Do carrots help you see in the dark?

Did your mother tell you eating carrots would help you see in the dark? Well this old wives tale has some truth whilst they may not actually help you see in the dark carrots really do give your eyes a boost because they contain beta-carotene, which the body is able to convert into vitamin A, an essential vitamin for healthy vision!

Carrots are those faithful vegetables loved by all, they are one of the most widely used and enjoyed vegetables in the world, they grow relatively easily, and are versatile in a number of dishes and cultural cuisines from Asian stir fries to Western Roasts .

However Carrots are not only deliciously tasty but they contain a cocktail of nutrients including beta carotene, vitamin K, C and B8, pantothenic acid, folate, potassium, iron and copper.

Carrots are one of the known food that could help lower cholesterol also because of their high soluble fibre content. A Canadian test found that men who ate about two and a half raw carrots every day saw their cholesterol sink an average 11% and another German study concluded that the amount of beta carotene in one or two carrots also boosted good HDLs significantly.

Due to their rich potassium content they may help protect the heart. Potassium is a vasodilator it helps relax the tension in your blood vessels and arteries, increasing blood flow and circulation, boosting organ function throughout the body which could help reducing the stress on the cardiovascular system.

Eating a carrot every day reduces the risk of stroke by 68%. Many studies have strengthened the belief in the “carrot effect” on the brain. Studies conducted on stroke patients revealed that those with highest levels of beta carotene had the highest survival rate.

So raw sliced in salads, juiced, boiled, steamed or roasted carrots are always a good choice for your health!

Body Image - Love your Body!

A poll on This Morning (A morning Tv show for those not based in the UK) found that 89% of people said they weren't happy with their body.

This made me feel so sad, I think mainly because it brought up all the old feelings that I used to feel about my body. I basically spent most of my my teenage years and my early 20s wanting to be different to how I was, whatever I looked like I wasn't happy. I tried every diet under the sun and no matter how I looked I found fault with myself. My thoughts ranged from believing that if i was a size 10 life would ultimate be easier, better and I would feel good enough. Then when I was a size ten I used to tell myself oh its my hair if my hair was longer I would be happy/good enough etc, then my hair grew and low and behold the focus changed to something else.

Looking for acceptance and love outside ourselves never ever works we need to love the skin we are in before we can be truly happy. Even if you want to change its easier to change through self love than self hate.

I think its a very real thing to feel not good enough so many people that i speak to tell me that one time or another they have felt this way. Yet when spoken out loud it sounds so strange as I'm not sure who I thought was ever going to hand me the 'good enough' ticket anyway.

We are all born good enough, worthy of love and deserving of love especially self love.Our bodies are beyond magnificent Its taken me many years to truly appreciate my body and I can now say that I finally love the skin I am in. This doesn't mean I think I have the perfect body or think I'm better than anyone else and its not narcissistic at all. I think body love is simply an acceptance of who you are in the physical form.

I find the human body mind blowingly fantastic I mean the fact that we can grow another human being inside our bodies is enough to blow my mind, now I know this is something that everyone know but just stop and think about  that for a minute would you. You grew inside your mum! Mind Blowing, science is amazing but we have yet to find another way to grow humans!

Your skin, hair and nails grows all of its own accord, that I find simply fascinating.If you fall over and cut yourself your body heals the cut all on its own - you don't have to tell it to heal it just knows what to do - just like that!

So many people get caught up in the aesthetics of how we look, and humans are naturally drawn to beautiful things. But what makes a person beautiful is who they are as a person. Charisma, humor a kind heart are for me what makes someone beautiful.

Its not what you look like but who you are, have you ever been to a party and just been drawn to someone who may not fit the stereotypical media type of beauty but yet you have been captivated by them because they loved life they had it the X FACTOR? The most attractive person isn't necessarily the most aesthetically pleasing person and that for me is true beauty, not the nature of genetics but the human soul.

So people of the world love the skin you are in, life is really to short to be lived any other way. Love yourself so much that you light up the room simply by walking in it. The size of your heart not the size of your arse that makes you beautiful.

The Food Remedy - Figs

  Are you a fan of figs? I love September becausee fresh figs are in season. Whilst dried figs are available throughout the year, there really is nothing like the unique taste and texture of fresh figs. There sweet intense taste makes them an ideal match for equally sharp ingredients, such as salty prosciutto or my personal favorite crumbled Greek feta!

Figs have many health benefits.

They could help lower cholesterol, as they contain Pectin a soluble fiber. When fiber moves through the digestive system, it helps clear up excess clumps of cholesterol and eliminates them from the body. Soluble fiber may also help you feel fuller for longer because it absorbs water in the digestive tract, which means food moves through the gut slowly.

Figs may help control blood pressure. This is because figs are rich in the nutrients potassium, one of the key mineral accountable for balancing fluids and minerals in our body. Potassium intake helps minimise the effects of sodium on blood pressure.

Figs are also good for your bones as they are rich in calcium, an important mineral that is essential in the development and maintenance of strong bones. They contain 35 mg of calcium per 100g which compare to other fruits is fairly high. They are also rich in phosphorus, which encourages bone formation and spurs regrowth if there is any damage or degradation to bones.

It’s worth noting that figs do not ripen after picking, so choose the ripest fruits you can and eat them within a few days as fresh figs have an extremely short shelf life. They have a thin-skinned that can bruise easily so store carefully. When time permits I try to leave figs in sunlight (usually on my kitchen windowsill) which helps enhances their delicate flavour and gives of a beautiful scent.

FED UP OF DIETING?

Eating is cheating

This is what I used to say to myself this was of course during my meal replacement faze. Convinced food was the enemy and I simply didn't need it. I convinced myself I had all the nutrients I needed in my meal replacement shakes. I was depressed but slim, surely this wasn't how my life was supposed to be. Every where I went people even commented on how well I looked, (which shocked even me) I loved the praise so food was the devil to me and I believed that to look nice I had to basically not eat. Health became second to looks, that was the message that was imprinted on my brain, what a strange world we live in. But it wasn't sustainable, my body constantly cold, and weak, my skin slightly grey my lips very often a light blue I cried most days and was driven to binged when I was too weak and miserable to stop.

Then I started another diet club I was allowed food again but this time the saying was little pickers wear big knickers. Avoid fat this particular diet was low fat high carb the rollers coaster and confusion continued.

I read ever diet book going, bought every magazine publish on diet, watched every program on health, yet I felt like a failure why couldn't I stick to a diet? where was I going wrong?

I followed so many diets you name it I tried it, I had a hunger for information but it was so confusing! I wanted to full understand the biochemistry, physiology and psychology of what drives us to do what we do and how to change...so I went back to study nutrition.

I learnt so much, the first one was mind blowing - I wasn't to blame for my cravings the diet industry had set me up to fail. I learnt food never was the enemy, food is essential for life, it's ok to be hungry and its normal to eat food - what a revolution!

I finally learnt how to eat, how to nourish my body with whole unprocessed food and I learnt to love myself,  a shift in mindset. I learnt how truly magnificent the body is and I learnt to truly appreciate the body I had. I over came IBS and poly cystic ovary syndrome.

If you are stuck in the cycle of yo-yo dieting or perhaps you are constantly comparing yourself to others, and confused about what to eat and when. I can help you!

Join me on October the 7th for a fun packed evening where I will teach you how I overcame the constant dieting, negative mindset and body loathing, how you too can eat delicious nourishing food that is easy to make a delicious. I can show you a way of eating that will kick cravings to the curb, stop the bloating and help you glow from the inside out.

Nourish your body. Empower you mind. Inspire your soul.

Starting at 6.30 with healthy nibbles on arrival. An interactive talk from 6:45-7:45 followed by a cooking demonstration and more tasters. Finishing of with a Question and answer session.

Tickets are £15 and you will each have a good bag to take home.

Spaces are limited so book your space today! By calling 07780007361 or by going to

https://www.eventbrite.com/publish?crumb=41a1bd02f5c917&eid=13234949089

Can't wait to met you all!

Lots of love Kirst xx

Sexy Salmon Salad

Sexy Salmon Salad  that Serves 2 Ingredients

* 2 salmon Fillets

* 40g of spinach leaves

*40g of butter head lettuce

* 2 courgettes (zucchini)

* six spring onions (white and green bits)

* 16 cherry tomatoes

* teaspoon of coconut butter

*Juice of 1/2 a lemon

For the dressing

*Extra Virgin Olive Oil

* Balsamic Vinegar

*1/2 lemon

* Pink Himalayan sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the Oven to 180 degrees

Put the salmon fillets in an oven proof dish and dress with 1/2 teaspoon of coconut butter, the juice of 1/2 a lemon and a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper

cook for 15 minutes or until cooked through

In a griddle pan heat the remaining coconut butter

Dice the courgette and spring onions and cook until heated through

Wash and chop the lettuce leaves, quarter the cherry tomatoes and divide between two plates, On top place the courgettes and spring onions and salmon

dress with a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice and s pinch of salt and pepper.

ENJOY!!