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FIGHTING FIT WITH FAT, THE HEALTH GAP AND A RECIPE FOR MEATFREE WEEK

July 30, 2016 Leave a Comment

peanut curry copy

For those of us who came of age in the last century the idea that fat is a health food used to sound like crazy talk. But there’s been report after report in recent years on the benefits of fat (and we’ve covered many of them on Kale & Cocoa) and I’ve finally got the image of Rosemary Conley and her fat-free diets out of my mind. The latest research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine show that a diet with no restriction on fat may reduce the risk of breast cancer, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes compared to other diets. These are obviously heavy hitters in terms of morbidity and mortality in the Western world, so this research is important. Researchers looked at the effect of a Mediterranean diet and found that its emphasis on a high intake of vegetables, whole grains, legumes and – most importantly – a high monounsaturated-to-saturated fat ratio due to the use of olive oil, is a healthier option.

To reach this conclusion the researchers reviewed other available evidence – previous studies, in other words. They had plenty to choose from – there have been innumerable studies on the benefits of fats and the Mediterranean diet in recent years, so why aren’t we all downing olive oil and skipping around like children? Is it just that it doesn’t compute in our low-fat-addled brains? Possibly, but there is a lot more to it than that. The answer, to some extent, is in a fascinating book I’m reading at the moment by Sir Michael Marmot, who is – among other things – Professor of Epidemiology at UCL.

Marmot is a doctor who believes firmly in prevention rather than cure. He has dedicated his career to examining the impact of social standing on health inequalities, and how those inequalities can be improved. He argues that socio-economic position is an important determinant for health outcomes. The more social advantages we have in life, the more autonomy we feel and the more responsibility we take for our own health. Marmot argues that helping everyone – regardless of status – to take responsibility for their health is a critical role for government and society as a whole.

In The Health Gap, he discusses the fact that the conditions in which we live our lives have a profound impact, but good conditions are unequally distributed. Being at ‘the wrong end’ of inequality is disempowering and deprives people of control over their lives, and ultimately of optimal health. It’s not as simple as rich = healthy, poor = unhealthy. It’s about degrees of social advantage. He looks at the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet but points out ‘if all it took was evidence of benefit then everyone could be healthy’. In other words, knowing that something is good for us is not enough. We need a positive environment in which to flourish and take control of our behaviours. He ends the book by advising countries to ‘Do Something. Do More. Do It Better’ to help people help themselves to good health.   I do think we can all do something to take control of how we age and improve our outcomes. That, after all, is what Kale & Cocoa is all about!

There are lots of initiatives to get us thinking about eating healthily. Next week (Aug 1-8) is Meat-free Week. https://meatfreeweek.org which challenges us all to give up meat for seven days and see what impact it makes on our lives. There are lots of lovely recipes on the website too. This week’s recipe is meat-free and vegan too so perfect for next week if you’re taking the challenge. I find it easy to eat more meat in the summer with BBQs and garden lunch charcuterie on offer, so this is a good recipe to have up my sleeve. Don’t be put off by the idea of a stew in summer – this one is tasty but packed with veggies so not heavy. Talking of summer, we’re off on our hols but will be back with lots more Kale & Cocoa in September!

PEANUT STEW (serves 6)

  • 500g sweet potato or butternut squash, peeled and cubed
  • 1 tbs olive or coconut oil
  • 1 onion, peeled and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • pinch of chilli powder, or to taste
  • 1 tbs pulped ginger
  • 1 green or red pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 600ml-700ml vegetable stock
  • 300ml tomato passata
  • 1 tbs tomato puree
  • 100g smooth peanut butter
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 courgette, washed and cubed
  • 2 handfuls of kale or spinach, washed and roughly chopped
  • 2 tbs fresh chopped coriander
  • 1 tin chickpeas or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tbs salted peanuts, chopped

Heat the oil in  a large pan and gently saute the onion for around 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, chilli and ginger and cook for a minute more before adding the sweet potato or squash and red or green pepper. Turn the veg in the oil and spices then add the stock, passata, puree, chickpeas or beans and bay leaves. Simmer gently for around 30 mins, or until the veg is cooked through and soft. Stir in the peanut butter, courgette, green veg and 1 tbs of fresh coriander. Loosen with a little water if it’s looking too thick.  Cook for another 5 minutes then season to taste. Serve with rice and top with chopped peanuts and the remaining coriander. Leftovers keep, and freeze, well too.

 

Susan

  • Meal Types: Dinner, Family
  • Conditions: Ageing, Cancer
  • Ingredients: peanuts, Sweet potato
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Welcome to The Age-Well Project

Welcome to The Age-Well Project!
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Susan was lucky enough to spend a day at the olive Susan was lucky enough to spend a day at the olive harvest at Bidni Extra Virgin Olive Oil @bidni_evoo in Malta in late September. Fresh from the press, the oil was pretty peppery! That’s the polyphenols at work.

Polyphenol levels in olive oil also play a vital role in its brain boosting properties. They help reduce neuroinflammation and slow cognitive decline.

A study presented at a conference this summer by Harvard School of Public Health looked at the cognition of more than 90,000 people over 30 years. It found that those who consumed half a tablespoon of olive oil each day, as opposed to mayonnaise or margarine, had a 28%  lower risk of dying from dementia. Interestingly, this research found that the brain benefits of olive oil held up, regardless of the quality of the rest of the participants’ diet. So even those who didn’t adhere to other guidelines of the Mediterranean diet still got the benefits from the oil.

There’s more on the blog - link in bio

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell #longevity #EVOO
Two new pieces of research you need to know about Two new pieces of research you need to know about if you want to age well: 

1️⃣ the kynurenine pathway. It’s complicated but high levels of it don’t bode well for ageing well. Several studies have found that older people, those who’ve had hip fractures, the frail, as well as the depressed have higher circulating levels of kynurenine.  Indeed the more kynurenine in your blood, the greater your chances of dying sooner rather than later. High levels of kynurenine also seem to be associated with low levels of melatonin and serotonin – meaning both poorer sleep and a greater risk of depression.

New research has identified a very simple way of blocking the accumulation of kynurenine (and its toxic by-products) in our blood and tissues: regular, heart-beat-raising movement.

2️⃣ Platelet Factor 4 (PF4). This compound appears to keep our brains and memories sharp. And it too is released when we move. Discovered by a team from the University of Queensland Brain Institute, PF4 is a protein secreted by the tiny blood cells that prevent blood clotting (known as platelets). This protein rejuvenates brain cells (neurons) in ageing mice, and researchers now think it may be the reason that exercise  and movement amplify the production of new neurons in the brain.

Want more info? It’s on the blog - link in bio 

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell #longevity
In today’s Observer: Check out our top tips for In today’s Observer: Check out our top tips for caring for ourselves and our parents. Take a multi vit for 50+, persevere with technology and/or try something new every day, walk daily, stay social, consume sufficient protein, supplement with vits D and B12… 

#agewell #healthyaging
Autumn giveaway! 🍂 We’ve got a bundle of two Autumn giveaway! 🍂

We’ve got a bundle of two books to give away here on Insta - one copy of The Age-Well Project and one of 52 Ways to Walk. 

To win, simply leave a comment below letting us know your favorite landscape for autumn and winter walks. Do you like hills, mountains, flatlands, canals, rivers, coastlines, cities, cemeteries, your local park, moorland...? Just a few words to tell us where you’d most like to be walking in the next few months to help you age well. 

The competition closes at midnight BST on 18 October and a winner will be selected at random.

And in case you’re wondering why Annabel’s interested in your favourite landscape, it’s because she’s writing a new book about the places we choose to walk in and how they affect us. So she’d love to get a rough idea of the best-loved locations… all in confidence, of course.

Good luck!

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell #giveaway #womenwhohike #womenwhowalk
Look, we know not many people have round-the-clock Look, we know not many people have round-the-clock access to a sauna. But Susan found one in a hotel she was staying at recently, there’s one in our local gym and Annabel found plenty on her summer holiday in Finland. 

A growing number of studies attest to the longevity-enhancing benefits of routine forays into a sauna. Much of the research has been instigated in Finland where sauna (pronounced to rhyme with downer) has existed forever.

So how does sauna help us age well? The extreme heat activates heat shock proteins which researchers think can maintain the healthy functioning of our cells.  As we get older, the proteins in some of our cells start to misfold and collapse. They then clump together forming plaques, including the plaques thought to cause Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Heat shock proteins – triggered by a sauna stint and possibly by hot baths – appear to prevent the misfolding and collapsing of cellular proteins, as well as clearing out those that have already misfolded. Which is to say they keep our cells in good shape. 

There’s more on the blog - link in bio 

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth #betterbrainhealth #brainfog  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell
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