I am delighted to let you know about my new Nutrition Programme, www.petecohennutrition.com.

Pete Cohen Nutrition is for anyone who wants to use food, nutrients and possibly herbs or other remedies to help optimise their health and wellbeing.

I have recorded a pod-cast with one of others creators of this programme, Drew Fobbester. We discuss how the programme works and what people can expect to get from it.

You can also go straight to the programme and see for yourself and watch the introduction video. CLICK HERE to go straight to www.petecohennutrition.com

 HI there 

I have another recipe for you to try from Chef, Annie Garcia called Rice Surprise. You can see how it's done in the film below. It's simple and easy to do.

Myths & Truths About Nutrition

Myth: Heart disease in is caused by consumption of cholesterol and saturated fat from animal products.

Truth: During the period of rapid increase in heart disease (1920-1960), Consumption of animal fats declined but consumption of hydrogenated and industrially processed vegetable fats increased dramatically.

Myth: Saturated fat clogs arteries.

Truth: The fatty acids found in artery clogs are mostly unsaturated (74%) of which 41% are polyunsaturated. 

Myth: Vegetarianism is healthy.

Truth: The annual all-cause death rate of vegetarian men is slightly more than that of non-vegetarian men (.93% vs .89%); the annual death rate of vegetarian women is significantly more than that of non-vegetarian women (.86% vs .54%) 

Myth: Vitamin B₁₂ can be obtained from certain plant sources such as blue-green algae and soy products.

Truth: Vitamin B₁₂ is not absorbed from plant sources. Modern soy products increase the body's need for B₁₂. 

Myth: For good health, serum cholesterol should be less than 180 mg/dl.

Truth: The all-cause death rate is higher in individuals with cholesterol levels lower than 180 mg/dl. 

Myth: Animal fats cause cancer and heart disease.

Truth: Animal fats contain many nutrients that protect against cancer and heart disease; elevated rates of cancer and heart disease are associated with consumption of large amounts of vegetable oils. 

Myth: Children benefit from a low-fat diet.

Truth: Children on low-fat diets suffer from growth problems, failure to thrive & learning disabilities. 

Myth: A low-fat diet will make you "feel better . . . and increase your joy of living."

Truth: Low-fat diets are associated with increased rates of depression, psychological problems, fatigue, violence and suicide. 

Myth: To avoid heart disease, we should use margarine instead of butter.

Truth: Margarine eaters have twice the rate of heart disease as butter eaters. 

Myth: We do not consume enough essential fatty acids.

Truth: We consume far too much of one kind of EFA (omega-6 EFAs found in most polyunsaturated vegetable oils) but not enough of another kind of EFA (omega-3 EFAs found in fish, fish oils, eggs from properly fed chickens, dark green vegetables and herbs, and oils from certain seeds such as flax and chia, nuts such as walnuts and in small amounts in all whole grains.) 

Myth: A vegetarian diet will protect you against atherosclerosis.

Truth: The International Atherosclerosis Project found that vegetarians had just as much atherosclerosis as meat eaters. 

Myth: Low-fat diets prevent breast cancer.

Truth: A recent study found that women on very low-fat diets (less than 20%) had the same rate of breast cancer as women who consumed large amounts of fat. 

Myth: The "cave man diet" was low in fat.

Truth: Throughout the world, primitive peoples sought out and consumed fat from fish and shellfish, water fowl, sea mammals, land birds, insects, reptiles, rodents, bears, dogs, pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, game, eggs, nuts and milk products. (Abrams, Food & Evolution 1987)

Myth: Coconut oil causes heart disease.

Truth: When coconut oil was fed as 7% of energy to patients recovering from heart attacks, the patients had greater improvement compared to untreated controls, and no difference compared to patents treated with corn or safflower oils. Populations that consume coconut oil have low rates of heart disease. Coconut oil may also be one of the most useful oils to prevent heart disease because of its antiviral and antimicrobial characteristics. 

Myth: Saturated fats inhibit production of anti-inflammatory prostaglandins.

Truth: Saturated fats actually improve the production of all prostaglandins by facilitating the conversion of essential fatty acids. 

Myth: Arachidonic acid in foods like liver, butter and egg yolks causes production of "bad" inflammatory prostaglandins.

Truth: Series 2 prostaglandins that the body makes from arachidonic acid both encourage and inhibit inflammation under appropriate circumstances. Arachidonic acid is vital for the function of the brain and nervous system. 

Myth: Beef causes colon cancer

Truth: Argentina, with higher beef consumption, has lower rates of colon cancer than the US. Mormons have lower rates of colon cancer than vegetarian Seventh Day Adventists 

Annie Garcia is an amazing lady and you might have seen the article in Zest about the 6 stone she has lost and how PCTV has helped her. You might not know that Annie is also a chef who qualified at Leiths School of Food and Wine.  She's looking to instill some of her passion for healthy food by sharing her experience with us.

I love making smoothies – they’re fast and easy to make, healthy and tasty too.
 

Smoothie No 1 - Complete Meal

• 200ml  Smoothie base
  Whatever suits: Water, Milk, Soya milk, Rice milk, Fruit juice etc

• 30/40g Porridge oats
  
• 1 Banana
  
• 1 Handful of Nuts – optional
  
• 2 scoops of Whey Protein
  
• A handful of Blueberries, Clementines fruits of the season
  
  

Place all ingredients in a blender or use a handheld mixer and blitz until ready.

The consistency of this will be thick and luscious.

Smoothie No 2

• 200ml Smoothie base
  
• 30/40g Porridge oats
  
• 1 banana
  
• 2 tbsp of fat free live yoghurt
  
• 1 Handful of Nuts – optional
  
• 1 Tsp of honey
  
• A handful of Blueberries and fruits of your choice
  
  

Blitz until ready.

Smoothie No 3 - Nice and tasty

• 200ml Smoothie base
• 30/40g Porridge oats
  
• 1 banana
  
• 2 scoops of whey protein
  
• 1 Ripe Pear
  
• A handful of blackberries
  
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon
  

Blitz until ready.

Did you know?

Thick smoothies will fill you up for longer than a solid meal as their volume causes the stomach to expand more.  Makes them a great choice for breakfast or lunch, when you may have to wait some time before your next meal.

Take Good Care,

Annie

I do come across some strange things in my life - one of them was the other day when I walked past a sandwich shop only to see these packages of food. It kind of takes synthetic, processed foods to another level!

I am sure the real sandwiches in this shop were great but it got me thinking that so many people don’t realise that if they eat lots of packaged and processed foods that they’re probably not getting the necessary nutrients to be healthy.

You may have heard that apparently there are about as many obese people in the world as there are those who are starving. The difference between these groups is that one is overeating and one is under-eating: the similarity is that both are malnourished. Whilst those of us in the developed world have more than enough to eat, the food we’re eating is less nutritious than it used to be. In addition, we lead more stressful lives than we used to and our bodies need vitamins and minerals to help us recover from stress: so we are suffering both from how we live and what we eat, or rather what we don’t eat. Every process that takes place in our body (such as digestion, fat burning, thinking, breathing, walking and talking) requires vitamins and minerals. If we fill up on junk foods, processed foods, sugary foods, deep fried foods and takeaways all we deplete our body’s stores of nutrients. If we don’t replenish our stores, over time, we suffer from poor immunity and, ultimately, ill health; we’ll find it harder to concentrate and process information; we’ll have less energy; and we’ll find it more difficult to metabolise food and burn fat. The good news is that we can reverse this process. When we eat fresh, natural foods, we top up our stock of vitamins and minerals.

Let’s imagine for a minute or two that it’s mid-afternoon and you are hungry. You fancy a snack and you have two choices: an apple and a chocolate bar. What does each option give you? The apple will give you a steady release of energy; vitamin C, which is good for your skin, bones, blood and building immunity; potassium, which helps to regulate your water balance, blood pressure and your heartbeat; and fibre, which keeps your digestive system healthy and helps reduce the risk of colon cancer. The chocolate bar, on the other hand, will give you a sugar hit, which will cause your energy levels to crash; saturated fat, which increases your risk of heart disease – and nothing of any value. When you look at foods like this, don’t you think there’s little competition between them?

Food manufacturers refine foods to make them last longer and so they’re more profitable; but you deserve better than that. No matter what you might think about your body or how long you’ve been abusing it with poor quality food, your body deserves to have fresh, nutritious, natural food.

I visited my local health-food store recently and spotted this! Nice, a complete antidote to today's rising food costs - but: tough decision - what to choose..? My first thought was that this was the left-overs after a long line of free-food-foragers had taken their fill from the basket... But, if so, who leaves just one stick of rhubarb or one tomato?... and why is it all arranged so oddly...? It was just so surreal that i had to share it with you.

Can you guess what I took and why?... and what would you take and why? Answers on the back of a postcard please :)

Hi there to you all,

There seems to be lots of people out there at the moment that are feeling under the weather so I want to suggest something to get you fighting fit as soon as possible; Chicken Soup.

I love chicken soup and it's one of the first things I ever remember eating, especially if I wasn't feel well. I love it especially when it's home made or even better made by my mum. It's nutritious, easy to make and delicious.

My mum used to go on about the healing powers of chicken soup and often referred to it as Jewish penicillin. But is it really an effective cure for the common cold?

Dr Stephen Rennard, a specialist in pulmonary medicine, put his wife's grandmother's recipe to the test. He concluded that chicken soup inhibits inflammation of the cells in the nasal passage, reducing the symptoms of a cold. Chicken soup also contains an amino acid that is similar to a drug used to treat some respiratory infections. Other doctors say that most soups promotes mucus secretions that "soothe sore throats and coughs, and trap bacteria".

What seems probable, however, is that while chicken soup doesn't cure a cold, it may alleviate some of the annoying symptoms that accompany a bug. At worst, the soup provides a hot, comforting meal and rehydration. So slurp up when you're feeling a little under the weather or you want a good comforting meal :)

So, I asked my mum to share with all of you, her very own recipe for chicken soup. Take it away mummy...

My Mum's Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• Chicken: You can use a fat boiling chicken or packets of chicken wings or drumsticks and/or a whole roasting chicken.
• 2 large onions, quartered, with the skins left on (helps to colour the soup)
• 2 carrots in chunks
• 1 leek, sliced
• Celery stalks & leaves cut in large slices
• Parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper

• Turnips and/or parsnips
• Sliced fresh ginger
• Some strands of saffron (again helps to colour the soup)
• A very small piece of shin of beef (ask your butcher) - this seems to give a "kick" to the final product
  

I do vary the recipe according to what I have in the house at the time and how I feel when I'm buying the ingredients.  In this way, it never tastes the same - they say variety is the spice of life and I enjoy tasting the different ways that the soup turns out !

Put the chicken (and beef if used) in a large pot and add water to cover plus a bit more.  Bring to the boil and remove any scum.  Then add the vegetables and seasoning.  Simmer, covered, on a very low heat for 2 1/2 hours, adding water if necessary.

If you are using a whole chicken, lift it out after about an hour, remove the meat so as not to overcook it and keep it moistened with a little soup for a second course.  Return the carcass and bones to the pot and continue cooking for another hour or so.  If you are using a boiling chicken, it needs at least two hours' cooking.

Strain the soup.  If you want to remove the fat floating on the top, you can mop it up with kitchen paper or make the soup a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, then skim off the congealed fat with a spoon.  Serve very hot, sprinkled if you like, with a little finely chopped parsley.

And if you really want excitement - try these:

Matzo Balls

• 2 eggs separated
• 75g. (3 oz.) medium matzo meal (most supermarkets stock this)
• Salt
  

Beat the egg whites stiff.  Fold in the lightly beaten yolks, then the matzo meal and salt, and continue to mix gently until amalgamated.  Chill, covered for 30 minutes.  Then roll into 2 cm (3/4 inch) balls and drop into plenty of boiling, salted water.  Simmer for about 20 minutes.  You will see them swell and rise to the top of the pan.  Just before serving, heat them up, then lift them out and drop them into the boiling soup.  If you try to cook the matzo balls in the soup rather than the water, they will soak up the soup and you will end up with far less soup than you had before !

Or you could buy a packet of Matzo Ball mix from a delicatessen or kosher grocer - then all you have to do is follow the instructions on the packet.

ENJOY!

Serves: 4-6. Cooking Time: 15-30 minutes

Be adventurous and make up your own soups with your favourite ingredients and seasonings. See what you have in the fridge or store cupboard, use leftovers and take the opportunity to buy fresh foods that are cheap and in season.

What you need: 

• 500g-1kg/1lb 2oz-2lb 4oz solids: vegetables, canned tomatoes, sweetcorn, beans, potatoes, rice, onions, garlic, pasta, etc.

• 1-1.5 litres/1½-2½ pints meat or vegetable stock, seasonings, spices and flavourings

How to do it: 

1. Simply sauté the chopped onion, garlic and any other hard vegetables in a tablespoon of oil, or soften and turn them a light golden brown, which brings out their sweetness and flavour.

2. Using a non-stick pan and covering it while you sauté the vegetables, so that they sweat as well as fry will mean using less oil, (you can speed up things by leaving out this stage and simply cooking all the ingredients together but it won’t taste as good).

3. Next add any softer vegetables (like tomatoes) and beans, rice, pasta, etc., plus the stock or water and simmer until everything is tender.

4. Taste and adjust seasonings. Decide whether you want to eat rough and chunky, blended with hand held blender bar until roughly chopped with a bit of texture, or completely liquidised until it’s velvety smooth.

Soupy Suggestions... 

• Red pepper, fresh or canned tomato and carrot with garlic and paprika.

• Squash or pumpkin chowder with onion, potato, ginger and lime.

• Pasta, potato and pesto soup – another rustic one which cooks in time it takes to have a shower!

• Carrot and coriander with onion, parsnip and lentils or a can of cannelloni beans – very filling.

• Sweet potato, onion, garlic and a can of creamed sweetcorn with fresh coriander, lime juice and paprika or chilli.

• Leek, potato and onion with chicken stock and low fat crème fraiche or quark. This can be left chunky or whisked until smooth and velvety.

• Canned ratatouille and a drained can of cannelloni beans, cooked with vegetable stock, garlic stock, garlic salt and sweet paprika pepper – a real store cupboard standby that takes less than five minutes to make.

• The quality of the stock you use really determines the finished flavour of any dish, especially in the clear soups that are more of a meal in a bowl. Noodle bars are very fashionable places to eat but it’s quite easy to cook in the same style at home. Simply cook Japanese ramen or soba noodles in good quality stock and add your own choice of flavourings at the end of the cooking process. Some suggestions might be shredded chicken or fish, spinach leaves, pak choy, sliced mushrooms, bean sprouts, sliced leeks, celery or carrot, chopped fresh chilli, ginger and coriander leaves.