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A squirrel's tip for Alzheimer's
5th October 2007
Lara came into the living room as I blinked at the World Cup Rugby qualifiers on the TV.
'Is there some kind of squirrel on the loose in here?' she said.
I was momentarily confused.
See, if you make statements like that out of the blue, my
brain will briefly assume that there possibly COULD be a
squirrel in my living room.
My hunter-gatherer reflex action is to tense my muscles and
scan the room for a squirrel.
No couch potato, I am ALWAYS primed for action.
Naturally, after a split second, I doubted that there could be a squirel in the living room, and said:
'What are you talking about?'
'That.'
Lara pointed to the coffee table in front of me, upon which was a giant pyramid of pistachio shells.
'Oh.'
'You ate the whole packet didn't you?'
'Yes.'
'AGAIN....'
I felt guilty. Because while I'm always haranguing the family about food and health and everything you fancy in
MODERATION, I had yet again failed.
It started with a nibble.... a couple of nuts only, I thought... then I kept going, cracking the shells till my fingertips hurt, eating handful after handful till the megasized packet was empty.
My intentions were good, though. Because here's the
thing....Why nuts are good for weight lossIn 2001, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found out something interesting.
Dieters who stick to a Mediterranean-style diet that includes nuts, lose more weight than those low-fat dieters.
The nut-based secret is simple. Nothing too scientific or 'out there'. It's purely that fat, protein and fibre in nuts help you feel full longer, so you eat less during the day.
In short, by helping you feel full, nuts may help you feel less like you're going hungry.
A HANFDUL, mind....
The key is to eat only a handful of almonds, hazelnuts,
peanuts, pecans, pistachio nuts and walnuts every day.
But don't gorge like me!
And remember that you have to control the other parts of
your diet to make this work. Nuts alone aren't magic bullets.
A shame, but there you go.
There are also some pretty decent side-effects of snacking
on nuts....
- You can get your recommended daily allowance of Omega 3s from just 7 walnuts.
- Research also suggests that women who eat 5 handfuls of nuts a week cut their risk of Type 2 diabetes by almost a third.
- An ounce of almonds provides a third of our daily vitamin E which can help protect against Alzheimer's Disease.
- Even the Food and Drug Administration in the USA - normally averse to admitting anything good regarding natural remedies - admits that nuts may help to reduce heart disease and lower blood pressure.
So in a nutshell... eat nuts, but don't go nuts.
(Yes, sorry. Bad joke. But I also see it as a general
philosophy in life).
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A tea that can boost your health I may have been guilty of a nut overdose while
watching the rugby, I wasn't all bad....
Instead of going for the lager option, I decided to stick to this
fantastic tea I've been drinking recently.
Okay so if the lads saw me sipping Rooibos tea I'd never
heard the end of it. But I was safely at home and, to be
honest, the older I get, the more I like a nice cuppa.
If you haven't heard of this stuff....
Rooibos (or Red Bush) tea grows in the Cedarburg mountains
area near Capetown.
Clinical studies in Japan and South Africa claim amazing
health benefits from these tiny leaves. The tea is anti-
allergic, anti-mutagenic, anti-spasmodic, anti-bacterial, anti-aging and anti-viral.
In short, it's got the lot...
- With no caffeine, it has a relaxing effect on the central nervous system. This makes it good remedy for insomnia and mild anxiety.
- It had no oxalic acid either. This means you can drink it if you suffer from kidney stones.
- Rooibus contains calcium, manganese and fluoride. These can help build strong bones and teeth.
- Rooibos contains magnesium, which is vital for a healthy nervous system. It also increases the absorption of iron into your body.
- Rooibos contains alpha hydroxy acid and zinc for healthy, smooth skin. You can even apply it externally to itchy skin, eczema, sunburn and acne.
- You can refrigerate used tea bags them put then tired eyes in the evening to help you relax.
Not a bad roll call of benefits.
Where to get RooibusThe good news is that you can buy Rooibus in most health shops and even supermarkets.
Or get it online: type it into www.google.co.uk and see what
links come up.
When it arrives, it's really easy to make.
Pour boiling water over the leaves or tea bags, and leave for
up to 10 minutes. Or more. Some researchers think that it's
best to brew for more than 10 minutes for the highest
antioxidant activity.
This is fine, because Rooibos doesn't get bitter or tart from
leaving it too long.
But experiment and see how you like it.
If it's not to your taste, you can also get it flavoured with
other fruits, or mint.
Enjoy!
Yours as ever,
Ray Collins
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