Staying Healthy for Winter

Boosting Immunity
The cold and flu season seems to begin earlier each year, with people already taking sickies and it's only April! So what can you do to bump up your immune system and prevent getting sick in the first place?

1. Exercise!!! Just because it’s cold outside, doesn’t mean you should decrease your physical activity levels. Exercise is important in reducing inflammation and helping to remove pathogens from the body by getting your blood pumping.

2. Fluid intake. Aim for 8 glasses of water a day to help flush out toxins from your body. Try having a glass as soon as you get up and one soon before you go to bed to boost your fluid intake.

3. Include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. We have all heard that vitamin C is important in preventing the cold and flu. Vitamin C is important for keeping our disease fighting cells working at their best. Aim for 2-3 pieces of fruit per day and 5 serves of vegetables to keep your vitamin and mineral intake as high as possible. Antioxidants we receive from our fruits and vegetables are also important for the immune system to respond quickly and effectively against pathogens that enter the body.

4. Zinc is an extremely important mineral when it comes to the immune system and many of us are already deficient. If our zinc levels are low, the immune system takes longer to react to a disease or infection. Zinc is generally found in protein containing foods such as red meat, poultry, seafood (especially oysters), eggs and wholegrains. Parsley is another rich source, so add it as a garnish wherever you can!

5. Probiotics are important for maintaining good digestive health. By keeping the gut healthy, we can prevent pathogens entering the body through the stomach and intestinal lining. There are also links to probiotics having a beneficial effect on reducing allergies.


6. Smokers should avoid cigarettes or try to cut back as much as possible, as cigarette smoking uses up the important antioxidant vitamins (especially vitamin C). By removing smoking from ones lifestyle, you can allow the vitamins to be used where they are most needed (for fighting off infections!).


7. Garlic has great anti bacterial and anti inflammatory properties so use it in cooking as much as possible to fight off any bugs in your system.


8. Try to get as much sleep as possible! Our bodies are able to eliminate bugs and heal best when we sleep. Don’t try and fight off a virus by staying up or working when your body needs the rest.


What's in season?? The best buys for this week:

Green beans
Machine harvested green beans are a bargain, but use quickly as they do not keep as well as hand harvested beans.

Brussels Sprouts
Full of antioxidants and a great buy this week.

Asian Greens
Quick cooking, easy to prepare and delicately flavoured bok choy, pak choy, choy sum and gai lum are extra good value this week.

Beetroot
Vibrantly coloured fresh beetroot is delicious eaten raw or cooked. Add julienne pieces to salads for colour and a delightful nutty flavour, or try roasting and adding to a vegetable risotto. Fresh beetroot is a good source of iron.

Mushrooms
Bag up a kilo of firm and flavoursome Windsor grown mushrooms - they're a good source of Vitamin B12.

Broccoli
Broccoli will deteriorate quickly if it is not stored correctly. The best way to store broccoli is to keep it dry. Store refrigerated in vented plastic bag.

Cabbage
Green cabbage is a good buy this week - chop finely and add to salads or throw into a stir fry.

Chestnuts
Australian-grown chestnuts are a delicious treat. Chestnuts can be baked, microwaved, roasted, grilled, barbecued or boiled.

Leeks
Leeks are ideal for flavouring soups, casseroles, flans, pies and vegetable dishes. Split and fan leeks, then wash, under running water to dislodge and soil.

Pumpkin
An abundant supply of Jap pumpkins means that this week they are cheaper - keep in mind that prices can double if pumpkins are sold in halves or wedges.

Grapefruit
Sweet eating red grapefruit from Western Australia and Queensland are well priced. Use red grapefruit segments in a salsa, its salmon red colour and tangy flavour would be perfect teamed with avocado, green onions and chopped coriander.

Custard Apple
The soft, white pulp of custard apples is deliciously sweet. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon, discard seeds and enjoy as a snack or combine with citrus or passionfruit for an easy dessert.

Pears
Juicy Beurre Bosc, Red Sensation, Packham and Corella pears make an ideal snack or a sensational dessert and are a great source of fibre.

Mandarins
Mandarins are a versatile, tangy, fruit with a distinctive flavour that and can be used in the same way as oranges. Mandarins make a delicious and juicy snack food and are ideal for children school lunch boxes. Small quantities of Daisy mandarins have started to appear in store.

Apples
There is a fabulous select of apples in store. Choice from Fuji, Pink lady, Jazz, Bonza, Delicious, Golden Delicious, Braeburn and Granny Smith.

Persimmon
Heart-shaped Knightingale persimmons are a good buy. Unripe fruit is very astringent so wait until the fruit is soft and translucent and you will be rewarded by the powerful, sweet flavour and an extra juicy texture

Information from http://www.thefoodcoach.com.au/

What's in Season?

Seaosonal produce is not only cheap, but also available in abundance and is at its peak nutritional value, so dig in!

Fennel
Early supplies of fennel from Werribee are now available. Fennel’s delicate aniseed flavour is a scrumptious addition to stir fries, pasta dishes and salads.

Asian Greens
Pak choy, Bok choy, Kang kong, Gai lum and button mushrooms are in plentiful supply and the quality is superb. Leafy Asian greens can be picked up for $1-$1.50 a bunch so no excuse to avoid great health!

Pumpkin
Jap, Butternut and Jarrahdale pumpkins are a popular choice. Sauté diced pumpkin in olive oil and add to cooked pasta with chopped walnuts, a sprinkle of fresh thyme and drizzle with lemon juice.

Chestnuts
While most nuts contain 50% fat, chestnuts however contain 2.7%. To bake chestnuts, firstly you need to cut a cross in the outer shell, and then place them in a tray and cook at 200o oven for 15-20 minutes or until shell splits.

Tomato
Warm, dry weather in Victoria and Queensland has produced a bumper crop of tomatoes and prices have dropped. Truss tomatoes have also flourished.

Green beans
Freshly harvested green beans from Gympie and Bundaberg are good quality - hand harvested beans will be dearer than machine harvested types.

Broccoli
Firm, bright green heads of broccoli are a choice buy this week. As a rich source of folate and valuable antioxidants this vegetable offers exceptional all round value.

Apples
Jazz apples are the newest apple on the market. Jazz apples are a cross between Royal Gala and Braeburn. They have a firm, dense flesh and a complex flavor with the acid of Braeburn and the sweet of Royal Gala. Small quantities were harvested in 2008 but a bigger crop is expected this year.

Rockmelon
As rockmelon from the southern states finishes up, the new season Queensland rockmelon is coming into season.

Lemon
Glossy golden, new season lemons are plentiful and are a top buy this week.

Pears
Pears are inexpensive, versatile and with their voluptuous curves and sweet perfume they are very alluring. Select from Petite Corrella pears, elegant Beurre Bosc, the excellent cooking Packham and the last of the Williams pears.

Mandarins
Easy to peel and sweet eating Imperial mandarins from Gayndah and Mundubbera in QLD are bursting with juicy goodness.

Quince
Fill your fruit bowl with quince. This aromatic fruit will fill your home with a heavenly scent or you may wish to bake or poach them until they are tender.

Persimmon
Persimmons are a seasonal fruit available from April to July. Eaten when the flesh is soft and resembles apricot jam, persimmons are for many people, an acquired taste

Information from The Food Coach
http://www.thefoodcoach.com.au/

April - Recovering from Easter!

I'm sure everyone over-indulged over the Easter break, so it's time to get back into it! With the warmer weather this week, there is no excuse for going for a walk, run or cycle, or to hit the gym.

It's a great time to give yourself a mini-detox too!!! Start the day with a freshly squeezed juice - carrot, celery, ginger and apple is a fantastic combo - and aim to drink 3 litres of water to flush out your toxins. Cut out caffeine, alcohol, dairy and refined carbohydrates (white flour products, soft drinks, confectionery, etc), and eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and wholegrains!

Your body will thank you for it!

Dynamic Nutrition