All Is About Meat

Human nutrients

·      fat  should be 30% of the daily meal, which is for an adult approximately  65g/day

·      proteins should be15%  of the daily meal, which is for an adult approximately  73-75 g

·      carbohydrates should be 55% of the daily meal, which is for an adult approximately 

 268-275 g

·      fibres

·      minerals

·      vitamins

·      water  - an adult needs to drink 8 cups/day

The basic nutrients are consumed in five different food groups:

·      fruits and vegetables

·      starch

·      meat

·      dairy

·      fat and sugar

Meat, fish, eggs and beans give us proteins, which help to grow and repair cells. 2-3 servings /day should include one of this group. A portion is 130g of salmon or 80g of raw meat or 2-3 tablespoons of pulses or 2 tablespoons of nuts.

Red meat supplies iron, which easily absorbed by the body, vitamin B12, which helps make DNA and keeps nerve and red blood cells healthy and it also provides zinc, which keeps immune system working properly.                                  

Source of vitamin B12 in your diet:

In general, red meats (beef, pork and lamb) have more cholesterol and saturated fat than chicken, fish and vegetable proteins such as beans. Cholesterol and saturated fat can raise your blood cholesterol and make heart disease worse. Chicken and fish have less saturated fat than most red meat.  The unsaturated fats in fish, such as salmon, actually have health benefits. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and some plant sources, may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
It’s OK to eat red meat as long as you limit the amount; once a week 70-80g .

Beef provides nutrients like zinc, iron, protein and B vitamins, and half of the fat found in beef is monounsaturated, the same heart-healthy fats found in olive oil.

Grass-fed beef is leaner than grain-fed, which makes it lower in total fat and saturated fat. Grass-fed beef also contains relatively small amount omega-3 fatty acids. You can see red meat contains numerous vitamins and minerals that are essential for a healthful, balanced diet. In recent years, however, its reputation has been severely blemished, with studies suggesting that red meat intake can increase the risk developing colon cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

Meat contains a whole lot of iron which, when eaten in excess, can raise levels of iron in the brain that may destroy myelin. This disrupts brain communication, and signs of Alzheimer’s appear. The processed red meat like hot dogs and salami are the worst may be because their preparation, since charring meat increases toxins (nitrosamines) that can lead to stomach cancer. Some studies have found an association with red meat consumption and increased risk of a shortened lifespan. Eating meat hardens blood vessels; carnitine content of the red meat may cause hardening and clogging of the arteries. Researchers found that increased carnitine levels predicted increased risks for cardiovascular disease. Diets rich in animal products contribute to the increased risk occurrence of obesity as well as type 2 diabetes. Eating healthier protein sources such as fish, nuts, and legumes was associated with a lower risk of mortality.

Health Benefits of Quail eggs

Ms H

Quail eggs are the eggs laid by various mid-sized species of quail, which are in the order Galliformes. (heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds)

Nutritional value of quail eggs: they contain high level of protein and cholesterol mostly HDL (good), moderate amount of saturated fat 3.6g/100g, minerals: potassium, sodium, calcium, iron and magnesium and vitamins: vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6.

They have a higher yolk-to-white ratio than normal eggs, which can make them potentially dangerous for people with elevated cholesterol, but generally, quail eggs are considered very healthy.

·      Improve Vision:

They contain high level of vitamin A, which helps to protect our eye health and as an antioxidant can prevent the development of cataracts.

·      Encourage growth/repair:

They provide solid boost of proteins to the diet.

·      Reduce blood pressure:

They contain more potassium than the normal chicken eggs, which has its blood pressure-reducing ability.

·      Balance cholesterol:

The fatty acids, HDL (good cholesterol) makes up more than 60% of the fat, found in quail eggs are beneficial to heart. However, for people with pre-existing cholesterol problems, adding large quantities of these eggs to your diet might not be the best choice.

·      Increase metabolism:

The range of vitamin B- s boost metabolic activities.

·      Increase energy levels:

This high-protein, nutrient-dense breakfast surges energy and mood.

·      Prevent chronic disease:

Quail eggs possess significant level of vitamin A, which has its antioxidant effect neutralising free radicals.

·      Ease allergies:

If you are suffering from inflammation or other symptoms of allergic reactions, quail eggs can get your body back to normal.

·      Cleanse the body:

Quail eggs in your diet can help eliminate toxins from blood stream and in addition to it can reduce the size of bladder and kidney stones.

Do not forget that the quail eggs contain moderate amount of saturated fat, so any consumption should be made in moderation.

Health and diet

by Ms H    Judit Hadnagy

The food choices we make can have an important impact on our health. Understanding the link between diet and health drives  you to  change your lifestyle, food shopping and food preparation. What is available on the shelf will also have an impact on the choices you make, thereby affecting your wellbeing.  Unfortunately your diet greatly manipulated by the food industry, here is a list of examples; fortification and enrichment of cereal grains with vitamins, calcium and sugar, increased production of unsaturated vegetable oils and margarine, -hydrogenated fat, as substitutions for lard and butter- lowered cholesterol content foods, reduced sugar content foods, lower sodium foods, decreased portion sizes in pre-packaged foods for use in weight loss and increased calcium levels to prevent osteoporosis. Even more substances are added to food to preserve it and enhance its taste and appearance –food additives-. These additives must be assessed for safety before they are used in food. To inform consumers, each additive is allocated a unique number, called as E number, which is used in Europe for all approved additives. 

Do you check the list of ingredients when you pick up the food from the shelf?  

Studies have indicated that nutritional factors do contribute to the development of some diseases like cancer, atherosclerosis, bone disease, arthritis, and dementia. The diet could influence all of these disease states. The patterns in our food consumption have changed and will continue to change. Here are some examples. Decreased consumption of saturated fats, salt and sugar advised due to benefit of cardiovascular health. Increased intake of fish /fish oil, seeds and nuts is recommended because of the numerous effects of omega-3 fatty acids including they lower the risk of coronary heart disease and perform improvement in cholesterol level. Fish oil has also been recommended for disease states including arthritis, cancer, and diseases of the immune system. Eating healthily doesn’t have to be complicated or tedious!  Make sure you get all the nutrients you need and maintain a healthy weight. Good diet is about not eating too much of some things – like saturated fat, sugar and salt – while getting enough of others – like fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals. Research shows that people who eat plenty of fruit and vegetables are less likely to develop heart disease and certain cancers.

About the food labels

Information on the back of a pack is compulsory that gives details about the ingredients, nutritional composition, known allergens, ‘best before’ or ‘use-by’ dates and the weight of the product. The ingredients are listed in order, starting with the highest-quantity ingredient first, down to the lowest- quantity ingredient last. So, if you find sugar at the top of the list, the food is likely to be high in sugar.

The traffic light system for ‘front of pack’ labelling has been around for a while now which is an easy way to check at a glance how healthy a food is. The labels show how many calories are in the food or drink and are also colour coded to show whether the food is low (green), medium (amber) or high (red) in fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt. The information on the front of the pack also tells you how the portion of the food contributes to the Reference Intake (RI) of an adult. Try to choose foods with more greens and ambers and fewer reds.