The Age-Well Project

Change the way you age

Get our posts direct to your inbox

  • About The Age-Well Project
  • Books
    • Our Books
    • Reviews
    • References
  • Blog
  • Recipes
    • Recipes By Ingredient
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Family
    • On The Go
    • Soups and Salads
    • Treats and Snacks
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Press

HEALTHY AGEING RESOLUTIONS – KALE & BLACK SESAME RICE BOWL

January 2, 2015 10 Comments

green-rice-bowl-2

Over the last few days I’ve been thinking about healthy ageing resolutions for 2015.  Nothing drastic – no crash dieting or fasting for me! But after reviewing the medical findings of last year, two in particular stood out. Firstly, the report that found a Mediterranean diet to be more effective than a low-fat diet for preventing cardio-vascular disease. Secondly, the break-through research that found people eating seven portions of fruit and veg had a 42% lower risk of death from all causes (yes – 42%!).  We didn’t cover this – it came out before Kale & Cocoa’s inception – but it was probably the most important, large-scale report of 2014 in terms of healthy ageing. Read about it here www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/274841.php. Oh – and bear in mind that gorging on fruit won’t help.  Think 5:2 (five veg portions and two fruit portions).

And if that didn’t convince you of the power of veggies, a December study from Cambridge and Southampton Universities found that people eating a diet high in nitrate-rich vegetables could alter the thickness of their blood – lowering the risk of clots, strokes, heart attacks, obesity and type 2 diabetes.  Here’s  the  science www.southampton.ac.uk/mediacentre/news/2014/dec/14_224.shtml and read on for a list of nitrate-rich veggies …

So my resolution for 2015?  Yup – to get more veggies into my family’s daily diet. Without adding to my workload!  How to do this?  Firstly we’ll be eating more vegetable stir fries, curries, gratins, tagines, stews – one pot meals where several veg can be thrown together. Read on for this week’s (edited) recipe from Anna Jones’ inspiring A Modern Way to Eat (it’s fiddlier than I like but it’s the perfect dish for post-Christmas recovery, includes five of your seven-a-day and is delicious).

Secondly – and more radically – we’re going to try eating veggies for breakfast.  Yes, I know that sounds weird. And it won’t happen every day (we still love our porridge pancakes and granola). People all over the world eat vegetables for breakfast – the famous British fry up includes three veggies – but to me broccoli at breakfast still feels weird. By including egg or toast, however, veggies for breakfast seem a little more acceptable. Here are some of the veg-rich breakfasts I’ve been whipping up over the Christmas holidays: sautéed leek and cabbage with a poached egg; sautéed mushrooms and garlic on toast; grilled tomatoes on toast; avocado and rocket on toast; frittata with previously-roasted root veg and kale; scrambled egg, smoked salmon and steamed spinach. Yes, it’s more effort than pouring out a bowl of cereal.  And no, the children aren’t exactly wolfing down the veg element (yet!).  But it leaves me with a virtuous glow.  So when lunch is a sandwich on the go, I don’t feel so bad. If all this sounds too weird, make a smoothie of apple juice, half an avocado, the juice of half a lime and a handful of kale. Smoothies are still the easiest way to consume a glut of veg in one go (more on our fave family-friendly smoothies next month). And you might consider swapping fruit juice for vegetable juice too.

If vegetables were the heroes of last year’s research, who was the villain? Meat, meat and more meat – in particular processed red meat (linked to heart failure – still the biggest killer in the West). And you can forget the BBQ’d meat (linked to Alzheimers and diabetes – we wrote about it here). So, much to the disappointment of Carnivorous Husband, we’ll also be eating less meat in our house leaving more room on the plate for all those veggies.  I think that’s enough resolutions for one year…. Happy New Year to all our followers and thanks for all your support in our start-up year.

RECIPE: KALE & BLACK SESAME RICE BOWL (serves 2)

  • 200g brown basmati rice
  • 2 handfuls frozen soya beans
  • 1 small tub pomegranate seeds (or 1 pomegranate if you have time for de-seeding)
  • 2 handfuls kale, stalks removed and leaves shredded
  • 1 heaped tbsp seaweed (Anna Jones suggests torn-up Nori but I prefer The Cornish Seaweed Company’s Sea Salad – and say support your locally-sourced seaweed! Check out www.cornishseaweedcompany.co.uk to find your nearest supplier)
  • 2 tbsp black sesame seeds (or white, but black look better!)
  • 1 avocado, cubed
  • 2 spring onions, sliced
  • 1 small bunch coriander, chopped
  • Sesame oil

DRESSING

  • Zest and juice of one lemon
  • Zest and juice of half an orange
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp soya sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown rice vinegar

Cook the rice according to the packet instructions

Cover the frozen soya beans in boiling water and leave for 10 mins, then drain.

Mix all the dressing ingredients together.

Saute the kale and sliced spring onions in a splash of sesame oil for 2 mins. Then stir in the seaweed and remove from the heat. Cover until you’re ready to assemble the dish.

Pour most of the dressing and half the sesame seeds over the drained, warm rice. Divide the rice between two bowls, top with soya beans, cubed avocado, the kale/seaweed/onions  and the pomegranate seeds.  Sprinkle over the chopped coriander and remaining sesame seeds and drizzle with the remaining dressing.

NITRATE-RICH VEGETABLES include: Beetroot, spinach, cucumber, celery, carrots, lettuce, kale, cabbage, aubergine, broccoli, fennel, pumpkin, tomatoes, avocados.

Annabel

  • Meal Types: Breakfast, Dinner, Soups and Salads
  • Conditions: Ageing, Cancer, Diabetes, Heart, Heart disease, High blood pressure, Immunity, Strokes
  • Ingredients: Avocado, Kale, pomegranates, Rice, Seaweed, Soybeans
« THE POWER OF VITAMIN D – HEALTHY CHRISTMAS CANAPES
BOOSTING IMMUNITY FOR 2015, SOUP AND A SALAD »

Comments

  1. Louise Jablonowska says

    January 2, 2015 at 11:54 am

    Great post, very inspirational – not that I eat red meat but have forwarded this to my husband!

    Reply
    • Annabel Abbs says

      January 2, 2015 at 6:06 pm

      Thanks Louise and good luck with your husband … i find that if a vegetarian meal is really tasty Husband will be positive, although he still looks wistfully at his plate and asks if the lamb chop is coming next!i

      Reply
  2. Tania says

    January 2, 2015 at 3:55 pm

    Just made it for lunch – it was delicious and all the family enjoyed it. Made a change from left over Turkey! X

    Reply
    • Annabel Abbs says

      January 2, 2015 at 6:07 pm

      So glad you all enjoyed it. I sometimes mix it up with whatever’s in the fridge and find it still works just as well…..

      Reply
  3. Lean Fast says

    August 15, 2015 at 10:56 pm

    It’s actually a great and helpful piece of information. I am happy that you simply
    shared this helpful information with us. Please stay us informed like this.
    Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Annabel Abbs says

      September 2, 2015 at 7:36 pm

      Glad you found it useful. I hope you’ll visit again!

      Reply
  4. Efe says

    February 21, 2016 at 2:53 am

    Contrary to popular beeilf beet roots have more nutrients than their greens aka leaves and stems. They are nature’s multivitamin, the beet contains a greater range of nutrients ounce for ounce than virtually any other fruit or vegetable on the planet. The antioxidants that turn beets deep red also fight off free radicals. Compounds in beets also have been shown to lower blood pressureand cardiovascular disease risk, and to help cleanse the body of harmful chemicals in processed foods

    Reply
    • Annabel Abbs says

      February 27, 2016 at 3:14 pm

      Thanks for your comment. Yes, beets are a miracle food! And delicious too…

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. SUPER IMMUNITY, SOUP AND A SALAD says:
    January 9, 2015 at 9:25 am

    […] into her family’s diet, aiming for SEVEN portions a day (you can read why seven is the new five here). So here’s my New Year’s health resolution: to boost my immunity so I don’t get any sodding […]

    Reply
  2. REcipe for spiced fruit cake with green tea to improve memory says:
    January 15, 2015 at 2:38 pm

    […] or drying out – it is, after all, the month of penitence, atonement  and resolutions (read ours here and here).  But it’s dark n’ cold out there and my body’s begging for sugar and carbs.  To […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Welcome to The Age-Well Project

Welcome to The Age-Well Project!
Here you’ll find easy changes for a longer, happier life. We’ve immersed ourselves in the science of longevity and distilled the research to make it work in our everyday lives. You can change the way you age: here’s how.

Favourite Posts

WHY I’VE THROWN OUT ALL MY BEAUTY PRODUCTS (nearly…)

Why Alzheimer’s Is A Women’s Issue

HOW HAVING A DOG CHANGED MY LIFE

GREEN SPACE IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, SADNESS AND BRAIN-BOOSTING BISCUITS

WHY ‘INFLAMM-AGEING’ COULD START IN THE GUT AND HARISSA-ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD

POLYAMINES – THE NEW SECRET WEAPON FOR AGEING WELL & MOROCCAN SPINACH AND CHICKPEAS.

THINNING AGEING HAIR – WARM CHICKEN LIVER SALAD

About The Age Well Project

This site is for anyone who wants to make the second half of their life as healthy, happy and disease-free as possible. Sign up to get the latest research on ageing – and delicious recipes to match – direct to your inbox.

agewellproject

⭐️Change the way you age
📚The Age-Well Project + Age-Well Plan ⭐️Get tips & recipes on our blog - sign up ⬇️

The Age-Well Project blog
Make the most of the light summer evenings (in the Make the most of the light summer evenings (in the northern hemisphere at least) by going on a scented walk!

Our olfactory bulb (the cluster of smell cells at the top of our nostrils) more receptive in spring and summer, and not only are plants more likely to be in full perfumed bloom, but the warmer air also traps these molecules for longer. 

Now, here’s the interesting bit. Loss of smell has been linked to neurodegenerative disease, with some researchers suggesting that smell tests should be routinely offered by doctors. A 2022 study found that loss of smell (known as anosmia) was an important early sign of Alzheimer’s-related cognitive impairment.

But there’s no need to panic, because studies also show that our olfactory system is much like a muscle – use it or lose it. So get out there and sniff the air! There’s more on the blog - link in bio 

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalhealth #alzheimers #preventalzheimers
What do you want to achieve for your bones?’ T What do you want to achieve for your bones?’ 

This interesting question came from Rebekah Rotstein, who has worked with the Royal Osteoporosis Society and is founder of movement system Buff Bones @gotbuffbones when Susan interviewed her for The Power Decade. 

We thought the answer was that we wanted them to be dense, because that would protect them in the years ahead. Rebekah invited us to view this another way, ‘Your goal is not just to have high bone density,’ she explained. ‘Your goal is to not fracture and to live a full, independent life. You do this by strengthening your bones and body. But you also need to maintain and improve your balance and responsiveness to avoid falls because falls lead to fractures.’

We’re big fans of the ‘brushing your teeth standing on one leg’ trick to add extra age-well benefits to this most regular of tasks by improving balance. When we do it, we can feel movement – and a bit of a wobble – in our feet. Rebekah explains that this movement is also a form of calibration, helping us maintain balance. She urges us to try this barefoot because, as we age, we lose dexterity in our feet: we want to be able to feel the messages they’re sending us.

There’s more on better bone health on the blog - link in bio

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalhealth #bonehealth #osteoporosis #osteopenia #balance #buffbones
Beans for breakfast?! Yes please. On a recent trip Beans for breakfast?! Yes please. On a recent trip to Jordan, Annabel started her day with foul, made from fava beans. 

The Jordanians mash the cooked beans and serve them warm from a swan-necked vessel using a Harry Potter-ish long-handled ladle.  The beans are then drizzled and scattered with various spices, sauces and olive oil. 

Full of protein and fibre, it’s a great way to start the day. The (super-simple) recipe is on the blog, link in bio 

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalhealth #breakfast #breakfastrecipes #favabeans
Grab some GABA! This neurotransmitter is linked to Grab some GABA! This neurotransmitter is linked to better sleep and mood - but needs progesterone to produce it. This is why post-menopausal women are more likely to experience insomnia and anxiety. 

But there are actions we can take to produce more GABA naturally. Save this post for future reference and check out our GABA blog post - link in bio

And save this for future reference 😊

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalhealth #GABA #neurotransmitter
A three-page interview of Annabel in today’s @ob A three-page interview of Annabel in today’s @obsmagazine extolling the benefits of walking, and of being outdoors. Just in case you’ve had your fill of the coronation… ´Walking is freedom, an escape for the mind and the body.’ 

Hear hear!
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Contact Us

For any enquiries please email theagewellproject@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2023 The Age-Well Project