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…
FOODS FOR BREAST CANCER – EASY-PEASY GAZPACHO
It’s a sad fact that most of us know someone affected by breast cancer. 1 in 8 women face the prospect of getting breast cancer, making it by far the most common cancer in females. But medics and scientists now believe diet and life style can play an important role. And some of the most…
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…
SHOULD I GO PESCETARIAN? AND PRAWN, PEA AND PEPPER PAELLA
Bit of a bombshell from my daughters this week when they announced they have gone pescetarian. One has some clearly well-considered thoughts about animal welfare, the other is more concerned about the quality of meat they are served at school (which does sound awful to be honest). I’ve said that I’ll support them in their…
CANCER, NUTRITION AND, ER, SOME SUMMER SALAD DRESSINGS
I’ve been blind-sided in recent weeks by news that a family member has secondary cancer. We’re keeping everything crossed but it’s tough news to hear. This, and the cancer treatment that a close friend’s mum is undergoing, has made me keen to know more about the advice given to cancer patients, and their carers, on…
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…
SALMON: LET ME COUNT THE WAYS, AND THE EASIEST AFTER-WORK SALMON SALAD
If someone says ‘brain food’ what’s the first thing you think of? My guess is that it’s going to be fish – and probably oily fish. And if it’s oily fish, it’s got to be salmon. It’s become synonymous with healthy eating in recent decades. And it’s not just the brain that salmon can help….
WHY CARING FOR OTHERS (AND RED CABBAGE) COULD PROLONG YOUR LIFE
A few weeks ago, a girlfriend and I were discussing the Nepal crisis over supper when she mentioned that her father, a top surgeon at Montreal General Hospital, was just off to Kathmandu to set up a trauma centre. “What?” I spluttered into my healthy, vegetarian meal. “Isn’t he too old?” Well, shame on me!…
WHY EXERCISE WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE – AND SWEET POTATO BEAN CAKES
At Kale & Cocoa our aim is to eat well and age well. So far, so good. But we know that eating well is only half the battle when it comes to ageing well. Exercise is absolutely key too – an article published by John Hopkins University in the U.S. described it as ‘the universal…
ONE YEAR ON – COOKIES FOR KIDS (AND ADULTS!)
Happy Birthday to us! Kale & Cocoa is a year old today and we’d like to thank our 1000 followers for all their support. You’ve made all the hard work worthwhile! But our first birthday has got me thinking. During the last twelve months, we’ve immersed ourselves in hundreds of research reports, medical studies, blogs,…