How Much Vitamin B12 Is In This – Easy Healthy Vegetarians

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Eating smart is your key to a successful healthy vegetarian diet.  It can be tricky when you get down to a vegan diet but have you ever wondered if you are meeting your daily requirements for vitamin B12? 

Can you guess how much vitamin B12 there is in the bowl of vegetables above?

Anyone following a vegan diet will benefit from a B12 supplement or drinks enriched in this B vitamin.  This is because plant foods contain minimal amounts or practically no vitamin B12.  Animal foods and fortified products are the predominant sources for this vitamin.

Inadequate intake or malabsorption of food cobalamin whereby vitamin B12 cannot be dissociated from its carrier proteins can lead to increased risk of pernicious anaemia.  However, deficiency is only likely in strict vegans or in older adults with reduced absorption.

Do you know your requirements?

The UK Department of Health recommends 1.2-1.5μg/day of dietary vitamin B12 for adults.  This is the RNI or dietary reference nutrient intake that is deemed safe for at least 97% of the general population. 

But what is B12?

Vitamin B12 contributes to the optimal function of the human nervous system through their role as cofactors in numerous catalytic reactions in the human body.  The best sources of these foods are meat, fish and dairy products.

For vegans out there, your beacon of hope is fortified foods such as breakfast cereals.  So to answer your question above – there is practically no vitamin B12 in that bowl of sweet potato and capsicum.

YOUR ACTION PLAN

Vegetarians who eat fish

 A sandwich filled with tuna, sardines or herring will contain at least 3.7 – 18μg depending on portion sizes.  If your requirements as a female are 1.2 μg/day, then you can see that meeting your vitamin B12 dietary requirements are effortless.  Fish fingers contain a smaller amount of vitamin B12, but chances are that if you eat fish, then you probably also include dairy on your vegetarian diet.

Vegetarians who eat dairy

A glass of milk contains approximately 1.9μg of vitamin B12.  A 30g portion of cheese consists of at least 0.7μg.  This illustrates that after a few tweaks to your diet, it is incredibly easy to meet your requirements for this vitamin.

If you are following a strict vegan diet or also need to follow a milk free diet as part of your vegetarian diet, then no problem.  Simply choose fortified rice or soy milks and you will find that a 200ml glass will contain around 0.8μg.  Soy yoghurts are also another useful way of increasing intake.

Here is an example of how you can tweak your diet to increase vitamin B12 intake.

Typical diet

Breakfast

Toast with margarine and jam

Black tea to drink

Lunch

Salad sandwich or salad with nuts

Fruit

Supper

Roasted vegetables with potato and herbs

Vitamin B12 friendly meal plan

Breakfast

Special K or instant oats and vitamin B12 fortified soy milk (250ml)

Cup of tea with fortified milk free milk

Lunch

As above but consider including a soy yoghurt that is B12 fortified or a soy milkshake (200ml)

Supper

As above but consider making a pesto sauce by adding fortified rice milk or yoghurt

How do you try to meet your vitamin B12 requirements?  Do comment below, I love hearing from you!

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Mediterranean Smoked Haddock & Gammon Steak With Sweet Potato

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Boost your anti-aging potential with this gorgeous Mediterranean inspired smoked haddock dish.  This heart healthy meal is so good for you because it combines lovely monounsaturated fats from olive oil, whilst boasting a modest amount of omega-3 fatty acids from the delicately flavoured haddock.  For further information on the benefits of fish read A Fishy Bite - Eat It For Youthful Skin.

I was keen to dress this recipe up so that you also had the option of using this for a saturday lunch party.  This is perfect for such occasions as the recipe is quick and easy, which means that besides being a 'healthy' host, you also get to be the perfect host by actually engaging with your guests in conversation instead of lathering up a mountain of dishes.

After last night's post Are You A Sugar Addict? I was keen to advocate carbohydrates with a low glycaemic index and hence why I chose both sweet potato and basmati rice for this dish.  By using smoked fish and ham, there was no need to use stock for this recipe.


INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 small red onions, cut into thin wedges
650g sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
1 large courgette, sliced then cut into quarters
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 cup Italian wine
2 cups water
350g smoked haddock fillets
120g smoked gammon steak, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon spring onions, sliced into fine rings


DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a tablespoon of the olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the red onions.  Cook over a low flame and allow the onions to soften.
2. Add the sweet potato and courgettes and cook for a further 5 minutes.
3. Now add the rice and allow to be coated in the oil.
4. Next add 1 cup of water and allow to simmer.  As the water begins to get absorbed, pour in the wine.
5. Add the gammon pieces and add the haddock fillets on top of the rice.
6. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
7. If you need further water to cook the rice, add the final cup of water.
8. The meal is ready when all of the water has been absorbed by the rice.
9. This is optional, but if you are not requiring a milk free meal, stir in 1 - 2 tablespoons of mascarpone before serving.  

This meal is delicious with a salad inclusive of tomatoes, cucumbers and salad leaves.

Recommended reading:

• How To Beat The Monday Blues And More On A Mediterranean Diet
• Weekend Party Food & Cocktails

Enjoy this Meditarranean themed Monday dinner meal idea.  What do you enjoy eating on Monday nights in?  Do comment below, I love hearing from you!

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Are You A Sugar Addict?

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Sugary doughnuts for breakfast, biscuits for morning tea, a fruity caramel sauce coated snack bar later – hang on surely that’s got to be healthy right?  Who are we kidding here, are you 'addicted' to sugar?

It’s the same as owning 30 pairs of shoes in black and believing that you only own 5 pairs.  First it’s addiction and then denial.  Then there’s indulgence, addiction and further denial.  Notice how I consider owning 30 pairs of shoes as normal, but 30 pairs of black shoes a little bit indulgent.  I guess it’s all about where you draw the line.  After all, who does not own 30 pairs of shoes these days?

So where do you draw the line with sugar intake? 

It all really starts with how well fuelled you are.  Starvation increases food cravings and the likelihood of stuffing your face with the sweetest thing around.  Sure the festive delights taste phenomenal when you are starving, but with Christmas parties around the corner, never leave the house without breakfast.  If you really are not a morning person and struggle to exit the house with at least matching ear rings, have breakfast cereals or fruit and yoghurt ready to eat once you do get a moment to eat.

Contrary to common belief, a study in Clinical Nutrition concluded that there is no support from human literature that sugar is addictive.  This is great news, but that’s not to say that the dieter who plans his or her meals carefully will be less likely to be caught beside the biscuit tin at 4pm. 

It’s bitter sweet but the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs in 2010 described that in some brains, the consumption of sugar rich foods or drinks prime the release of euphoric endorphins and dopamine.  For this reason, it’s not surprising that there is a natural preference for sweet foods.  

So how do you overcome ingrained bad habits?

YOUR ACTION PLAN

First of all, get rid of the cookie jar and replace this with a large bowl of gorgeous fruits.

Eat just enough at meals to be at least 80%, full but with enough space for the next meal.  Ensure that your meal is comprised of complex carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are not evil.  If you need to be convinced, then read The Purple Carb Diet - How Low Do You Go?

Sugars are also carbohydrates but because they cause a yo yo type effect on your blood ‘sugar’ or glucose levels, it is preferable to stock up on low glycaemic index (GI) foods. 

The glycaemic index is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale of 0 to 100 and how quickly they raise your blood glucose levels after eating.

 

Low GI carbs are:

• fruit and vegetables
• boiled white rice such as easy-cook rice or basmati rice
• breads made with whole grains
• high fibre bran cereals
• oats prepared with skimmed milk
• some fruity yoghurts
• dried apricots and peach
• lentils
• nuts
• Fusilli pasta
• tagliatelle egg pasta 
• and some fruit or nut based cereal bars

Remember, foods that are high in protein or fats can also have a low glycaemic index; like nuts.  That’s why digestive biscuits may appear to boast a low GI, but this is predominantly due to its high fat content.

It may be comforting to know that even dietitians eat sugary foods but the key is, eat these in moderation and in small amounts.  If your diet is primarily made of complex carbohydrates at breakfast, lunch and dinner, a small serving of that dark chocolate or the rich tea biscuit with your cup of tea is unlikely to send you on sugar frenzies.

So it’s not even a question of knowledge, because I know that you are already aware of these key facts.  

The trick is to kill bad habits and replace these with satisfying and rewarding ones.

Make friends with your diet and fill it with long lasting carbohydrates.  The short acting carbs in baking are tasty and fun I agree, but they really are not designed to stick around and will certainly leave you wanting for more.  Evil.  Oops, I meant, highly undesirable.

Here’s a quick GI checklist

Is your diet predominantly based on at least one of these low GI food items at every meal?

Breakfast

Oats

Yoghurt

Fruit

Reduced fat milk

Lunch and Dinner

Vegetables

Wholegrain breads

Pasta

Lentils

Snacks

Fresh fruit

Dried fruit such as apricot or peach

Yoghurt

Fruit or nut based cereal bar

If your heart simply cannot give up baking, then ensure that these are based on fruit, oats and slow releasing carbohydrates such as polenta.  If you have never baked with polenta see The World's Sexiest Carb - Italian Polenta.

Have a great week lovely readers.  How do you combat sugar cravings?

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A Self Confessed Workaholic - The Dietitian?

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Feeling stressed?  Burnt out?  I know the feeling.  Health professionals like dietitians juggle responsibilities, whilst promoting evidence based practice.  We nurture a never ending expansive list of skills in barely enough hours of the day.  Yet we keep going, and going; and do our best to retain the picture of health.

They say there's a story behind every book and there's definitely a story behind every dietitian.  A dietitian can be based in a clinical hospital, run a business, work in the food or fitness industry or as a lecturer at a university.  Just like Cinderella, as the clock strikes a certain hour, some of us transform into bloggers, to bring to you the very latest updates in nutrition.  

It's been a little while since I've published a blog post, so I thought that it was only fair that you knew what I have been up to.  I am passionate about evidence based practice, so it should come as no surprise to you that I also work in the area of research.  I have currently completed a research study in vitamin A and am in the process of writing up the findings of this study.  As soon as I publish these results, I will share the study findings with you.  

My daily routine therefore comprises of clinical work in a children's hospital, where I will either review children's growth and nutritional requirements, or work on my research project.  I may have private clients to see later in the day or teaching material to prepare for the multidisciplinary team and patients.

For example, during the past week, I have been slaving away on a power point to update the renal team on vitamin A.  After all, clean slides with messages in bullet points or via images help convey key messages clearly. But really, the biggest influences for a powerful and successful presentation are the content itself and how well you have revised your notes, don't you think?

The role of the dietitian is not as straight forward as it appears.  I rarely work the typical 9-5 either.  Behind the scenes I can recall the countless times when I have comforted mums when they first learn about their child's diagnosis.  I may even lend a caring ear when she simply needs to vent or talk about her impossible non-compliant teenager.  I chat to food companies for further details on food ingredients or lately have been studying metabolic disorders very closely.

When I am not bordering on 'workaholism', I enjoy running or spending time with friends.  Here are photos below from my Friday girly night out.  These nights out in London really help melt away any stress that may have accumulated over the week.

This was a delicious strawberry cocktail that was topped with champagne.

The creator of the cocktail Ervy from How To Host An Italian Themed Dinner Party had us green with envy over this delicious raspberry cocktail.

This is last night’s dinner – Japanese seafood Udon noodles with mango & papaya salad on the side.  

We also shared pieces of sushi that were filled with avocado and salmon.  Delicious!

I am feeling re-energised (though the thought of working tomorrow makes me a little sad), but here's to more blog posts from A Light Perspective.

How do you cope with stress?  Do share and comment below.  I do love hearing from you!

Your 1500 Calorie Purple Guide To Weightloss

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The nutrition industry has an unsung hero: the great principles of weight loss that everyone refuses to believe in.  Energy restriction coupled with increased calorie burn, truly does equate to weight loss.  You just need to believe the facts, practice and stick to it.

The trousers

If you are wondering what inspired me to write this blog post, I tried to get into my white jeans this weekend.  Sure they zipped up, but my rebellious curves made me look like a pumpkin that someone tried to squeeze through the middle.  Not pretty.  Christmas is under 3 months away so my instincts told me, “I should BE ABLE to get into these comfortably before the party / festive season hits!”

If you too have mastered the laws of nutrition but simply lack the practical tips to put together a healthy eating plan for weight loss; then dare to give this a go.  If variety is the heart of healthy eating, then I’ll be lovingly filling myself with fruit and vegetables for the much needed mineral and vitamins.

I’ll be trying vegetarian recipes and eating my favourite foods such as salmon for essential omega 3 fatty acids and proteins.  I will also be filling up on plenty of slow releasing or low GI (glycaemic index) carbohydrates to fuel my runs.  I love carbs and would not be able to survive more than 8 hours without it (and that’s when I am asleep of course). 

If you have been following me on A Light Perspective’s facebook page www.facebook.com/Alightperspective then you may have noticed that I have been posting pictures of the food I eat.  Feel free to join in and post pictures of your breakfast or lunch meals on the fan page.

So what’s next?  I’ll be posting 1500 calorie eating plans for a few days each week.  I have chosen 1500 calories as I believe that an average woman normally eats around 2000 calories a day.  To facilitate weight loss, you need to cut back by around 500 calories per day for weight loss of 500g at the end of the week.  If you want to eat more, then earn any extra calories by burning it off through exercise.

Quality control

It’s just like anything else, if you want to maintain a beautiful dress, you get it dry cleaned and store it carefully to ensure that it lasts beautifully over the seasons for a timeless piece.  Your body works the same way.  For a high quality living product, fill it with high quality foods packed with nutrition.  Remember to exercise it regularly for a toned and beautiful exterior.

Regardless of whether you want to LOOK good for your age or improve your risk factors for disease, you will enjoy feeling lighter and healthier after shedding a few pounds if overweight.  Or maybe like me, you may just be aiming to shed a few pounds to simply look good in your clothes.  Remember, as long as your weight loss goals also envelope the principles of healthy eating, then you will be on the road to a slimmer and healthy you.

So let’s get started.

Breakfast

1 cup of reduced fat milk

½ cup of cooked oats

½ small banana sliced or ½ cup strawberry halves

125g fat free yoghurt

Use this portion of milk to make a cup of tea or coffee.

Mid-morning tea

20 grapes

Cup of tea made with reduced fat milk

Lunch

Sandwich – make your own using 2 slices of wholegrain bread that’s high in fibre.  

Aim for >5g/100g or see my article Are You Carb Smart?

Fillings

60g mozzarella

Tomato slices

30g avocado to spread

Fresh / dried herbs OR salad leaves

Plus

120g pottle of reduced fat yoghurt (or save for later)

1 large orange

Cup of tea

Mid afternoon snack

Cup of tea or use the orange or yoghurt from lunch if you have saved this.

Dinner

1 portion of Aromatic Mediterranean Chicken & Courgette Rice With Smoked Paprika.

1 serving of fruit salad (for recipe ideas see Lazy Fruit Salad.

Plus

Extra vegetables on the side if still hungry such as green beans, broccoli or a simple salad of tomato and cucumbers.

Drink – plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.

Purple Tip

These are only tips to give you ideas of what a 1500 calorie eating plan looks like.

Don't forget to fit in at least 30 minutes of exercise such as walking, jogging, cycling or sport.  Whatever you choose, enjoy, have fun and remember the successful dieter continues the principles of healthy eating for a lifetime.

What are your tips for weightloss?  Do comment below lovely readers, I do love hearing from you.

Low Allergenic Cows Milk?

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Image from pinterest 

Researchers in New Zealand appear to have created a genetically modified cow.  Its purpose; to produce low allergenic milk whereby the major whey protein beta-lactoglobulin has been removed to undetectable quantities.

This does not guarantee the milk to be completely allergen free; however, this is incredibly exciting news for the toddler who may be diagnosed with cows’ milk protein allergy in the future.

Are we likely to see this milk in the shops any time soon?  The research is still at infancy but in the meantime, milk allergy is easier to manage today than even say just five years ago. 

Under the expert guidance of a dietitian, for a mum who would like to breast feed her baby with cows’ milk protein allergy, you can do so, as long as mum follows a strict milk free diet and excludes all milk proteins from her diet.  Milk proteins can transfer from maternal blood stream to human milk and hence the rationales for the strict milk free diet for mum.

For the older child, there is a good range of calcium fortified milks available in the market.  Starting with soy milk, you can also find these in a variety of flavours.  Always select a brand that has added calcium to help meet these requirements.

For children who may also be battling soy protein allergy, nut milks such as almond or hazelnut milks are an option.  You can also try pea milk, oat milk and rice milk. 

Caution

A word of caution, as per the food standards authority, it is recommended that rice milk is not offered to children under 4 ½ years of age.  Arsenic occurs naturally in a wide range of foods at low levels.  In rice drinks, the amount of inorganic arsenic present is too high to be deemed safe for young children between 1 and 4 ½ years. 

Consult your dietitian or GP for advice on suitable alternative drinks for a child requiring cows' milk protein free drinks.

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How Many Calories Do You Want To Burn?

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It's Monday.  The calorie scales after a weekend of fun groan from all the delicious cocktails you drank and yet, a smart and talented woman like you dare to ignore the chime of the clock as it strikes gym o’clock!

You promptly divert all thoughts about exercise to a black hole in your head and focus instead on your list of tasks to achieve for the week.  Exercise, surely it can wait right?  After all, why bother thinking about that tempting piece of cake or that delectable 5 course meal you shared with the new boy in town when you simply have got oh so much to do.  Right?  Wrong!

Admittedly, your body looks great in that new dress but what are you going to do when you have a little wardrobe crisis after a few more indulgent weekends like so?  There’s only so much bulge that even the ‘ultimate magic secret slimming firm control knickers’ can cope with. 

So let me rephrase; how many calories do you need to burn after your weekend?  I suppose it depends entirely on how many of the extra treats that 'shall not be named' you had.  

To avoid any panic attacks over clothes in the future, make sure that you fit in a date with exercise.  On a positive note, your options for burning calories truly are endless.

For example, assume a female weighing 60kg spends 45 minutes cycling to work.  She could burn 300 calories.  Increase the tempo on the bike and you could be burning up to 600 calories per exercise session.  

Walking is also a great energy busting activity, in that you could burn up to 200 calories depending on your speed.  Choose a route with hills and this could increase up to 300 calories.  

Running is brilliant as you could burn anywhere between 500 to 600 calories depending on your weight, speed and distance.  This really is an excellent calorie burner.

Swimming is not only relaxing but 45 minutes in the pool for the same female weighing 60kg could result in an energy deficit of around 400 calories.  If a slice of bread provides approximately 100 calories, then you are not doing too badly.  The butterfly stroke is another efficient activity and for this movement you could burn up to 600 calories.

Playing sport such as tennis, squash or volleyball are all fantastic options for burning calories so why not join a team?  It's also fun and a great way to make new friends.

Alternatively, you may prefer the gym whilst we head towards winter.  Even resistance training exercise with weights burn calories when you perform the activity.  As you build muscle tone and increase lean body mass, your metabolic rate will rejoice and utilise energy in the form of calories.  

Before you commit to hours and hours of exercise, research does recommend less calories in, so make eating fewer calories from treat foods your top priority.  

When this fails, balance the energy scales with regular activity to burn excess calories after a fun weekend, but to also keep your heart ticking happy.  

For tips on how to incorporate little bite sized portions of exercise through-out the day, read Keep Your Body Moving and visit my page dedicated to Exercise 'Push Yourself'

So next time it’s exercise o’clock, think back to your long, lazy, indulgent boozy lunches and dinners with girlfriends over the weekend.  Let me remind you...did it start with something like this?  That single innocent little drink...

That's right ladies, think real hard and say yes to exercise.  Your body and heart will thank you for it.

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