by Sally | Jul 24, 2016 | Blog
A recent large scale study from Japan has highlighted how the national diet which is rich in oily fish, means there are lower levels of depression amongst the population.
Many previous studies examining the effects of omega-3 oils on depression and mood balance have looked at the average Western diet which is typically low in oily fish. The Japanese traditionally eat much more oily fish, thereby having a higher baseline level of omega-3.
The study looked at 1050 men and 1073 women all aged over 40. Results showed that higher intake levels of the omega-3 fats EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) were inversely associated with symptoms of depression.
Both EPA and DHA play key roles in the structure and function of the brain, supporting communication between brain cells.
The importance of omega-3 fats to brain health can be likened to a mobile phone signal: when levels are low, cell communication is crackly and interrupted, similar to poor mobile phone reception!
Oily fish and krill oil are major sources of both EPA and DHA. Certain types of algae can supply DHA whilst flax seeds, hemp seeds and walnuts provide ALA (alpha-linoleic acid), the ‘parent’ acid of EPA and DHA.
The difficulty with relying on ALA as a source of omega-3 oils is that a lot of the oils are lost in the different conversion processes ALA must go through to become EPA and DHA.
Many other nutrients are needed to support this conversion: magnesium, B-vitamins, vitamin C, zinc – and if dietary sources of these nutrients is low, or digestion is impaired, there are knock on effects on EPA and DHA levels.
Try these simple steps to support your EPA and DHA levels:
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Include oily fish such as sardines, wild salmon, mackerel, pilchards and trout in your diet 3 times a week
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If you dislike fish, consider a Krill oil supplement. Krill oil provides EPA and DHA in a highly bioavailable form which is easily used by cells throughout your body
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For vegetarians & vegans, include hemp, flax and walnut oils daily. ‘Udo’s Oil Blend’ is a fantastic vegan oil blend of various nuts and seeds, supplying a balanced range of Omegas 3, 6 and 9.
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If you have difficulty digesting fats, include bitter foods like rocket, watercress, mustard greens, dandelion leaves and apple cider vinegar before meals to stimulate bile production.
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Digestive enzymes may also be useful: lipase is the specific enzyme for fat digestion.
If you’re seeking a natural nutritional way to deal with depression, anxiety or hormonal mood imbalance, drop me a line at sallyduffin@nutritioninyork.co.uk or call 07910 705272 TODAY!
Study reference:
Horikawa C et al (2016) Cross-sectional association between serum concentrations of n-3 long-chain PUFA and depressive symptoms: results in Japanese community dwellers British Journal of Nutrition vol 115:672-80
by Sally | Jun 3, 2016 | Blog
‘Clean Eating’ is the new buzz-phrase in nutrition. Endorsed by countless celebrity dieters and fitness professionals filling Instagram with image of mashed avocado and raw brownies, this so-called new way of eating revolves around ‘clean’ foods and the avoidance of anything highly processed and sugar-laden.
On the surface, this seems like a good idea and is certainly the sort of approach I 
would normally endorse: avoiding refined processed foods and eating a wide range of natural, nutrient-rich goods instead. But dig a little deeper, and you find the world of clean eating is far murkier than it likes to appear.
A quick Google search reveals several ridiculous rules for clean eating;
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“Processed foods are anything in a box, bag, can or package.” So you’re going to have to carry that free-range chicken home in your bare hands. And yes, you are indeed being ‘dirty’ by choosing lentils and chickpeas from tins despite the fact you haven’t got time to be soaking and simmering dried ones for hours.
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“Clean foods are naturally low in sugar, salt and fat.” 
Statements like this perpetuate the widespread confusion we have over low-fat foods. Trans fats and refined vegetable oils disrupt the actions of healthy fats in our bodies, but regular consumption of butter, ghee, good quality olive oil and coconut oil brings many health benefits. And in terms of the so called ‘clean foods’; avocadoes, coconut oil, nuts and seeds are brimming with fats!
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“Use clean sugars.” I don’t think I understand this one at all. Sugar comes in many guises and in various states of processing. Avoiding the refined white table sugar is certainly helpful, but replacing this with huge spoonfuls of agave syrup (often favoured by clean eaters) is not a good alternative given its high fructose content. Fructose is metabolised in a different way to regular glucose, with high levels contributing to the formation of triglycerides in the liver – long term issues with this include Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
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A ‘Clean Eating Pyramid’: the science behind this pyramid evades me. It encourages the majority of the diet to be 
based on fruit and water – great if you want erratic blood sugar levels, bloating and diarrhoea. Not so great for supporting your body in dealing with stress, hormone fluctuations, ongoing fatigue or digestive issues such as IBS.
The biggest disagreement I have with ‘clean eating’ is the phrase itself. It implies foods are either clean or dirty, and therefore, by extension, YOU are either clean or dirty, according to your food choices.
It is yet another way in which food becomes demonized. It is yet another way for eating disorders to develop, as people (mostly young women) begin to restrict and control the foods they eat, obeying rules set out by other followers on social media, each trying to outshine the other with the latest images of their ‘clean’ meals.
For me, dirty foods are the carrots I haven’t washed yet. I enjoy mashed avocado as much as the next person, and just as much as I enjoy a bag of ‘dirty’ chocolate buttons at the cinema.
A shorter version of this article appeared in The Press on 07/06/2016
by Sally | Jun 2, 2016 | Recipes
Here’s our next recipe from expert cook and food writer Claire Davies, aka The Greedy Wordsmith.
To discover more about Claire, her workshops, and her food and copy writing services hop on over to www.greedywordsmith.com
Claire says…
Almonds are a common ingredient in medieval cookery. With three days a week
classed as fast days, cooks needed a regular replacement for milk and cream. This
is one recipe where I am thankful for the use of a blender; the traditional process
was of course a longer and more physically demanding task. 
All of the spices in this recipe were available to cooks in the medieval era. Within medicinal recipes we can find reference to ginger as an anti-emetic, useful for stomach and gout pains.
Of course many spices were only accessible to the very rich so they were also an excellent way of showing off ones wealth.
Cocoa didn’t arrive in England until the late 1600’s but the addition of raw cacao nibs offers a subtle, malty flavour and a beneficial hit of useful antioxidants. Please note – pure cacao is quite high in caffeine so feel free to leave them out if you are a
sensitive to the effects.
Ingredients
150g whole almonds
50g raw cacao nibs
400 ml of filtered water
1 tbsp of ground ginger
½ tsp of ground cinnamon
A pinch of ground mace
A pinch of ground clove (optional)
A pinch of salt
Cold pressed honey or agave syrup to taste
Preparation
Place the almonds in a bowl and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for at least six
hours. When you are ready to go, strain the almonds and rinse well.
Place the soaked almonds in your blender along with the cacao nibs and filtered
water. You may need to do this in two batches depending on the size of your
blender.
Line your sieve with a piece of muslin. Sit this over a saucepan before straining the
almond milk through the muslin. Press the nut pulp to remove as much of the liquid
as possible before setting it to one side.
Bring the almond milk to the boil before reducing to a gentle simmer. At this point
add the spices, salt, 2 tbsps of your chosen sweetener and a tablespoonful of the
leftover almond pulp. Simmer for a couple of minutes, stirring regularly.
Strain one last time and check for sweetness before serving. Keep any remaining
almond milk in the fridge for a day or two.
by Sally | Apr 29, 2016 | Recipes
Here we have the second in this series of recipes from expert cook and food writer Claire Davies, aka The Greedy Wordsmith.
To discover more about Claire, her workshops, and her food and copy writing services hop on over to www.greedywordsmith.com
Claire says…
As is often the case with modern favourites, the roots of Paella lie with farmers and workhands of the past. The name refers to the pan itself but has come to be known as a dish of rice flavoured with tomatoes, saffron and paprika. The addition of seafood, chicken or meat changes with each region of Spain so feel free to
experiment in your own kitchen. I also love mine topped with squid or mussels.
Soaking the saffron ahead of time allows for the true flavour of this luxurious spice to really shine. The resulting liquor always fills me with excitement and gives a beautiful ochre colour to the final dish. The stamens of the saffron crocus have a long culinary history due to the belief that they could imbue miraculous healing properties. In medieval England traders could be put to death if they were found doctoring their produce. Today the stamens are still picked carefully by hand and – weight for weight – demand a price more expensive than gold.
Ingredients
Pinch of good quality saffron
2 fillets of salmon (around 200g)
1 lemon, cut into quarters.
A large onion
1 medium carrot
2 cloves of garlic
200g of paella rice
1tsp of sweet paprika
½ tsp of smoked paprika
1 tbsp. of gluten-free vegetable bouillon powder
300ml of hot water
Half a can of chopped tomatoes
2 – 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
8 – 10 green Spanish olives
A handful of frozen peas
A handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Preparation
You will need a large, deep frying pan for this dish.
Place the saffron in a bowl and cover with around 20ml of warm water. Leave to
infuse for at least 4 hours. Squeeze a quarter of the lemon over each salmon fillet and wrap loosely in greaseproof paper. Set aside.
Peel and finely dice the onion and carrot. Peel and slice the garlic cloves. Fry these
gently with a little coconut oil or ghee until the vegetables are soft and translucent.
Add the paella rice and stir well.
Make a flavoured stock by combining the paprika, vegetable bouillon and hot water.
Pour this into your pan along with the chopped tomatoes and saffron liquor. Mix well before tucking the fresh thyme sprigs under the rice. Bring to the boil then reduce and simmer for fifteen minutes. If the rice appears dry pour over another 100ml of hot water. Add the peas and arrange the olives on the top of the rice. Cover with a lid or foil and cook for a further ten minutes. You are seeking sticky textured rice.
Towards the end place your salmon parcels in the microwave and cook for just a
couple of minutes. The salmon should still be slightly pink in the middle but not raw.
Leave to rest.
Taste your paella and season with salt and pepper accordingly. Stir through the chopped parsley before spooning a portion of the paella into a bowl, topped with one of the salmon fillets and a quarter of the lemon for squeezing.
by Sally | Feb 25, 2016 | Recipes
Expert cook and food writer Claire Davies, aka The Greedy Wordsmith, has been writing a few recipes to share with you all. Claire is a whizz when it comes to food history and spends her time running cookery workshops (if you’ve ever wanted to learn how to make proper bread, go see Claire!) and writing blogs and copy for a wide range of food businesses.
Over to Claire…
Humanity has a long history with dried peas. For the Anglo Saxons, peas and beans acted as the main protein source between the rare occasions that meat was available. They still act as a vital food stuff on the Indian sub-continent where a large percentage of the population honour a vegetarian diet as part of their religious tenet.
The high levels of protein, dietary fibre and complex carbohydrates work hard to help you feel full for longer and ward off any snacking tendencies later in the day. Nutritional analysis also shows split peas to be a great source of thiamine (B1) and many of the minerals required for a healthy life.
This split pea dahl recipe makes a great lunch option with rice or flatbreads. It is a beautiful example of how we can create delicious meals with a few simple ingredients and only a little time.
Serves 3 (main) or 6 (side)
Ingredients
300g yellow split peas
A bay leaf
2 brown onions
2-3 cloves of garlic
Inch long piece of fresh root ginger
1 green chilli
1 ½ tbsp. of cumin seeds
1 tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of garam masala
Organic ghee (dairy-free or vegan? Opt for cold pressed rapeseed oil)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Before making the dahl – place the split peas in a bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight or at least four hours.
Drain and rinse the peas. Place them and the bay leaf in a pan with one litre of cold water. Bring to the boil, reduce and simmer gently for around 35 minutes or until the peas are cooked through and can be squashed with a wooden spoon.
Prepare the remaining ingredients. Peel and finely slice the onions, garlic and fresh ginger. Dice the green chilli.
With a little ghee / rapeseed oil – fry the onion and cumin seeds before adding the garlic and ginger. Fry for a further five minutes or until golden brown.
Take a wooden spoon or potato masher and break down the split peas. Add a little hot water until it reaches the desired consistency. Return your dahl back to a gentle heat and stir in the turmeric, garam masala and onion mixture. Taste. Season with salt and pepper if required and drizzle over a little cold pressed rapeseed before serving.
