An Englishman In Japan

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Ross Cameron is a walking encyclopedia on Japanese diets.  We casually chat about the benefits of such an enriched diet.  I really can’t help noticing that he oozes radiance and of Japanese ki; something that you would only ever expect from a true Japanese man.  Ross is not Japanese but has dealt with business exchanges via Japan.  He has visited the country on numerous occasions over the past 6 years.  He is currently engaged to a lovely Japanese lady.  He breathes and walks Japan.

What is your view of the Japanese diet?

‘Traditional Japanese diets have a lot of merit.  I stress the word traditional as many people may eat a quick take-away meal but this is not the same thing.  Yes the Japanese culture may be changing and yes, there is a trend towards convenience stores and fast food.’ 

‘But takeaway Japanese does not necessarily reflect the essence of the Japanese diet,’ he explains whilst we sip on our refreshing glasses of Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough Sounds.

What will you eat on a typical business day in Japan?

‘For breakfast I would eat a traditional meal of miso soup with cooked fish.  This is one of the benefits of the Japanese diet.  You never miss breakfast.  You always eat it.  The Japanese understand how important breakfast is to kick start your metabolism.

Another advantage that I love about Japanese breakfasts is that they are not sweet and packed with sugar.  I’ve even met Krispy Kreme management through my work who complain that their number one challenge was to convince America that doughnuts are not just a breakfast food! You might be surprised to learn that their biggest sales are made prior to 10am.’ 

And I am shocked, very shocked that doughnuts are eaten for breakfast, but we continue with the interview all the same.

‘I used to eat a sweet breakfast.  I grew up eating breakfast cereals.  Now I make a concerted effort to not eat sugary cereals.’

Do you feel differently after a savoury breakfast?

‘After a Japanese based breakfast I am not hungry till lunch.  I don’t experience the dives in energy levels like I did after a sweet breakfast option.  I absolutely love that in Japan breakfast is not treated like a separate meal.  You could potentially eat what you eat for lunch at breakfast.’

What’s for lunch?

‘I used to eat sushi and this is not the typical slices of sushi that you can find in London.  There are two types of sushi.  In Japan I might have a hand rolled type called temaki.  This is similar to the usual sushi that you can find in the shops here.

The second type of sushi in Japan is called Nigiri, which is a ball of rice with a portion of raw fish on top.  This is a much larger serving of fish.  There’s also a huge variety of fish and seafood.  My favourite is squid which is typically known as ika.  I will also enjoy miso soup as part of this meal.’

Any 4pm snacks?

Snacking is traditionally not a common practice in Japan.  I think this is a positive about the diet.  I read a study recently that revealed that some periods of fasting can be beneficial in relation to long term risks of diseases.

The best aspect to a Japanese diet is their traditional belief ‘HARA-HACHI-BUN’.  This is the center of Japanese culture and is thought to increase longevity.  The philosophy behind this expression is that the Japanese know to stop eating once you are about 80 percent full.  Always leave a little bit of space in your tummy.  After all, it does take approximately 20 minutes for your brain to register that it is full.  For this reason it is advantageous to leave your stomach ‘almost full’ instead of ‘full’.

What’s for dinner?

Definitely something light.  I might go to a restaurant like an izakaya.  I might eat tofu with soy sauce and a side dish of gobo.  This is essentially burdock root and is high in fibre.  I may have beer in which case I will choose not to have rice.  It’s rare to have beer and rice in the same meal in Japan.  My Japanese friends will typically say “I’m having a beer so no rice.’

Japanese diet in a nutshell

‘Red meat is seldom eaten in comparison to the Western diet.  Instead the diet is rich in vegetables, legumes and seafood.  I believe that they eat a lot of complex carbohydrates and although they eat rice, you only eat a small portion.  They key is in the portion sizes, rather than the glycaemic index of the carbs itself.’

What are your favourite dining memories in Japan?

‘There is a restaurant in Kyoto which opens only in the summer.  It is a gem up in the hills amongst the bamboo forest outside the city.  You naturally eat outside but what makes this experience special is that you eat out on a flat raft on a river.  You sit on a tatami and you enjoy a lovely meal based on fish and vegetables. 

I love the Japanese diet because even if you eat a large meal you just don’t experience that ‘stuffed feeling’.  You feel satisfied without the need to unbuckle a notch on the belt.  Better still, you can enjoy a romantic long walk with a loved one after dinner rather than the dreaded “food coma” associated with a large Western meal.

If you are thinking of a positive lifestyle change, why not discover the ancient dietary and lifestyle wisdom of the land of the rising sun?

Salmon And Prawn Soup With Red Onion And Shrimp Paste

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You'll either love it or hate it.  The frenchman say's it's too fishy for his delicate French nose but I simply adore shrimp.  This is one opportunity to catch up on omega fatty acids that I am not going to let pass by.  Besides salmon on prawn guarantees a quick and a tasty meal.  

This is one steamy goodness that you'll look forward to after a hard day of work at the end of the week.  A well deserved home cooked meal.

This is another milk, egg, wheat, gluten and soy free meal.  Always triple check labels.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons rapeseed oil
3 large garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 large red onion, sliced
2 salmon fillets, cut into thick chunks
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 x 400g tinned tomatoes
1 - 2 tablespoons shrimp paste
2 tablespoons Waitrose Thai Mix (a blend of lemongrass, garlic, coriander and chilli)
200g raw king prawns
3 spring onions, chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh coriander
Salt to taste

Methods

1. Heat the oil in a pot.  Add garlic and onions and saute until softened.
2. Add salmon pieces and cook over high heat to seal the edges.
3. Add tomatoes.  If you have plenty of tomatoes at home, then skip the can and add another 2 or 3 fresh tomatoes.
3. Add 400ml of water and bring to boil.
4. Stir in the shrimp paste and Thai Mix.  A tablespoon can be plenty so always taste before you add more.
5. Allow to cook for 10 minutes then add the prawns.  Cook for a further 5 minutes or until the prawns have changed to a pink colour.
6. Add spring onions and serve with fresh corriander.
7. Season with salt if desired.

This is great as a starter or as a main over a bed of sticky rice.  I sometimes add dill and lemon juice to enhance the flavour.  It is friday so use what you've fot left in the fridge.  Best of all, we didn't use any stock for this recipe, so it's relatively low in salt.

If you have kidney disease and have a fluid restriction to adhere to, then remember, you must count the liquid part of this soup as part of your fluid allowance.  

Purple Tip - Skip the salt and add extra coriander, dill and lemon juice to boost flavour.

Lovely readers, what's your favourite way to prepare fish and prawn soup?  I love hearing from you!

Creamy Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto with Sundried Tomatoes

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What a lovely surprise we’ve had today.  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the sun and felt alive again running under a smiling yellow ball of fire.  It feels a little bit nippy now and to continue our Mediterranean theme this week, I thought a vegetarian Italian risotto would do us a world of good.

This recipe is also gluten and wheat free.  Check your ingredients carefully to ensure that the recipe ingredients are also soy free.  As the recipe contains crème fraiche and parmesan cheese it is not milk free.  However, you could trial substituting these ingredients with soy yoghurt if you needed to exclude milk, but allowed soy in your diet.

I like zero waste, thus I have incorporated both tips and stems of the asparagus.  If you prefer, you can choose to use tips only.

Ingredients

200g sundried tomatoes in olive oil

3 shallots, chopped finely

4 garlic cloves, sliced

8 – 10 asparagus, both tips and stems, cut into 1 inch pieces

500ml stock

550g Arborio rice

500ml white wine

10 – 12 mushroom buttons

100g baby spinach

3 tablespoons reduced fat natural yoghurt or crème fraiche

75g parmesan cheese, grated

Methods

1. Drain the sundried tomatoes and reserve the oil.  Slice the sundried tomatoes into small pieces.  Set aside.

2. Add ½ the olive oil to a large saucepan and cook the shallots, garlic and asparagus for a few minutes.

3. Whilst this is cooking, prepare your stock.

4. Stir in the rice and continue cooking until the rice turns opaque.

5. Pour in the wine and stir constantly until all the liquid has been absorbed.  I usually cook over a low to medium heat.

6. Then add stock in 3 parts and only when most of the liquid has disappeared.

7. Add the mushrooms and mix well.

8. In a blender blitz the spinach, yoghurt or crème fraiche and the grated parmesan.

8. Once the rice is nearly done, mix in the sun dried tomatoes and the pureed spinach.

10. Serve hot and season well with pepper.

If you really must have meat, substitute the mushrooms with 500g of chicken breast or thighs, cut into pieces but cook in oil until brown and then stir in after you have added the pureed spinach.

Superfood Cinnamon’s Power – A Spicy Story

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Image from Google

Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices around.  Is there no end to its spicy story?  Its health benefits range from alleviating colds to symptoms of arthritis.  Mother Nature is truly wonderful for inventing this amazing spice.  It’s rich, sweet and pungent aroma is alluring in a morning mug of coffee or sprinkled over sticky buns freshly baked out of an oven.

It doesn’t just taste good either.  A recent article in Diabetic Medicine this month investigated the efficacy and safety of ‘true’ cinnamon or ‘Cinnamomum zeylancium’ in Diabetes. 

Cinnamon has been shown to inhibit gluconeogenesis; a process whereby your body makes glucose from non carbohydrate sources such as proteins and fats.  In diabetes, cinnamon may stimulate insulin release and enhance insulin receptor activity.  Animal studies have also reported increased HDL cholesterol (protective cholesterol) and higher circulating insulin levels.

A review in Clinical Nutrition in May this year confirmed that the positive effects of cinnamon in relation to glycaemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus ‘looked promising’.

More interesting facts on cinnamon

True cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka but is also grown in India and other parts of South East Asia. 

If you get your hands on cinnamon from the Cinnamomum zeylanicum tree this is considered gold and is easier to grind into a powder.  It also has a light sweet flavour.

The supermarket brand versions of cinnamon are a darker bark and thick instead of being ‘layered’.  This is sourced from the Cinnamomum cassia tree. 

Interestingly, cinnamon may play a positive role in cancer.  Eugenol is a compound that has antioxidant properties.  It is found in cinnamon and in other aromatic plants like basil, nutmeg and bay leaves. 

Eugenol has been documented to induce ‘apoptosis’ or programmed cell death in cancerous cells such as melanoma, skin tumours, osteosarcoma, leukemia, gastric and mast cells. 

How to get your daily dose of cinnamon

Try grinding cinnamon sticks and then sprinkle this cinnamon powder instead of chocolate into your morning mug of coffee.


A cup of cinnamon tea perhaps for a spicy change?

Try ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon alongside dried fruit in your breakfast cereal for stable blood sugars (we hope anyway).

Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon into banana bread or other baking.  It does go wonderful with an apple pie.

What about adding ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon on rice pudding or an alternative sweet dessert?

Have you ever tried adding cinnamon sugar to a delicious bowl of fruit salad?

Cinnamon is wonderful in a curry, see my Chicken Curry Recipe.

It is also great in a breakfast smoothie when mixed in with honey.


Cinnamon toast is another spicy yet tasty start to your day, delicious.

Why not make your own anti-aging face mask by blending yoghurt, honey and cinnamon for a soothing and luxurious spa experience in your own home?

 Does any one have other ideas for sneaking in cinnamon?  Do share, I love hearing from you!

Superfoods & Dark Chocolate – Discoveries That May Change The Way You Eat

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Dark chocolate.  Two words that are laced with controversy and equally with possibility.  Scientific research boasts the advantages of superfoods but which claims are true and which are not?

In this series of superfoods we will start our discussion with a much loved food – dark chocolate.  My heart unquestionably beats in joy when there is dark chocolate on the menu.  Its rich glossy smoothness is definitely satisfying and very rewarding.

I am sure that you are familiar with the proposed health benefits of dark chocolate.  I may not necessarily use the term ‘superfoods’ for chocolate as it can just as easily be argued that all fruit and vegetables must also be superfoods.  But in matters of the heart, dark chocolate may play a protective role.

The recent Australian study featured in the British Medical Journal promoted dark chocolate, which are derived from cocoa beans and rich in polyphenols, such as flavonoids. 

You will be clapping your hands in joy to discover that eating 100g of dark chocolate daily for 10 years may reduce your risk of cardiovascular events (if you have been diagnosed with hypertension).  The study also revealed positive effects on cholesterol levels, whereby eating dark chocolate daily may reduce your low density cholesterol (LDL), which is commonly known as the ‘bad’ cholesterol.

How does dark chocolate lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol?

The exact mechanisms are unknown but the authors speculate that flavonoids in cocoa may exhibit antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic and metabolic effects which may all contribute to their protective effect.

However, there was no significant change in total cholesterol or HDL cholesterol (high density cholesterol).  HDL cholesterol is also commonly referred to as the ‘good’ cholesterol.

The effects of dark chocolate on blood pressure and LDL cholesterol so far appear to be beneficial, but remember that these effects are not as profound as blood pressure lowering medications.  

A combination of dietary modification, exercise and weight loss may even exceed the beneficial effects speculated from eating dark chocolate alone.  The authors did not comment on the dietary patterns of the participants.

The study predicted that eating dark chocolate daily reduced cardiovascular events by 85 per 10 000 over 10 years, but this was predicted by using a mathematical model.

Food for thought

The average waist circumference of study participants was around 100cm.  Participants were overweight, with a body mass index of 29.9.

Dark chocolate contains sugar.  Eating 100g per day, the equivalent of two chocolate bars will contribute to your overall caloric intake, risking weight gain.  However as the authors commented, dark chocolate may increase satiety and mood.  You are bound to feel satisfied after this feast and therefore more likely to reduce or replace calorific snacks such as crisps or biscuits with the heart loving dark chocolate.  Well your waistline certainly hopes so anyway!

Purple Summary

I was disappointed that the authors did not comment on the percentage of cocoa solids within the dark chocolate for consumption by the study participants.  The authors concluded that there may be a role for dark chocolate in reducing cardiovascular events but these results may not be as amazing as you think, as the results are based on a predictive mathematical model only.  


Always consider your overall diet reflecting on regular fruit and vegetable intake, other sources of flavonoids, the total fat content of your diet and the amount of saturated fat, exercise habits and stress management techniques.


On a positive note, why not try pure cocoa powder which is also rich in flavonoids without the added calories. Avoid instant cocoa powder as this is processed without the gift of our heart loving flavonoids.


Lovely readers, I'd love to read your comments on this study and dark chocolate.  What do you think?

Chicken Curry Recipe – Flavoursome Without The Bite

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I love curries as they are often naturally wheat and gluten free.  For a cold summer’s day, this makes a lovely homemade authentic chicken curry experience.  This is a very simple chicken curry recipe.  It really is one of the easiest chicken curry recipes out there, without the compromise on taste. 

I say easy, because the only slight objection that you may have when preparing Sri Lankan food is accessing the ingredients.  If you don’t live near an area that caters well for spices, then simply head to Waitrose who stock a broad range of spices.  Yes spices are pricier at Waitrose, but you will leave the store with a more manageable amount of spices (instead of the bulky bags of spices that you may end up purchasing from local Indian shops).

If you struggle to find fresh curry leaves, I was ecstatic to find these in Tesco.  They do make a world of difference to the final dish.

You can also manipulate the ingredients so that this turns into a mild chicken curry recipe.  For example, you can skip the cayenne pepper and choose ‘mild’ curry powder from your local supermarket. 

When you give this recipe a go, you’ll soon appreciate that this is one of the easiest and definitely the best chicken curry recipe.  Who would ever complain about throwing a bunch of ingredients in to a pot with dinner served approximately 40 minutes later!  And it’s full of flavour and spice without the bite.

This definitely is my all time favourite curry recipe!

Ingredients

900g chicken thigh or breast pieces

Marinade

6 large garlic cloves, crushed

4 cardamom pods, crushed

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste

½ teaspoon garlic puree

½ teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon rapeseed oil

1 red onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

¼ teaspoon cloves

¼ teaspoon mustard seeds

3 large tomatoes, diced

¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

½ thumb sized ginger, chopped

¼ teaspoon tamarind paste

¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 stalks of curry leaves

150ml coconut milk

Salt to taste

Preparing the marinade

Trim all visible fat off the chicken thighs.  This is the only time consuming aspect of the recipe.  It's worth it to have a good go with a pair of kitchen scissors when you realise that nearly half the chicken is fat!  In a bowl, add chicken, crushed garlic, curry powder, tomato paste, garlic puree and the lemon juice.  Mix well.  Allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes.

Methods

1. Add oil to a large saucepan.  Add sliced red onions and fry for a couple of minutes.  I would add salt at this stage as onions absorb salt well. 

2. Next add in the crushed garlic, cloves, mustard seeds and tomatoes.  Stir for a few seconds then add fenugreek seeds.  Cook until the tomatoes create a paste like texture.

3. Tip in the chicken, stir well and add 1-2 cups of water (or enough water to completely immerse the chicken).  Cook on high for 5 minutes. 

4. Add cumin powder, fennel seeds, ginger, tamarind paste, cayenne pepper and cinnamon powder. 

5. Cover and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes. 

6. Uncover and add curry leaves. 

7. Simmer partly covered for a further 20 minutes or until the chicken is well cooked through.

8. Stir in the coconut milk and serve with rice and a salad.

I'd love more comments from you lovely readers, so you if you try this recipe out, then let me know your thoughts.

What I'm Drinking Today - Ravishing Raspberry Cocktail

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After an action packed morning in a clinical setting, I certainly needed to wind down with a refreshing cocktail.  I usually drink cocktails when I am out with friends or celebrating something or the other.  As I am hosting a cocktail party next month, I figured I might as well practise my recipes for cocktails to make sure that I've got it just right.


This is one my favourite raspberry cocktail, especially as it incorporates the lovely magical berries.  See 8 Perfect Reasons To Indulge In Berries to find out more.


This gorgeous light and refreshing cocktail works well with both raspberries & strawberries.


Ingredients
6 large strawberries or handful of raspberries
25ml white rum
25ml Creme De Framboise
Ice
Spoonful of sugar or squirt of Agave Nectar


Methods
Add the fruit, rum, creme de framboise and ice in to a blender.  Add a dash of sugar before a final blitz, pour into chilled glasses and serve with delicious berries.  


This would make a great raspberry champagne cocktail too.  I would pour a 'shotful' into a glass of bubbly. Heaven.