Zingy Sweet Potato with Tuna

Sweet potatoes - so easy in the microwave!

Here's a totally yummy baked potato recipe full of carbohydrate, protein, essential omega oils and antioxidants.  Low in fat and super healthy. 

The combination of lime, chilli, onion and tuna complements the sweetness of the potato with a punch of freshness.  Try it - it's delicious!

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves 2

Ingredients
1 large sweet potato
1 medium red chilli de-seeded and finely chopped
1 can tuna in sunflower oil drained
1 spring onion finely chopped 
1 fresh lime
4 tblsp low fat greek yoghurt


Method
1. Scrub the potato and pierce with a knife all over.
2. Cook in the microwave on full power for 10-15 minutes until tender.
3. Once cooked, slice the potato in half lengthways
4. Top with the tuna then sprinkle over the onion and chilli.
5. Finish with a generous squeeze of lime and a dollop of yoghurt
6. Serve with lime slices on the side.

Why is it Good Mood Food?
I love this recipe because it is truly packed with nutrients great for boosting the brain chemical Seratonin.  Low levels of Seratonin can be associated with feelings of depression and poor sleep.

• Protein from the Tuna - As well as boing a great source of energy, proteins provide the body with important building blocks, such as Tryptophan which is used in the brain to make Seratonin.
• Vitamin C - Sweet potato is a very good source of vitamin C which is an antioxidant beneficial to all cells in the body.  Vitamin C is important when the body converts Tryptophan into Seratonin.  
• Carbohydrate - Sweet potato is a good source of carbohydrate, lower in GI than white potatoes.  Absorption of Tryptophan from the blood (where it ends up when we eat protein foods) into the brain (where it is made into Seratonin) is helped by eating carbohydrate rich foods.  Carbohydrates are also a great energy source.

Spaghetti with Sardines

Here's a flavour packed mood boost thats really quick and cheap to make.

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cooking Time: 10 mins

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 small tin Sardines in Tomato Sauce  

1 small red chilli finely chopped (or use chilli flakes)

1 clove garlic finely chopped

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tblsp capers

2 spring onions finely chopped (optional)

1 tblsp Olive oil

150g Spaghetti (mixture of wholemeal and white)

Method

1.  Cook spaghetti according to instructions

2.  Heat olive oil in heavy based pan and fry garlic and chilli for 1 minute.

3.  Add sardines, tomatoes, capers and onions and stir though, breaking up the fish a little.

4.  Heat the sauce through until just simmering, season well and remove from heat.

5.  Drain pasta and toss into the sauce.

6. Serve sprinkled with fresh parsley if desired.

Why is it Good Mood Food?

Low GI so will keep you going - especially if you use wholemeal spaghetti

Omega 3 from the fish

High in vitamin C from tomatoes - good for the immune system and aids iron absorption.

Mood Boosting Ingredients

Keep these key ingredients in the cupboard and rustle up a mood boosting meal in minutes.  Grab, assemble, eat. 

Sardines in tomato sauce
Canned tuna in sunflower oil
Peppered smoked mackerel
Salmon Fillets
Smoked Salmon
Turkey - minced/diced/stir fry strips
Free range eggs

Humous
Cottage cheese
Cream cheese e.g. Philadelphia
Cheddar Cheese
Yoghurt

Watercress 
Baby spinach
Cherry tomatoes
Red pepper
Sweet potato
New Potatoes

Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Bananas
Kiwi

Canned lentils, kidney beans, chick peas
Sunflower, Pumpkin, Flax seeds
Dried apricots
Nuts

Whole rolled oats
Unsweetened muesli eg Dorset cereals
Honey
Agave nectar
Lemon juice

Uninspired? Do a recipe search with one of these ingredients....find something you fancy. I find these sources reliable:

BBC Good Food Website
Delia Online

Sainsburys Recipe Inspiration
Tesco Recipes

Time Saver - Boiled Eggs

Isn't it difficult to stick to healthy eating when you're tired, busy and stressed? 

Boiled eggs are convenient little packages of goodness - keep some in the fridge....

Breakfast

Soft boiled eggs and dippy soldiers are a favourite with my kids and a very healthy low GI way to start the day for everyone.  Serve with grilled tomatoes and seedy or wholemeal toast and you're off to a good start. 

Instant Protein for lunch
Whenever you make soft boiled eggs add 2 or 3 extra eggs to the pan.
Leave the extras to hard boil whilst you eat. After cooking for 10 mins cool immediately in cold water.  Keep them, shell on in the fridge for 1-2 days - instant protein for lunch.

Lunch ideas

Slice on a salad of leafy greens, peppers, cucumber, sunflower/pumpkin/flax seeds.

Mash with mayonnaise for wholemeal sandwich filling or baked potato topper.

Smoked Mackerel and Boiled Egg Wrap

Kedgeree

Why is it Good Mood Food?

Eggs are packed with low-cost high-quality protein. Addition of protein will lower the GI of a meal. Eggs contain lots of nutrients essential to good health, particularly vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium and choline.

Smoked Mackerel and Boiled Egg Wraps

Still on the theme of Omega-3, another easy lunch I threw together last week.

Ingredients
Wholemeal or Seeded Flour Tortilla
Mayonnaise
Leafy Greens (watercress, rocket and baby spinach)
1 hard boiled egg
1-2 peppered smoked mackerel fillets
A sprinkle of sunflower and pumpkin seeds
Drizzle of salad dressing ( I like a sweet honey and mustard one for this savoury recipe)

Method
1. Hard boil the egg for 10 minutes, plunge into boiling water to cool
2. Spread the tortilla with mayo
3. Break up the fish and slice the egg
4. Arrange filling on top of the tortilla and wrap

Simple!

Sardines on Seedy Toast

On the theme of Omega-3 here's a great speedy lunch idea...Sardines in Tomato Sauce on Seedy Toast. Had it today, I'd forgotten how yummy Sardines can be.

So simple, no need for a recipe.  

Seedy bread toast, handful of leafy greens (watercress my fave) and a tin of Sardines in Tomato Sauce mashed.  Grind lots of fresh black pepper on top and hey presto an Omega-3 packed lunch.

Choose sardines with bones included to boost calcium.

Easter Egg Muesli Bars

These crunchy, chocolaty muesli bars make Easter eggs into good mood food....That's got to be better than scoffing big lumps of chocolate!

Ingredients
1 Milk Chocolate Easter egg
Unsweetened Wholegrain Muesli
Handfull Raisins
Handfull Sunflower seeds
Handfull Flax Seeds (Linseeds)

Method

1.  Line a small brownie tin or similar with cling film

2.  Break the Easter egg into pieces into a glass bowl and melt in a microwave or over a bowl of simmering water.

3.  Mix in the raisins and seeds and enough muesli to take up all of the chocolate.
4.  Press the mixture into the lined tin, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or so.
5.  When firm, remove from tray and slice gently into squares or bar shapes. 

The Muesli Bars pictured above started life as this egg.

Which would you prefer to eat?

Why are they Good Mood Food?
The addition of whole grains from the muesli and seeds lowers the GI of the chocolate from very high to medium so less of a sugar hit and slump.
Whole seeds add valuable Omega 3 and Micronutrients to otherwise empty calorie chocolate.
Whole grains and seeds are full of insoluble dietary fibre which helps lower the GI and promotes a healthy digestive system.  

OMEGA-3 Fatty Acids - What's it all about?

Chatting with friends the other evening about taking vitamin supplements, most felt they didn't need to take them. One however insisted it is important to take extra Omega-3 fatty acids.

I thinks she's right...for the reasons below....

Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids
Both of these acids are found in every cell in the body. Our bodies can't make them so we must eat them. Most of us have an imbalanced diet, over-rich in Omega-6 and too low in Omega-3.  It seems this imbalance is a factor in many common diseases including heart decease,  arthritis, asthma, cancer, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel diseases and depression.  

It's the link to depression and mood that got me interested.

Omega-3 and Good Mood
Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the basic building blocks of the brain and seem to be crucial for keeping brain signals moving smoothly.  By implication, imbalance is therefore likely to adversely affect brain function and so mood. 
I've read that countries with diets rich in fish have lower rates of depression, bipolar disorder, postpartum depression and suicide. If you do a web search on Omega-3 and mood there is a huge consensus that boosting Omega-3 intake will help improve mood. 

So I'm sold...Take a fish oil supplement every day and eat oily fish at least 3 times a week.  I've added walnuts to my jar of fruit and nut mix and I try to sprinkle linseeds on my cereal, porridge or yoghurt for breakfast.


Good sources of OMEGA-3 fatty Acids
Oily Fish (eg Sardines, Salmon, Mackerel), Linseed (Flax Seeds), Kidney beans, Soya beans (and tofu), Walnuts, Avacado.

To aid your body's use of Omega 3 it also needs sufficient micro nutrients Vitamin B6, vitamin B3, vitamin C, magnesium and zinc.

Here's an Omega-3 packed lunch I made recently with ingredients to boost vitamins and minerals too: Peppered Mackerel and Boiled Egg Wrap

Review backs OMEGA 3 for Post Natal Depression

Found this article last month in Inspired Health 2013 New Year Edition - a magazine from my local health food shop....More evidence that OMEGA 3 fatty acids are so important.

A recent review of 75 studies investigating the risk factors for postnatal depression found that women could be at higher risk if their Omega 3 levels are lowered. “The literature shows that there could be a link between pregnancy, Omega 3 and the chemical reaction that enables serotonin, a mood regulator, to be released into our brains”  explained the review’s leader Gabriel Shapiro of the University of Montreal.

As Omega 3 is transferred from the mother to the foetus as it develops and later via breastfeeding, the mother’s Omega 3 levels decrease during pregnancy and remain birth.  Without adequate intake of Omega
3 to counter this, levels of Omega 3 will be significantly lowered in the mother and could result in higher risk of postnatal depression.

Whilst this study gives an indication as to the link between Omega 3 levels and Post natal depression, further research is needed to clarify the link and the specific reasons for it.

Reference: ‘Emerging Factors for Postpartum depression: Serotonin Transporter Gentype and Omega 3 Fatty Acid Status’ Gabriel D Shapiro, William D Fraser, Jean R Seguin.

Eat more of....Eat less of....

Thank you to the lovely ladies who welcomed me this morning at The Guildford Cedar House Support Group.  (Cedar House Support Group website)

We chatted about how small changes to eating habits can help you travel the journey of recovery from Post Natal Depression.  Here is a summary of the info I shared:

What's Important

• Good Hydration
• Stable Blood Sugar through the day and overnight
• Enough Building Blocks for Brain function
• B Vitamins
• Omega 3 Oils
• Minerals eg Zinc, Magnesium, Manganese, Copper Iron
• Amino Acids eg Tryptophan

What to Eat More of

• Oily Fish 
• Chicken and Turkey
• Eggs 
• Fresh fruit and veg 
• More than 5 a day if you can 
• As much uncooked as you can 
• Easy on the potatoes 
• Nuts and seeds 
• unsalted, unadulterated. 
• Oats and wholegrain pulses 
• Honey for sweetening 
• Low Fat Dairy

What to Eat less of

• Refined Sugar 
• sweets, chocolate, biscuits cakes, breakfast cereals 
• watch out for hidden sugars in processed foods..even bread 
• Refined/heavily processed foods 
• sweets, chocolate, biscuits cakes, ready meals, pre-prepared foods 
• Tea/Coffee/Caffeine containing drinks 
• including ‘health’ drinks, energy drinks

Easy Salmon Parcels

This is a favourite of mine - keep it simple for weekday supper or jazz it up asian style for a dinner party.  Packed with Omega 3.  

Thank you to my mother-in-law for the original recipe.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 Salmon Fillets  
1 large Courgette
1 large Carrot
2-3 tablespoons Light Soy Sauce
Fresh ground black pepper
2 spring onions finely chopped (optional)
1 inch cube fresh garlic finely chopped (optional)
1 red chilli finely chopped (optional)

Method

• Pre-heat the oven 180 degrees/ gas mark 4.
• Chop or grate the carrot and courgette into matchstick sized strips.
• Arrange each salmon fillet skin side down on it's own square of tin foil.
• Top each fillet with carrot and courgette and onion, ginger and chilli if using.
• Sprinkle each with half tablespoon of soy sauce and half tablespoon water and season with pepper (no slat, plenty in the soy sauce).
• Wrap loosely into pasty shapes with the tin foil making sure you leave a gap above the fish and veg and you have a tight seal so the steam cannot escape.

• Place on a baking tray in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Take care when opening - steam will escape and burn!
• Serve with wholegrain rice and or pulses. 

I serve with The Food Doctor Easy Grains Organic Cereals, Pulses and Beans that come in a microwavable pouch - 2 mins and they're ready to serve. Product details on The Food Doctor web site

Why is it Good Mood Food?
Very low GI especially when served with whole grains
Packed with Omega 3 from the fish and kidney beans if you use Food Doctor Easy Grains.  Omega 3 is essential for brain health. Deficiency in Omega 3 (common in most of us) has been linked with depression, particularly Post Natal Depression.

Breakfast - start the day right and the rest will follow

Since January I've been eating a slow release energy boosting breakfast each day...it's made eating healthy the rest of the day easy...


Before: I used to eat a normal breakfast usually highly processed and/or sweetened.
Most cereals, breads (wholemeal included) and sweetened muesli fall into this category even the ones marketed as healthy.  As a result I rode the emotional roller coaster of sugar highs and lows all day.  It made eating healthy and happy near impossible.


Does this sound familiar?:
Mid morning:  " I'm hungry and craving biscuits and coffee" I resist - new healthy me.  
Lunchtime: "Oh dear I'm starving and these kids are really annoying me"  
I grab my my healthy lunch: "Oh still hungry, I've been good all morning I can have a sweet treat"
After Lunch:  "Why do I feel so sleepy? I could curl up in the cot while my little one naps couldn't I?" 
Mid Afternoon:  Grab a snack for the kids "It won't hurt if I have just one choccie biccie...oh dear I had three....mmmm tastes gooood".  "Oh I'm still snapping at the kids".  
Tea time:  "..Oh what the heck - all my healthy eating plans went out the window earlier, I'll  cook a few extra chips to keep me going till supper"  
.....you get the picture.

After:  Eat a Low GI Breakfast

-  Jumbo Oat Porridge and fresh fruit sweetened with honey

-  Poached Eggs on wholemeal seedy bread with grilled tomatoes

-  Whole grain unsweetened muesli with natural yoghurt and fresh fruit

-  Kippers on wholemeal seedy bread

-  Scrambled eggs on wholemeal seedy bread

  

I no longer get a sugar low mid morning so can last until lunch without feeling stressed and starving.

I no longer need to supplement my healthy lunch with treats as I'm not so hungry.
I no longer get a sugar low mid afternoon because my lunch is still keeping me going.
Tea time is still a danger point but I stay on track by grabbing a slow energy release snack like my flapjacks - see previous entry - or handful of nuts and cranberries.

Yippee I made it to supper time!   (ok so the kids still got me stressed a bit).

Good Mood Flapjacks

We've eaten lots of Oats this half term holidays.   They're an excellent mood food, rich in B-Vitamins, a good source of Magnesium and Low GI.  

These flapjacks are pretty healthy because they're made with honey, not syrup BUT not low fat so don't eat too many if you're on a diet!  Great for the kids and the grownups.


Prep Time: 5-10 mins
Cooking Time: 30-40 mins
Makes 12-15 squares

Ingredients
100g Butter
3tbsp Honey
200g Large Rolled Oats
40g Walnuts roughly chopped
40g Dried Apricots chopped into small pieces

Method

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4

2.  Melt the butter in a heavy based pan then stir in the honey until dissolved.

3.  Stir in the oats, nuts and apricots and combine thoroughly.

4.  Squash firmly into a brownie tin and bake for 30mins approx. until golden brown.

5.  Leave to cool in the tin then cut into squares. 

Tip
If some squares break up crumble them on top of yoghurt for a yummy breakfast or on stewed fruit to make a healthier fruit crumble for pud.

Why are they Good Mood Food?
Low GI - Jumbo Oats are whole grain and rich in soluble fibre so release energy slowly and these flapjacks are made with Honey which is lower GI than syrup so your blood sugar will not shoot up when you eat them.  They will keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Good for neurotransmitters - Oats are a good source of B-Vitamins and Magnesium.
B-Vitamins and the minerals Iron, Copper, Magnesium, Manganese and Zinc are needed when the body makes and uses neurotransmitters in the brain.  It seems that by eating certain foods, the available amounts of some neurotransmitters can be changed. This in turn can affect mood.  (In fact most antidepressant medicines work by increasing abnormally low levels of neurotransmitters thought to be associated with depression).

Word of Warning - NOT LOW FAT!
These are made with butter so are not low calorie.
.....although I did see a report recently suggesting saturated dairy fats like butter are not as bad as we have been led to believe: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2274747/At-truth-Butter-GOOD--margarine-chemical-gunk.html#ixzz2KISbO042

References
The Food and Mood Handbook, Amanda Geary: http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Food_and_Mood_Handbook.html?id=gE8t226wXhwC

Eat More Oats: http://eatmoreoats.com/health.html

Breaded Chicken Fingers

Someone asked me today "How do you eat healthy without making separate meals for yourself, your kids and your husband?"  Here's one of my favourites: 

Breaded Chicken Fingers
I love this supper because it's so easy to give the kids breaded chicken with their favourite veg. (or homemade chunky chips for a treat) 

The kids version is healthy enough for us...BUT...to make it a super good mood meal I make a nutrient packed chefs salad. My hubby and I usually end up each with a slightly different combination so it suits us both.  It's pretty filling too.

Ingredients
Breaded Chicken
Salad Leaves
Your favourite salad trimmings (cucumber, red pepper, tomatoes, beetroot etc)
Roasted Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash (recipe for this coming soon)
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds


A word about the breaded chicken
I've looked at the ingredients and think supermarket Breaded Mini Fillets are pretty OK - but only the whole chicken ones.  When I have time I make a batch of Annabel Karmels recipe (and freeze uncooked): http://www.annabelkarmel.com/member-recipes/cheesy-chicken-dippers.  My kids are happy with seedy wholemeal bread so I use that instead of white for the breadcrumbs.


Why is it Good Mood Food?
Low Glycemic Index - The salad contains protein and slow release carbs from the sweet potato.  The addition of the seeds further helps keep energy release from this supper slow.

Chicken - most meats including chicken provide a good helping of the essential amino acid Tryptophan.  It's used by the body to make Seratonin - a brain chemical essential for good mood and brain function.

Seeds - great for essential minerals such as zinc, iron, magnesium, manganese and contain some protein too.

I am not a morning person..or so I used to think.

THEN...I made 2 key diet changes

1.  Drink little and often during the day

2.  Eat low Glycemic Index foods, especially in the evening.  

The result - I wake refreshed and bright and ready for the day!

Hydration

I read all over the place that most of us are on the verg of dehydration a lot of the time. It can result in lethargy, poor concentration, poor sleep and poor health and mood.

So for the past 3 weeks I’ve kept topped up with water, diluted juice (4:1 water to juice - took a bit of getting used to) and herbal tea - cammomile my fave at the moment.  I’ve also avoided tea, coffee (including decaff for both) as these are mild diuretics and tried to stay off the wine.

It's worked - I feel fresh and alert when I wake in the morning...and bonus - I don’t feel fuzzy the morning after a wine or two.

Slow Burn Energy

I’ve believed in using Glycemic Index for managing mood for a long time - eating foods that slowly release energy into the bloodstream so blood sugar doesn’t peak and crash throughout the day.  Now I’ve realised that how I do this in the evening is really important for quality of sleep.   

I recently learnt that a heightened blood sugar at bedtime can interfere with the way the brain establishes sleep and how it regenerates and rejuvenates.  In a nutshell sleep will be lighter and less restful and the brain less inclined to use up all those good mood nutrients I work hard to eat every day.

So - I’ve been careful to eat protein and low GI carbs at supper but not too much too late. If I eat early with the kids, I do top up with small low GI snack around 9pm but again not too much too late.  I’ve cut out all puddings and don’t reach for the biscuits with my evening cuppa and Bingo! 

I sleep really well, night sweats have almost gone and I wake up refreshed and ready to go!

All of my recipes aim to be low GI.  I'll share more about low Glycemic Index foods later...

Root Veg and Green Lentil Soup

Had this for lunch today, made enough for 5 portions in the freezer too. (yes it does look a bit like baby food but it is a great winter filler-upper and super easy with a slow cooker).
  
Served with seedy wholemeal bread stuffed with fresh baby spinach or watercress..and a little bit of butter or humus...its almost all of your 5 a day in one meal and very yummy.
  

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 5 hrs slow cooker, 2 hrs hob

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

3 medium carrots
1 leek
1 swede
1/2 butternut squash
1 small parsnip
400g tin green lentils
1ltr boiling water
2 chicken or veg stock cubes
butter

Instructions

1. Chop up all of the veg into rough 1/2 inch cubes
2. Using a large heavy based pan sweat the carrots and leeks in a large nob of melted butter over a low heat for about 8-10 mins until leeks are translucent  and transfer to the slow cooker if using.
3. Add all other veg to the pan with the stock cubes and boiling water. Bring back to the boil and transfer to the slow cooker if using.
4. Simmer gently for 2 hrs on the hob or up to 5 hrs in the slow cooker.
5. Add the lentils 15 mins before serving to warm through then remove from the heat and blend smooth at the end of cooking time. (A handheld blender straight in the pan is easiest)
6. Serve with chunks of seedy bread filled with baby spinach or watercress, spread with butter or hummus.

ready to simmer for 5 hrs

Why is it Good Mood Food?

Root veg like sweet potatoes, butternut squash and parsnip provide carbohydrate (so energy) with lower GI than potatoes.  This means the soup should keep you going for longer and will help prevent hunger pangs mid afternoon.

Most of these root veg are excellent sources of Vitamin A, C and B6 and essential trace minerals such as potassium and manganese, all essential for health and brain function.

Veg and lentils are great for dietary fibre and the lentils add protein too.

Invest in a slow cooker!

I love my slow cooker and make huge batches of healthy, tasty soup to keep in the freezer and heat up for lunch.  Perfect fast food.  Can be handy for work in a flask too - get the office noses twitching.

Coming soon - recipes for good mood soups...

Nut, Cranberry and Dark Choc Nibble

Thanks to my local mummy friend Harriot for this craving busting snack.  
I mixed up a huge jar of it this week and take a little pot with me in my handbag.  
It’s been great when tempted by biscuits and cakes at toddler groups.  
It looks so pretty too - I have to keep it out of reach from the kids though.

Prep time: 1-2 mins

Serves: depends how big your cravings are!

Ingredients

1. 150 g dried cranberries
2. 200 g whole almonds (or other unsalted nut of your choice)
3. 150 g dark chocoalte drops

Instructions

Open the packets.

Tumble together in a large bag or bowl.

Store in airtight storage container.

Why is it Good Mood Food?

Almonds are high in calcium and fibre and very low in cholesterol and sodium (salt) . They are a good source of Riboflavin, Magnesium and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin E. Research suggests all of these micreonutrients boost brain health, not to mention the Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids in there. Also nuts are low GI so they fill you up for longer

Cranberries are packed with antioxidants which help fight ageing which includes slower thinking and memory loss.

Dark Chocolate has long been loved for its mood boosting effects producing seratonin like chemicals in the brain.  Dark is better than milk because you get a stronger chocolate punch so can eat less of it. 

Tips

Be careful not to eat too much if you’re loosing weight....nuts and chocolate are high fat