We have all been eating avocados wrong BUT this is how to fix it

Oct 8, 2015

As we are massive avocado fans, we get quite excited any time there is a development in the world of our favourite snack item.

The mood is generally one of disappointment whenever we discover that we’ve, literally, scraped every last bit of fruity goodness from the peel.

However, as it turns out, we’ve been discarding the last of our avocados prematurely. We haven’t been eating the seeds!

Which actually seems more like a stone, to be honest, but that’s another discussion entirely.

One Green Planet are telling is that the seed is “where most of the fruit’s nutritional potential resides".

"The seed holds 70% of the avocado’s antioxidants, including the well-respected polyphenols associated with green tea," the site informs us.

“The oil within ups the amount of collagen in our skin, keeping it young and wrinkle-free, as well as shining up the hair so that we remain good-looking, too."

Sounds great. Also, the antioxidants to be found in the seed “help regulate intestinal function and have even been shown to prevent tumour growth.”

So, great hair, no bloating and all of the tasty goodness to satisfy your avocado obsession. It is almost too good to be true.

Almost, because one thing that struck us: how do you go about eating the stone?

According to the site, you can cut it into quarters and put it in a blender.

However, you have been warned that it may not a complete “miracle food”. One nutritionist told HuffPost Health that avocado seeds may not solve all your dietary problems but:

“If you want to eat it and benefit from a few extra nutrients, antioxidants and fibre, by all means do.”

If perhaps the avocado seed still isn’t looking all that appealing, then have no fear because there are plenty of other ways you can enjoy the green snack superhero.

The sugar-free coffee drinks you should definitely start ordering

Oct 7, 2015

by Amber Saunders

If you’re a caffeine fiend, and so many of us quite simply are, then you know that when it comes to coffee certain drinks can end up being more like cake than the delicious beverage.

Trying to cut out excess sugar without abstaining from coffee entirely can therefore be a bit of a challenge.

While plenty of coffee chains (Starbucks, we’re looking at you) tell you how many calories are in their drinks; the sugar breakdown is less than visible.

So, if you’re trying to cut down on the sugar consider branching out and giving one of these orders a try instead of your usual.

The World Health Organisation recommends no more than six teaspoons or 25 grams of sugar to be your daily sugar consumption, these are a few orders that fall within those guidelines.

Skinny latte: 0g

Cappuccino: 10g

Americano: 0g

Latte: 17g

A Starbucks Skinny Peppermint Mocha (festive): 13g

Sadly, this is not on the Irish menu yet but we reckon the fact that it is much lower in sugar than some other seasonal drinks makes an excellent case for the possibility of seeing it next year.

Five healthy ways to lose weight and feel great WITHOUT dieting

Oct 5, 2015

by Amber Saunders

We can all be creatures of habit, whether they are positive or negative.

The good news is we can use this particular tendency to our advantage. We can adopt healthier or more positive habits to over ride our negative habits, like the mid-week tendency to order takeaway rather than cook for no other reason except for 'because Wednesday.'

So, to help you ditch the fast food and adopt some healthier habits we found five healthy obsessions you can introduce to your everyday routines to help kick start a healthier lifestyle:

Take a walk:

Walking or running can become an addiction, but a healthy one you can use to your advantage. Whether you choose to rise a bit earlier and take a morning gratitude walk, or opt for a short one on your lunch break, the fresh air does the body and mind good.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic, found exercise, even as simple as a brisk walk, can help you maintain a healthy weight, prevent heart disease, boost your mood and improve coordination.

Have a smoothie:

Smoothies are a sure way to pack in plenty of nutrients without having to spend hours cooking up a storm. You can find smoothie enthusiasts everywhere; especially on social media. And this healthy obsession is for good reason.

Eating a cup of spinach may seem tedious, but blending it with a bit of coconut milk and a slice of pineapple makes for a much more delicious option.

Pick up the phone:

Friendly chats filled with laughter are not just great for bonding, or catching up on any of the gossip you might have missed if your bestie lives far away. They’re good for your health, too!

Oprah magazine even called it the “talking cure.” A bit of banter with friends is said to have great health benefits that can help reduce stress.

Learn something new:

Whether it’s pilates, art or even a language- maybe your cúpla focail are a bit rusty?

Continuing education as we get older can improve the grey matter in ours brains, and help to avoid degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. It's also an opportunity to make new friends if you've moved somewhere new.

Treat yourself:

A self-care routine can include anything from indulging in a bubble bath, eating some dark chocolate, reading a book or whatever leaves you feeling ready to take on the world again. And yes- Netflix marathons of your favourite series definitely count if need be.

The five best tricks that keep your healthy snacks fresh for longer

Sep 29, 2015

by Amber Saunders

We are all for a healthy diet and ditching the sweets and treats for the lighter options. However, when we bring our healthy food haul home and find it rotten two days later, we get frustrated.

It can be hard to stick to a healthy eating regime when we find ourselves spending money on food that won’t last.

So, to try and avoid any unnecessary food frustrations, try these tricks for keeping your healthy food fresher for longer.

Don’t put tomatoes in fridge:

The flavour diminishes and their texture can go a bit off. It is recommended you keep them on the counter in order to allow them to fully ripen.

Lettuce and chill:

You work too hard to come home to limp lettuce with no flavour and zero charm. So, avoid shrinking leaves by separating them and putting them in a sink full of iced water for up to 30 mins. So fresh and so crisp.

Ripen avocados at room temperature:

One of the most temperamental of all the foods; avocados can seem to take forever to be ready to eat and then turn in split second. When you need them to ripen quickly one interesting trick is popping them in a brown paper bag with a banana. Just make sure you keep an eye on them!

Put your bananas together:

If you’re not a fan of peeling blackened bananas, although what lies beyond the skin is far more important, then don’t separate them before storing. Also, refrigerating your ripened bananas will stop them from turning before you eat them.

Line your salad drawers:

Putting a few sheets of kitchen roll in the drawer with your veggies will keep them crisp while they chill. The kitchen roll will keep them fresh also make your cleaning faster, hurrah!

Hayden Panettiere admits that she struggled with postnatal depression

Sep 29, 2015

by Amber Saunders

26-year old Hayden Panettiere revealed that she suffered postpartum depression after giving birth to her daughter Kaya.

Hayden was filling out a questionnaire for Us Weekly when she offered her support to any other women who have struggled with postnatal depression.

She wrote: “I suffered a bit of postpartum depression. You’re not alone or crazy, ladies!”

On a recent television appearance the Nashville star opened up about her experience and stressed that she wants women to know “that they’re not alone.”

“It’s something that’s completely uncontrollable. It’s really painful and it’s really scary and women need a lot of support,” she added.

Hayden said that she and her character on Nashville, Juliette now have a shared experience as they both have experienced depression.

She went on to praise women for being able to do “something that no man can do on this planet,” while adding that her husband, Wladimir Klitschko, 39, would love to go through it.

“When I was pregnant, he would do this thing where he would suck in his stomach and then I would put my stomach to his so that he could feel when she was moving, almost like she was in his stomach,” she explained.

The two welcomed their baby girl in December 2014 and over the summer took a family holiday to France, Germany and Wladimir’s native Ukraine.

While Hayden says that she’s always wanted four kids, she added that she’s not quite ready to go through another pregnancy just yet.

“I always said four, but I’m not gonna speak too soon. One at a time.”

The four health benefits of coffee everyone should know about

Sep 25, 2015

by Amber Saunders

Coffee is warm and delicious and even though not everyone loves it, it is something that has been proven to be good for you again and again.

Many researchers have agreed that as long as you can drink it in moderation then coffee is good for you. In case you were wondering ‘moderation’ means three to five 235 ml cups a day.

So the next time someone tells you that your habit it getting out of hand you can point out these health benefits and then walk away. You don’t need those kind of coffee-hating people in your life.

Antioxidants

One study found that coffee delivers more antioxidants that most other foods and beverages in the average diet. Yes, that means even more than green tea.

It can make you happy

Specifically, coffee can make women happy. The Harvard School of Public Health found that women who drank four or more cups of coffee a day were 20 per cent less likely to be at risk of depression. That doesn’t mean coffee can be used to self-medicate if you are feeling depressed though, make sure you talk to a professional to get the correct care and support.

It can improve your memory

It may not make you more intelligent, but Lifehacker found that when your work is memory based it can make you more productive.

It contains essential nutrients

Coffee is not just black water, many of the nutrients in coffee beans make it to your mug. Such as: Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): 11% of the RDA, pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5): 6% of the RDA, manganese and potassium: 3% of the RDA.

Great news, we're just going to take a quick break now…

Vegetables you need to STOP eating when trying to lose weight

Sep 23, 2015

by Amber Saunders

While it will probably come as no surprise to many, another recent study has found that the humble potato is one of the most fattening vegetables. What might be of more interest however, is that there are a few more vegetables that need to be given a wide berth if you’re looking to slim down.

Harvard researchers have said that rather than filling up on potatoes when you’re hungry, you should try and opt for brown rice or a wholemeal bread instead.

So what are the other vegetables we’re eating that might not be doing our healthy lifestyles any favours?

Celery

Often considered a dieter’s best friend, it has not been proven to help aid weight loss. However blueberries, prunes and cauliflower should apparently be considered instead.

Sweetcorn

Unless you’re eating fresh corn then you might want to give it a skip. The tinned or packaged kind tend to be devoid of the good nutrients that the fresh vegetable can provide for you. Similarly you may not reap the benefits of this vegetable when it’s covered in melted butter.

Peas

While they aren’t necessarily going to make you gain weight, researchers say that there are more nutrient dense (and tastier) vegetable options out there. Researchers again pointed to fruits for helping participants shed weight, as people tend to substitute them for sugary desserts. If you really want more veggies though, cauliflower came out as the top vegetable for helping aid weigth loss in this study.

These are the sevens things that are secretly ruining all of our workouts

Sep 19, 2015

by Amber Saunders

At this point we all know that working out is one of the best ways to stay fit and healthy. While there are days when we walk into the gym feeling like an absolute boss and let nothing distract us from absolutely smashing our workout, there are other less productive days to be had.

Trying to squeeze in gym time is hard and the last thing we want is to waste our time sweating it out and not getting any results. If you want you workouts to be 100 per cent effective every time, then try avoiding this common errors:

Doing the same thing every time:

If you love routine and don't feel yourself getting bored, you should keep in mind your body will. If your gym routine gets too easy then your progress will slow down, so try changing things from time to time.

You take too much rest:

Set a certain amount of time and stick to it, use a timer if you need to because over doing it on the 'rest' periods can mean your workout will be less effective.

You're dehydrated:

Especially when working out in the morning. Working out while dehydrated can leave you feeling dizzy and sluggish so make sure you're drinking water before during and after your workout.

You forget your recovery:

Stretching, foam rolling and the likes are all important to help your muscles repair so you don't end up achy and regretting your workout. Avoiding injury is key to making sure your fitness routine is one you can stick to.

Checking social media:

Losing focus and slowing down your workout can mean you spend more time in the gym than you realise, and only half of it has been spent working out. Unless there is a realy emergency then it's best to ignore your news feed and Instagram likes while you can.

Not having a good workout playlist:

Does anyone ever feel inspired to finish five rounds of burpees when All of You is playing in the background? Probably not. So take some time to set yourself up with a nice collection of tracks that will keep you motivated for a gym session.

Not working on your weaknesses:

If you struggle with certain exercises than instead of ignoring them entirely, ask for some advice to try and pinpoint where you're going wrong. If you don't then you might find yourself making very little or no progress despite visiting the gym several times a week.

YES! The real reason you can’t lose weight is actually not your diet

Sep 18, 2015

by Amber Saunders

While we may all have the very best of intentions when it comes to our healthy lifestyle and clean-eating diets, from time to time we tend to let some things slide.

It is very easy to find ourselves sitting in the office on a Wednesday at four o'clock and find ourselves day dreaming about all of the chocolate bars to ever be found. Before you know it the fantasy is reality and we are drowning in biscuits wrappers and not ever a little bit sorry. Until the sugar crash hits and we want to weep.

However, a new study made have found reason for us to dry our tears because our weekly treats may not be as detrimental to our dream bodies as we think.

A study published in the journal Obesity found that the one thing that is the biggest barrier to weight-loss is not in fact edible.

Sleep deprivation is in fact the biggest obstacle to dropping any excess pounds you might be worried about. Sleep is incredibly important to help us maintain a healthy weight.

This is because when we get enough deep sleep, we are better equipped to make healthier choices throughout the day. Sleep also helps us to regulate our blood sugar which can mean we avoid having any sugar cravings during the day.

The study took into account 189 people and found that those who caught up on enough sleep would wake up feeling more motivated to eat a properly nutritious breakfast and engage in physical activity as well as avoid unhealthy food.

So, rather than tormenting ourselves and shunning any and all tasty (although mildly unhealthy) treats, perhaps we should consider having an early night instead? Or at least try and squeeze in more naps.

This is how an actual nutritionist does a detox that really works

Sep 18, 2015

by Amber Saunders

You should probably pay attention to his one because this is the kind of advice that people pay hundreds of euro to hear.

Over the course of the weekend, the summer, your holidays of just a Wednesday we can easily fall off of our healthy eating bandwagons and raid the biscuit tins. Our efforts to make up for these little slip ups can apparently not be any good for us at all.

So, instead of putting yourself on a no-carb, no-sugar, no-fun emergency detox, have a look at what holistic nutritionist Eve Kessner does when she decides a detox is on the cards.

All of the water!

"Drink lots of water," Evesays. Besides balancing out the dehydrating effects of any imbibing you did over the weekend, Kessner credits water with helping the body "flush out any toxins it's holding on to." Start the morning with hot water with a lemon, which among other things has been shown to aid in weight loss.

Get some sleep:

"This one is tough [when you have a busy schedule], but super important for your body's recovery," explains the SoulCycle instructor. Skipping sleep can lead to stress, weight gain, and an overall decline in good health.

Try and fit in some exercise:

She suggests a fast-paced cardio session since it will boost the body's metabolism, so you can definitely burn off some of those weekend indulgences. If you went completely overboard on Sunday and the thought of a high-intensity workout makes you feel a tad unsettled, try a walk in the fresh air instead.

Orthorexia: how an obsession with eating ‘clean’ could make you ILL

Sep 18, 2015

by Amber Saunders

Jessica Alba; Alicia Silverstone; Gwyneth Paltrow; Blake Lively: it seems every A-lister has their own 'clean-living,' website.

No gluten; no dairy; no meat; no sugar – green juices, raw salads, and strange concoctions… it's all part of the current trend for eating extremely healthily.

However, if you're one of the many people who tries to emulate their favourite stars' diets in a bid to look your best, you might want to reconsider: because clean-eating could well be making you ILL.

Indeed, researchers have now come up with a term for it – orthorexia – incidence of which are apparently rising.

As Professor Charlotte Markey, a psychologist at Rutgers University in the US explains: "People start eliminating foods they consider 'impure' or 'bad' – sweets, sugars, carbohydrates.

"Before they know it, they are eating a highly limited diet.

"They think there is room for improvement and that they can always eat 'healthier. They cut out sugar, then salt, then wheat, then dairy, and so on.

"They become obsessed with what they should not be eating and keep whittling down the foods they will allow – which often impacts them socially since food is such a part of our social experiences."

She adds: "What people don't realise is that many of those foods they are restricting, like carbohydrates, which are an important source of energy, really do serve a function."

Here, take the Bratman Test to see if you too are suffering from the negative effects of the condition:

Do you spend more than three hours a day thinking about your diet?
Do you plan your meals several days ahead?
Is the nutritional value of your meal more important than the pleasure of eating it?
Has the quality of your life decreased as the quality of your diet has increased?
Have you become stricter with yourself lately?
Does your self-esteem get a boost from eating healthily?
Have you given up foods you used to enjoy in order to eat the 'right' foods
Does your diet make it difficult for you to eat out, distancing you from family and friends?
Do you feel guilty when you stray from your diet?
Do you feel at peace with yourself and in total control when you eat healthily?

Your results:

Yes to 4 or 5 of the above questions means it is time to relax more about food.
Yes to all of them means a full-blown obsession with eating healthy food.
It also important to note that orthorexia nervosa is not seen formal medical condition yet many experts believe that it is a growing concern as society becomes more obsessed with health and diets.

The 5 most over-hyped ‘superfoods’ you DO NOT need to purchase

Sep 15, 2015

by Amber Saunders

Chia seeds, goji berries, wheatgrass and some others are packed with nutrients and we certainly hear an awful lot about these supposed miracle foods. However, some research shows that you may be skipping out on other less ‘super’ foods just because they are not deemed trendy enough.

‘Superfoods’ has become a term that is often over used.

While there are certainly huge benefits to be found in many foods, marketing folk are inclined to try and cash in on our attempts to ditch the sugary crap and throw the ‘superfood’ label and lots of things that are no good. This also means they will carry a higher price tag.

Wheatgrass

Stick with leafy greens instead, spinach and kale for example are more affordable and taste better without needing to be blended with sweeteners.

Gluten-free foods

They often have added sugars to make up for a lack of flavour. Unless you actually have a food intolerance you can give these expensive items a skip.

Aloe Water

Yes it does have a high amount of anti-oxidants but it also tastes very bitter. To cover this packaged aloe drinks are mixed with sweeteners, which means you won’t be reaping any of the real benefits.

Goji berries

While some studies done on rabbits have shown some promise in aiding heart health, they are long way off being proven as a human superfood. Apparently you’re better off with a variety of berries rather than spending all your money on one type that is not rich any on particular vitamin or mineral.

‘Vitamin’ water

Check the ingredient list before you purchase because many of these drinks can contain a lot of added sugar. If you really can’t face another boring glass of water, try adding lemon, lime, orange slices or even berries.