Can coffee reduce your risk of diabetes?

By HFG expert Tracy Kelly, registered dietitian and clinical adviser at Diabetes UK

Coffee lovers will no doubt be rejoicing after being greeted with headlines such as ‘Drink more coffee to slash risk of diabetes’. But before you pour yourself a double espresso, let’s look more closely at the new study behind the news stories.

  

Scientists at Harvard School of Public Health looked at data on almost 128,000 healthcare professionals who, over two decades, were asked regularly about their diet. During that time 7,300 of them developed type 2 diabetes.

Those who boosted their coffee intake by more than a cup a day had an 11% lower risk of developing diabetes, while those who cut their consumption by more than a cup a day had a 17% higher risk of the disease. The researchers also found that people who drank three cups of coffee or more were 37% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who drank one cup or less. The researchers suggest that coffee could decrease glucose levels in the blood.

The trouble is, at the moment that is speculation. They haven’t proved it was the coffee itself that was responsible for the increase or decrease in risk.

Think about it this way. What if you at a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and were trying to make some lifestyle changes, perhaps including a reduction in your coffee intake? You would still be at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the first place but you would be drinking less coffee.

You might also decide to reduce your coffee intake as you get older. We know that your risk of type 2 diabetes increases as you get older, so in this case your age would be the key influence on your risk, rather than your coffee intake.

On first glance at this study, it might seem that upping your coffee intake is an easy solution if you want to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but at the moment we simply can’t say it will make the slightest difference. Being overweight is the biggest risk factor for type 2 diabetes, accounting for more than 80% of the overall risk of developing the condition. The best way to reduce your risk therefore to maintain a healthy weight by eating a healthy, balanced diet low in fat, sugar and salt and high in fruit and vegetables and by being regularly physically active.

Our advice would be to keep walking past the coffee shop and on to the gym, the hills or the park. 

How to pick wild garlic

By Hannah Sherwood

If you’re a fan of pick-your-own, have you considered wild garlic as your veg of choice? You can find it growing in woodlands up and down the UK, often in amongst the bluebells, from April to June.

Wild garlic is quite different from the papery bulbs we’re used to seeing in the supermarket and tastes like a cross between garlic and chives. Its soft green leaves are similar in appearance to those of lily-of-the-valley and the pungent aroma draws you to the woodland areas where it grows in abundance.

It’s delicious eaten raw in salads as it doesn’t have the harsh kick of the domestic variety, or you can cook it alongside roast meats or include it in risotto for a subtle extra flavour dimension.

If you don’t want to track down your own wild garlic, order some as part of the Riverford home-delivered organic veg boxes (riverford.co.uk).

Their expert pickers shared this advice when I went picking at their farm in Totnes, Devon, in April:

* Don’t pull up the bulb as this means the plant won’t come back next season, so cut just the leaves, close to the base.

* Take care not to harvest any other unidentifiable plants along with the garlic, as some may be toxic.

* Wild garlic is at its best before its delicate white flowers appear.

If you want to try its subtle flavour in an every day recipe, this Riverford Organic Farm frittata recipe is perfect for a light lunch or supper.

Leek and wild garlic frittata with tomatoes and ricotta

Cuts into 4 wedges

Cooking spray oil

250g (2 small to medium) leeks, finely sliced (use the green parts too)

6 wild garlic leaves, finely shredded

6 tomatoes, finely chopped

4 eggs, beaten

125g ricotta

Freshly ground black pepper

1      Spray a small to medium frying pan with cooking oil. Add the leeks and gently cook for 8–10 min until soft.

2      Add the wild garlic and cook for another 2 mins. Add the tomatoes.

3      Mix the beaten eggs with the ricotta in a small jug or bowl and season with freshly ground black pepper. Pour into the leek mixture and tilt the pan until the base is covered and the mixture is evenly distributed.

4      Cook on the hob for 2-3 mins, until the base has just set, then finish the top under the grill or in the oven.

Per serving: 176 kcals, 12.6g protein, 6.8g carbs, 6.3g sugar, 11.3g fat, 4.7g sat fat, 3.8g fibre, 0.3g salt

Low sat fat, High protein, Low salt

Yes, you could run the Marathon, too

By HFG fitness writer Hannah Ebelthite

Four words you need to know about the Marathon: you can do it. Injury or illness aside, I truly believe anyone can run 26.2 miles if they want to.

And that’s what I did yesterday, along with 36,000 other runners who lined up to start the 34^th London Marathon. It was my third marathon and I was proud to be representing my running club, Ranelagh Harriers, in my blue vest. Waiting in the warm spring sunshine at the start on Blackheath I felt a flutter of nerves, but was determined to channel them into energy. My goal was to come in under four hours, for which I’d need to run even splits of nine-minute miles.

And, despite the crowds, I managed that comfortably for the first half of the race, passing halfway in 1:58. After that? Things went a little pear-shaped. Running along The Highway from mile 13 is the first chance you get to see the much-speedier runners coming back in the opposite direction. Distracted by looking out for other members of my club, I tripped on a traffic cone and went flying. I quickly picked myself up and styled it out… but I’d badly stubbed my toe and kicked myself in the calf and was a little shaken. Then, at mile 15, I could hold out no longer, and had to stop for a quick wee (at a Portaloo - I didn’t ‘do a Paula’).

It was at this point I realised that my GPS watch, that had been keeping me on pace, had stopped! I’d have to run the remaining 11 miles ‘on feel’ – something many runners do anyhow, but something I wasn’t used to. Too fast and I risked burning out before the end. Too slow and I’d miss my target. Such are the challenges of endurance running.

In the end I ran what I thought was a decent pace, even managing a sprint for the final iconic metres down Birdcage Walk, past Buckingham Palace and into The Mall. As I collected my medal I couldn’t stop grinning. But I had to wait to retrieve my baggage in order to find out my finishing time (the digital number shown over the finish doesn’t include the time it took you to cross the start line).

Did I make it under four hours? Unfortunately not. My time was 4:02:03, which marks a six-minute personal best for me. But I was so desperate for my time to start with a three that I can’t say I’m not annoyed. Would things have been different had I not tripped up, stopped for the loo or had a working watch – or if it hadn’t been quite so hot and sunny? Who knows? But I’m pleased that I finished the race in decent shape, with a smile on my face. 

Today my legs ache and my stubbed toes are sore, but I feel good and I’m planning my next challenge. There’s nothing to regret about taking part in one of the world’s greatest events – it takes in some of the city’s most impressive sights and shows Londoners at their finest. The roar of crowds cheering us round Canary Wharf and along Embankment are still ringing in my ears.

The ballot for next year’s Virgin Money London Marathon opens on 22 April… just in case you’re tempted!

My top Marathon tips:

• Have your name printed on your top – the sound of strangers calling it out in encouragement is really motivating.
• Follow a decent training programme of at least 12 weeks, ideally 16. I got mine from www.runwithkaren.com.
• Practise race day nutrition and hydration on your long runs. I had Weetabix and a banana for breakfast, then topped up my energy during the race with SIS Go Gels – sachets of easy-to-digest carbohydrate fluid to fuel you. 
  

Eat chickpeas to lower cholesterol

They’re an HFG staple, and with the news today that eating a daily serving of chickpeas could reduce levels of bad cholesterol and, therefore, the risk of heart disease, now there’s even more reason to keep your storecupboard stocked with this versatile pulse.

Scientists in Toronto analysed 26 trials and found that eating a portion of beans or pulses each day cut bad cholesterol by around 5%. ‘This study supports what we know about the heart health benefits of a Mediterranean diet rich in beans and pulses,” says Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation.

But they’re not just good for your heart – chickpeas are naturally low in fat and salt, and they’re a good source of protein. Plus 3tbsp counts as one of your five-a-day. ‘We have a lot of room in our diets for increasing our pulse intake,’ says Dr Sievenpiper, who led the study. ‘As an added bonus, they’re inexpensive.’ To help you get your intake, we’ve looked back through the HFG archives to share with you five tasty ways with a tin of chickpeas…

1.     Pittas on the pulse

In a medium bowl, mix together watercress, drained chickpeas, pitted olives, halved cherry tomatoes and a little crumbled reduced-fat feta. Toss the salad with a drizzle of reduced-fat dressing, then use to fill wholemeal pitta breads.

2.     Quick hummus

Tip 1 tin drained chickpeas into a food processor with the zest and juice of 1 lemon 3tbsp tahini, 2 large garlic cloves and 100ml olive oil. Whiz until smooth, then season with ground black pepper. Top with chopped fresh coriander and a light drizzle of olive oil.

3.     Half-and-half curry

Heat a little spray oil in a non-stick frying pan, then gently fry 1 sliced onion until soft. Add 1 crushed garlic clove and 1tbsp harissa paste and cook for 2 min. Add 1 tin chopped tomatoes and 1tsp sugar and bring to a simmer, then tip in 1 tin drained chickpeas and simmer for 10 min. Stir through 200g ready-cooked and peeled prawns and cook for 3–4 min. Serve with brown rice.

4.     Garlicky mash

Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Slice the top off one whole garlic bulb, wrap it in foil, then roast in a baking tray for 30 min. Meanwhile, heat a little spray oil in a medium pan, then add 1 sliced onion and gently cook for 5 min. Add 1 tin drained chickpeas and 300ml reduced-salt veg stock and simmer for 10 min, then drain, reserving a little of the stock. Remove the garlic from the foil and squeeze the flesh into the chickpeas, then mash together, adding a little of the reserved stock, if needed.

5.     Beany burgers

In a food processor, pulse 1 tin drained chickpeas until roughly chopped, then tip into a mixing bowl. Add 500g turkey mince, 2 ready-cooked and coarsely grated beetroots, 1 finely chopped onion, 2tsp fennel seeds, 1tbsp apple sauce and 3tbsp chopped fresh parsley, then stir to combine. Season, then shape the mixture into 8 burgers. Spray a non-stick frying pan with a little oil, then cook the burgers for 6–7 min on each side until cooked through. Serve in toasted buns with your choice of toppings.

For more ways with chickpeas, download the March 2013 issue of Healthy Food Guide from itunes

Should we raise our five-a-day?

By Melanie Leyshon

If it’s not a rude question to ask, how much did you get yesterday? Two bowls of carrot soup, a rice veg pot and seven strawberries meant I just about scraped my five-a-day. And I’m not alone – only a quarter of the UK population meets the five-a-day target, so the call to increase this to seven-a-day and potentially double it to a massive 10 daily servings might seem a fruit and veg step too far.

And before we feel inferior to those from countries eating seven or eight portions a day, it’s good to know that all nations work to the same World Health Organization recommendation of 400g fruit and veg daily – it’s how the governments convey that message that is different. The Swedish mantra of eat fruit and vegetables every time you eat is a good one, while Australians have their 5:2 mantra of five veg and two fruit a day fixed in their brains.

The positive take on the 10-a-day headlines is that five-a-day is back in the news. Eating fruit and veg does help prevent obesity, cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and the new research by Health Survey for England, based on a survey of 65,000 people, is compelling about the risk of death and the amount of fruit and veg we eat. Out of the 4,300 people from this group who died during the eight-year survey follow-up, those who ate the least amount of fruit had the highest risk of death. Quite enough evidence to get us reaching for the fruit bowl and adding more vegetables to every meal – but don’t overdo the fruit juice or canned fruit in syrup. 

UK health experts have broken the 400g figure into five separate servings, each weighing 80g. If fruit is dried, a serving weighs 30g (the equivalent of 80g fresh fruit), while a serving of pure fruit or veg juice is 150ml (one small glass). Here’s what counts as one serving…

Fresh fruit

An 80g portion of fresh fruit is:

½ grapefruit

½ avocado

1 apple, orange, banana, pear, nectarine, mandarin or tomato

1 slice (5cm) of melon or mango

1 pineapple ring

1 handful of grapes

1 heaped tbsp tomato purée

2 plums, fresh figs, kiwi fruits, satsumas, clementines or tangerines

2 handfuls of raspberries or blueberries

3 apricots

3 heaped tbsp fruit salad

6 passion fruits

7 strawberries or cherry tomatoes

10 blackberries

14 cherries

a 30g portion of dried fruit is:

1 heaped tbsp raisins, sultanas, currants or cranberries

1 handful of banana chips

2 figs

3 prunes or apricots

4 apple rings

4 pieces of sundried tomato

an 80g portion of tinned fruit is:

(choose fruit in natural juices and not syrup)

2 pear halves

2 peach halves

2 pineapple rings

6 apricot halves

6 prunes

8 grapefruit segments

12 pineapple chunks

AN 80g portion of veg is:

¼ small cabbage
⅓ aubergine

½ large courgette

½ pepper

1 leek

1 medium onion

1 large parsnip

1 large sweet potato

1 corn-on-the-cob

1 cereal bowl of lettuce, spinach leaves or watercress

1 handful of mangetout or sugar snap peas

1 piece (5cm) of cucumber

2 heaped tbsp spinach

2 handfuls of beansprouts

2 broccoli florets

3 celery sticks

3 heaped tbsp pulses, peas, sweetcorn, chopped carrots, butternut squash or cabbage

3 baby beetroots

4 heaped tbsp spring greens, green beans, French beans or kale

4 large mushrooms

5 asparagus spears

6 baby corn

8 cauliflower florets

8 Brussels sprouts

8 spring onions

10 radishes

14 button mushrooms

For more information on portion sizes, download the September 2013 issue of Healthy Food Guide from iTunes