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WHAT I EAT, WHAT I READ AND SWEET PAPRIKA SALMON FOR ALL THE FAMILY

May 30, 2014 7 Comments

susan's-salmon-plated-landscape

For me, eating well means eating the foods which will reduce my chances of succumbing to dementia and other diseases which can be diet and age related, like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. So far,  so simple.

Pretty much all the experts agree that eating more veg – particularly leafy greens – is a no brainer for your brain (sorry…) And that refined carbs – particularly sugar – aren’t doing you any favours nutritionally. Good fats – nuts, avocado and seeds – get the thumbs up while processed foods get the big thumbs down. Once we get onto meat and dairy things start to blur. There’s a school of thought that everything, from diabetes to dementia, can be prevented by a plant-based, whole food, almost (or completely) vegan way of life  – check out http://www.thechinastudy.com/ and http://www.drfuhrman.com/ and http://www.nealbarnard.org/ . But others, like David Perlmutter, author of ‘Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs and Sugar – Your Brain’s Silent Killers’ http://www.drperlmutter.com/ advocate eating fish, poultry and some dairy but few grains.

In the papers, and online, there’s a new study almost every day declaring a breakthrough, which can get confusing: coffee is good for you! Coffee is bad for you! Carbs kill your brain! Carbs fuel your brain! Oily fish is brilliant! Oily fish is full of pollutants! It makes my head spin, which is not good when my primary focus is to reduce my chances of getting dementia.

But I am clear in my mind that a good diet will make a difference.  I’m trying pick my way through all advice, day by day, to reach the best possible diet – one that nourishes me, and my family.

I’m trying not to get hung up on it all, and to find a middle path that works for us – majoring on veg, fruit, pulses and wholegrains in the week and enjoying meat and fish at the weekends. I love a roast, I love fish and – most importantly – I love a meal we can all enjoy together.  I always make sure there’s lots of leafy greens though!

THE RECIPE – SWEET PAPRIKA SALMON

(this is adapted from a recipe by the very wonderful Diana Henry in ‘Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons’)

My children love this, and when we had a couple of families over for supper even the fish-avoiding boys wolfed it down and asked for the recipe.

INGREDIENTS ( for 4)
4 salmon fillets

6tbs olive oil (or avocado oil – see our post on it here)

1 ½ tbs ground cumin

1tbs sweet smoked paprika

1tsp ground cinnamon

Juice of 1 lemon

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 small bunch mint and 1 small bunch coriander, chopped

Salt and pepper

200g grains – I love Merchant Gourmet giant wholewheat couscous with this, but quinoa or brown rice would be good too

2tbs pomegranate seeds

2tbs toasted nuts or seeds – I used pumpkin seeds in the pix

Kale or spinach to serve

Mix oil, spices, garlic and lemon juice with half of the herbs in a small bowl to make a marinade. Season to taste – I think it needs a good half teaspoon of salt. Put the salmon in an oven dish and slather over half the marinade. Leave to marinate for a few hours in the fridge, or overnight. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and bake the salmon for around 12 minutes. Cook the grain according to the instructions on the packet then stir in the remaining half of the marinade (you might not need all of it) and herbs,  top with seeds. Serve the salmon and grains with lots of leafy greens.

Susan

  • Meal Types: Family
  • Conditions: Brain and Dementia
  • Ingredients: Salmon
« NEW RESEARCH ON DEMENTIA – AND COCONUT CHOCOLATE BRAIN BALLS FOR EXAM-SITTING TEENS
A SEASONAL SUPERFOOD THAT INHIBITS CANCER – SWEET AND SOUR CHERRY BOWL WITH KALE, ALMONDS AND GOAT’S CHEESE »

Comments

  1. Caroline says

    June 3, 2014 at 8:09 pm

    Delicious recipe & really easy – thank you. I finely chopped kale and chucked in with giant cous cous which worked too.

    I’m going to try all these super healthy recipes – please keep them coming!

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      June 4, 2014 at 7:04 am

      Thanks so much Caroline. Great idea to mix some greens in with the couscous.

      Reply
  2. Catherine Holmes says

    June 13, 2014 at 4:57 pm

    This is such an easy recipe ! It’s delicious and the sweet smoked paprika makes a huge difference. Wolfed down by 3 girls used brown rice instead of couscous .

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      June 15, 2014 at 6:27 am

      So glad you and the girls liked it!

      Reply
  3. Sarah field says

    January 18, 2020 at 6:30 pm

    I love what you both do. Enormous admiration for the care you take in reading all relevant research. Fantastic and thank you so much for passing on all your findings.
    Isiah. (That’s made me laugh out loud that ‘Sarah’ has come out as Isiah as a typo that I’ve left it in !

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      January 19, 2020 at 3:33 pm

      Hi Sarah/Isiah (!) Thank you so much for your kind words. It means a lot to us to be thanked like this

      Susan

      Reply

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Welcome to The Age-Well Project

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Everything we’ve learnt about ageing well points Everything we’ve learnt about ageing well points to a time (for women at least) in their mid-60s when the chronic conditions of ageing, like diabetes, heart disease and dementia, are - statistically - more likely to kick in. 

And we know that our reproductive hormones do so much more than prepare us to have periods and babies, we have receptors for them throughout our bodies and brains. 

Oestrogen, in particular, helps keep bones strong, blood vessels flexible, brains firing and inflammation levels low. Essentially, it wraps us up in a cosy protective cloak to keep us safe and healthy while we're able to reproduce, but once the eggs have run out - we're on our own! 

Between the average age of menopause at 51, and that time in our 60s when the chronic conditions of ageing are more likely to kick in, we have a decade or so in which it’s vital to focus on our health.

And how to do that? It’s on the blog - link in bio

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #menopause #menopausehealth #postmenopause #postmenopausefitness #postmenopausal #oestrogen #hormonalhealth
If you’re lucky enough to have good metabolic he If you’re lucky enough to have good metabolic health you might want to thank your Mum today. Recent studies have found that women who move around during their reproductive years and during pregnancy and then breastfeed for a bit pass on a compound in their milk called 3SL which provides lifelong protection against poor metabolic health. The offspring of moving, breastfeeding Mums appear to have a lower lifetime risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other chronic metabolic disease. Even gentle strolling during pregnancy and while nursing can produce this compound. So today we thank our Mums for that - as well as everything else.  Susan’s mum in the hat. Annabel’s mum in the pony tail. 

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There’s been lots of good news for walkers recen There’s been lots of good news for walkers recently. A study published last month found that over-60s who walked between 6000 and 9000 steps a day cut their risk of heart disease (including strokes and heart attacks) by 40-50 percent, when compared to a more typical 2000 steps a day. In fact this study found that for every additional 1000 steps walked, the risk fell still further. 

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A big hug from us to you to mark International Wom A big hug from us to you to mark International Women’s Day! 

The campaign this year reminds us to embrace equity as a way to recognise that each of us has different circumstances, and we need different resources and opportunities to reach an equal outcome. Of course, this is as vital in ageing and health outcomes as in every other field.  

So we’re embracing our age and hoping to grow older in a more equitable society ❤️

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If you’re not sure how to start or are worried about looking silly (we were) - there are lots of tips on the blog, link in bio. 

If you’re a backwards walker, let us know in comments below! 

If you’re planning to start, save this post for when you’re ready for some reverse walking 

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