health and wellbeing

The nutrients that help your self-defences stay fighting fit. Our immune systems are immensely complicated. At least six different cell types are involved in protecting our bodies from in-coming disease and illness threats.

It is the little seed with huge nutritional qualities and a whole array of options on how you buy it and eat it. Linseed comes in a choice of colours and even a choice of names. On this side of the Atlantic we are most inclined to call it linseed. On the other side it is usually known as flax.

Magnesium is a key to more than 300 chemical reactions that keep our bodies healthy. It is to be found in all human tissue, especially bones, for which it has a major importance. It is key to providing us with energy from the food we eat yet it also helps muscles relax and is linked to improved sleep. It keeps the nervous system in balance and helps control inflammation.

Naturally-Occurring waxy substance cholesterol comes in two forms, good and bad. Good cholesterol is carried around the body by high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and is simply swept away after use. Bad cholesterol, transported by low-density lipoproteins (LDL), can be deposited in arteries, restricting blood flow, causing coronary heart disease and at worst a heart attack.

A member of the mulberry and fig family Jackfruit is a native of south-west India but has moved on to the East Indies, Malaysia and many other parts of the world.

The NHS recommends eating pumpkin seeds. It says that in the battle to lower cholesterol and fight heart disease we should try to replace foods high in saturated fats with small amounts of food high in unsaturated fats like pumpkin seeds. 

In 2019 a quarter of a million people from around the globe took the Veganuary pledge to try a month of veganism and almost half of them say they will stay vegan. So, it seems certain that the opening of not just a new year, but the new 2020s decade will make a truly major impact on the plant-based eating boom in the UK.

Whether you’re taking part in Veganuary or have been living a life powered by plants for a while, it’s handy to know which supplements and minerals can offer you some extra support. Although some people think a vegan lifestyle meets all the daily nutritional requirements, you may find that there are some crucial things lacking in a vegan diet, and begin to wonder what vitamins and supplements should a vegan take.

Just a few years ago chia was a strange South American “superfood”. Now these little seeds are part of everyday living across the nation. And no wonder. A tablespoon of chia (around 10g) has 3g of fibre, 1.5g of protein, 1.78g of Omega 3 fat, all the essential amino acids and a very impressive array of minerals.