If you sit for more than six hours a day, you need to get up – yes, right now! And yes – that’s six hours in total. And if you think you’re off the hook because you’ve spent an hour in the gym, you need to think again. New research shows our sedentary lifestyles are…
FEWER WRINKLES? YES PLEASE! AND CHIA SEED PARFAIT
Kale & Cocoa isn’t about how we’re ageing on the outside – we’re all about eating well to reduce our risk of age-related illnesses. But if a healthy diet in midlife means fewer wrinkles then BRING IT ON! If you’ve read recent posts, you’ll know that I suffered a fracture in the summer and have…
BOOSTING BONE STRENGTH AND THE SIMPLEST FISH PIE
Yaay! My right hand has just been liberated after five weeks in a plaster cast (and of course I am right handed)- such a relief. I broke my wrist in two places, slipping on mud flats while walking at low tide over the summer. It took a split second to do, and has been surprisingly painful…
IS POOR SLEEP THE NEW KILLER? DIET CAN HELP
I’ve been a poor sleeper for over a decade now, often getting by on five or six hours a night. The recent spate of research showing the importance of sleep isn’t helping. Ironic, I know. But I’m not alone. The other day a girlfriend confessed to having lain awake all night worrying that if she…
HOW RED/BLUE JUICE CAN KEEP A SPRING IN YOUR STEP – POMEGRANATE AND CUCUMBER SALAD
The health benefits of blueberries, pomegranate and purple grapes have been widely reported recently, with experts claiming they can help halt the spread of cancer (pomegranates), prevent Parkinson’s (blueberries) and protect against hearing loss (purple grapes) among a host of other benefits. Every month another discovery is made about the potent medicinal value of these…
WHY MUSTARD IS A MUST-HAVE, AND MUSTARD-MAPLE SALMON
As a kid, I hated mustard. I couldn’t understand the pre-Sunday lunch ritual of mixing bright yellow powder into a paste with a teeny tiny spoon (does anyone still own a mustard spoon, I wonder?) or the fervour with which my parents would seek out good Dijon on trips to France. But now I get…
WHY THE GREAT OUTDOORS (AND WALNUTS) WILL KEEP YOU YOUNG
Ever felt that deep yearning to be out in the wild? If you have, you’re not alone. If you haven’t, it’s time to tune in. There’s now a huge body of medical evidence proving that being with wildlife keeps you healthier and happier. I write this as a committed Londoner who frequently feels a deep…
FABULOUS FERMENTED FOODS AND TEMPEH STIR FRY
You may have noticed that at Kale & Cocoa we are pretty much gut obsessed. From my perspective, it’s been a real education to discover how closely the health of our brains (and the rest of our bodies) are linked to the well-being of our gut. There’s new research published all the time: this week…
WHY THE GUT IS WHERE IT’S AT – AUBERGINE, TOMATO AND CHICK PEA STEW
Would you put your own child on a diet of fast food in the name of research? No, neither would I … but I know a man who did. And the results were frightening. Professor Tim Spector’s newly launched book, The Diet Myth, is a riveting read. It’s all about the microbiome (the bugs living…
IS THE REDUCED CALORIE DIET DEAD? KALE CAESAR SALAD
There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about the reduced calorie (RC) diet. Many long-term studies show that a significant reduction in calories (20-40%) promotes longevity. Scientists aren’t quite sure why it works but think the RC diet tricks the body into thinking famine is imminent. Your cells then rally and this postpones…
