Posted by kathryn in Blogging and Nutrition

Lycopene and me, we go way back and I think it is my favourite antioxidant. Firstly it’s the word itself, I love the look of it, the sound of it, the way the word feels when you wrap your mouth around it, ly-co-pene. It’s one of the main reasons this blog is called “Limes and Lycopene”, I just love the word. But it’s not only that, lycopene is a strapping, robust, no nonsense, no faffing about antioxidant. No prissy, princess-like …

Read more 09 June, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition, Fruit, Vegetables and Fats & oils

We eat food for many reasons: to keep us alive; for energy; for comfort and reassurance; as part of interacting with friends and family; because we enjoy it. However we also eat food because it provides us with nutrients. The old adage ‘we are what we eat’ is true, food supplies us with the building blocks that make up our bodies, as well as the fuel to run it and the ability to make the enzymes that catalyse the biochemical …

Read more 17 June, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables and Nutrition

I was recently asked the question – if I eat plenty of fruit, do I also need to eat vegetables? This is a common question and gets asked from both directions (ie also, I eat vegetables, do I need fruit?). The short answer is YES, you need both fruit and vegetables, sorry if that’s not what you wanted to hear. h3. Why do fruit and vegies matter? Fruit and vegetables are important because they supply a vast array of nutrients …

Read more 03 July, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition and Miscellanea

I have been talking today about folate – what it’s used for, why we need it, where we get it from and so on. My next article in Wellbeing magazine is also on folate. Folate is one of the B vitamins (B9), which we all need, it’s integral to DNA replication, cell growth and repair, as well as the formation of red blood cells. Folate is found in a wide variety of foods including lentils and legumes, green leafy vegetables, …

Read more 11 July, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition and Fruit

As you know, I love lycopene, heck I even named my blog after it, so of course I have to report on any lycopene discoveries or trivia that are out there. I read today that, according to the US Department of Agriculture, the lycopene content of watermelon is significantly increased if it’s stored at room temperature, by as much as 40%, so it’s a big difference. Personally, I love my watermelon straight from the fridge, on a hot, hot day, …

Read more 10 August, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

I’m writing an article at the moment for Wellbeing magazine about the new Nutrient Reference Values released by the health department. A whole series of changes have been made – RDIs have gone up for some nutrients, down for others, for all different reasons. One that has increased is the RDI for calcium, because . . . we lose about 60mg of calcium every day in our sweat.  This simply wasn’t known when the old values were set. To add …

Read more 18 August, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

I realised after blogging about calcium losses in sweat I was so busy talking about the extra bit you need, I didn’t give the overall Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) . . . h3. The RDI of calcium Basically the new RDIs give a range of values for each nutrient, depending on age, sex and so on. For calcium that range is 1,000mg – 1,300mg per day. The higher second value is for men and women over 70 and females under …

Read more 18 August, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Eggs, Fats & oils, Nutrition and Myths

Through a variety of circumstances and shopping errors I’ve ended up with over three dozen eggs in the house. They’re all lovely fresh and organic, but Richard is away and I’m thinking that’s a LOT of eggs to get though by myself. I HATE wasting food, so expect a few egg recipe posts over the next couple of weeks! Fortunately I’m a great admirer of the egg, they’re such a perfect little nutrition pack, easy to use and highly adaptable. …

Read more 08 September, 2006

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. …

Read more 31 May, 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 21 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 26 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition, Myths 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 28 June, 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 10 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 11 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 27 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

Today’s task in 31 Days to Better Energy is to eat some iron-rich foods. h3. Why? One of the main places you’ll find iron in the body is in the molecule haemoglobin. As you’ll see from the picture on the right, haemoglobin is a complex protein. It’s found in red blood cells and contains four heme units, each of which includes iron – you can see these in green in the picture. Haemoglobin is important for your energy levels, …

Read more 22 August, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

The next question in Q & A Thursday is from Sarah. It’s one for the lactose intolerants: is it possible to get enough calcium when you don’t drink milk? h3. Calcium and bone health I’ve written a number of posts about calcium in the past, including a three part series on bone health: * what are bones? * the calcium debate * how to ensure you have strong, healthy bones In the final part of this series I discuss …

Read more 18 October, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

First up on Q & A Thursday, Naomi is asking about iron and B12: bq. I only cook red meat occasionally at home. How can I maximise the benefit of the iron and B12 in meat when I do eat it? How long does the iron etc I’d get from a meal stay in my system? The mineral iron and the vitamin B12 are both important micro-nutrients. We use them to form strong, healthy red blood cells. These cells …

Read more 08 May, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

You have about 3 – 4 grams of iron in your body at any one time. Much of this is in the haemoglobin molecules in your red blood cells. A smaller amount forms part of certain enzymes, while the rest is in transit, bound to a protein called transferrin. Transferrin manoeuvres iron around your body to wherever it’s needed. Every day we lose a small amount of iron. Simple bodily functions like sweating, the shedding of skin and cells …

Read more 08 May, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

Continuing from Naomi’s question about iron and B12. B12 is a whole different kettle of fish. It’s a curious, complex vitamin. Instead of being one molecule, B12 is actually a group of compounds, which are structurally similar and all contain cobalt. h3. What is vitamin B12? * B12 can’t be made by either plants or animals. Instead it’s manufactured by bacteria and it ends up in our food as a result of this bacterial activity. * The bacteria in …

Read more 08 May, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

A while ago a reader asked me the question: which nutrients are absolutely essential and which ones are optional extras? Her concern was, she didn’t like most of the lycopene containing fruit and veg. Was her diet and health missing out? So here’s my answer. h3. The 4 nutrient types Nutrients are substances which enable us to live and grow. We humans obtain these nutrients from the food we eat. Food is broken down by our digestive system, the …

Read more 12 November, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Meat and Nutrition

I’m a bit anti-chicken. I know it’s popular and for many people the meat they most commonly eat. Chicken is not a terrible food. However, while it’s low-ish in fat and contains a good amount of protein, I don’t think chicken has a lot else going for it. The average Australian eats about 36kg of chicken per year. This means chicken rivals beef (and beats both lamb and pork) in the list of most popular meats. It was in …

Read more 02 September, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

I’ve been looking through the Healthy Eating Club website over the past few days. I do find all the blinking and flashing graphics somewhat annoying, but if you can get past them there’s some good information. The club/website was started by Professor Mark Wahlqvist, who is Director of the Asia Pacific Health & Nutrition Centre at Monash University and has written a number of the leading nutrition texts. There’s lots of information and resources including a long list of "nutrition …

Read more 19 July, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

In researching my article for Wellbeing magazine about the new RDIs, my favourite quote is from the herald. When talking about the difficulty of eating in the boundaries of the new RDIs: bq. Is it any more unrealistic than expecting bodies that evolved to eat plants and wild game to thrive on instant noodles? So there you have it, the argument in a nutshell. Yes the new RDIs mean being more careful with our diets than we currently are, yes …

Read more 25 August, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

It’s hard to pronounce and even harder to spell, but you can expect to hear the name resveratrol a lot more over the next few years. It’s one of the antioxidants found in red wine and the subject of a lot of scientific scrutiny. As an antioxidant it has the potential to benefit our health, protecting against cardiovascular disease, cancer and many other degenerative conditions. A report today in the SMH, outlines recent research showing that obese mice fed a …

Read more 02 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables and Nutrition

Back to one of my favourite subjects, why vegetables are good for you. A recent six-year study has found that diets high in vegetables are associated with slower mental decline in older people. The study, part of the Chicago Health & Aging Project (CHAP), took place between 1993 and 2002 and followed almost 2,000 people (male and female) aged 65 years and over. Over the six year period, the participants cognitive function was measured on three occasions, using tests of …

Read more 04 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition and Grains

And while we’re on the subject of the glycemic index, the latest newsletter from the GI group at Sydney Uni contains some practical tips on lowering the GI and GL of your overall diet. Regardless of whether you’re concerned about the GI or not, they’re still a really good set guidelines. Including: bq. Pile half your dinner plate high with green or salad vegetables. Aim to eat at least five serves of vegetables (this doesn’t include starchy the ones like …

Read more 06 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition and Fruit

I’ve blogged before about lycopene, that lovely red carotenoid antioxidant. From everything I’ve read to date, foods containing lycopene have to be heated or processed for the antioxidant to become available to us. It’s one of the reasons I like this antioxidant, it puts paid to the whole “raw is best” argument. Raw is sometimes best, but not always and certainly not in the case of lycopene. Or so I thought . . . Three months ago I mentioned "a …

Read more 11 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

As I’m sporadically writing about children’s health and diet, I’ve added a kid’s nutrition category in the sidebar, so you can find these posts easily.

Read more 16 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

it’s not just adults that can have atherosclerosis, or fatty plaque building up in their arteries. As reported by the American Heart Association : bq. Children with risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol levels already show signs of fatty build-up in their arteries that could lead to heart attack in adulthood, researchers reported at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2006. This research shows the importance of addressing and minimising risk factors: bq. “Diet …

Read more 16 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) is currently considering the mandatory fortification of bread with folic acid (the artificial form of folate), aiming to reduce the number of babies born with neural tube defects. This article in The Australian covers the main points of the debate. I’ve linked to this before, but there’s a handy dietary folate counter on the Choice website, so you can calculate the amount of folate in your diet.

Read more 21 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Fats & oils and Nutrition

In the last week, news has come through that trans fats have been banned from restaurants and food outlets in New York. While, Denmark has had a total ban on high levels of trans fats, for quite some time. In the spectrum of good fats through to bad fats, trans fats are being categorised as the REALLY bad fat. h3. What are trans fats? While trans fats do occur naturally in some foods, the vast majority are in processed foods. …

Read more 11 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

Last week the Chief Health Officer of NSW released a report into the health of NSW people. While we’re living longer, the levels of chronic diseases, like cardiovascular disease and diabetes are on the increase. Moreover, the number of overweight and obese people in NSW is growing, up to 57.5% of men, 42.3% of women and nearly a quarter of school children. We’re also seeing a rise in lifestyle related diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. So, we’re living …

Read more 14 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables and Nutrition

One of the main subjects I find myself returning to on Limes & Lycopene, is the importance of vegies and how to get those five daily recommended servings. Simply put, vegetables are a crucial part of a healthy diet. This applies to everybody, it’s not just sick people, or old people who need to keep up the vegies. It’s not just those with a family history of cancer, cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Instead, it’s you, me, our families, friends – …

Read more 07 January, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition and Snacks

In a similar vein to my what actually is five serves post, Columbus Foodie has pointed me to a series of pictures on Wisegeek, called what does 200 calories looks like. To put this in some context, 200 calories is the old money equivalent of 836 kilojoules. Depending on your height and activity level, if you’re a women you need between 7,600 and 10,000kJ per day. Whereas men will need 9,400 – 14,000kJ per day, to maintain your current weight. …

Read more 08 January, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

I’m writing an article for Wellbeing magazine at the moment, on the subject of antioxidants. There’s been a fair amount of discussion, over the past year, about the value of antioxidants, following this New Scientist article. The article received a lot of media coverage, as it specifically questions the value of taking antioxidant supplements. It’s important to say at the beginning, during this debate nobody is denying that *a diet high in fruit and vegetables will reduce your risk of …

Read more 17 February, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables and Nutrition

News from the GI group at Sydney University: they’ve found a low GI potato . . . and it’s the Nicola. Nicolas are not a new variety of potato – they’re one of my favourites and I’ve been using them for years. They’re a lovely, waxy potato that holds it’s shape and doesn’t go mushy when cooked, making Nicolas perfect for curries, stews and potato salads. While most potatoes have a high GI rating of between 75 and 101, …

Read more 07 April, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

It may not be surprising to many parents, but a recent survey of the eating habits of 3,800 teenagers found that many teenagers are eating an unhealthy diet. More than a third “rarely or never” eat fruit, while one in five have fast food every day and more than 90% have extra or non-essential foods (such as fast foods, lollies, crisps and sugary drinks) every day. I’m probably more shocked that two-thirds of teenagers are eating fruit every day , …

Read more 21 April, 2007

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 …

Read more 08 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 …

Read more 22 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 …

Read more 29 May, 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 05 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 25 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition and Grains

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 27 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 29 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

I’ve seen the reports this morning in the Herald, about concerns raised in a new study into vitamin supplements – that they may increase the risk of death. I will be blogging about this, but want to review the original research and other reports before commenting. I’ll post something about this on Saturday or next week.

Read more 28 February, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition and Lifestyle

With the incidence of type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes on the rise in Australia, it’s increasingly vital to spread the message of how it can (usually) be regulated through diet and lifestyle changes. If you want to prevent complications, keep your blood sugar levels stable and continue living a long and healthy life, then diet and lifestyle are important. The latest GI newsletter contains a comprehensive list of the ten diet and lifestyle changes you need to make to reduce your …

Read more 02 March, 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 …

Read more 07 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 …

Read more 17 May, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging, Vegetables, Nutrition, Myths and Salads

• I’ve been reading and re-reading this post from Passion For Health. It perfectly encapsulates something I see every day in clinic. We are more knowledgeable about health and diet than we’ve ever been. The majority of people I come into contact with know what they need to do to eat well and be healthy and yet so many just don’t have the wellbeing and vitality they want. If that’s you then read this post. * Green vegies, those …

Read more 19 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 …

Read more 23 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 …

Read more 29 May, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition and Grains

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 26 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 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 28 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition and Myths

I’ve been asked a lot of questions recently about fructose. The comments and threads have been overwhelmingly negative. While the questions vary, they all centre around the same core issue – is fructose bad for you? In short the answer is an annoyingly cryptic – probably yes, but not really at the moment . . . as is ever the case with nutrition. h3. Problems with the research Fructose is a type of sugar. It’s a very simple sugar, called …

Read more 30 September, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition and Myths

Friday is usually Quicklinks day and I know it’s a popular weekly round-up. However this week I wanted to concentrate on just one link. The latest Australian Family Physician has an article about weight loss facts and fallacies. Noting the confusion about weight loss information, they decided to survey two groups of people about their weight loss knowledge. One group were GPs and medical registrars, while the others were truck drivers and tradesmen. So I thought I’d survey readers of …

Read more 19 November, 2009