A friend suggested that as I am trying to loss weight I should swap my usual snack of crisps for nuts, but this really confused me as nuts have a lot of fat and I eat low fat crisps, is she right?

Your friend is correct. Crisps are a man-made food, in contrast to plain unsalted, unroasted nuts, which are a natural food. The fat found in nuts is largely the monounsaturated fats; nuts also contain the essential fatty acids linoleic and linolenic acids. Many nuts are good sources of vitamins E and B2 and are high in protein, fibre and essential minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and selenium.

Research shows that people who consume nuts regularly are less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease and that the consumption of various nuts, such as almonds and walnuts, can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) concentrations.

Crisps on the other hand are more often than not fried in oil; so the fat that they do contain is likely to be saturated or trans fat. Crisps are also likely to be flavoured and contain salt. High salt intake contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease, so carefully monitor the salt in your diet.

So I would swap the crisps for a handful of nuts as a regular snack and save crisps for every now and again.

As published in Swansea's Evening post Kirsten3 ep

My 3 year old grandson has just started preschool and seems to get every bug and cold going, how can I help boost his immune system?

It is very common for children who start school to often suffer from recurring cold, as common bugs and bacterial infection run riot in classrooms. Boosting your grandson’s immunity through his diet can be very helpful, as a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, pulses, lean meats and fish can strengthen a child's immune defenses. Research has found that chicken broth helps to clear congestion and contains drug-like compounds very similar to the ones found in over-the-counter cold remedies! It is often documented that vitamin c is vital for a fully functioning immune system, but so too are vitamin A and E. Ensuring your grandson eats fresh fruits and vegetables such as carrots, , peaches, mangos, sweet potatoes can boost levels of vitamin C and A. Vitamin E can be found in oily fish, nuts seeds and their oil . Selenium and zinc are two minerals needed for the developing immune system, zinc is found in all meats, eggs, oily fish and oats to name a few food sources. Selenium is found in shellfish, Brazil nuts and wheat germ.

It can be hard to ensure that children eat what you serve them but by presenting it well and encoring children you can get there. Fresh fruit smoothie with natural yogurt and ground nuts can ensure he has a good dose of nutrients to start the day.

Mutil vitamins can offer some peace of mind if you child is a fussy eater, The Government guidelines recommend vitamin drops for all children aged 6 months to 5 years. Using products designed for children will prevent you from giving your child too much. Supplements should always be given with food and not on an empty stomach. Solgar, Bio care, higher nature and Nutri are all supplements companies that I would recommend.

As published in Swansea's Evening Post Kirsten2 ep

Is there a limit to the amount of eggs I should eat as I hear they are high in saturated Fat?

When Scientists discovered a link between high blood cholesterol and heart disease, foods high in cholesterol logically became suspect. But after 25 years of study, it has become evident that cholesterol in food is not the culprit –Trans an...d saturated fat has a much bigger effect on blood cholesterol. This evidence has led to major world and UK health organisations revising their guidance, The British Heart Foundation has dispensed its recommendation limiting eggs to 3 to 4 a week and the Food Standards Agency also advises that most people do not need to limit how many eggs they have.

Not all eggs are created equally. Eggs are only as healthy as the chicken that lay them, the kind of fat in them depend on the fats in the chicken’s diet. Hens given all-organic feed produce organic eggs, chickens that are allowed to roam freely (free range) or whose feed is supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids. I would recommend you always buy organic free range eggs and I personally think 10 eggs a week is a good limit.

As published in Swansea evening post.

Are frozen vegetables more or less nutritious than fresh vegetables?

The answer is they both have a place in our diet. In an ideal world we would eat vegetables that are locally produced and in-season and we would buy them fresh and ripe. However these days lots of ‘fresh vegetables’ aren’t actually...... that fresh. They may have been shipped from half way around the world and been picked before they are ripe, which gives them less time to develop a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals. They often look ripe, but these fruit/ vegetables will never have the same nutritive value as if they had been allowed to fully ripen on the vine. Meaning that there nutrient content never reached maximum levels. Therefore, in this instance frozen vegetables will give you a high concentration of nutrients!

The down side to frozen vegetables is the enzymes are destroyed when frozen. The benefits of live enzymes have been documented but I don’t believe we really know the full health benefits they provide yet. To ensure you have the widest range of nutrients don’t limit your diet to only frozen or fresh vegetables a wide range of seasonal local vegetables and off season frozen vegetables with ensure you have the best range of nutrients in your diet.

As published in Swansea's Evening post.

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