Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

A new website has been set up to track the spread of influenza around Sydney. Hunter New England Health are hoping to learn more about how the flu virus spreads geographically. Their aim is to both monitor seasonal flu outbreaks, but also prepare for possible future pandemics. If you have the flu, all you need to do is logon and then spend 10 – 15 seconds each week, responding to an email about your symptoms. You have to live in …

Read more No comments 31 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

Labor have announced wide ranging measures to curtail the advertising of unhealthy foods to children, if they win power. The policy details are still being finalised, however Nicola Roxon yesterday outlined the plan. Measures will include: * stopping the advertising of junk food on free-to-air TV, during children’s prime viewing times * preventing the use of cartoon and kids TV characters to promote food in supermarkets * reviewing the guidelines for promotional campaigns and competitions in all forms of media, …

Read more 3 comments 31 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

Overnight Richard deployed some updates to Limes & Lycopene, including installing an email newsletter subscription button. You’ll find it in the right-hand sidebar, just above the “About Me” box. As the readership of Limes & Lycopene is growing in both size and involvement, I’ve been wanting to offer a free newsletter. Richard and I are working on a range of new features for the site, expanding both its content and usefullness. The newsletter is a way for you to keep …

Read more No comments 31 July, 2007

Posted by rgh in Blogging, Vegetables, Eggs and Soups

• My favourite post of the week was by Crabby McSlacker, writing on the Diet Blog. Crabby’s post on 7 ways to deal with alarming new research is an absolute gem. * I don’t want to alarm anyone, but you know how here in Australia we struggle to get those five servings of vegies a day? Well, Japan’s dietary guidelines recommend 17 portions per day. The Guardian blog explains the discrepancy. * Lucy has been making Parsee scrambled eggs. Being …

Read more 1 comment 27 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

In parts one and two of this series, I covered the basics on bones: what they are and why we need them. I also looked at calcium, why it’s important for our health and touched on the debate over how much we need. Healthy bones are important as they allow us to continue leading active and healthy lives into old age. The weakening of bones that occurs with osteoporosis, is debilitating and something we all want to avoid. h3. 1. …

Read more No comments 27 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

That’s the end of Q & A Thursday for this week. Thanks to everyone for your questions and comments. Remember, if you have any food, nutrition or health dilemmas, let me know by sending an email or leaving a comment and I’ll include them in next week’s Q & A Thursday.

Read more No comments 26 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Grains

Last question for this week: bq. I’ve just been told to eat a gluten-free diet, but what actually is gluten? I had assumed it just meant I needed to avoid wheat, but now I’ve been told there are a whole lot of other grains I also have to steer clear of – why is this? Gluten is a protein – well technically it’s a mixture of proteins. The gluten in wheat is made up of gliadin and glutenin. It’s found …

Read more 2 comments 26 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

The next question is, what’s in Codral’s new Immune Boost formula and does it actually work? While I haven’t seen any TV ads for this product, it’s being heavily promoted in pharmacies at the moment. It’s winter, there seem to be some particularly bad colds going round this year and everyone’s looking for a way to keep healthy. h3. Lactoferrin Codral’s new formula contains lactoferrin, which is a type of glycoprotein. Glycoproteins are molecules that are composed of both protein …

Read more 7 comments 26 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

One of the questions I needed to follow up from last week’s Q & A Thursday was about diet and PMS – are there any foods or dietary measures that can help reduce PMS symptoms? There have been many myths, taboos, mistakes and just plain silliness thought and written about women and their menstrual cycle. Among my favourites are Pliny, who in the second century AD thought a menstruating woman would sour wine, make vines wither, kill bees, blunt knives …

Read more 2 comments 26 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables and Fruit

The first reader question in this week’s Q & A Thursday is from Joanne: bq. How much truth is there to the common idea that fruits and vegetables begin to lose some nutrition value after being cut up? For example, if I cut up fruits and vegetables and carried them around in a lunch box for a few hours before eating them? What if they sat in the fridge for more than a day, cut up? The best study on …

Read more 5 comments 26 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

I’m starting Q & A Thursday this week by sending a question out to you. I’ve always wanted Limes & Lycopene to be a useful resource, but I’m conscious that what I blog about may not be what you want to hear about. So I’m throwing the question out: what would make Limes & Lycopene more useful for you? We’re working on some big changes to Limes & Lycopene over the next few months and I’d really like to hear …

Read more 6 comments 26 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

Over the past few months I’ve read that even diet soft drinks can give you diabetes; Australia’s childhood obesity problem is both getting profoundly worse, while also improving; and that losing weight is either about eating foods that fill you up, or tricking your tastebuds into thinking carrots are a burger or possibly eating dangerously small amounts of food. So much information is available and yet, it’s contradicting, confusing and sometimes just plain silly. If you’re a normal person, trying …

Read more No comments 25 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Work life integration

The Guardian has a regular feature, that I think’s quite neat – Five Ways To. These quick articles provide simple, practical was to manage a health problem. The most recent include: * Five ways to stay regular * Five ways to have healthy feet * Five ways to keep that holiday feeling * Five ways to de-stress * Five ways to improve your memory

Read more No comments 24 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

If you’ve been sat at your desk all morning, you’re probably starting to feel a bit stiff and lethargic? It’s lunch-time, and while I’m a big fan of going outside during your lunchbreak to move around and clear your head, I do realise not everyone does this. The SMH has put together a list of exercises and stretches you can do at your desk. While they’re not the perfect solution, these simple moves should help to keep you supple, mobile …

Read more No comments 24 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

Over the weekend I read about the Food Dudes: Charlie, Tom, Raz and Rocco. These four superheroes battle the Junk Punks, who are plotting to take away the energy of the world, by depriving everyone of fruit and veg. The leader of the Junk Punks is General Junk, an evil, grumpy man who is as unhealthy as he is miserable. The Food Dudes get their special powers from eating lots of fruit and veg! True it’s a bit cheesy, …

Read more No comments 23 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity and Dinners

Today’s quicklinks is for the omnivores out there. I’ve just been responding to comments and in one answer I mentioned that one of the best meats to eat, here in Australia, is kangaroo. Kangaroo is low in fat, plus they’re adapted to living in our harsh environment and cause much less damage to top soil than cows and sheep. However, it’s still not a popular meat and I think most people just don’t know what to do with it. So …

Read more 6 comments 20 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

That’s the end of Q & A Thursday for this week. Thanks to everyone for your excellent questions as usual. If you have something you’d like to ask for next week, then leave a comment, or drop me an email.

Read more No comments 19 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

One reader asks: bq. I’m trying to lose some weight. Recently I’ve started drinking low carb been, instead of full strength. But am I just wasting my money? Low carb beer has rapidly gained in popularity over the last year, here in Australia. They’ve been cleverly marketed, but unfortunately I don’t think they’re a lot of help when trying to lose weight. While they do contain less carbohydrate than normal beer, most of the kilojoules in Australian beers _comes from …

Read more 2 comments 19 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

Lindsey asks a large question: bq. I’d be interested to know any tips on nutrition for women. e.g. specific foods that are good for women, perhaps herbs/vitamins that help with PMS symptoms, things that in your opinion are helpful for general women’s wellbeing . . . sorry is that too broad?? Lindsey, yes that is a little broad! So I’m going to leave the PMS stuff for the moment, as that’s almost certainly a whole seperate series of posts. The …

Read more 1 comment 19 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Fats & oils

Next question is from Lucy – how to get Omega 3s in a completely vegetarian diet? The Omega 3 essential fatty acids are very important to our health. While some fish are high in Omega 3s there are a number of other foods that contain these lovely nutrients. If you want to avoid fish, then the main other sources of Omega 3s are: * flaxseeds * nuts, especially walnuts, hazelnuts and brazil nuts * soybeans * green vegies There’s some …

Read more 5 comments 19 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

The first question in this week’s Q & A Thursday is about gaining muscle mass: bq. I’m a person of slight build, but do a reasonable amount of physical exercise, including some moderate weight training. I am looking to increase my muscle mass but I think my diet may be keeping me back. I was wondering if you could suggest some good foods to promote muscle growth. To a certain extent your build is dictated by your genes – blame …

Read more 2 comments 19 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

Remember it’s Q & A Thursday tomorrow. This is your chance to get a straight answer to any diet, food and nutrition questions you might have. Previous Q & A Thursday’s have covered a wide range of topics, including:: * whether drinking water during a meal affects digestion * fructose * vegetarian protein requirements * why jasmine rice has such a high GI * which is the best chopping board surface If you have any food, health or diet dilemmas …

Read more 1 comment 18 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Legumes and Soups

This is an easy, quick soup recipe that I made on Sunday night. It’s based on this recipe, with a few changes and it’s definitely a soup for garlic lovers. I wanted to include more vegetable in my soup, hence the addition of broccoli. While the original recipe contained risoni pasta, I had some leftover rice and used that instead. I’ve also reduced the amount of olive oil. The combination of beans, rice and cheese give this soup a "high …

Read more 8 comments 18 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

It’s too easy to put off making diet and lifestyle changes. As I wrote in my post on how to change your diet, we tend to concentrate on the obstacles to eating well and being more active, but you can make changes today. Here are five things you can do this lunch-time or this afternoon. Five steps you can take, to make your health better. Do them all, or pick just one. *But do something today for yourself and for …

Read more No comments 17 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

A couple of weeks ago I posted about a cold and flu brew mentioned on the Chew On This blog. I’ve long been a fan of ginger tea at this time of year, for keeping the winter lurgies at bay. However Professor Marc Cohen at RMIT takes it one step further: bq. He heats about five cups of water with two to three large cloves of chopped garlic, an equivalent amount of fresh ginger, half a lemon and one tablespoon …

Read more 2 comments 17 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

Changing your diet is difficult and large-scale changes are especially hard. Most people want to do the right thing, they want to eat well. However for too often we see obstacles to this: work, life, lack of knowledge, inability to cook, tiredness – all these things can get in the way of leading a healthy life. It’s easy to put off eating well. It’s easy to think – when I’m less tired, have more time, have a bit more money …

Read more 3 comments 17 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

A follow up from last week’s Q & A Thursday post about fructose. A reader notified me of an excellent transcript on the ABC’s website. It’s from Norman Swan’s Health Report and is an interview with Dr Robert Lustig, Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology at the University of California. They’re talking about obesity and the changes to our diet and lifestyle that have occurred in the last 30 years. As part of this they discuss the problems with fructose in detail. …

Read more 1 comment 16 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

And here it is, the new improved Limes & Lycopene. Welcome. While the migration took us slightly longer than expected, it’s wonderful and exciting to be up and running with the spiffy new look. All the old posts and comments are there, but a couple of new bits have been added. For starters, I have a new, more comprehensive About page. You can get there, either by clicking the “About” button in the top right hand corner, or going to …

Read more 10 comments 14 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

Limes & Lycopene may seem very quiet today, but there’s a flurry of activity behind the scenes. I’ve a number of exciting things planned for this blog, and we’re taking the first step today. I’m migrating over to a brand, spanking new blogging engine, plus Limes & Lycopene is getting a face-lift. It should be a seamless transition, with (all going well) the new site up later this afternoon.

Read more 2 comments 13 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

I’m calling an end to Q & A Thursday for this week. Thanks for all the interesting questions and for taking part. If you want to lodge a question for next week, then let me know by either leaving a comment or send me an email .

Read more No comments 12 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Myths

Vanessa has also asked whether drinking water during a meal makes the food more difficult to digest ? This is a common idea in health circles and particularly relates to protein digestion. Your stomach contains hydrochloric acid, which is needed for the first stage of breaking down protein. Proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids. These curl, twist and clump together to form all different shapes and configurations. Hydrochloric acid is needed to uncurl and untwist the …

Read more 5 comments 12 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

Joanne has also asked about fructose: bq. What are you views on fructose, as opposed to sucrose or glucose? I understand fructose has a lower GI, and in addition, is about twice as sweet as sucrose, so less can be used for the same taste (for example, when adding to coffee). This suggests to me that fructose is a healthier alternative to table sugar. But I’ve read that over-consumption of fructose has bad effects including damaging the liver, and that …

Read more 1 comment 12 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Myths and Fruit

Vanessa has asked about food combining – is it: bq. better to eat fruit as it’s own meal or snack – rather than in a dish or along side a meal – because it digests quickly compared with other foods? The food combining approach to diet was first promoted by Dr William Hay in the 1920s. His eating plan – the Hay Diet – is still around today. In the Hay Diet all foods are seperated into three groups – …

Read more 3 comments 12 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Myths

A friend asked me this question during the week – is banana bread healthy? Don’t let the use of the word “banana” fool you. Banana bread is not a health food, it’s cake. A slice of banana bread from a cafe or grocery store contains: * 1,400 kilojoules * 6g of fat * 30g of sugar(source:Choice). In contrast one small banana is about 350kJ. If you make your own, you can control the fat and kilojoule content to some extent. …

Read more 2 comments 12 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Myths

Next question is from Joanne: bq. What is your opinion of soy? I’m a fan of soy and have at least two serves a day of soy products. To me, it is a valuable source of complete protein and, in its fortified forms, of calcium and B12. However, some sources are critical of soy; among their claims is that soy contains anti-nutrients and dangerous levels of phyto-oestrogens! Soy is one of those topics that keeps on coming up. I’ve blogged …

Read more 3 comments 12 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Uncategorized

The first question today is from Matt: bq. What is the best surface for a chopping board, from both a knife survival and food safety point of view? It seems like every possible material is either murder on the knife’s edge, or a near-perfect medium for bacterial survival This is a question I’m always uncertain about as well. I use a wooden chopping board at home, but that’s much more for aesthetic than food safety considerations. My understanding is that …

Read more 12 comments 12 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

I already have some great questions for this week’s Q&A Thursday , but there’s room for more! If you have any food, diet or health dilemmas, send them to me before 4.00pm Sydney time today and I’ll post an answer.

Read more No comments 12 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

Tomorrow is Q & A Thursday. If you have any food, health or diet dilemmas, then let me know by leaving a comment or sending an email. Just a reminder of the Q & A Thursday housekeeping: * You can either leave your question in the comments section or email me directly. * I will try to answer all the questions I receive each week, but if there are too many I might carry some of them over to the …

Read more No comments 11 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

I posted yesterday on what bones are and why we have them . As I mentioned, there’s a lot of debate about calcium and the best ways to ensure strong and healthy bones. h3. Calcium from milk When people think of calcium, they tend to think milk and it’s true that most dairy foods contain a lot of calcium. The perception is if you drink and eat lots of dairy, you’ll have strong bones and prevent osteoporosis. However, it’s …

Read more No comments 11 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea

A mushroom weighing 20kg has been found in Mexico’s southern state of Chiapas. It stands 70cm tall. Pictures are here and here . h3. Reminder Q & A Thursday is 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 2 comments 10 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

During a previous Q & A Thursday , I answered a question on cow’s milk and touched on the importance of the mineral, calcium, for bone health. Following a comment , I thought I ‘d expand on this. It’s a big topic, so I’m going to cover the subject in a series of posts. There’s still a lot that isn’t known about calcium, bone health and preventing osteoporosis. While the public health messages are simple, “eat dairy for strong bones”, …

Read more 1 comment 10 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Eggs and Dinners

Monday is always the night I want something quick and easy for dinner. While home-made and healthy are important, I’m mostly after speed and simplicity. Some quick and easy suggestions are: * Pork&Asian greens stir-fry – although I’d probably miss out the five-spice mix and use a pack of frozen vegies * An omelette with a big pile of steamed vegetables and (if I could be bothered) oven-baked wedges * Tuscan bean soup – it may be from Sunrise, but …

Read more No comments 09 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

This week the Herald included an article on eating less meat for environmental reasons: bq. Hey, carnivore, think you can call yourself an environmentalist? Actually, while you might want to drop that hamburger, you might not need to completely swear off meat. It’s a dilemma that has exercised the best minds. The Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki challenges people to eat less meat for the future of the planet, and the Australian ethicist Peter Singer, based at Princeton University in the …

Read more 6 comments 07 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging, Vegetables, Ethics & Sustainablity and Fruit

Half of me posts about the “adventures of a woman who once weighed 372 pounds but amazingly enough had not eaten every food on the planet. She’s going to change that, and she’s starting in the produce section.” Read more in her Lick the Produce section. The truth about women, hormones and weight gain: as Paula Goodyer writes “while hormones can sometimes be a factor in weight gain, for the overwhelming majority of us they’re not usually the primary cause.” …

Read more 1 comment 06 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea

Next we’re moving into the area of food safety, with a question from Alison: bq. I cook lasagne fairly regularly, and generally I cook a batch of bolognaise, assemble the lasagne and then put it in the fridge. At dinner time I cook it in the oven and serve it. So the meat has now been cooked, cooled, then reheated. bq. The next day, when I go and look at the leftover lasagne in my fridge, I’m reminded of my …

Read more 5 comments 05 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Grains

Next question is from Paul: bq. I seem to recall that rice and lentils together are even better than on their own. Is that right? Do you know why? Yes Paul, lentils and rice are an important combination and it’s all about the protein they contain. Legumes, like lentils are wonderful foods. Highly nutritious and full of fibre, people who include legumes in their diet have a reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease. However, in isolation, the protein in grains and …

Read more No comments 05 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Easier eating and Grains

Kicking off Q & A Thursday this week is a question from Mallika of Quick Indian Cooking: is avoiding carbohydrates at dinner a sensible strategy for weight loss? I’m finding it interesting how many Q&A Thursday questions are centred around carbohydrates. In the past weeks the carbohydrate focussed topics I’ve covered include the GI of different foods, winter carb-loading, whether rice is a bad food to eat and brown rice vs white rice. h3. Carbohydrate containing foods There are a …

Read more 4 comments 05 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea

My favourite quote from yesterday’s Good Living came in Simon Thomsen’s review of Glebe Point diner: bq. My two-year-old son was enjoying his linguine with fabulous veal meatballs and olives ($18) until he tasted Daddy’s flash-fried baby squid ($16) – gently crunchy from a light salt-and-pepper dusting – and scoffed the rest. At least he left me some of the pungently garlicky aioli. It seems that not all kids are difficult eaters . . .

Read more 2 comments 04 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea

The latest issue of Life etc is out, including my regular recipe column, Ten Minute Kitchen. This issue is all about chocolate and includes: * Berry and ricotta tiramisu * Orange, mint and chocolate salad, and * Ten minute Mexican mole You can download the recipes from the Life etc website – the button is about half way down the right-hand column. h3. Reminder Q & A Thursday is tomorrow – let me know if you have any questions about …

Read more No comments 04 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Dinners

Yesterday’s Good Living featured easy fish recipes from Bill Granger. While there are many health benefits to including fish in your diet, people seem unsure of what to do with it. As Bill says: bq. Fish can strike terror into the hearts of novice cooks, but ironically it is probably the quickest and simplest thing to cook. If you’re a fish beginner, then why not try one of Bill’s recipes? They include a grilled coconut salmon, polenta crusted fish and …

Read more 1 comment 04 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

Tomorrow is Q&A Thursday . If you have any food, health or diet dilemmas, then let me know by leaving a comment or sending an email .

Read more 1 comment 04 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Winter

Paula Goodyer has also posted about echinacea on her Chew On This blog and she shares an excellent sounding brew from Professor Marc Cohen at RMIT: bq. He heats about five cups of water with two to three large cloves of chopped garlic, an equivalent amount of fresh ginger, half a lemon and one tablespoon of echinacea root, adds honey and keeps it in a vacuum flask to drink through the day. If you use echinacea extract instead of the …

Read more No comments 03 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Work life integration

WebMD has a list of 27 ways to boost your energy, hopefully titled " Your guide to never feeling tired again ":http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/your-guide-to-never-feeling-tired-again?print=true. Many people believe tiredness is simply down to having too much to do and not enough time, however as WebMD states, this is not always the case: bq. often the true culprits are our everyday habits: what we eat, how we sleep, and how we cope emotionally. The advice covers diet, how to deal with stress and difficult …

Read more No comments 03 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea

Every few months it seems there’s a different story about echinacea. One study “proves” it works, and then two months later along comes another that trashes the herb. Last week, results from a University of Connecticut (UConn) study were published, saying that echinacea reduces the chances of catching the common cold by 58 percent and reduces the duration of a cold by 1.4 days. Moreover echinacea, taken in conjuction with vitamin C, reduced the incidence of colds by 86 …

Read more 1 comment 03 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Easier eating

I liked this post from the latest GI News. It outlines basic tips on how to lower the GI of your meals, but also includes a photo comparison of a high and low GI breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s a great way of showing that lowering the GI of your diet does not mean radically changing what you eat. For most people, a few tweaks to your current diet will do it.

Read more No comments 02 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables and Fruit

The recent heavy rainfall around Australia has been a wonderful for most farmers. Dams are filling, rivers are running again and the big picture is looking good. However, in the short term, the wet and unusually cold temperatures, mean most produce is growing very slowly. Over the next three to four weeks there will be short supplies and hence rising prices. In about a month’s time the situation should improve considerably and an increase in available produce will drive prices …

Read more No comments 02 July, 2007