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What to do with canned fish and seafood
Canned fish can be a great source of nutrition, especially when cost and shelf life are a concern. Find out what to do with canned fish and seafood to make it taste great. Types of canned fish and seafood Without a doubt, the most common fish in a can is tuna, but there is a decent variety of fish and seafood available in canned form: Fish: tuna, sardines, salmon (red, pink), anchovies, mackerel, herrings, kipper, trout Seafood: oysters, mussels, crabmeat Nutrient composition In general, canned fish and seafood are great source of protein and long chain omega-3 fatty acids. Some varieties also contain high amounts of zinc (e.g. oysters), calcium…
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Nutrition and mental health
What we eat has a big impact in all aspects of our well-being. The relationship between nutrition and mental health has been a topic of interest for quite some time and is especially relevant in uncertain times. Healthy vs unhealthy diets Higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains seem to reduce the risk of depression (1, 2). On the flip side, unhealthy diets are associated with increased mental health problems. This negative effect seems to be true in diverse populations, i.e. across different age ranges, genders and ethnicities (1). Dietary patterns Some dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet, a traditional Japanese diet and a typical Tuscan diet…
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Book review: Lifespan (David Sinclair)
Lifespan: Why We Age – and Why We Don’t Have To is a remarkable book by Harvard professor David Sinclair. Sinclair postulates that aging is a disease and can be “cured” by activating the right pathways. The author David Sinclair is a Sydney-born biologist who earned his Bachelor of Science and PhD at the University of New South Wales (NSW). He is now a professor in the Department of Genetics and the co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical School. He also has a lab in his alma mater UNSW. His work focuses on aging and how to slow it down or…
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How to eat less when you move less
The most basic reason we eat food is too meet our energy requirements. During this time of self-isolation and social distancing, most of us are moving a lot less than what we are used to. The question becomes: how to eat less when you move less (and when you have 24/7 access to a fridge and a pantry)? Important note! Keep reading only if you want to control your energy intake while you are spending less energy. Some people have too much to worry about at the moment to care about energy intake, and that’s ok. Estimated energy requirements The amount of energy (i.e. kilojoules or kilocalories) you need to…
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Athletes and their immune system
Many people think that athletes are the healthiest human beings in the planet. However, fitness does not necessarily equal health. High level performance can take a toll in athletes and their immune system. Regular moderate exercise mitigates inflammation and all the health conditions caused by it. However, a large volume of high intensity exercise combined with travel and stress can depress the immune system and lead to illness (1). The following factors have an impact on the immune system in the context of athletic activities: Diet Energy When energy intake is not enough to match energy output, immune function can be compromised. This is a common problem for athletes who…
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Fermented milk drinks
Fermented milk drinks are a great source of nutrients and probiotics (i.e. live beneficial bacteria). They have been associated with numerous health benefits, including gut health. Fermented milk drinks People started fermenting milk to extend its shelf life. Later, they discovered that fermentation also made milk safer to consume, more digestible and healthier (1). Types of fermented milk drinks Fermented milk drinks available in Australia include: Dairy kefir Kefir is a drink made from milk which is fermented by a mixture of bacteria (both lactic and acetic acid) and yeast. The chemical composition of kefir depends on several variables, including the type of milk used to produce it. Common substrates…
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Product review: Marley Spoon meal kits
Marley Spoon is one of the biggest meal kit vendors in Australia. Their focus on sustainability includes the use of local ingredients and reusable/recyclable packaging. Marley Spoon Google tells us the company hails from Berlin, Germany and was founded in 2014. They are currently present in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden and the USA. Marley Spoon meal kits Plans Marley Spoon offers two plans: 2-person and 4-person box. For each of them you can choose from 2, 3 or 4 meals per week. Price per meal The price per meal, including shipping, is in the graph below. Meal tags The following tags will help you identify which meals…
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How to strengthen your immune system
With the COVID-19 situation in full swing many people are wondering what they can do to prevent getting sick. While hygiene and social distancing are the main recommendations, it is also important to know how to strengthen your immune system to be more resilient to this or any other infection. What is the immune system? The immune system is the name we give to all the parts of our bodies that are involved in defending us against pathogens (things that make us sick), repairing injured tissues, and keeping abnormal growths and self-attacks in check. This includes whole organs such as the skin, cells such as B cells and T cells,…
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What is glycogen?
Glycogen is how our bodies store carbohydrate. It is predominantly stored in our muscles and liver and provides the glucose needed for exercise, particularly the high intensity type. What is glycogen? Glycogen is a branched polymer of glucose used as fuel storage. Plants store glucose in starch, we do it in glycogen (1). Most glycogen in the body is located in the muscle (~300-700g) and liver (~100-200g) (2, 3). Each gram of glycogen is stored in our muscles with 3-5g of water. Therefore, carbohydrate loading will lead to weight gain (3, 4). Roles of glycogen Some of the roles of glycogen include: Fuel source, providing carbohydrate to working muscles (2,…
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Meal kits
Meal kits have been popular for a while in other countries such as the US and are starting to gain popularity in Australia. Learn more about how they work, their pros and cons in this article. What are meal kits? These are boxes with recipes and corresponding ingredients that are delivered to your home for you to cook. Meal kit boxes typically contain some or all of the following: Recipes (most of the time printed, sometimes online) Fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs in quantities needed for each recipe Pantry ingredients such as canned vegetables, stock cubes, nuts, seeds and spices An insulated bag with ice packs and chilled items, such…
