Three Healthy Pasta Recipes to Keep You Warm this Winter

The chilly winter weather often has an influence on your diet. You find yourself eating more comfort foods and drinking more hot chocolates, but can’t your winter warmers also be healthy? If you want something warm and flavourful, while still taking care of your wellness, we’ve got the answer for you: chicken and pasta. The following recipes are vastly beneficial for your wellbeing – both physically and emotionally – and they’re also pretty easy to make!

 

1. Chicken Pasta in Spinach Sauce: This recipe is good for your heart. To start, cook 500g of fresh spinach in a pot containing 1½ cups of chicken broth until the spinach softens. Then, drain and stain the spinach and keep the broth to one side. Keep things as is if you want a rough sauce, but if you want something smoother you should use a food processor to blend the cooked spinach and a few tablespoons of the broth. Add 250g pasta shells into a large pan of boiling water, and cook until froths appear on the top. Drain the shells and keep aside. In a pan, heat two teaspoons of olive oil on a medium flame, add four cloves of chopped garlic and sauté, making sure not to let the garlic turned brown. Add your spinach and sprinkle on ½ a teaspoon black pepper, ½ a teaspoon nutmeg and ½ a teaspoon salt. Add 250g of chicken breast sliced in to cubes, and the remaining broth, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Then, stir in the cooked pasta, stir and for two to three minutes for all the flavours to come through.

 

2. Mexican Style Chicken Pasta:Wash and chop six thoroughly drained canned tomatoes, four chopped Scallions and one large green bell pepper. Set these aside and pour five cups of salted chicken broth into a pan. Add in one teaspoon chilli powder, two cloves of minced garlic and one teaspoon cumin. Bring these ingredients to a boil on medium flame and stir in the chopped vegetables. Cut up 250g of skinless, boneless chicken and add this to the pan, covering and simmering for 10-15 minutes on low flame. Once the chicken is tender and the vegetables are mushy, take the pan off the heat. The liquid should have reduced and thickened. Cook a packet of spaghetti and, while that’s cooking, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add another clove of minced garlic and throw in the cooked spaghetti. Toss around till the spaghetti is well coated with garlic infused oil. Throw your chicken mixture into the heavy bottomed pan and add in six to eight chopped green chillies. Simmer for 5 minutes on a medium flame to blend all the flavours together, then garnish with ½ a cup of chopped coriander and one cup of shredded cheese.

 

3. Greek Penne with Chicken: In a large vessel of salted water, boil a packet of penne pasta, drain and keep aside. Hold on to ½ cup of this boiled water. Place a heavy skillet on high flame and melt in two tablespoons of butter. Add one tablespoon of olive oil, then place in two minced garlic gloves and two chopped red onions. Stir fry until the ingredients turn pink; add 250g of chicken breast cut in to small pieces, and sauté for 10-12 minutes. Reduce the heat and add in a can of artichoke hearts, a can of chopped tomato, a cup of shredded feta cheese, ¼ cup of chopped parsley, ½ cup lemon juice and a tablespoon of dried oregano. Stir in the pasta and, if it seems too dry, add ½ cup of water you boiled the pasta in to make a sauce that coats the pasta well. Cook for about three minutes to let the flavours to combine. Season with black pepper and salt and serve.

Categories: add 250g, bottomed pan, chicken, chicken broth, chicken pasta, heavy bottomed, medium flame, minced garlic, olive oil, pan add, Pasta, Winter Warmers

What Choices Should You Make With Fats, Carbs And Proteins?

With the many contradictions feeding their way into the media over the past few decades, it can be difficult knowing which proteins, fats and carbohydrates are actually good for us. These three macro-nutrients determine whether the diet we live off is really good for us or not, yet they’re often the last thing we alter in our meals. Adding vitamins and minerals to an otherwise unhealthy diet won’t benefit you in the same way as changing up the basic first will. So what should you be eating each day? Here are the basics for a healthy, balanced diet.

Protein

Protein forms the building blocks for our bodies, and it also plays an important role in the maintenance and repair of muscles. Most people believe chicken to be the best source of protein, but while they aren’t wrong, it isn’t the only source. How you cook the chicken also implements the health factor of the protein. Fried varieties of protein, for example, aren’t good for you. While chicken may be good for you, opting for a KFC over a healthy piece of steamed meat isn’t going to work out as equal in terms of the benefits. Processed meats and fried eggs have the same effect – generally speaking, if it’s fried, no matter how healthy it is to begin with, it won’t be that good for you. Some good sources of protein are lean cuts from red meat, cottage cheese and frozen processed chicken breasts. The best include egg whites, fresh chicken breasts, lean fish and legumes.

Carbohydrates

There are good and bad carbs, so it’s important that you differentiate early on between the two. You should aim to eat the majority of your carbs early on in the day, mainly at breakfast and lunch, rather than late on as your body will utilise them better. All simple carbohydrates are bad for you, which include white bread, white pasta, pizza, chips and doughnuts. Baked goods such as cakes and biscuits are also high in simple sugars and butter so these aren’t ideal choices. While they are fine as an occasional treat, you shouldn’t eat them on a regular basis. Complex carbs such as brown pasta, brown rice, whole wheat breads and vegetables such as corn or carrots are a better option. However, for the best source of carbohydrates, you should opt for sweet potatoes, fruit and vegetables, organic wheat flour and rolled oats.

Fats

Fats have a bad reputation, but there are certain fats which are actually good for you. There are a number of myths surrounding fat, but eating healthy fats won’t cause you to gain weight. People gain weight simply by eating more fats than they use. But if you eat healthy fats in the right proportions, then you’ll not only fuel your body correctly but you’ll also improve your body composition overall. Bad fats include saturated fats found in butter vegetable oils and clarified butter. Trans fats, especially, should be avoided, as they are extremely bad for your heart health. If you want to find healthy fats, you should opt for sunflower and olive oils, eggs, fish and nuts. If you can though, you should add omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to your diet, as these are great for your health. Where possible, with the exception of the occasional treat, you should avoid too much fat in your diet as it can lead to heart problems, strokes and obesity.

Categories: chicken, chicken breasts, diet, fats, gain weight, Healthy, healthy choices, Healthy Fats, occasional treat, Protein

How to Fight Back Against Life’s Challenges with Your Diet

A lot of things can throw your wellbeing off track; sleep deprivation, pregnancy, public speaking – you name it and life will hurl it your way. However, you can fight back against the disturbances of life through your diet, so we gathered the best tips from wellness experts to show you how.

 

1. Fighting off a cold: When the sniffles come your way, your best defences are warm fluids and garlic – so adding garlic to soup combines the best of both worlds. The warm liquid will help to thin the mucus, ease your dry cough and fend off that fever-induced dehydration. Samantha Heller, clinical nutrition coordinator at the Centre for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Connecticut, adds, ‘Garlic has disease-fighting compounds that can give your body a little boost.’

 

2. Can’t sleep: If a good night’s sleep eludes you, try a wholegrain-and-protein snack to help you unwind. The carbohydrates in whole grains increase the serotonin in your brain, helping you to relax, while the amino acid tryptophan found in proteins can also assuage insomnia. Roughly an hour and a half before you go to sleep, try eating half-a-cup of wholegrain cereal with skimmed milk, hummus on a whole-wheat pita or a rice cake topped with tomato and a slice of turkey breast.

 

3. Trying to conceive: When you want to have a baby, complex carbs and protein can aid fertility by keeping your insulin levels stable. Jeremy Groll, MD, co-author of Fertility Foods, explains, ‘High insulin levels prohibit normal ovulation.’ Dr. Groll also recommends talking to your doctor about taking prenatal vitamins, and filling up on folic acid-rich foods to reduce your baby’s risk of spinal-cord defects. For your carb and protein duo, go for a fruit smoothie with yogurt and protein powder. Then, top your chances up with asparagus, leafy greens, oranges, and fortified cereals to get your folate fix.

 

4. Public speaking: A high-protein, low-fat meal is the perfect recipe for concentration and calming nerves. According to Marisa Moore, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, ‘Amino acids from the protein will not only help you with the ability to learn and recall information, but they’ll also enhance your ability to concentrate and stay alert.’ Go easy on the greens as the fibre can make you feel gassy or bloated. Instead, incorporate some chicken, fish, beef, or tofu with some veggies or whole grains. Good options include a lightly dressed tuna salad with whole-wheat bread or grilled chicken on a small bed of greens.

 

5. Preparing for a workout: 30-60 minutes before you exercise, eating a light snack with carbs and water will give you staying power without wearing you down. Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, author of Managing Your Mind and Mood through Food, notes, ‘It takes the edge off hunger and gives your body some calories.’ If you’ve got an hour or more before your workout, try yoghurt with a few whole-grain crackers. If you have less time, half a banana or six ounces of orange juice turns into energy (glucose) faster.

 

6. Hitting the road: Whether you’re sitting for hours in a car or a plane, a low-calorie meal that travels well is your best bet. You don’t need a lot of calories as you won’t be expending much energy, and you won’t be able to keep foods fresh so you want things that are non-perishable and portable foods, while healthy enough to keep you away from fat-filled fast foods. At the airport, go for a pre-packaged green salad with chicken or soup and a whole-wheat roll. For a short flight, Wurtman recommends a protein bar with about 15 grams of protein, while Heller suggests trail mix made with whole-grain cereal, nuts, and dried fruit for a long road trip.

Categories: chicken, conception, foods, insulin levels, nbsp, Protein, Public Speaking, sleep, travelling

Which Foods Can Help Make Your Workout Worthwhile?

There are a million little things than can impact your performance on your fitness regime, but your diet is a major player. You want to get the most out of your hard work, so make sure you’re putting the right fuel in your body to improve your wellbeing, and make your workout worthwhile.

 

Start with fruit that’s easily digestible. Fruit gives you a healthy sugar high, as well as the carbohydrates you need to enhance your energy levels. Before your workout, steer your wellness in the right direction by snacking on bananas and apples. These bad boys are loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants, and fibre, making them perfect for that natural boost of energy you’re after. However, avoid fruits from the citrus family where possible as these are harder to digest and so could cause stomach cramps.

 

While you’re eating fruit, why not drizzle on some Greek yoghurt? Greek yoghurt contains twice the protein than normal yoghurt, as well as good carbs. Not only does this add energy, but the combination of protein and carbohydrates is also great for muscle growth. You may as well go ahead and throw some bran cereal in with your fruit and yoghurt, as these are a winning choice when it comes to enhancing physical performance. Not only are bran cereals high in fibre, but they also boost your metabolic rate, help with cell function and prevent dehydration during exercise.

 

That’s breakfast good and covered, but what about the rest of the day? Chicken is a great choice for that time after your workout in which your body craves the nutrients it has lost. You can replenish your body and re-build your depleted muscles with a protein such as chicken, eggs or fish, as this will give your muscles the amino acids they need to grow back stronger and bigger. Some people turn to protein shakes or other liquid meals such as smoothies to get all the essential post-exercise nutrients in just a few gulps. This may be a better option for you if you find the thought of a big meal after exercise daunting, and may help you to build muscle and recover from your workout more successfully, as the nutrients can reach your body faster.

Categories: bran cereals, chicken, Greek yoghurt

Which Foods Should You Avoid to Lower Your Cholesterol?

You need cholesterol to produce hormones, and for your cell membranes to function, but not all cholesterol are created equal. With the right diet, you can get all the “good” HDL cholesterol you need, but certain foods contain “bad” LDL cholesterol, which increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. So which foods should you avoid?

 

While butter is a staple part of the British diet, it’s doing nothing for your weight or your wellbeing. We use butter for everything from cooking to making cakes, but just one teaspoon of the stuff will give you 10% of your recommended daily intake of cholesterol. According to American Heart Association, a healthy adult should consume no more than 300mg of cholesterol a day, but there is 215mg of cholesterol in your average 100g pack of butter.

 

In recent years, wellness experts seem to have been harking on about seafood, but that is not to say that all seafood is good for you. Some of your fishy friends are actually loaded with cholesterol, especially when the fish has been fried rather than boiled or grilled. Shrimp, in particular, is a high cholesterol food to avoid, as 100g of shrimp contains 195mg of cholesterol, or 65% daily value. If that’s a hard figure to get your head around, there’s roughly 4% of your daily allowed cholesterol intake in just one large shrimp.

 

Like seafood, chicken has been hailed by experts as a healthy alternative (and more environmentally friendly option) to red meat. However, while chicken is low in fat, the way you cook it makes a huge difference to how good it is for you. The secret to the cholesterol content of chicken lies in the skin, as this is what adds on the cholesterol points. In fact, just a single leg of chicken with the skin on contains more fat and cholesterol than a burger or a cup of ice cream.

 

But how much cholesterol is in burgers and ice cream? A big cheese burger, for example, has approximately has 175 mg of cholesterol, although this level is lower if you go for a plain burger instead. However, ice cream is packed with cholesterol. Everydayhealth.com notes, ‘Did you know that a single cup of ice cream has more fat than a hamburger and more cholesterol than 10 glazed doughnuts? Skip the scoop and try a cup of fresh fruit for dessert instead. Fruit is low in calories and high in the fibre, vitamins, and nutrients you really need; making it one of the best things you can eat for lower cholesterol.’

Categories: butter, chicken, cholesterol