06Jul
Rowinda DimechDiets, Health, Recipes 2

Fish Pie

A healthy homemade fish pie which is low in calories, low in carbs and high in proteins. This delicious fish pies is also full of omega 3 and vitamin D for a healthy balanced diet. I highly recommend you to try this homemade fish pie as a lovely recipe for your family. 

Ingredients
  • 1 kg sweet potato, cut into large chunks
  • 2 teaspoons rapeseed oil
  • 2 leeks, halved lengthways, then chopped
  • 1 heaped tablespoon plain flour
  • 1 fish stock cube
  • 400 ml skimmed milk
  • Good pinch white pepper
  • 25 g fresh parsley chopped (plus a little to garnish)
  • 1 heaped teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 300 g white fish, cut into cubes
  • 300 g salmon, cut into cubes
  • Pinch black pepper

 

 

Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Boil the sweet potatoes for 15-20 minutes until soft and drain.
  2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a low-medium heat and fry the leeks, stir regularly, until they soften, about 7-8 minutes.
  3. Sprinkle the flour over the leeks and crumble the stock cube over. Mix well for a minute or so until the leeks are coated.
  4. Slowly stir in a quarter of the milk until it becomes quite thick, then gradually stir in the rest, stirring constantly, until it comes to the boil. Stir in the white pepper and parsley and remove from the heat.
  5. Mash the sweet potatoes thoroughly and mix in the smoked paprika.
  6. Add the leek sauce to an ovenproof dish and arrange the fish so that it is evenly distributed, pushing it into the sauce. Top with the sweet potato and bake for 25-35 minutes until the sauce starts bubbling through the sweet potato, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and black pepper.

Nutritional Information

 

  Per 100 g
Energy (Kcal) 88
Protein (g) 6.0
Carbohydrates (g) 10.3
of which sugars (g) 3.3
Fats (g) 2.1
of which saturates (g) 0.3
Salt (g) 0.2
15Jun
healthy recipe strawberry lemonade
Rowinda DimechDiets, Health, Nutritonist, Recipes

Healthy recipe of Strawberry Lemonade

A healthy recipe of homemade lemonade with fresh, tasty strawberries. At this period of time, strawberries are in season resulting in a cheaper, more affordable price.

As a result, have you ever bought a box full of strawberries due to its affordable price but ending up throwing it in the organic bin because after 1 day in the fridge it gets moulded?

This is perfect to use all your strawberries to make a homemade strawberry lemonade. In addition, this healthy recipe offers a great taste with low carbs and calorie content. Above all, it also contains plenty of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants to keep you healthy. This extremely healthy drink can be offered to children as part of a healthy diet.

Ingredients
  • 1 box fresh strawberries
  • 3 granulated artificial sweetener
  • 1.5 L carbonated water
Method
  1. Finely chop the fresh strawberries and liquidise. Sieve the liquidised strawberries in an empty glass bottle.
  2. Add the 1.5 L of carbonated water.
  3. Add 3 tablespoons of artificial sweetener (add 1 tablespoon at a time and check taste according to your preference) and serve.
Nutrition tips

The first nutrition tip is to freeze strawberries when they are in season for later use. As a result, all their nutrients will be preserved for when they are not readily available at the counter. in addition, for more tips to reduce food waste you can check out my other blog: healthy food on a low budget  .Secondly, another nutrition tip is that this recipe can be done with all types of fruit. In my opinion, all type of berries such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries also offer a great taste for this healthy recipe. In this recipe you can also try it with normal sugar instead of sweeteners.

In conclusion, I invite you to try this drink which is perfect for children, diabetic persons and all your family. This drink is excellent for parties and family gatherings.

10May
Rowinda DimechAdult, Diets, Health, Nutritonist

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting for weight loss?

Evidence based pros & cons

 

Curious whether intermittent fasting will yield the best results for weight loss? And your health? We’ll review the most recent evidence on the topic.

 

Intermittent fasting is among a variety of diets right now. Even though it has been around for a while, it has gained popularity over the past 2 years.

 

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting involves a fast. It’s the “intermittent” part that sets this fast apart from annual religious fasts. In most intermittent fasting diets you can only eat for less than 8 hours and fast for the remainder of the day. This means that you fast for a range of 16 hours in a day on certain days. On other days you would have the freedom to eat and meet energy requirements.

Many have claimed that these diets have various health benefits such as improving glucose homeostasis, boosting energy, increasing growth hormone production, reducing inflammation, decreasing oxidative stress, lowering triglyceride levels, increasing & protecting brain function, lowering blood pressure, increasing resistance to age-related diseases like immune disorders, cancer, heart disease, stroke, eye disease, Alzheimer’s and promoting longevity!

Are these claims true?

A lot of these claims have been made based on animal studies. Although some rodents are clever ones, a rat body and a human body don’t work the same way, and therefore it’s harder to conduct those studies on humans due to many influencing factors. The ones performed on humans are pretty limited, but do show some exciting results that intermittent fasting as a possible approach to benefiting human health as well! It is important to mention that these studies had mixed results, so we can’t make super clear cut conclusions.

 

 

 

 

 

Pros and Cons of Intermittent Fasting

Pros

 Cons
Promoting health & weight loss Interference with the social aspect of eating
Reduces fat free mass Gets hungry, low energy & unproductive
Increases brain functioning Fasting = Binge
No change in diet Digestion problems
Simple Unclear impact on heart
Larger portions in a shorter time Potential long-term health consequences (especially for women)
Potential weight gain
Slower metabolism

No difference in results to calorie restriction

 

Personally, I’m not convinced by the research conducted till now. I believe that any “diet” that requires you to disregard your body’s innate hunger and satiety cues is not likely to be sustained. Ultimately, the goal of a diet is not to cause your body to go under any sort of chronic stress. Instead, to nurture and show it some love by taking care of it, starting with a foundation of a nutritious diet.

17Apr
Real food vs supplements
Rowinda DimechAdult, Diets, Health, Nutritonist

Real food vs supplements?

Immunity boost

Currently, there is a constant stream of articles and blogs on the web that suggest that we can ‘boost’ our immune system by having supplements of multi-vitamins and minerals. But are supplements something that we should be spending our money?

 

Now, more than ever it is time to boost your immune system. Your immune system depends on: age, diet, exercise, stress and lifestyle. Your immune system will function better if you adopt a healthy lifestyle strategy such as:

  • Quit smoking
  • Balanced diet
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Adequate sleep
  • Good hygiene practices (such as washing of hands)

 

Diet effects on our immune system

Like the Maltese saying “ xkora wieqfa ma tieqafx”, our body needs good regular nourishment to produce its warriors against bacteria and viruses. People who are malnourished are more prone to infectious diseases. Malnutrition can occur due to macro-nutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fats) or micro-nutrients (vitamin and minerals) deficiencies.

A balanced healthy diet will provide all types of vitamins and minerals which are essential for our body to remain in optimum health. As, I mentioned in other blogs there is no need to cut any type of food groups.

All food groups i.e. carbohydrates, proteins and fat provide different vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants essential for health. Make sure that all your meals contain a portion of carbs, protein and vegetables. Eat 2 to 3 fruits per day in between meals or as a dessert after meals.

Vitamins and minerals found in carbohydrates

Carbohydrates Starchy Carbs Fruit & Vegetables
Vitamins B1, B2 & B3 A, B6, C & K
Minerals P, Mg, Fe, Mn & Se K, Mg, Fe, Ca & Se

 

Vitamins and minerals found in proteins

Proteins Milk & dairy Meat & alternatives
Vitamins A, B6, B12, C & D B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, D & E
Minerals Ca, P, K & Co Fe, Zn, P, S, K, Cu & Co

 

I truly believe that the more varied diet you eat, the more you manage to obtain different micro-nutrients from natural food without the need of any artificial supplementation. This will definitely boost your immune system to help you fight any disease and remain healthy.

13Mar
seederAdult, Diets, Health, Nutritonist

Low Carbs or No Carbs?

Low carbs or no carbs?

We ask or believe if carbs are good for health or not? Should we consume carbs or should we eliminate them completely from our diet? We should evaluate the positive and negative effects of carbohydrates on our health.

Search on the web about carbs and you will find any type of suggestions for a normal, low or no carb diet. With no doubt you will find doctors, health professionals, gym instructors and food bloggers who agrees with low carb intake but what is the evidence about this?

 

How low carb diets originated?

The trend for a low carbohydrate diet started in 2015, during an episode of Doctor in the House showed on the BBC. The emphasis was on removing carbohydrates for diabetic patients emphasizing removal of wheat and diary products, fasting and eating 5 portions of vegetables a day without any fruit. As a result, this followed by a speech from Dr Mellor on behalf of the British Dietetic Association (BDA), who advised:

‘This advice is potentially dangerous with possible adverse side effects. Not only is there limited evidence around carbohydrate elimination but cutting out food groups could lead to nutrition problems, including nutrient deficiencies.’

Despite the BDA advice, the media continues to recommend low carbohydrate diets especially for type 2 diabetes (T2DM). This trend also follows in Malta with a lot of people trying different types of diets, from low carb diets to keto diets, experimenting what might work.

In the Eatwell Guide, the recommendation is to have a large portion (45 – 65%) of the diet from starchy carbohydrates. The low carbohydrate diets can be definied:

  • Normal carbohydrate intake = 250g per day
  • Low CHO intake = 136g per day
  • Very low CHO intake = 50g per day
How a low carbohydrate diet works?

 

Low carb diets are known for weight loss for a short period of time. If, you happen to have tried low carb diets I think you agree that they work for weight loss. But what happens in your body? When not enough carbohydrates are supplied to your body, the metabolic pathways of the body changes converting protein to carbohydrates. As a result, the lost kilos on your weighing scale will be lost from your muscles and not your fat stores leading to a decrease in metabolic rate. In addition, when the short period of diet pass and you re-introduced carbs you will experience a rapid weight gain due to the decrease in metabolism from the previous diet.

 

Where do we find carbohydrates in food?
Starchy Carbohydrates Simple Carbohydrates
Cereals Fruit Sweets
Bread Vegetables Chocolate
Pasta Milk & dairy products Cakes
Rice Fruit juices Soft drinks
Couscous
Quinoa

carbohydrate rich food

Carbohydrates and health

 

Carbohydrates are important for your health because:

  1. Provide energy
  • Your brain cells are only happy when they use carbohydrates as fuel. When the brain does not function properly you will experience brain fog, mood swings and even possible of depression.
  • Your muscles use carbohydrates for your daily life activities, exercise and muscle recovery.

 

  1. Protect against diseases
  • Fibre protects you against obesity, intestinal cancers and it even acts as a prebiotic
  • Respiratory substrates – carbohydrates are used to synthesis mucous in the upper respiratory tract which protects against virus and bacteria entering your body

 

  1. A source of vitamins and minerals
  • Vitamin A, B, C, D and K
  • Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Iron and Selenium

 

Summary

I think all types of carbohydrates can be beneficial for your health if consumed in the right amount. Everyone has different carbohydrate intakes so don’t compare yours to your family, friends or anyone else as this is effected by body type, age, exercise, type of lifestyle and medical conditions.

12Feb
Healthy recipe Malta Dietitian Nutrition
Rowinda DimechDiets, Health, Recipes

Chocolate Brownies

This healthy recipe of chocolate brownies is delicious despite its low fat content. It is high in anti-oxidants such as cacao and flavonoids. As a result, these chocolate brownies will help to maintain a healthy immune system to fight off diseases. Therefore, I invite you to check out this healthy recipe and try it for your loved ones.

Ingredients
  • 100 g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 25 g low-fat margarine spread
  • 250 g cooked beetroot (in water)
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • Half teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 100 g ground almonds
  • 50 g plain flour
  • 50 g cocoa powder
  • 10 tablespoons granulated artificial sweetener
  • Half teaspoon baking powder
Method
  1. Heat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Grease a 20 x 20cm baking tin and line with greaseproof paper.
  2. Melt the chocolate and low-fat spread in a bowl, set over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave, stirring often. Leave to cool a little.
  3. Pat away any excess liquid from the beetroot with kitchen paper. Place in a liquidizer with the dissolved coffee, eggs, vanilla extract and maple syrup. Blend until puréed.
  4. Add the ground almonds, flour, cocoa powder, sweetener and baking powder and blend until well combined.
  5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth over the top with a spoon. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the top is firm and a skewer inserted into the middle of the brownie comes out with sticky crumbs attached, but isn’t liquid.
  6. Leave to cool for 15 minutes, cut into squares or rectangles and serve.

Nutritional Information

  Per 100 g
Energy (Kcal) 273
Protein (g) 8
Carbohydrates (g) 22.5
of which sugars (g) 15
Fats (g) 16.6
Of which saturates (g) 6.4
Fibre (g) 2.6
Salt (g) 0.5
19Jan
Healthy Food on a low budget 1920x1307
seederAdult, Diets, Health

Healthy food on a low budget

Eating healthy food does not mean that one has to spend more money.

 

  1. Produce your own food

Growing your own fruit and vegetables is much cheaper than buying from the market. You can grow your crops in your garden. If you do not have a garden, crops can still grow in small pots which can also be used as kitchen decorations.

 

  1. Meal planning

Plan weekly meals and make a shopping list of the ingredients you need. Make sure you check what you already have in the fridge and cupboards. Make sure to write your plan down because if you go shopping without a menu it is probable that you will end up making lots of impulse purchases.

 

  1. Shop on a full stomach

If you go shopping on an empty stomach you are likely to buy more food and snacks that are high in sugars and fats.

 

  1. Buy frozen foods

Frozen fruit and vegetables are equally nutritious to fresh fruit and vegetables. Frozen foods are frozen at the peak of their freshness to preserve their nutrients.

Avoid fruit and vegetables with added salt, sugars and fats.

 

  1. Shop deals and offers

Offers and deals such as ‘buy one, get one free’ can be a great value. Still buy items you need. Food like pasta and frozen fruit and vegetables are items that you can store and use later.

Be careful to check the expiry date of the items on these offers. Make sure you will use the item before it expires.

 

  1. Prepare meals yourself

Eating from freshly prepared foods at home usually cost cheaper than buying take-aways or eating out. By preparing and cooking your own meals you can control the type and quality of the ingredients that go in your dish therefore it can be healthier.

 

  1. Food waste

Any food leftovers can be frozen and used another day. Take-away any food leftovers when dining at restaurants. In Malta 22% of food ends up being wasted therefore each family can save 22% of the budget spend on food.

 

  1. Expiry date

Make sure you know when the food is not safe to consume. Foods with ‘use by’ date must be consumed until the written date. Foods with ‘best before’ date can be consumed after the written date.

 

  1. Children eat the same

Toddlers and children should eat the same food and meals prepared at home. Simply blend or chop their portion as suitable for their age. Prepare some extra portions and freeze for the child for another day. Make sure not to add any salt and be careful with spicy food.

 

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