22.07.2011 02:45:41

Carlos Dobson

This refreshing seafood dish is both healthy and easy to prepare.

 

In Fiji it is traditionally served as an appitizer offering the palate a refreshing 'zing' due to the lime and lemon juice in the marinade.

 

This was a useful way for the Fijians to prevent their catch going to waste. The fish in this recipe can easily be substituted for scallops, prawns and oysters offering a variety to the salad.

 

Heres what to do:

 

Kokoda (coco-NDAH)

Serves 2

 

400gm White Fish (Kingfish, Shark, Snapper)

Juice of 2-3 Lemons and/or Limes

1 Chilli, chopped

1 small sliced Red Onion

1 C Red & Green Capsicum, sliced

1 Tomato, diced

400ml Coconut Cream (Lite if you like) or 2 Fresh Coconuts

 

Preparation

1. Cut fish in to 2cm cubes and place in a bowl, covering with lemon and lime juice. Add the chopped chilli and stir. Place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to 6 hours. The acid in the Lemons and Limes will 'cook' the fish, turning it from a transparant flesh to a white colour.
2. If using fresh coconuts, grate or shred the flesh into a bowl then squeeze out the 'milk' for later use. If using the canned variety skip this step.
3. Drain the lemon/lime juice from the bowl.
4. Place onion, capsicums and tomato in to the bowl with fish then add coconut milk/cream to taste.
5. Allow to stand for 5-10 minutes then serve.

You can serve this on top of mixed green leaves or in the used coconut shells to add authenticity. This recipe is all natural and fits in to the hunter/gatherer food plan.

 

 

wicked healthy recipes | essential nutrients | vegetables

06.09.2010 23:45:10

Carlos Dobson

 

To day we move on in the vitamin alphabet to the B group of vitamins. This group of vitamins are so very vital in our daily assalt against our poor health.

 

The B vitamins may be necessary in order to:

• Support and increase the rate of metabolism
• Maintain healthy skin and muscle tone
• Enhance immune and nervous system function
• Promote cell growth and division, including that of the red blood cells that help prevent anemia
• Reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer - one of the most lethal forms of cancer- when consumed in food, but not when ingested in vitamin tablet form.

All B vitamins are water-soluble, and are dispersed throughout the body. Most of the B vitamins must be replenished regularly, since any excess is flushed down the toilet

I'll start with a quick run down on each, what they do and round up with where to find them.

 

Lets start at the beginning with B1 and I don't mean the Banana...

 

Vitamin B1/thiamine is important in the production of energy. It helps the body cells convert carbohydrates into energy. It is also essential for the functioning of the heart, muscles, and nervous system. Not getting enough thiamine can leave one fatigued and weak.

Note: Most fruits and vegetables are not a significant source of thiamine.

 

Vitamin B2 or riboflavin is important for body growth, reproduction and red cell production. It also helps in releasing energy from carbohydrates

 

Niacin (B3) assists in the functioning of the digestive system, skin, and nerves. It is also important for the conversion of food to energy.

 

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) is essential for the metabolism of food as well as in the formation of hormones and (good) cholesterol.

 

Vitamin B6 (pyrodoxine) plays a role in the creation of antibodies in the immune system. It helps maintain normal nerve function and acts in the formation of red blood cells. It is also required for the chemical reactions of proteins. The higher the protein intake, the more need there is for vitamin B6. Too little B6 in the diet can cause dizziness, nausea, confusion, irritability and convulsions.

 

Folate and folic acid are both forms of B9. Folate occurs naturally in fresh foods, whereas folic acid is the synthetic form found in supplements. Your body needs folate to produce red blood cells, as well as components of the nervous system. It helps in the formation and creation of DNA and maintaining normal brain function, and is a critical part of spinal fluid. It has also been proven to reduce the risk for an NTD-affected (neural tube defect) pregnancy by 50 to 70 percent. Folic acid is vital for proper cell growth and development of the embryo. That is why it is important for a woman to have enough folate/folic acid in her body both before and during pregnancy.

 

Like the other B vitamins, vitamin B12 is important for metabolism. It helps in the formation of red blood cells and in the maintenance of the central nervous system. Vitamin B12 is the one vitamin that is available only from fish, poultry, meat or dairy sources in food.

 

So the general thing to take from this is that the B group of vitamins play a major role in converting food stores in to usable energy in the body and helping to form new red blood cells. The thing with all these B vitamins (with the exception of B12) is that with a diet rich in a variety of Vegetables, Fruit, nuts and some grains you will easily obtain your daily requirements as well as giving you body all the energy it needs.

 

If you are struggling to reach you 4-6 serves of vegetables and 1-2 serves of fruit then a mulitvitamin is useful to top up you nutrient stores especially if you daily training program is wearing you down, a sure sign of a vitamin B deficency.

 

Of the most part Defeicencys in Vitamin B are more dangerous than excessive levels of this complex group, mainly due to the fact they move through the body quickly. The most common problem has been linked to anemia and a disease called beriberi which in extreme cases of B1 deficency can lead to death...

 

So the moral of todays lesson friends is "Eat your Fruit and Vegetables" but I'm sure you've heard me say that but now you know why!

 

Back soon so take care

 

Carlos 'Got Fit' Dobson

 

Fruit | vegetables | essential nutrients | supplements

09.08.2010 01:30:55

Carlos Dobson

As promised I have finally put finger to the key board to bring to you my first installment in the A-Z series. In this series we will aim to cover a few areas, first the Nutrient we are looking at, second what is it used for, thirdly where can we find it and fourth how much of it do we need, sounds simple, yes, but we have a long way to go before we are reaching our perfect scenario of health abnd this will mean eating a lot of food so sit back and settle in for the journey. We start today with the simply brilliant Vitamin A but first a brief outline about our essential friends, the vitamin-

 

We must understand that Vitamins are organic food substances found only in living things, i.e. plants and animals. They are essential for our bodies to function properly, for growth, energy and for our general well-being and for us to perform at our optimum level. With very few exceptions the human body cannot manufacture or synthesize vitamins. They must be supplied in our diet, through fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds or meat etc, or in man-made dietary supplements. Some people believe that vitamins can replace food, but that is incorrect. In fact, vitamins cannot be assimilated without also ingesting food. That is why it is best to take them with a meal. Synthetic vitamin supplements can be of varying quality, so it is a good idea to get your supplements from a reliable source.

 

Why Do We Need It so BAD?

 

So back on track with Vitamin A, the role of Vitamin A is to aid in cell reproduction. See I told you it was an awesome one to start with! It also stimulates immunity and is needed for formation of some hormones. Vitamin A plays a major role in assisting with your vision (Which is why mum always said to eat your carrots because  of the levels of beta-carotene) and promotes bone growth, tooth idevelopment, and helps maintain healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes. In some studies it has been shown to be an effective preventive against measles.

A Vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness, dry skin, poor bone growth, and weak tooth enamel. On the other side of the coin too much of this little beaty can cause a toxicity of Vitamin A due to the fact it is a fat soluble vitamin and is stored in the body - so no drinking litres of carrot juice-which can make it hard to get rid of. In fact chronic intake levels of twice the RDI of Vitamin A has been associated with osteoprosis and hip fractures, this is due to it inhibiting the effects of certain proteins and vitamin K and vitamin D (Getting technical now so Ill back offf a bit)

Alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and retinol are all versions of Vitamin A

 

Recomended Daily Allowances (RDA)

 

The RDA for men aged 14 and over is 900micrograms(ug) per day, up to 2800ug max. For Women in the same age bracket 700ug is your RDA with a maximin limit of 2800ug. Children between the ages of 4-8 need 400ug and between 9-14 should aim for 600ug per day. To give yuo some idea on how much you need to eat to reach you RDA, one cup of cooked bok choy with some steamed carrots and brocolli will provide a grown man with all his dily needs for Vitamin A as well as other essential nutrients. If you were to spread this over the course of a day you should find it relatively easy to reach you target.

 

Food Sources of Vitamin A

 

Most Fruits but especiallythe following have significant amounts

• Melons
• Grapefruit
• Mangoes
• Paw Paw
• Passionfruit
• Tomatos
• Guava

The following vegetables are extremely high in Vitamin A

• Carrots of course
• Kale
• Broccoli leaf
• Spinach
• Sweet Potato
• Chinese Greens like Bok Choi and Pak Choy
• Pumpkin
• Swiss chard

The following meat products are very high

• Liver (also high in iron-more about that later)
• Cheese,Butter and Milk
• Tuna
• Eggs

And for the Vegans out there be sure to include some

• Chestnuts
• Pecans or
• Pistachios

By including a variety of these foods in to your diet you will be sure to reach you daily requirements.

 

Well that gets the cab off the rank, the ball rolling and puts our best foot forward - stay tuned for the rest and dont forget to order you fruit and vege for the local delivery experts - Fruitos ------>>>>>>> Call them here!

 

Hope to see you training real soon

 

Carlos

essential nutrients | vegetables | Fruit

19.07.2010 04:11:04

Carlos Dobson

Part Two

Here is my answer to the supplements that you should look at – this is not a hard sell but merely a suggestion based on what is happening with the state of the nation’s health, remember over 25% of Australians are overweight or obese.

 

Remember last week I said you can start by sourcing your fruit and vegetables from the freshest supplies around like have to ensure the quality and nutrient levels are at their highest. This includes as many colours of different fruits and vegetables to reach as broader spectrum of nutrients as possible. For a good local supplier that delivers to your door twice a week there are more details here. Remember to order and drop my name, he delivers Tuesday and Friday just order before 4 pm the day before.

 

Then follow it up with a high quality Multi mineral and Multi vitamin with high levels of phyto-nutrients from a reputable manufacturer using real extracts from real plants grown organically in soil that has been properly cared for and maintained for the past 60 years. This is to top up your levels that may be reduced through heavy training, poor dietary planning and general lifestyle needs.

 

Next to help balance your cells be sure you are eating some wild caught, cold water fish 2-3 times each week. This includes salmon, mackerel or tuna. One 200gm portion can provide as much as 30% of your omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids necessary for cognitive function, fat metabolisation and improved retina function to name a few. Failing this a high quality Omega 3 EFA supplement should be next on the list of daily potions.

 

The third thing I would include in your supplementation is a phyto-nutrient supplement. Phyto nutrients such as Lutein and Quercetin are necessary to support healthy eye function and for general wellbeing. Research shows that Lutein, a nutrient particularly abundant in spinach, may prevent age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Lutein is a carotenoid found in dark green, leafy vegetables. Quercetin, found in the faba bean, field pea, and spinach leaves, belongs to a group of plant pigments, flavonoids, that are partly responsible for the color of many fruits and vegetables. The flavonoid quercetin offers a variety of potential therapeutic uses and benefits including helping the prevention of runny noses through the reduced production and release of histamines, improved circulation with its natural anti-clotting function and its ability to act as a vasodilator (open up blood vessels) and it acts a natural anti inflammatory helping to ease the symptoms of arthritis.

 

These are only two of many such nutrients that when incorporated in to our regular diet help us to maintain our optimum operating level especially if you are on a calorie reduced eating plan, which is the only way maximize your fat burning efforts, because you may well be missing out some fruit and veggie groups which contain these essential phytonutrients so supplementing them is a really good idea to make sure that all you hard work training and eating right is going to get you the best possible result i.e. Maximum Fat Loss.

 

Next on my list of essential supps is the mighty protein powder. I won’t go on about it too much as I have already posted a good article about it here but what I will say just to ram the point home is that it is essential for repair, it is metabolically expensive so great for fat burning and protein powders are a great low fat, easy access way to reach your protein requirements, I mean have you ever tried keeping a cooked chicken breast in your hand bag or shirt pocket? Not a good look…

 

The last thing I use and recommend pays homage to the old saying ‘if you don’t eat you don’t poop and if you don’t poop, you die’. That’s right you guessed it, Fibre. Supplementing fibre in your diet once again becomes essential when you are on a calorie restricted eating plan for fat loss because you may be taking out certain food groups that contain the ‘roughage’ needed. As we already struggle to reach our minimum requirement of 35gms of Fibre per day from food sources because of the refined nature of some or all of the foods we eat then a quality fibre supplement is a must. It is not just as simple as loading up on psyllium husks but more about intestinal health. Something as simple as a daily chewable fibre supplement can help you to reach the daily target of 35gms of fibre, as well as helping you remain confident that all your bits down there are in healthy working order.

 

That wraps up my intro about supplements, next I will be bringing you the A-Z of Vitamins and minerals, starting with Vitamin A, what it does for you and where to find it and in case you think that’s boring I’m not going to do it in any particular order so look out!

 

Talk to me below, leave a comment

 

Carlos

vegetables | essential nutrients | supplements

16.07.2010 19:22:13

Carlos Dobson

Are you growing tired of the same old boring stir-fry chicken and vege? Try this awesome little number to heat you up this winter packed with protein, nutrients, healthy fats and a truckload of flavour...

 

Heres what you need for two portions but be sure someone is there to share it with or you may well eat the lot, don't say I didn't warn you...

 

• 250gms Chicken Breast or Tenders, chopped (Source of Protein and Vitamin B3, Niacin)
• 2 C Chopped Mushrooms (Good source of Vitamin B2 & B3 and Vitamin D)
• 1 Cup each of Chopped Red and Green Capsicum (Source of Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C
• 1 Bunch of Broccolini (Contains Vitamin A, Vitamin , Potassium and Calcium)
• 1/2 Chopped Onion (Contains Folate, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Potassium and Calcium
• 1 Courgette/Zuchinni/squash (this little beauty contains of 5 essential minerals in high quantities as well as a full spectrim of vitamins to boot)
• 1 Tbsp Garlic, Chopped
• 2 Tbsp Organic Peanut Butter
• 1 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Sweet Chilli sauce
• 2 Tbsp of Hot n Spicy Teriyaki sauce

 

Method

1. Heat your wok or pan with the olive oil, be careful not to let it start smoking as you will damage the healthy fats in the oil
2. Add onions, chicken and garlic, cook for 20-30 seconds, make sure pan stays hot
3. Add broccolini, cook for 30-40 seconds
4. Add capsicums, cook for 30-40 seconds
5. Add mushrooms and zuchinni, cook for 30-40 seconds
6. Add Hot n Spicy sauce while stirring vigourosly, this will steam throught the vegies helping to finish the cooking process then
7. Add Sweet chilli and peanut butter, Stir these through until it is reduced to your desired consistency
8. Serve Immediately

 

Option - You can toss through some quality noodles if you are wanting to load up on your carbs but its not really necessary as the stacks of nutrient dense veges will keep you going for a while especially if this is used as an evening meal. To remove some spice just replace 1 Tbsp of Hot n Spicy with some soy or oyster sauce.

 

Enjoy this little beauty! I know I did over and over

 

Carlos

wicked healthy recipes | vegetables | essential nutrients