Homemade Pasta Sauce

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Ready-made pasta sauces can be handy in reducing the time it takes to cook a meal, but they often contain lots of sugar, compared to the homemade alternatives. This homemade sauce contains just a trace of added sugar from the balsamic vinegar, and is fresher and healthier too. Have as either a veg and lentil sauce or add mince (meat or soya) as you prefer.

You can quickly make your own tomato pasta sauce at home using this recipe:
Ingredients:
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, peeled and diced
  • 4 sticks celery, chopped
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tsp tarragon (dried)
  • 1 tsp rosemary (dried)
  • 1 tsp thyme (dried)
  • Vegetable stock cube
  • 1 x 400g tin of tomatoes
  • 200g tinned green lentils, rinsed and drained (optional)
  • 1 courgette, peeled and grated
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • Extra: 200g extra lean beef mince, turkey mince or soya mince
Method:
  1. Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a large saucepan or deep frying pan.
  2. Add the diced onion and soften, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the garlic, celery and carrots and stir through for 3 minutes.
  4. Add the dried herbs (or use fresh basil, oregano or marjoram if you have them) and stir through along with the tomato puree, stock cube and tinned tomatoes.
  5. Finally, add the grated courgette and lentils along with the balsamic vinegar. Bring to a slow bubbling boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for at least 10 minutes.
  6. If adding meat or soya mince, add after the celery and carrots and brown, then add the herbs and tomatoes and stir regularly for 10 minutes to allow the meat to take up all the flavour. Bring to the boil and either simmer for 20 minutes or put in the oven at 150 degrees C for up to 1 ½  hour for a tender meat dish.

Vegetarian Cottage Pie

Posted on by SBSS

One serving of this vegetarian-friendly cottage pie provides a whopping 5 portions of vegetables; perfect for some #MeatFreeMonday inspiration! It’s also a great recipe to make in bulk and freeze for the week ahead.

Hearty comfort certainly meets compassionate dining with this scrumming vegetarian cottage pie.  It’s a timeless classic reinvented with wholesome plant-based ingredients. Whether you’re a seasoned herbivore or simply looking to add more meatless meals to your repertoire, this savory sensation promises to satisfy even the most discerning palates. Join me as we explore the art of crafting a flavorful, nutrient-packed vegetarian cottage pie that’s undoubtedly going to become a staple in your kitchen.

Quorn cottage pie with swede topping

Feeds: 2

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 celery sticks, diced
2 carrots, diced
200g button mushrooms, halved
300g Quorn mince
200g canned chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 sprigs fresh thyme
60ml made-up vegetable stock
Dash of soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
600g swede, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Method:

1.Firstly, preheat the oven to 180°C, Gas Mark 4.
2.Next, put oil in pan and place over a low heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots and cook for 10 minutes until tender. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Add the Quorn and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, stock and soy sauce and cook for 10 minutes until the sauce reduces. Season with black pepper.
4. Meanwhile, cook the swede in a pan of boiling water for 10 –15 minutes until tender. Drain well and mash. Season with black pepper then stir in half of the parsley.
5. Finally, spoon the Quorn mixture into an ovenproof dish. Cover with the swede, roughing up the top with a fork, and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 mins. Finally, scatter with the remaining parsley and serve.

Enjoyed this recipe?  Why not check out some of our others, here.

Disclaimer: Articles are for general information only – customers should always seek their own independent advice. Vavista is not affiliated with the organisations/businesses mentioned and does not recommend or endorse any of the included products or services. For more information, click here.

 

 

Five great reasons to sleep well

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Tiredness from lack of sleep doesn’t just make it hard to function the next day. Sleep problems like insomnia can increase our risk of health problems such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and depression. Being tired also reduces will-power, making it harder to lose weight and keep up healthier behaviours.

Here are five great reasons to get a really good kip…

Sleep yourself slim

Studies have shown a link between the quality of our sleep and our waistlines.

Research suggests that when we have a bad night’s sleep it changes the body’s hormones that regulate appetite – leaving our hunger levels at an all-time high. But it gets worse – we not only feel hungrier, but studies show that we specifically reach for high-calorie/high-fat foods, in an attempt to boost our energy levels that have been left depleted by poor sleep. What’s more, a poor night’s sleep can significantly raise the level of cortisol that can increase belly fat and put us at risk of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and more. Read more here.

Be a safer driver

It’s no surprise that people who are sleep deprived are more likely to nod off at the wheel and have a greater risk of car accidents. Sleep apnoea, often associated with being overweight, is a condition where people wake up frequently at night, often keeping their partners awake with their snoring too, and then fall asleep during the day from exhaustion. If you recognise this pattern, chat to your GP as it can be treated, reducing your risk of accidents – as well as high blood pressure, heart disease and other problems too. Read more about preventing drowsy driving here.

Reduce your risk of dementia

It seems that there is a link between poor sleep and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists think that sleep provides time for the brain fluid to wash away the abnormal proteins that are associated with these problems – so aim for around 7-8 hours a night to let your brain catch up with the housekeeping!

Beauty sleep isn’t a myth

We all feel worse after a bad night’s sleep, but hope that a touch more make-up, dark glasses or even a smile may disguise it. Not true, I’m afraid! Studies show that poor sleep really does show in our face and can be picked up by others – who find us less attractive than when we are well rested. What’s more, when we are sleep deprived we find it more difficult to interpret the emotions of others – which could land us in some tricky social situations.

Reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes

Sleep of less than 5 hours a night may more than double your risk of type 2 diabetes, an increasingly common problem which can lead to further complications of its own, as well as require dietary restrictions and long-term medication. Poor sleep can lead to increased blood pressure, which is associated with strokes and heart attacks too.

So, aiming for 7-8 hours of restful sleep a night could do us more good than we realise. We may feel we are too busy to spare the time for another hour or two in bed…but fear not. It seems that people who get adequate sleep tend to live longer – so we will have lots more time in the long run!

Read more about how to improve your sleep here.

8 health benefits of spicy foods

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Curry has long been a favourite food in the UK with 9,000 curry houses and over 23 million people eating curry regularly.

However, how many of us associate curry with large takeaway portions of greasy food, plates of white breads and poppadum’s? Not really the first meal we think of when we decide to increase our healthy eating!

A curry can be a great way to eat a vegetable-packed and tasty meal. If you love your spicy foods, there are lots of benefits! Cooked at home, where levels of fat, salt and sugar can be kept under control.

So without further ado, here are 8 health benefits of spicy foods.

Spices curry contains can help our health. Of course, the relative benefits obtained by a quick shake of these fragrant spices into the cooking pot are small – but nonetheless, read on and be inspired to spice up your dinner tonight!

1. Might help immune system

Turmeric, that bright yellow spice that stains the fingers contains curcumin – which may help boost our immune system. It does this by increasing levels of a vital protein that helps fight infection, according to Adrian Gombart, an associate professor of biochemistry and biophysics in the Linus Pauling Institute.

Combining turmeric with black pepper is the best way to make sure it gets absorbed into your body – a tip worth remembering.

2. Can increase libido

Most would link the increased libido of their partner on a Saturday night with the beer they have consumed rather than the curry! However, one study from the Centre for Integrative Clinical and Molecular Medicine in Australia has shown that fenugreek extract increased libido by 25% in a group of men who took the extract two times a day for six weeks.

3. Could reduce joint inflammation 

Turmeric has been shown to reduce inflammation in an experimental model of human tendons in a study from the University of Nottingham. If this can be used to good effect in treatments for arthritis and similar joint conditions needs further study. But it’s a good excuse to eat a delicious spicy foods.

4. May inhibit cancer growth

The amazing Turmeric once again showing us the health benefits of spicy foods! Cancer Research UK reports that some trials have shown that turmeric (or the curcumin in it) may prevent pre-cancerous changes from becoming cancerous.

Also, some countries with high turmeric intake have lower levels of certain types of cancer – possibly reflecting a protective effect. In addition, some trials are looking at possible treatment of established cancers with turmeric extracts.

5. Possibly reduces pain

Capsaicin is the compound found in hot peppers and is used in creams and gels to help pain from shingles and other aches. It causes pain and burning in itself (as anyone who has had a hot curry knows all too well) and, in small amounts, interferes with the pain pathways back to the brain, reducing the pain felt from other causes. Clever!

6. Acts as an antiseptic

In India, turmeric may be rubbed on cuts and burns to reduce infection and improve healing.

7. Might help improve brain function

Studies from India and elsewhere show that cinnamon and curcumin have both been associated with reducing the brain deposits that contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.

8. Could reduce liver disease 

Cinnamon has been shown in animal studies to improve the action of insulin and reduce the amount of fat deposited in the liver.  Of course, protecting your liver with a bit of cinnamon in your curry will be negated by too much alcohol washing it down! Ginger may also have some protective effects on the liver according to other studies.

With so many more spices present in such a huge variety of curries there are even more health benefits to be found than the ones described above.

8 Benefits of Spicy Foods - a bowl of curry with two bowls of spices, fresh coriander and a wooden spoon.

Whilst some of these spices appear to have beneficial effects, large amounts of these spices and some supplements that contain these spices may have side-effects. As with our general ethos at Vavista, we recommend eating real food in moderation and avoiding supplements unless specifically indicated or recommended by your own doctor.

If you want to cook up a storm, check out some great Indian recipes here and take advantages of the health benefits of spicy foods.

Sources: National Curry Week

How to eat healthily on a budget

Posted on by SBSS

It’s easy to see how a limited budget can lead to a poor diet. As soon as you walk into a supermarket the two-for-one offers or BOGOFs (buy one, get one free) are positioned in front of your face and invariably consist of cakes, chocolates or other low nutrient foods.

Fast food chains proudly offer burgers for £1 and super-size options for free. And even my hospital canteen sells plates of chips at a fraction of the price of the salads. So, it’s hard to focus on losing the pounds around your waist when you see the pounds adding up at the till.

But eating healthily is such a big priority and doesn’t have to be unaffordable if you follow these tips…
Choose quality over quantity

Most of us eat too much…as evidenced by the fact that two thirds of us are overweight. So cutting down on the volume of food you eat means you can choose better quality food in smaller amounts without paying more.

Plan ahead

It’s easy to pile up the trolley with food we think we may need, or get tempted by extras that we don’t need at all. We overdo it and then throw lots away. In fact, we throw away almost 200kg of food per person per year. Instead, spend time planning your healthier meals and buy exactly what you need. Perhaps shop online to avoid added temptation. Or, make sure you fill up on a healthy snack before you shop to avoid buying more than your waistline or wages can afford!

Check out the discount section

Expired sell-by dates don’t mean the food is unfit for consumption but it’s often a fraction of the price. Pick up meat, fish, dairy and other basics for your home cooking.

Make friends with your local shopkeepers

Steer clear of the supermarket with its aisles of expensive processed junk and head for your friendly local butcher, fishmonger or veg shop. You can buy what is in season, locally sourced, in the quantity you need and without all the packaging. Plus, it’s often a fraction of the price. If you become a regular, you may be able to pick up older veg and meat bones for free – great for making hearty and healthy soups and stews.

Cook from scratch

Not only can you control what goes into your food and avoid the salt, sugar, bad fats and chemicals that make up much of the pre-prepared food on offer in the shops but it’s a much cheaper way to eat as you aren’t paying for production and packaging costs either. And with imagination and planning, leftovers can be strung out to a further meal or two. Until you try you won’t believe how easy it is to make your own bread, yoghurt, soups, smoothies and much more. Easy recipes abound online.

Grow your own

OK – you can’t get the full range of fruit and veg that you find in a supermarket…. but it’s better to eat seasonally and avoid the carbon footprint of a pineapple flown from Costa Rica. And home-grown, picked that day provides more nutrients without the pesticides and other toxins of industrially farmed crops. Even a window box can produce some decent herbs to flavour salads and omelettes, a tub can be used for carrots, salad leaves or beetroot and a hanging basket can produce a great crop of cherry tomatoes. An allotment can be used to grow a whole lot more – as well as providing you with the opportunity to fit in some valuable exercise!  The Royal Horticultural Society has some great advice on how to successfully ‘grow your own’ here.

So, don’t worry about the pennies – just focus on eating healthily and the pounds will be lost all by themselves!

 

Veg-packed meal planners and recipes

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Sweet or savoury, carnivore or vegetarian… our Vavista dietitians have put together meal plan ideas and delicious recipes to help you boost your fruit and veg intake, effortlessly. We should be aiming for 5 portions of fruit and veg per day (ideally no more than 2 of them as fruit) but it can be hard to get those portions in, so we’re here to help with some super nutritious recipes:

 

Veggie-packed chicken fajitas with homemade salsa

Here is an easy recipe for adding tasty veg to your plate. The recipe provides 4 portions of veg per person – almost hitting your 5-a-day quota! The beauty of this recipe is you can add or swap-in any veggies that you like, the more colour the better. You can also add to the condiments; I love thinly sliced mango to add to my fajita! If you’re vegetarian, you can swap the chicken for kidney beans or tofu.

Feeds: 4

Ingredients:

4 small chicken breasts or tofu, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

1/3 red pepper, sliced

1/3 yellow pepper, sliced

1/3 green pepper, sliced

1 fresh beetroot, boiled and peeled, sliced into wedges

1 courgette, cut into semi-circles

1 bunch spring onions, diced

4 large handfuls spinach

1 tsp paprika

2 gloves garlic, crushed

Sprinkling of chilli flakes (to taste)

Handful coriander, chopped

For the salsa:

20 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped

1 small red onion, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Handful coriander, chopped

Chilli flakes or fresh chilli (to taste, if desired)

8 wholemeal tortilla wraps

Natural yoghurt

Method:
  1. Prepare the salsa. Combine all ingredients and amend to taste.
  2. Fajitas must be eaten immediately so make sure you set the table first with the yoghurt and salsa ready.
  3. For the fajita filling: Get the olive oil warming in a big frying pan or wok, medium heat. Add the diced chicken and toss until meat starts to go white all over.
  4. Add peppers, beetroot, courgette, spring onions, paprika, garlic and chilli flakes. Keep tossing and turn up the heat a little so that everything is sizzling.
  5. Warm tortilla wraps in microwave for 1 minute or in a dry frying pan. It’s also good if the plates are warmed.
  6. Once the chicken is cooked through and slightly chargrilled, add the spinach and stir through. Keep the heat on until the spinach has wilted.
  7. Take off the heat, stir in the coriander and serve!

 

Quorn cottage pie with swede topping

One serving of this vegetarian friendly cottage pie provides a whopping 5 portions of vegetables! It’s a great recipe to make in bulk and freeze for the week ahead.

Feeds: 2

Ingredients:

Oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 celery sticks, diced

2 carrots, diced

200g button mushrooms, halved

300g Quorn mince

200g canned chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 sprigs fresh thyme

60ml made-up vegetable stock

Dash of soy sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

600g swede, peeled and cubed

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Method:
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, Gas Mark 4.
  2. Put oil in pan and place over a low heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots and cook for 10 minutes until tender. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Add the Quorn and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.
  3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, stock and soy sauce and cook for 10 minutes until the sauce reduces. Season with black pepper.
  4. Meanwhile, cook the swede in a pan of boiling water for 10–15 minutes until tender. Drain well and mash with a potato masher. Season with black pepper then stir in the parsley.
  5. Spoon the Quorn mixture into an ovenproof dish. Cover with the swede, roughing up the top with a fork, and bake in the preheated oven for 15- 20mins. Scatter with a little parsley and serve.

 

Homemade fruit sorbet

This is so easy to make, and there’s no added sugar – so you’ll never want to buy from the shop again! Provides 2 portions of fruit.

Feeds: 1

Ingredients:

2 handfuls of frozen fruit

100g natural or Greek yoghurt

Method:

Blitz the ingredients together and serve immediately!

Now for some meal ideas to help you reach your 5-a-day and almost certainly exceed it, depending on how many of the following you incorporate:

Breakfast

Add a handful of blueberries or raspberries (fresh or frozen) to your breakfast cereal or porridge

Add a handful of spinach or chopped cherry tomatoes into your scrambled eggs

Top your porridge with 4tbsp of blueberries

Fruit + Veg Count = 1

Lunch

Add a handful of rocket or lettuce to your sandwich

Add a handful of chopped cucumber and tomato to a cous-cous salad

Add a handful of peas to a rice salad

Add a side salad to a small jacket potato

Make a grilled chicken salad in a wholemeal tortilla wrap

Plus 1 piece of fruit

Fruit and veg count = 2

Evening Meal

Add a handful of rocket or spinach to sauces, chilli con carne, fajitas

Swap gravy for a homemade tomato sauce using chopped tomatoes

Add a handful of peas to your serving of rice

Grate carrots and/or courgette into soups and sauces for an undetectable veggie-hit!

Make grilled salmon, sitting on sweet potato mash and serve with 3 tbsp of green beans.

Homemade fruit sorbet (see recipe above)

Fruit and veg count = 3+

Snacks

Veg sticks with hummus or salsa

Small pot of fruit salad (about a handful)

250ml fruit smoothie with at least 2 handfuls of fresh or frozen fruit included

Handful of frozen grapes

3-4 dried apricots and with a small handful seeds

Fruit and veg count = 1+ each

There are some great fruit and veg subscription boxes available now, meaning you’re getting fresh, seasonal produce delivered directly to your door.  Check out some of our favourites www.abelandcole.co.uk and www.riverford.co.uk.

 

Hidden health benefits of your Christmas dinner

Posted on by SBSS

Did you know we consume as much as three times our recommended daily calorie intake on Christmas day?  But it’s not all doom and gloom…

Although the traditional Christmas dinner gets a bad rep, it’s actually a pretty healthy meal if we strip it back. We just need to be careful of how much we have.

Sprouts

Your mum was right, don’t ditch the sprouts. They contain more than your daily requirement of vitamin K and plenty of B vitamins such as folate which is important for energy production – you’ll be thankful for that during the mid-afternoon Christmas slump! Steam them to retain as many nutrients as possible.

Turkey

A great source of lean protein (particularly the white meat, so go for the breast and steer clear of the fatty skin). Turkey also contains an amino acid called tryptophan, important for serotonin production (the ‘happy’ hormone).

Potatoes

Potatoes themselves are a good source of potassium and starchy carbohydrate. However, they are best boiled in their skins. Be careful with the portion size of your roasties, just 2-3 will do. The downside of roast potatoes is that we often remove the skins (and that’s where all the fibre is). Plus, lots of calories are added when they’re cooked in fat.

Parsnips

Parsnips are another great source of fibre, potassium and also vitamin C. The cooking methods are where things can go awry…be mindful about adding honey or parmesan which add calories to an already hearty meal.

Red Wine

Red wine is rich in anthocyanin, an anti-inflammatory antioxidant. But don’t think this can give you free reign – alcohol is ’empty calories’ and more than a glass or two will add to an already food-heavy day.

Cranberries

Cranberries also contain anthocyanin (giving them their bright red colour) and plenty of vitamin C. Sadly though, not much can be gained from the cranberry sauce so just have a little as it has a high sugar content.

Christmas Dinner survival guide

Portion control:

Everything looks so tasty that you want to have it all. Do, but only have a little of each. Don’t pile your plate upwards. Try to think about the size of your stomach and be kind to it – don’t stretch it too much!

Go light with the sauces:

Sauces not only add flavour, but also salt, sugar and calories. So, just add a touch of gravy, bread sauce, cranberry sauce or redcurrant jelly.

Eat slowly:

The more slowly you eat, the easier it will be to tell when you’re full so that you avoid that horrible ‘I can’t move’ feeling.

Drink slowly:

The slower you drink your wine, the less likely someone is to top it up and the less you’ll drink. And alternate with water to keep you well hydrated and fuller with fewer calories.

Go for a walk between lunch and pudding:

Allow some time for your meal to digest. The walk will also help to stabilise your blood sugar levels and should help to wake you up a little. Plus, the later you have pudding, the less likely you are to snack later on.

Hopefully these tips will help to reduce the guilt associated with Christmas day. Make sure you enjoy and don’t restrict yourself too much – it only happens once a year after all!

Disclaimer: Articles are for general information only – customers should always seek their own independent advice. Vavista is not affiliated with the organisations/businesses mentioned and does not recommend or endorse any of the included products or services. For more information, click here.

A beginner’s guide to dark chocolate

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Have you always passed over the dark chocolates in favour of their fairer siblings, milk and white, as you don’t like the bitter taste? Think again. Chocolatier, Nadia Williams talks us through this health-packed chocolate and shows us the guilt-free ways to enjoy it with a beginner’s guide to dark chocolate.

Did you know that there are numerous health benefits to chocolate when we take out the sugar and fat? So what does that leave us with when we want to get our chocolatey fix? First let’s get to grips with some ‘cocoa lingo’ and then let Edinburgh-based chocolatier, Nadia Williams of Thinking Chocolate, shares her tips for adding cocoa into your everyday diet whilst ditching the guilt. Plus she reveals her favourite bars of the dark stuff that will convert even the most hardened milk chocolate fan…

Cocoa Lingo

What are Cocoa nibs?

They’re the roasted kernels of the cocoa bean (available to buy online or at some health food shops). Cocoa nibs are a true superfood, with just two teaspoons providing your daily quota of antioxidants. And if you thought eating chocolate rotted your teeth, think again – chewing cocoa nibs slows down the production of plaque and freshen breath when chewed. See below for some ways to enjoy them.

Where does cocoa butter come from?

Cocoa butter comes from whole cocoa beans, which are fermented, roasted, and then separated from their hulls. About 54–58% of the residue is cocoa butter. It uniquely melts at around 34-38 degrees Celsius, the same as our body temperature, which gives chocolate its blissful texture when eaten! Cocoa butter is also completely cholesterol-free so look out for bars with high cocoa solids.

What’s the difference between raw cocoa powder and the normal stuff?

Raw cocoa powder specifically refers to raw, unsweetened powder that hasn’t been treated above 110 degrees Fahrenheit. There is some debate about the term ‘raw’ when it comes to cocoa, as cocoa is grown at the Equator and during the essential drying and fermentation process it naturally exceeds these temperatures. That said, it is as close to the natural state as possible which is how we want our cocoa as the less manipulated it is, the more polyphenols and healthy chemicals you will obtain from it.

To get cocoa powder from the cocoa bean, the nibs are first ground. The fat (cocoa butter) is then removed, and the remaining solids are ground up again into a fine dust to give you your cocoa powder. A lot of cheaper cocoa powders that you may find on the supermarket shelves have added milk powders and sugar. Always check the ingredients list.

Got it… now how can I add cocoa to my diet in a healthy way? Over to Nadia.

Granola bar cake with date caramel and chocolate

1. Try cocoa tea

Infuse a teaspoon of nibs in just boiled water. Steep for five minutes. Sweeten to taste with your preferred sugar or sweetener.

2. Get baking

Use nibs in biscuits/flapjacks as an alternative to processed chocolate chips.

3. Don’t forget your savouries!

Adding some dark chocolate to gravies and sauces can bring depth to the finished flavour. It’s particularly good with game, but just as tasty in cottage pie, moussaka and Bolognese.

4. Cocoa for breakfast!

Sprinkle nibs onto porridge/granola for a morning hit of antioxidants.

5. Try a dairy-free cup of cocoa

Make a paste with cocoa powder and hot water and then top up with your preferred soya/nut milk.

6. A quick dip

Blend cocoa with silken tofu or crème fraiche and enjoy with strawberries, banana and oatcakes.

7. Ease your way

If you’re a hardened milk chocolate fan, ease yourself into the darker varieties by blending half and half with milk chocolate in your recipes to re-educate your sweet tooth.

Cocoa connoisseur

If you’ve already got the dark chocolate bug, try refining your tastes to a particular region or origin and find your ultimate chocolate bar!

  1. Beans are largely grown in bulk so seek out the rarer varieties such as Trinitario and Criollo, which have much more flavour.
  2. It takes approximately 1000 beans to make a kilo of fine (cocoa butter only) chocolate versus between 150 to 200 at the commercial (added vegetable fats) end of the market.
  3. Single-origin chocolate has bags of character and like good wine varies from country to country. Try Madagascan (nutty), Vietnamese (fruity), Javan (smooth) and Ecuadorian/Venezuelan for wonderfully complex flavours with a typically long finish.

Nadia recommends…

  1. MAROU – single region chocolates from Vietnam.
  2. VALRHONA – a great brand for cooking with, with really intense flavours.
  3. MICHAEL CLUIZEL – their tasting boxes are a great way to sample your way around the globe.
  4. SINGLE ORIGIN BARS – most supermarkets stock a range of single-origin chocolates. Stand outs are Tesco Peruvian and Sainsburys Sao Thome.

Wake up to drowsy-driving

Posted on by SBSS

We all know about the risks of drink-driving. We frown upon it and know that it slows our reaction time, increasing our risk of accidents. But, few of us would give drowsy-driving the same attention. And yet it can be as dangerous, if not more so, than drink-driving.

Drowsy-driving is driving when tired or sleepy. Given that we are getting fewer hours sleep than we used to, the perils of drowsy-driving are getting more and more important to know.

 How does lack of sleep affect our driving?

Driving when tired impairs our driving performance from slower reaction times, reduced attention and poor control of our vehicle. Studies have shown that a person who drives after being awake for 19 hours (perhaps just driving home in the early hours of the morning after a sober night out) has driving skills similar to a driver who’s above the legal limit of alcohol. And a driver who has gone without sleep for 24 hours may as well be driving drunk. Lack of sleep and alcohol on board is a particularly deadly combination – in fat, you don’t just add the risks together – you multiply them.

What are the risks?

Your risk of a crash is 3 times greater if you have had less than 5 hours of sleep compared to a normal 7-8 hours. But if you have 4 hours or less of shut-eye, you dramatically increase your risk to over 11 times that of someone who is well-rested.

Falling asleep at the wheel is a pretty dramatic event and one that, hopefully, you have never experienced. Instead, you may think that you manage to stay awake, even when you are tired. But studies show that when we are sleep-deprived we have ‘micro-sleeps’ that we are unaware of. We don’t just lose concentration – we are literally asleep for a split second. It may seem trivial, but that split second of sleep can be enough to send us veering into the path of an on-coming lorry.

Can we reduce the risk?

Yes, get enough sleep in the first place! The easiest way to reduce your risk from drowsy-driving is to avoid being drowsy in the first place! Work hard on getting your 7-8 hours a night. If you need tips on improving your sleep then look at this article. Link to sleep tips article

Treat any conditions that may be affecting your sleep. Obesity can impair your sleep, especially if you think you may also have sleep apnoea – a condition where you snore badly at night and often fall asleep during the day. Drivers with sleep apnoea are at a significantly greater risk of involvement in motor vehicle accidents, potentially two to three times higher than other drivers. If you suspect sleep apnoea (which is often, but not always, associated with being overweight) then see your doctor and get it treated. Losing weight, if you need to, will help as well. I think we have a sleep apnoea article we can link to?

Don’t drive when drowsy. It’s not always possible to get a full night’s sleep. But, knowing the risks, do you really need to drive if you are exhausted? Treat drowsy-driving in the same way as you would drink-driving and just avoid doing it. Get a friend to take the wheel, get a taxi or take public transport.

Be aware of danger periods. Research shows that there are two daily peaks when accidents due to fatigue are most common….which seem to coincide with times when our natural body clock has us feeling most tired. The first is no surprise – it’s the wee small hours of the morning, commonly 2-6am. Not only is it dark and our body feels we should be tucked up in bed, but it may be the time when some of us are getting up for an early work shift or, conversely, heading home after a very late night. The second peak we could probably identify too if we thought about it….it’s that afternoon energy slump between 2.00pm and 4.00pm that often follows a large, carb-laden lunch. Keep to a lighter lunch to help reduce that particular risk. Particularly if you are tired anyway, think hard about whether you really need to drive during these danger periods.

What about caffeine? Caffeine is a double-edged sword. Caffeine after lunch can affect our sleep patterns, making drowsy-driving a problem the next day. But some studies have shown that it can help drivers to stay more alert and have faster reaction times. The same holds true of energy drinks containing caffeine and other stimulants – but these effects are quite small and caffeine, and energy drinks in general, should not be relied on.

Get out and about…or take a nap. Have you even started to nod off at the wheel only to be jolted awake by a rumble strip? A study found that the alerting effects of a rumble strip only lasted for up to five minutes before sleepiness returned so don’t rely on them to keep you going. This degree of tiredness in the car should be taken very seriously. If you can pull off somewhere safe and take a quick nap, then do. Otherwise a walk around in the fresh air may give you a little more time to get to your destination safely.

It’s hard to measure how many fatal accidents occur as a result of drowsy-driving because the police can’t check for that at the roadside, yet. But, don’t let your drowsiness be the cause of injury to you, a loved one or a total stranger. Treat it like drink-driving and steer well clear!

 

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