A few random health facts...

What does your sandwich say about you?

According to a survey by UK neuromarketing firm Mindlab, what you put in your sandwich says a lot about the kind of person you are:

• Cheese and pickle = high IQ
• BLT on seeded bread = opportunist
• Ham salad on white = forward thinker
• Beef roll = impulsive
• Egg mayo = quiet homebody
• Tuna and corn = highflyer
• Prawns on brown = sensitive soul
• Chicken and salad wrap = extrovert

Position is key...

Fact. We are more likely to favour items in the middle row of our fridges and pantries. It's not just about buying healthy food - we also need to place it strategically in that 'easiest to reach' drawer or shelf. Keep the naughty items tucked away, out of reach.*

* Study in Applied Cognitive Psychology.

Do we know how fat we are?

USA
• % of overweight people = 64%
• % of overweight people aware they are overweight = 43%

Australia
• % of overweight people = 60%
• % of overweight people aware they are overweight = 33%

UK
• % of overweight people = 59%
• % of overweight people aware they are overweight = 40%

NZ
• % of overweight people = 59%
• % of overweight people aware they are overweight = 41%

China
• % of overweight people = 21%
• % of overweight people aware they are overweight = 25%

Yep, there's no avoiding it. Us Aussies are in denial about our expanding waistlines. The (pretty scary) stats above are from a 2011 'Health Pulse' survey by leading healthcare group BUPA. Time for a reality check!

Mini Detox Menu (for between cleanses)

This week we’re dishing up a yummy ‘Mini Detox Menu’ to keep you healthy, clean and glowing between cleanses. Enjoy!

Breakkie

• Bircher muesli or raw muesli with sheep or goat’s yoghurt. Add fresh fruit and raw activated almonds if you’re feeling hungry! Sheep and goat’s dairy are better tolerated than cow’s dairy as their protein-fat structure is easier to digest.

• Dandelion tea or a dandelion latte (if you’re lucky enough to have a good coffee shop that does these!) instead of coffee. Green or white tea OK too. Dandelion helps cleanse the liver and purge toxins; green and white are packed full of antioxidants!

Lunch

• Mixed bean and/or lentil salad with spinach leaves, diced tomato, haloumi (or goat’s cheese) and avocado. Season with olive oil, squeezed lemon, fresh herbs (we like basil), rock salt and ground pepper.

• Peppermint or ginger tea (drink an hour after lunch to avoid diluting digestive enzymes) to soothe a bloated tummy and ease digestion.

Dinner

• Oily or white fish in a pine nut and herb crust or baked in foil with fresh herbs and organic butter. Serve with a bitter greens and beetroot salad. Bitter greens include chicory or endives, rocket, watercress, mustard greens etc.

• 2 squares of dark chocolate – we like Loving Earth as it is raw and sweetened with agave

• Fennel tea to combat bloating and fluid retention

Snacks

• Detox juice: choose either apple/pear + green veggies or beetroot/carrot/ginger 

• Celery and/or carrot sticks with hummus or fresh guacamole

• Raw activated cashews or almonds

• 1 or 2 pieces of fresh fruit

Let's talk lunch

Last week was all about breakfast here at Urban Remedy. In this next installment of our three-part series on meal preparation, we’re giving you the lowdown on lunch.

For many of us, lunch is the meal that we squeeze into a busy day of work or errands – the on-the-go sandwich or, worse still, the unhealthy snacks that we find in our proximity when lunch has gone out the window!

The trick to lunch is planning ahead and, if you make your own lunches, stocking up on lots of healthy food when you do your weekly shop.

The Sandwich

• The bread: a good quality bread is the solid foundation for a healthy sandwich. Opt for low-gluten grains such as spelt, kamut, and amaranth. If you’re OK with wheat, just go for a nice healthy wholegrain with minimal additives. Sonoma and Bill’s Organic (yeast-free) are great brands for bread. If ordering a sandwich out, go for wholegrain, multigrain, sourdough or gluten-free.
• The filling: we like tinned salmon fillets, poached chicken or tuna (1-2 times per week to avoid mercury overload) with a good quality mayonnaise (check the label for minimal additives) or a bio yoghurt and herb dressing, and most importantly LOTS of salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, sprouts, avocado etc). If you like your salt, go for rock over table.

Other healthy options

• Sushi, preferably with brown rice; add your own tamari sauce (wheat-free version of soy!)
• Salad with chicken or fish; add avocado and nuts (almonds, cashews or walnuts) and/or a small can of mixed beans to keep it filling
• Healthy soups for winter (more on this later)

On other occasions, we lunch out for business or pleasure – rich foods, alcohol, bigger portions… all the typical perils that come with ordering à la carte! Choosing your food when eating out can prove tricky if you want to hold onto that waistline… but we could write a whole blog on that, and probably will soon.

In the meanwhile, stay tuned for our dinner tips next week!