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16 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Work life integration
I loved this post over at Freaked-Out Fathers about the importance of defragging – time away from the bustle of life to clear your head. His advice is specifically for dads, but chill-out time is something we all need. No matter how much you love your job, your family, your partner, we all need “time away from the noise”. And if you’re not getting this time, then it will effect you and your relationships. bq. I suspect this is why …
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15 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea
In June I’m running another Healthy Shopping Tour in Gladesville. I find that for most people eating well starts with the shopping. If your house is full of healthy, tasty and easy-to-use foods, then it’s more likely you’ll eat well during the week. However, for many people the supermarket can be a minefield, there’s just too much choice, too many products and too little time to read food labels, and make informed decisions. The Healthy Shopping Tours are run …
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14 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Fats & oils
The latest issue of Wellbeing magazine is out, complete with my article on trans fatty acids. There’s such a long lead time with Wellbeing, I was writing this article back in December. If you want to know more about trans fats, then take a look at the posts listed below and for the full story grab a copy of the latest Wellbeing magazine. * Trans fats: what’s the problem * Trans fats: what foods contain them * "Trans fats: a …
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11 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Labels & advertising
I was thinking about the recent Ribena apology last night and in particular the statement: bq. The testing method used to determine the level of Vitamin C was unreliable and we were unaware of this at the time. Testing methods revealed that Vitamin C levels in a number of our ‘ready-to-drink’ products deteriorated over time and did not meet the Vitamin C level stated on the nutritional information on the pack. This seems to me disingenuous at best. Why were …
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11 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Labels & advertising
According to the latest Parent’s Jury newsletter it’s increasingly common for food companies to collect personal information about children and adolescents through websites, competitions and promotions. This information is often used to market directly to kids through emails, sms and direct mail. I guess this has always taken place, I can certainly remember filling out vouchers for competitions and giveaways when I was younger. The key difference now is the ease and cheapness of sending out information. Printing letters and …
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10 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Myths and Junk Food
Sometimes when I see the advert for McDonald’s food, particularly that photo of the Big Mac, I find myself thinking “you know, that almost looks healthy”. Don’t worry, this insanity only lasts a moment, but the whole burger looks fresh and home-made. The bread seems to have substance and body, there’s a noticeable volume of vegetable and the meat looks juicy. So, why is it, when you buy the Big Mac it actually looks like this? It’s all …
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10 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Legumes, Recipes, Soups, Winter and Vegan
I’ve posted lentil soup recipes before (basic lentil soup and lentil & barley), it’s one of my favourite meals. I usually make it on the weekend, use dried lentils and make enough for that night and the freezer. While we were on holiday and cooking on a small camping stove, I made up a quick and easy version. This soup takes me about 20 minutes from start to finish. I’ve recently discovered the McCormick’s Middle Eastern spice blend and …
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09 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Vegetables
As I mentioned, I’ve been eating a lot of Asian greens recently. The Department of Rural Industries has recently released this guide to the Asian greens, to try and reduce confusion about what’s what. There was a time when most supermarkets lumped all these vegetables under the heading of “bok choy”, but with so many different varieties available, this is a bit silly and simplistic. You can download your own version here: asianvegguid.pdf
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09 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea
The government announced a range of health and nutrition measures in last night’s budget, totalling almost $500 million dollars. The annoucement included: * $11.7 million over four years for a national nutrition and physical activity survey to focus on adults. This will include grants to community organisations to fund walking groups and exercise equipment and the programme will involve up to 14,000 participants. * the current after-school activity programme will continue to be subsidised for another three years. * $200 …
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09 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Myths and Labels & advertising
Following the recent court case highlighting msleading claims about the nutritional content of Ribena, GlaxoSmithKline have withdrawn the vitamin C statement from it’s packaging. As John Sayers, Manager Consumer Healthcare in Australia says on their website: bq. “Recently you may have heard about some issues relating to Ribena “ready to drink” products. We stated that some Ribena products contained a level of Vitamin C that was incorrect. The testing method used to determine the level of Vitamin C was unreliable …
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08 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Vegetables
At the moment I’m pretty much addicted to Asian greens – bok choy, pak choy, gai lan, all those beautiful crunchy greens you get in stir-fries. It’s the flavour, but also the contrast in texture between the leaves and the juicy, crunchy stems. We regularly shop at Harris Farm Markets, where you can buy three bunches of greens for almost the same price as one. I’m a total sucker for a vegie bargain, so we always walk away with …
Posted by kathryn in Nutrition
With this week seeing the celebration (?) of International No Diet Day, there’s a nice post over at Diet-Blog about what exactly a diet is. The word “diet” has become infused with emotion, as Diet-Blog says: bq. The word can be used to bludgeon the guilty: “Diets don’t work – you should learn how to eat healthy instead.” The word can also be used to impart positivity and even superiority: “My children have a wonderfully nutritious and wholesome diet.” I …
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08 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Nutrition
Over the weekend, a friend was telling me about a recent trip to a farmers’ market where she bought an organic doughnut. Was this healthy? I often get asked whether certain foods are healthy or not and to be honest I often hesitate before answering. It’s a simple question. But unfortunately the answer is often complex. When I was training, I was told there’s no such thing as a bad food. Just bad diets. I don’t agree with this statement …
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07 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Labels & advertising
Choice have set up a new website called Food For Kids to help decipher the hype and health claims that are made about children’s food. At Food For Kids you can: * look at the latest product reviews * check the nutrititonal values of a whole range of kids’ foods * nominate a food you want Choice to assess There are also opportunities to take part in their campaigns (they’re currently lobbying Kellogg’s to make healthier children’s cereals) and they …
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07 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Lifestyle
One of the resolutions I’ve made while thinking about work life integration, has been to meditate on a daily basis. Until now I have been, at best, a sporadic meditator. It was always something I thought I should do, something that would be good for me – thought patterns which are never beneficial to starting a new routine or lifestyle change. In one of those strange instances of reminders coming from all (and unexpected) angles, I was thinking about meditation, …
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05 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Lifestyle
I’ve been thinking a lot about work-life balance recently: what it is, how to achieve it and perhaps most significantly, how to maintain it in the long-term. Before going away, I was tired and felt I needed my holiday just a bit too much. I’d let work and commitments overwhelm the other parts of my life – the parts that keep me healthy, stress free and full of energy. Work life balance has become such a buzz-phrase. Journalists write about …
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04 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Autumn
Time for the monthly list of the fruit and vegetables in season. h3. Fruit: * apples (fuji, golden delicious, granny smiths, gala & jonathons) * avocadoes (fuerte & hass) * bananas * chokoes * custard apples * dates * grapefruits (yellow&ruby-reds) * grapes * kiwifruit * lemonade fruit * lemons * limes * mandarins (imperials) * nashi pears * oranges (navels & valencia) * passionfruits * pears (packham, williams & beurre bosc) * persimmons * plums * pomegranates * quinces …
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03 May, 2007
Posted by kathryn in Grains
In August, the Coeliac Society are presenting a Gluten Free Expo: bq. The Gluten Free Expo is the only Sydney event presented by The Coeliac Society and is the only Sydney event that showcases exclusively gluten free products. You can be assured of a completely gluten free environment! . . . Come and sample the latest gluten free foods. All manner of gluten free products will be available for you to purchase. Dates: Friday 17th&Saturday 18th August 2007 Location: Sydney …
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01 May, 2007
