A weighty question

With one in four adults in the UK considered obese, we’re delighted to support this initiative in helping tackle the problem of being overweight. Last week (12-18 January), saw National Obesity Awareness Week, a well-planned programme of events to help children and adults understand more about obesity and how to tackle it. Whether it’s by cooking more healthily, or being more active, the idea is to encourage a positive approach to the problem.

The low-FODMAP diet

Many IBS sufferers and their practitioners swear by the elimination – under guidance – of certain carbs, known as FODMAPS (in the January issue of Healthy Food Guide, we’ve included some IBS-friendly recipes for you to try). If you want to know more about what these foods are and how to steer clear of them, read on…

Is fruit juice really as bad as cola? HFG reports…

Sugar is currently being touted as public health enemy number one and has rarely been out of the news since campaign group Action on Sugar launched its attack on the white stuff earlier this year. But while limiting trips to the biscuit tin, stopping short of ordering a pud when out for dinner, and avoiding snacking on sweets, chocolate and cake are no-brainers, one area that’s left many of us confused is fruit juice.

Break the diet cycle

Diet is a four-letter word that often spells failure. In the November issue of Healthy Food Guide, our experts explain how you can lose weight for good by breaking free of the vicious cycle of deprivation and disappointment caused by fad diets.

Successful weight loss is all about creating healthy relationships with food and your body. We asked nutritionist Zoe Wilson for her top tips for healthy eating…

Get all your five-a-day in one dish!

By Harry Eastwood

This salad is a deconstructed version of ratatouille, which makes for a delicious, fresh and full-flavoured alternative to the traditional vegetable stew. It can be made ahead – and, in fact, tastes even better. It ticks plenty of health boxes as it’s high in fibre and low in calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt. Most people can enjoy it, as it’s vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free. And the best thing about it? One serving counts as a full five portions of your five-a-day.

Rethink your drink

By Emer Delaney, British Dietetic Association spokesperson 

We all know that giving children fizzy drinks is never a great idea because they are high in sugar and have very little nutrients. Some contain the equivalent of eight heaped teaspoons of sugar, which can not only contribute to weight gain as they don't make your child feel full, but can also damage their teeth. And now health experts have calculated there's even more sugar in some smoothies and health drinks. While there are no recommendations on the number of sugary drinks that are allowed, parents should limit them as best they can.

Take a stand against extreme diets

By Melanie Leyshon

 

As you'd imagine, being the editor of Healthy Food Guide magazine, I check the daily newspapers for health breakthroughs. And there's no shortage of stories – some based on reliable scientific evidence, others rely on more flimsy statistics. 

Happy holidays!

By Ellen Wallwork

HFG Christmas cake

The sun is shining, the schools have broken up and glorious British summertime is in full swing… but while most of the nation has been snacking on strawberries and lounging in deck chairs, here at HFG HQ we’ve been humming ‘Deck the halls’, tucking into Christmas cake and shaking fake snow out of our hair.