Iron is fundamental in keeping your body in tip top shape. Iron can be found in meat , plants and dairy. You may be surprised to learn that vegetables like legumes generally have more iron than meat.
Iron is used by the body to carry and distribute oxygen around the body. If there is an iron deficiency there is less oxygen delivered around the body. Iron is important in producing energy and supporting the immune system.
Iron deficiency is very common and causes anaemia, weakness, and lethargy, distractedness, a vulnerability to infections, headaches, apathy and depression.
The condition pica is when individuals who have low iron intake demonstrate curious eating habits, they eat inappropriate or poisonous materials such as ash, charcoal, dirt or washing starch.
The good news is it’s easy to ensure you have enough iron in your diet; there are an abundance of sources of dietary iron. Excellent food sources of iron are leafy green vegetables such as spinach, chard or herbs and spices like thyme or turmeric. Other great sources are tofu, shitake mushrooms, blackstrap molasses and romaine lettuce. Good sources of iron consist of lentils, broccoli, leeks, asparagus, beef, venison and kelp.

Written by Kate G

Beetroot juice has been found to offer great benefits to strength and fitness regimes of those who take it.  Scientific research has been conducted which shows that beetroot juice greatly increases stamina.  Nitrates in beetroot juice turn into nitric oxide in the body; which means that less oxygen is burnt during exercise.  As less oxygen intake is needed, it allows you to work out at a high intensity for even longer. At the same time, beetroot juice also widens blood vessels in the body, improving oxygen supply to your muscles; again increasing your energy level for an intense work out. In fact, in a study, race cyclists who had taken beetroot juice were consistently much faster than those who tested a placebo.  A daily dose of 500ml of Beetroot juice per day is enough to notice the health and fitness benefits this juice has to offer.  Give it a try!

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Benefits of Asparagus

Many weight lifters and bodybuilders today include asparagus as a regular part of their diet, but why is this?  Well, Asparagus helps keep the liver healthy by protecting it against the effects of alcohol and other harmful toxins.  Researchers from Korea tested Asparagus leaves to see if the reduced liver toxicity in human liver cells that were exposed to hydrogen peroxide.  From the testing they found that (ROS) the free radicals that cause cell damage were reduced by 70%.  The leaves were also found to reduce cellular toxicities from alcohol.  Apart from just liver benefits Asparagus has been proven to have anti aging benefits, be considered an aphrodisiac, protect against cancer, reduce pain and inflammation, reduce risk of heart disease and prevent birth defects.  Having learnt about Asparagus’s benefits on liver function I have included it in my diet 3 times per week and can honestly say from my own experience it has helped prevent hangovers on the odd nights of over drinking.

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The politics surrounding the ‘”raw vs. cooked” food debate can be confusing, as it draws in broader issues of environmentalism, veganism, celebrity endorsed rawism and the eternal question “is it organic”?  The fact is the scientific jury is still out.

The key recommendation really being that you should eat a diverse combination of both steamed and raw vegetables and according to the World Health Organisation enjoy a “minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables per day (excluding potatoes) for the prevention of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity”. The more specific question of raw vegetables vs. steamed is a good opportunity to look at the varied effects of steaming on a few vegetables – as results are mixed.

First of all though, steaming does not mean torturing spinach for half an hour until grey – as this does significantly reduce nutrients. Similarly, you should not steam using a microwave if you are looking to retain maximum nutritional value. A study in Spain found, after mircowaving a piece of broccoli, that there was a loss of flavonoides (a kind of antioxidant) of 97%.

When you steam carrots and other vegetables such as spinach, asparagus, cabbage and peppers they supply more of the anti-oxidant beta-carotene, which your body converts to the “miracle” vitamin A. However this needs to be traded off against the fact that steaming for example carrots – breaks down the vitamin C.

Cooking broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower and kale forms the compound indole, a phytonutrient that fights precancerous cells before they cause damage and turn malignant. While this is a benefit, cooking these vegetable also damages an enzyme called myrosinase that breaks down into sulforaphane, a compound thought to help prevent cancer and stomach ulcers.

So while you need to keep both the benefits and disadvantages in mind, either way – raw or steamed vegetables are low in fat, high in fibre and a good source of energy.

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Written by Vanessa Mazza

Baked beans are full of fiber, protein, iron and calcium.  Baked beans also contain Carbs the low GI type.  The tomato sauce covering baked beans is also a great source of lycopene a powerful antioxidant shown to help prevent heart disease and prostate cancer.  Baked beans contain insoluble fiber which along the digestion process are thought to nourish the colon lining and protect it from cancer causing invaders.  Baked beans are often overlooked by personal trainers when writing out diet plans for clients, but are certainly a food not to be forgotten.

Protein in Legumes

Kidney Beans, Lentils, Lima Beans, Soybeans

Protein in nuts

Almonds, Cashews, Hemp seeds, Sesame seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds, Walnuts

Protein in Grains

Barley, Brown Rice, Millet, Oatmeal, Wheat, Wild rice

Protein in vegetables

Brussel sprouts, cucumbers, green peas, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, watercress

You can also find protein shakes for vegetarians that are hemp protein or soy protein sources.  These are great and so tasty that many none veggies are using them as a post workout protein source.

Before lots of people said that if you were a veggie you couldn’t get big muscles but Bill Pearl soon showed them this was not true by creating an awesome physique from a vegetarian protein sources.  Bill Pearl is the most famous vegetarian bodybuilder.

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We are constantly reminded that we need to eat more fruit and vegetables, but vegetables are what we really need to concentrate on.  At offices in London fruit bowels are often seen on staff desks but not veg bowls.  Raw veg is what we need, I leave raw carrots and green beans in the fridge to snack on so that I get my 5 vegetables a day.  If eating raw veg is too difficult for you then consider juicing, juicing vegetables such as carrots for carrot juice is amazing for the body as well as being packed full of anti oxidants it will really help improve your digestive system.  Fruits are very important but at the moment many people are drinking innocent smoothies daily then over eating fruit this is causing a build up of acid in the body and is not needed at this high level just remember to get fruit daily but don’t over eat fruit.  Innocent smoothies contain lots of juiced fruit and if you have too many of these you are easily overdosing on fruit.  In the past I drank a whole liter carton when they first came out not knowing the fruit concentration levels and from how I felt I would advise you not to do the same.

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Wheatgrass is certainly one of the most horrible tasting healthy things to eat but sure is good in terms of health benefits.  Wheatgrass is known to improve the following

Improve digestion

Reduce blood pressure

Improve healing capability of the body

Help prevent tooth decay

Combats toxins such as cigarette smoke and car fumes

Improves blood sugar levels

Helps prevent cancer

Wheatgrass is best taken in its pure form placed in a juicer and drank as a juice this way you get the best benefits of wheat grass.  Lots of drinks saying they contain wheat grass contain very little as they don’t want to put the customer off the drink by the bad taste but get the customer to buy it as it contains wheat grass.  Put up with the taste and reap the benefits.

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