Did you know that ....?

• Lack of water is the biggest cause of daytime fatigue.  Aim to drink 1.5-2 litres of pure water each day.
• Chocolate contains health promoting flavonids - BUT these are contained in the cocoa bean.  This means that the healthiest chocolate is the 60-70+% variety such as Lindt.
• One-two tablespoons of whole golden linseeds on your breakfast each day is a great way to crack constipation.
• Drinking lemon and ginger tea each day can help reduce arthritic problems.
• Walnuts and almonds have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels (although many think that because they contain saturated fat they are likely to raise levels).

Focus on ....

Apples

A truly health snack with many health benefits.  Eating 2-3 a day can help dramatically reduce cholesterol levels.  The magic ingredient is believed to be pectin (the same stuff we put in jam) that binds to the surplus cholesterol carrying it safely our of the body. (The skin is particualry high in pectin fibre, so avoid peeling your apple.)

Apples are also great for helping to stabilise mood and energy by managing to keep blood sugar levels steady.  This is good news for dieters too because steady blood sugar levels dampen appetite.  Include at least apple a day.

Immune boosting - those who eat more apples are less likely to suffer from colds and upper respiratory tract problems according to research.

Vitamin & Mineral File

• We all know that calcium is important for our bones.  But did you know that calcium depends on adequate Vitamin D and also the mineral magnesium?  Absorption of calcium from our foods is dependent on Vitamin D, and calcium depends on magnesium to 'put it in' our bones.  There are few good food sources of Vitamin D, the best being supplemented margarines and spreads.  Best source anyway is the action of sunlight on the skin - 20 minutes daily throughout the Summer months.  Good sources of magnesium include whole grains, legumes, nuts and dark green leafy veg.  'Hard ' water also contains high concentrations of magnesium, as can mineral water.                                       
• Pantothenic acid, Vitamin B5, is derived from Greek 'panthos' meaning 'everywhere' and is widely distributed in food stuffs.  It is a key component of Coenzyme A, which is central to all energy production within the body.  Adequate pantothenic acid is also important for healthy adrenals, glands that sit above our kidneys and help us resist the effects of stress.   Best sources are animal foods (meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy), whole grains and legumes.  Avoid foods containing refined grains such as white bread, as up to 75% of the vitamin is lost in the refining process (similar loss can occur during freezing and canning).
• Selenium is a great antioxidant nutrient helping us fight against degenerative disease.  The recommended daily adult intake to achieve an antioxidant effect is 60-75mcg.  Cancer protection, however, requires at least 200mcg.  Just be careful with a nutrient like selenium though - toxic effects have been reported at fairly low levels (900mcg), although  It is difficult to exceed this level through diet alone.  Unless supervised, you should not exceed 400mcg from all sources.  The selenium content of foods is dependent on the richness of the soil in which the food was grown.  One of the best sources of selenium is Brazil nuts - their selenium content can vary from 10mcg per nut if grown in selenium-deprived soil to over 100mcg if grown in selenium-rich soil, as may be encountered in South America.