Posted by kathryn in Blogging

I stuffed up during this week’s Q & A Thursday. I was asked what would happen if you lived on pasta – no sauce, no cheese, just pasta alone. In my answer I stated, this diet would leave you malnourished and would ultimately lead to death. I also said that, along with vitamin and mineral deficiencies, the individual would suffer from a protein deficiency. It’s this bit I’m wrong on. As one reader pointed out, pasta does contain some protein, …

Read more 3 comments 30 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

A follow up to my posts about folic acid fortification here in Australia, new research from the UK has linked depression to low folate levels. Last month, the Food Standards Agency in the UK put forward a recommendation that either bread or flour be fortified with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects. It has been suggested that this latest research means fortification may help with depression. The research, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, comprised a …

Read more No comments 29 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Winter

One of the questions I answered yesterday was about eating heavier, more starchy foods during winter. This is a common trend and it’s one of the reasons many people gain a few kilos over the winter months. While I talked about the food side, I didn’t say anything about other aspects of health. h3. The things we do differently in winter If you compare your lifestyle at the moment, to what it’s like in summer, I think you’ll find there …

Read more 2 comments 29 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

That’s the end of Q&A Thursday for today. Thanks to everyone for your excellent questions. As per usual, let me know by leaving a comment or sending me an email, if you have a question for next week.

Read more 1 comment 28 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Labels & advertising

The final question for this week’s Q & A Thursday is from Paul: bq. I’m frequently amazed at how long some foods can be kept, at least going by the published ‘best by’ date. A couple of examples recently: roasted kumera in oil (nearly 2 months), haloumi vaccuum packed (3 months unopened). Are you aware of any general concerns about ‘best by’ dates on foods? While it seems incredible how long some foods can be kept, Paul I’m actually not …

Read more No comments 28 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Grains

Antti-Juhani asked a question that made me smile: bq. In computer science, there is a thought experiment (due to the late Edsger W. Dijkstra, one of the CS intellectual giants) called “the dining philosophers”: there are five philosophers who spend their whole time thinking – except when they’re eating. Their diet consists of spaghetti, I kid you not, all they eat is spaghetti. My question is, if one were to emulate the philosophers and eat spaghetti only, what would result, …

Read more 8 comments 28 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Myths, Nutrition and Dairy

Fiona asks: bq. Cow’s milk. Nutritionally beneficial? Or only beneficial for baby cows? While cow’s milk is sometimes painted as the nutritional equivalent of an anti-christ, I don’t have a problem with it, as long as you can tolerate it. h3. Nutritional breakdown Nutritionally, cow’s milk is made up of the following: * 87% water * 3.3% protein * 3.8% fat * 4.6% carbohydrate * No fibre And 100ml of milk also contains: * 120mg calcium * 158mg potassium …

Read more 5 comments 28 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Grains and Winter

In this week’s Q & A Thursday Lindsey asks: bq. I find I REALLY crave different things in winter, so I’ve been eating lots of potatoes, creamy/cheesy things, thick soups, etc. All in moderation of course! But I am a bit concerned about the heaviness of these foods. I was wondering whether you’ve got a few ideas about giving the body what it wants in winter without compromising my health? I also I want different foods in winter. The salad …

Read more No comments 28 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

Following up on my last post about protein, I now want to get down to the specifics of Keltie’s question – how do you get enough protein when breastfeeding? h3. Do you need more protein when breastfeeding? When you’re breastfeeding you do need more protein. Your diet is not only providing your own nutrition, but you’re also making milk to satisty your baby’s nutritional needs. At this time you need 1.1g of protein per kilogram of body weight. Therefore a …

Read more 3 comments 28 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

Question number one, for this week’s Q & A Thursday is from Keltie: bq. Our family is vegetarian and I’m currently breastfeeding. I’m worried about my protein intake and also protein for my baby once he starts on solids. how do I ensure we are getting enough? Protein is important for all of us. While it’s one of the nutrients vegetarians need to be careful about, in clinic I also see many omnivores who are not eating enough protein. Keltie, …

Read more 6 comments 28 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

I’ve received a long list of juicy questions already for today’s Q & A Thursday.

Read more No comments 28 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Grains

Fortification is always a controversial policy. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) have led the move to mandatory fortification and have been considering this issue since May 2004. In their opinion, mandatory fortification is the most effective, the safest and most economically viable way to reduce neural tube defects. On the other hand, the Australian Food and Grocery Council, who represent food manufacturers, have stated that reducing NTDs requires a public health solution, not medication of the food supply. They …

Read more 5 comments 27 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

While there is a growing locavore trend in the US, here in Australia it’s still a fledgling movement. Most shops do not regularly display where their produce comes from, apart from an occasional “Australian grown”, which makes it difficult to work out what’s local. In the Herald, Robert Cornish decides to eat locally for one week. He shows you can find a wide variety of produce grown within a small radius of where you live, but it takes many phone …

Read more 1 comment 27 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Grains and Nutrition

As I posted yesterday, folate is a vitamin we all need. Our bodies use it in DNA replication, for catalysing cell growth and repair, as well as in making red blood cells. It’s found in a number of different foods. Women are advised to take folate supplements in pregnancy, to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs). These are a group of birth defects which include spina bifida and anencephaly. It’s estimated that up to 70% of NTDs are preventable through increasing …

Read more No comments 27 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

Tomorrow is Q & A Thursday. Last week I answered questions on: * seaweed and radiation * soy foods and cancer * the health effects of coconut oil * which margarines are trans fat free * why does food fried in oil taste different

Read more 4 comments 27 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

Following the news that bread-making flour is going to be fortified with folic acid, I thought it timely to look at what folate is and why we need it. h3. What is folate? Folate is one of the B vitamins, it’s B9 and in our bodies it’s used in the production of new cells and the replication of DNA. It also plays a part in the maintenance of existing cells, by assisting protein production. Folate is needed to make red …

Read more 5 comments 26 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Grains and Nutrition

A decision was made last week by the Food Regulation Ministerial Council, that wheat flour used in bread-making would be fortified with folic acid. Until now, the fortification of foods with folic acid has been voluntary, here in Australia. Manufacturers have been able to choose to put folic acid in their foods and then include a health claim on the packaging. Over the next two years however, a mandatory code is being phased in. This will require all wheat …

Read more 3 comments 26 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

Results of a new study show that eating foods which fill you up, but provide fewer kilojoules, make it easier to lose weight . Sounds obvious doesn’t it? However it’s still something a lot of people who want to lose weight are not doing. The research from Pennsylvania State University split women into two groups. One group simply reduced their total kilojoule intake. While the other group reduced their kilojoule intake, but also increased the amount of fruits, vegetables and …

Read more No comments 25 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Lunch, Easier eating and Dinners

Mid-week meals can be tricky. If you’re late home or tired, then putting together a meal that’s quick, easy, healthy and tasty can be a big-ask. A while ago I posed the question what’s your perfect mid-week meal? Two themes that came through the responses were, pre-preparing meals on the weekend (which could then be frozen and re-heated), and making use of leftovers. Last week I had a few meals which illustrate both of these scenarios. For starters, I did …

Read more 1 comment 25 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Legumes, Grains, Vegan and Vegetables

• Family Nutritionist has a recipe for green and orange ribbons with fettucine, a lovely way to balance out the vegetable to starchy carbohydrate ratio. If you can’t get mustard greens you could use silverbeet. * I wouldn’t recommend this approach to anyone, but here’s what happens when a meat addict goes hard core vegan for one month. * I love the sound of these Turkish Red Lentil Balls – I think I’ll be cooking them this weekend. * _Chew …

Read more 5 comments 22 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

According to this article on the Wild Oats website, people in the US throw out 25% of the produce they buy, because it’s gone off. I suspect it’s a similar situation here in Australia. What a waste! The article is an excellent guide to getting the most out of your fruit and veg. It covers storage tips, information on why food goes off and (my favourite part) a list of the fastest to the slowest spoilers. You can use this …

Read more 3 comments 22 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

That’s the end of Q & A Thursday for today. Thanks to everyone for your great questions. As per usual, let me know by leaving a comment or sending me an email, if you have a question for next week.

Read more No comments 21 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

Another question, this time about the use of seaweed to counter-balance radiation during cancer treatment bq. “I read Anne Marie Colbin’s book called ‘Food and Healing’ recently and I recall her saying that when she has x-rays, she goes home and makes a meal with a seaweed like arame or hijiki as a way of counter-balancing the radiation.” Seaweed contains the mineral iodine. It’s an important mineral to our health but, certainly here in Australia, it’s one of the …

Read more 2 comments 21 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Fats & oils

A question from rgh bq. "when you fry food, but you don’t use oil, why is there such a difference in flavour, to when you do use it? Or put more succinctly, what effect does oil have on the food you fry? To answer this question, I’m going to have to refer to the great Mr Harold McGee. According to On Food & Cooking when you are pan-frying the oil is doing a number of different things. Firstly it lubricates …

Read more No comments 21 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Legumes

I’ve had a couple of questions about soy. Firstly how much soy is too much and, secondly, do soy foods, contribute to hormonal cancers in any way? Soy often appears in the media. One week it’s a wonder-cure and the next week it’s the root of all evil. I’ve blogged about soy before and this post will answer many of your questions about the health affects of soy, particularly in relation to cancer. h3. How much soy It’s hard to …

Read more 6 comments 21 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Fats & oils

A reader asks: bq. Are you able to tell me what margarines are trans fat free? I have an intolerance to dairy products, so are there any without milk products in them, or at least only a very small amount. The one I use (Nuttelex) says it is virtually TFA free, whatever that means. I’ve blogged about trans fats quite a lot before and some basic posts are: what’s the problem, what foods contain trans fats and a reality check. …

Read more No comments 21 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Fats & oils

Before getting on to this week’s questions, I have to clear up one issue from last week. Nick asked about coconut oil: bq. Something I’ve been somewhat confused about is the health effects of saturated fat in coconut oil. Coconut oil is very high in saturated fat, but I’ve read things that suggest there are mitigating factors that somehow prevent this particular saturated fat from significantly raising one’s LDL cholesterol, like butter would for example. Is this really the case? …

Read more 1 comment 21 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

For those of you new to Limes & Lycopene, today is Q & A Thursday. Every week I set aside Thursdays to answer your questions about food, diet and health. In previous weeks we’ve covered: * The health benefits of nuts * Whether to eat breakfast before or after exercising * Coffee * There’s been a whole series of questions on rice, carbohydrates and the GI * An expose of light yoghurts * Questions about mercury in fish * "Vegetarian …

Read more 2 comments 21 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Snacks

Do you eat really well all morning, have a good lunch and then fall into a nutritional hole in the afternoon? People know about the importance of breakfast and most have lunch, but then around 3pm your energy slumps and the cravings start. It’s the time of day when you raid the biscuit tins, the vending machine or any chocolate in the office gets sniffed out and rapidly consumed. Does this sound like you? This is a common phenomenon and …

Read more 3 comments 20 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Legumes

Tonight I’m using some of the white beans from my weekend cooking to make these falafels. I don’t have any chives, parsley or cilantro (coriander). Instead I’m going to add some fresh rosemary and a smidgeon of chilli paste. We’ll be having them with “mixed greens”/blog/2007/01/05/mixed-seasonal-greens/ – this time a combination of silverbeet, mizuna (from my garden!), fennel tops and beetroot greens. Update: I also don’t have any spelt flour – so it’s just normal plain flour for me.

Read more 2 comments 20 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Legumes, Dinners, Winter and Recipes

After my weekend cook-fest, I have a fridge and freezer full of ingredients. Last night, instead of using the roasted pumpkin in a risotto, I decided to combine it with some of the beans and barley. All the ingredients were cooked, so they just needed to be warmed in a saucepan with a small amount of water. I then made a quick dressing and dinner was ready in minutes. h3. Roast pumpkin with white beans and barley These quantities …

Read more No comments 19 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Soups, Eggs, Legumes and Winter

Rain, rain, rain and more rain made cooking on the weekend very attractive. My nephew’s fifth birthday party was washed out, so Sunday was an unexpected free day and an opportunity to cook some meals and ingredients for the week ahead. h3. What I cooked Lentils: I cooked three cups of lentils in my rice cooker. I used half of them to make Quick Lentil Soup and the other half has gone in the freezer. Barley: I also cooked …

Read more 1 comment 18 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

If you look at the bottom of this post you’ll see four little icons. Over the weekend Richard added social bookmarking links to Limes & Lycopene. If there’s a particular post you like, you can now add it to StumbleUpon, Reddit, del.icio.us or Digg, simply by clicking on the relevant icon.

Read more No comments 18 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Lunch

I posted a few days ago about the benefits of taking your lunch to work. It does require a little extra planning, but it’s good for both your health and your wallet. Even with the best will in the world though, it’s hard to be organised every day of every week. On the days you do buy lunch, what are the best options? h3. Sandwiches A safe option, as long as you follow a few guidelines: * Choose wholemeal, multigrain …

Read more 1 comment 16 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea

Continuing the caffeine theme today, I thought I should just put in a note about pregnancy. Caffeine is metabolised by the liver, so the rate at which you get rid of caffeine is affected by the health of your liver. However, it also takes women on the oral contraceptive pill and pregnant women longer to metabolise caffeine, not because there’s anything wrong with their liver, but because the *same group of liver enzymes metabolise both caffeine and the hormones …

Read more No comments 15 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea

While we’re on the subject of caffeine, remember it’s not just in coffee – caffeine pops up in a few different foodstuffs. h3. Green tea and black tea These both contain similar amounts of caffeine, given they come from the same plant. A 150ml cup of tea contains between 30 and 90mg of caffeine, depending on how strongly you brew the tea and whether you use loose leaf or tea bags – with strongly brewed, loose leaf tea giving the …

Read more No comments 15 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea

In my post about coffee yesterday I mentioned that a moderate amount of caffeine is considered okay – but what’s a moderate amount? For an adult, this is generally considered to be between 300 and 400mg per day of caffeine, with over 600mg classed as excessive. Four cups of espresso coffee gives about 360mg of caffeine, so falls within the bounds of moderate intake. I know these are the generally recognised guidelines, but I still believe this is a …

Read more 2 comments 15 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

That’s it for Q & A Thursday today – a slightly abbreviated version as I’ve been out most of the day at a Life etc recipe shoot. I do have some loose ends to tidy up in the next couple of days, so expect some follow-up blogging. Otherwise, of course, if you have any food and nutrition questions, let me know ready for next week’s Q&A Thursday.

Read more No comments 14 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nuts & seeds

Paul has asked about nuts: bq. I do like snacking on nuts and I probably like them all. From a nutritional viewpoint, (assuming non salted and non toasted/dressed are best) which varieties are particularly beneficial? Is a selection better than one single type? Nuts are a wonderful, wonderful food. They’re high in protein (15 – 25%) and also contain useful amounts of fibre, potassium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin E, along with some B vitamins and antioxidants. Nuts are also high …

Read more 4 comments 14 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Breakfast

Francesca asked the following question: bq. I get up at about a little before 6am in the morning, and head directly out for a walk, run, or swim. I typically get home just before 7am, take a quick shower and head to work, I get to my desk by 7:30. Then I have cereal and yogurt for breakfast. But I’ve read a few articles that mention that breakfast needs to be eaten within half an hour after getting up, in …

Read more 1 comment 14 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Myths

We’re starting today’s Q & A Thursday with a curly one – does drinking coffee affect your absorption of other nutrients? This is actually a tough one to answer and at the moment there’s conflicting evidence. In the early 1980s a study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which found a cup of coffee could reduce the absorption of iron from a hamburger by 40%. Concern has also been expressed about coffee affecting the absorption of magnesium, …

Read more 2 comments 14 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Lunch

I was in the City today during lunch-time, which is a rare event now. I used to work in the City and struggle through the hordes of people every lunch-time. It reminded me of something I often used to think – while there are hundreds of places to buy food in the Sydney, there’s very little choice. Every food hall now contains the same vendors: a pasta place, kebab shop, generic Asian, a chicken shop, salad place, somewhere to …

Read more 9 comments 13 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

Remember Q & A Thursday tomorrow – let me know if you have any questions about food, nutrition and health, either by sending an email or leaving a comment.

Read more 4 comments 13 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea

Healthbolt has a post and wonderful graphic on what happens to your body if you stop smoking right now. It includes the short-term and long-term effects. The health benefits of quitting kick in 20 minutes after your last cigarette and within 48 hours, your chances of having a heart attack have already started to decline.

Read more No comments 13 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Labels & advertising and Junk Food

The calls to ban junk food advertising to kids has been gaining momentum recently. With parents and medical bodies increasingly concerned about childhood obesity and health, preventing the marketing of foods high in fat, sugar and sodium to children is seen as one important step. Concern over the possibility of a British-style ban and wanting to prevent advertising from becoming an issue in this year’s federal election, food manufacturers have started to ditch adverts aimed at children. Kraft, Heinz, Nestle …

Read more No comments 12 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Breakfast, Dairy, Grains, Labels & advertising and Junk Food

• Overseas action on junk food advertising to kids: tomorrow the UK parliament is having its second reading of a bill aimed at preventing the advertising on TV of foods high in fat, sugar and sodium before 9pm (when in theory young children have stopped watching and gone to bed). * According to Rudd Sound Bites, Starbucks in the US is about to make reduced fat milk the standard in a lot of its drinks. * I like this breakfast …

Read more 2 comments 08 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Grains

One question that came out of yesterday’s Q & A Thursday was why the difference in rice GI values. While jasmine has a whopping 109, basmati rice has a much more sedate GI of 58. Given I’ve been talking so much about rice this week, I thought I’d answer this question now, rather than holding it over to next Q&A Thursday. The GI of a food depends on a range of different things. When it comes to rice though, it’s …

Read more No comments 08 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Eggs

And the final question for today is from Paul: bq. Today I went to buy eggs at Coles and was confronted by ridiculous choice: cage eggs, free range eggs, barn eggs, eggs based on RSPCA standards, organic eggs, eggs from hens fed grains/legumes only etc. Similar issues apply when buying chicken these days. Putting aside the ethical factor for the moment, any thoughts on what are better nutritionally? The only difference with eggs is in the Omega-3 eggs that are …

Read more 2 comments 07 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea

Phew, I think that’s quite enough about carbohydrates and grains for the moment. I just have two more questions to answer and then I’m calling it a day. I’m really enjoying reading and researching the questions you’re sending in for Q&A Thursday, so keep them coming. I’ve been asked the difference between a dietician and a nutritionist. Please note, I can only really talk about the situation here in Australia and my background. I’m not aware enough about what happens …

Read more No comments 07 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Grains

A large part of the reason we eat a lot of rice, pasta and potatoes is habit. We’re used to cooking some pasta, throwing a pre-made sauce over it and topping with a sprinkling of cheese; or making a stirfry and serving with rice. I’m not saying don’t make these dishes, or change how you cook but change your ratios. For example: * Cook less pasta, but throw some broccoli or cauliflower spears into the water half way through and …

Read more No comments 07 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Easier eating

Today I’ve posted a whole lot of information about carbohydrates * different kilojoule values * the different GIs * is brown rice better * does white rice have any value? Underneath all these however, is the fundamental issue of what makes up a healthy, well-balanced diet. h3. Should you be eating carbohydrates? As I’ve stated before, I don’t believe you need to forego all potatoes, bread, pasta, rice and other grain based foods. There is a place for carbohydrates …

Read more 6 comments 07 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea

Briefly interrupting Q & A Thursday – there’s an interesting looking programme on Catalyst tonight. With the dramatic title of Don’t Die Young, it looks at how the body works and what you can do to keep healthy. As the Herald says: bq. In this entertaining and informative series from the BBC, anatomist Dr Alice Roberts takes a tour of the body’s organs, looking at what happens when things go wrong and what we can do to keep them in …

Read more 2 comments 07 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Grains and Legumes

To prove today is not completely rice-centric, I’ve also been asked about other grains and legumes. Apart from pasta, the list below is per metric half-cup (ie 125ml) of the raw grain and the dried legume. I thought this was the most useful benchmark for comparison – certainly when I cook grains and legumes I rarely weigh them out, but instead go by volume. Pasta comes in so many shapes and sizes that a volume measurement is meaningless, I’ve therefore …

Read more 4 comments 07 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Grains

The rice we eat is actually the seed of the rice plant. The outer husk of the seed is first removed by milling and this product is brown rice. If this process is continued, the germ and bran of the rice are also removed, giving white rice. During the milling process there is considerable nutrient loss. Brown rice, therefore is higher in fibre, B vitamins, potassium and magnesium than all types of white rice. While it’s not as low as …

Read more 10 comments 07 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Grains

As I mentioned in the last post, different rices have different GI values: * Basmati rice = 58 * Brown rice = 60 * Arborio rice = 69 * Sunbrown Quick rice = 80 * Calrose = 83 * Glutinous rice = 98 * Jasmine = 109 In terms of comparison, a low GI value is below 55. A medium GI is 56 – 69, while a high GI food is anything over 70.

Read more 9 comments 07 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Grains

This is quite a common statement among health food people – that white rice should be avoided because it’s just like eating sugar. I can see why people say this, but it’s somewhat of a simplification. h3. What’s wrong with sugar Two of the main problems with sugar are that it’s high in kiljoules and it has a high Glycemic Index (GI). Therefore if you eat sugar, not only are you consuming a lot of energy (for it’s weight and …

Read more 8 comments 07 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

Little did I realise my short piece about rice in last week’s Q & A Thursday, would stimulate a barrage of further questions on the topic. Matt, Caroline, Lindsey, Stephanie and Rob have all emailed me with enquiries about rice, starchy carbohydrates, legumes, the GI and so on. It’s going to be a carb-rich Q&A Thursday – which is probably very suitable given the weather here in Sydney (bucketing with rain and cold). I’m going to start off with the …

Read more No comments 07 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

Just a reminder tomorrow is Q & A Thursday – your chance to get straight and practical answers to any diet, food and nutrition dilemmas.

Read more 3 comments 06 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Easier eating

Nutritionists and dieticians often emphasise the importance of not eating dinner in front of the TV. I frequently encourage clients to switch off and have their dinner at the table, at least a few times a week. Paula Goodyer has just posted about why this is important. Eating together and away from the goggle-box allows the whole family to talk to each other and connect. However, more than that, it’s all about food associations: bq. Just as going to the …

Read more No comments 06 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Winter

Time for the regular monthly list of what’s in season in Sydney at the moment. For the latest list of seasonal fruit and vegetables see the What’s in season category h3. Fruit * Apples (many varieties including fujis, granny smiths, red delicious, pink ladies, jonathons and golden delicious) * Avocadoes * Bananas (although they’re going up in price) * Chokoes * Custard apples * Dates * Grapefruits (the ruby grapefruits are especially beautiful at the moment) * Kiwifruit * Lemons …

Read more No comments 05 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

Last week I wrote about my dislike of the superfoods phenomenon. It seems I’m not the only one. Dietriffic has also posted about the hype surrounding superfoods, Passion for Health examines the current goji juice mania, while Dr Holly believes exotic juices “taste like money”.

Read more 2 comments 05 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea

Interested in different eating patterns around the world? How does your diet compare with a family in Beijing, or one in South America? Time’s photo essay What the World Eats compares what’s on the dinner table of fifteen different families from around the world. h3. Which are you most like?

Read more 5 comments 05 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

Over the last year I’ve blogged on many subjects – from food labeling, through to kids’ nutrition, health myths, suggested products, as well as food marketing ploys that make me mad. It’s all based around the fundamental question I try to answer how do you live a healthy life and eat a good diet in the modern world. h3. Most popular posts One of the things I’ve learnt over the last year is, the impossibility of accurately predicting what posts …

Read more 2 comments 04 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

Today is my blogging anniversary. After much thinking, researching and blog reading, exactly one year ago today I wrote my first post on Limes & Lycopene. Looking back on that first month of posts, I can see how much my blog has changed and how I’ve grown in confidence as a blogger. While in that first month I did touch on some subjects that have been continuing themes on Limes & Lycopene, the writing was tentative and uncertain. Despite a …

Read more 13 comments 04 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables and Ethics & Sustainablity

• Diet blog reports on a study which found overweight adults who were instructed to focus on lower-calorie foods lost more weight than those who were simply told to cut their overall calories. It’s about focussing on what you can eat, rather than what you can’t. * Vanesscipes posts a gorgeous apple walnut salad with rhubarb compote dressing, inspired by Barbara Kingsolver’s new book – Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. No longer available * There’s been a wonderfully vibrant, impassioned and smart …

Read more 2 comments 01 June, 2007