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Her Wellbeing
with Jacquie Dale
Kernel’s secret recipe  Peanut butter is a health food but skip the ‘lite’ version and choose the right brand. Remember with any nuts, it’s the healthy fats you’re after, so choose a brand with the fewest ingredients, ideally just peanuts and salt. Nothing beats a couple of rye crackers with a tablespoon of nut butter to ease a craving. As a general guide, a healthy peanut butter will come in a glass jar and contains zero sugar and no added fats. Pic’s Really Good peanut butter is one of our favourite brands, and it’s free from added oils, emulsifiers and sugar. Just the fats, ma’am  Women need about 30-40 grams of fat daily for health, but the kinds of fats that make up our diet are important. New research from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology has identified that a diet with a higher intake of omega-3 fats and a lower intake of trans fats helps to lower the risk of endometriosis. Used in thousands of processed foods, from snacks to ready-meals, trans-fats have already been linked to increased heart disease risk. The major sources of trans-fats in this study were fried restaurant foods, margarine and crackers.  Steam iron Vegetarians usually eat lots of fruit and vegetables, but it can still be challenging to meet calcium and iron needs. Active pre-menopausal females are especially at risk of developing an iron deficiency. Dried beans, peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole-grain products, dark leafy green vegetables and dried fruit are all good sources of iron. To help your body absorb non-animal sources of iron, eat foods rich in vitamin C at the same time as iron-containing foods. Tea, when consumed with a meal, can interfere with mineral absorption, so enjoy a cup in between meals for best results. Power to the pomegranate  A study published in Cancer Prevention Research uncovered compounds in pomegranates that help protect against oestrogen-dependent breast cancer. According to the director, Shuin Chen, co-leader of the breast research program in California, phytochemicals available in pomegranates help suppress oestrogen production and the growth of oestrogen-responsive tumours. Pomegranates are a seasonal fruit but high-antioxidant pomegranate juice is available all-year round. Worth your salt  Most of the salt we consume is hidden in processed foods or takeaway meals in the form of Sodium Chloride. Sodium Chloride is refined white salt like refined white flour and sugar. All of the beneficial minerals of natural salt have been stripped away to form a pure white powder. Understanding the role salt plays in the body, and the difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ sources of salt, will help you get the ugly refined salt out of your diet while still satisfying your body’s need for a source of high quality minerals. The new Himalayan Harvest salt is a natural source of over 84 minerals including Zinc, Selenium, Iodine, Calcium and Magnesium (tested by NZ Crop and Food Research). www.realnutrition.co.nz |