blueberries | Fitness on Toast

In moderation, and the right type, no! I’m marking the change of seasons with some yummy winter berries. This healthy dessert should satisfy your sweet tooth (guilty!), whilst offering plenty of nutritional value too. I’m regularly asked whether ‘fruit will make you fat because of the sugar content’; true, too much of any type of sugar is bad news. However chomping on the right fruit (like these berries) means you’re not only eating fructose (the lowest-GI form of sugar with a glycemic index of 19, versus a glass of apple juice at 30, table sugar at 65, and glucose at 100), but also enjoying other benefits like fibre (helps digestion) & plenty of vitamins and minerals. By chewing solid food and metabolising it slowly (rather than drinking it straight into your bloodstream) you suffer less of a blood sugar spike. I’d rather have a delicious, beautiful, tasty, bowl of fresh berries with nutritional value including some protein (thanks to the yoghurt, plenty of calcium & vitamin-B too) than a dry cardboard biscuit that claims to be ‘low in sugar’.

The purpose of this berry dish is to promote the intake of… (more…)

Because I’m only human, I find it incredibly difficult to resist all the dangerous ‘food temptations’ that lurk at social functions – whether it’s calorific ‘feta’ starters at a restaurant, deep-fried canapés at a party, battered pub grub, caramel-topped ‘frappucino’ coffee with friends (and the list goes on…), when there are beautiful bowls of yummy nibbles laid out in front you, the willpower alone can crumble (yum, crumble!), especially when everyone else starts tucking in. Chips, crisps, popcorn, sweets, chocolate drinks… An indulgent evening out can quickly mount up to 1000 calories! This post is about a couple of suggestions for hosting your friends in a more healthy and nutritious way that won’t fill you with guilt or saturated fat!IDEA 1: FRUIT PLATTER
Instead of sweets, the sugar here is natural vs. refined, it’s hydrating, and has a host of anti-oxidant and vitamin benefits. If you’re struggling with sugar cravings and don’t want to cut out sugar instantly (resulting in cold turkey), then a tasty & healthy fruit salad can help make the transition. Arranging it in a bite-sized way, and serving with cocktail sticks, is a great alternative to greasy mini-pizzas!

IDEA 2: SWEET POTATO CHIPS

More sweet carbs you say? How about some home-made potato chips? (See my previous post for more info on sweet potato here). They are sweet yet have a surprisingly low Glycemic Index. Sweet potato is also high in fibre and the caloric energy is slow releasing, providing sustainable energy to carry you on for longer than a low-fiber simple carb, like a pack of Walkers. Plus you don’t need to go heavy on the salt because they’re already rich in flavour. So in all not too bad! And certainly healthier than sodium, fat-packed crisps.

For more on Ingredients and ‘How to’ click here: