Food Poisoning Issues

officialsponsor_2006.gifIndeed Food Poisoning is not the most fun hearted of subjects to talk about as it mainly consists of feeling terrible and sometimes has serious repercussions for those that are unfortunate enough to be knocked out by it.

I myself have suffered from food poisoning in the past. No it was NOT a nice event at all and to this day I am not 100% sure what caused it, though the guess at undercooked meat still sits at the top of the list for probably causes.

The reason for this slightly darker post is to tie in to food safety week here in the UK as well as get some feedback in terms of the causes and indeed the preventative measures associated with food poisoning. [Read more...]

Slow Food Movement

slow-food-logo.jpgHave you heard of the Slow Food Movement? I hadn’t, until today. Well that’s to say I remember vaguely hearing about it but had no idea what it stood for. I have been enlightened! I want to join! Let me explain…

The Slow Food Movement was founded in 1986 by Carlo Petrini in Italy. The organisation is an international association that promotes food and wine culture, and also defends food and agricultural biodiversity worldwide. It is the antidote to the fast-food culture which has become so prevalent in the last few decades.

Essentially, the movement tries to keep alive traditional foods/dishes/recipes and support the local producers, farmers and growers. They believe in the need for consumer information and protect cultural identities linked to food and gastronomic traditions. [Read more...]

Things to do with Chillis

chilis.jpgWhen we visited the Totally Tomato show at the weekend, I bought a beautiful chilli plant – the Summer Heat variety. It’s got at least 20 fruits on it, with lots more on the way. Most of the fruits are ready to be picked and I’m at a loss as to what to do with soo many!

I’ve done a bit of research on this variety and it’s considered a Pizza Pepper. It’s medium pungency, which is ideal for me; due to the IBS, I have to be fairly careful these days! Although, I have recently discovered chillis do have health properties too… [Read more...]

Home Grown Watercress

watercress.jpgWatercress is a delicious plant that can be used as a salad or as a vegetable. It can be used in sauces, soups, as stuffing (especially good with fish) and as a flavour enhancer for many dishes. It’s always been a favourite of mine, I love the peppery taste.

Watercress also has great health benefits. We’ve talked before about foods that help to improve your health, particularly in the Food that makes you look Beautiful post and Watercress is definitely one of those foods. [Read more...]

Diagnosis – IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome)

scales_on_zero.jpgAbout 18 months ago, I began loosing weight inexplicably, without dieting and without increased exercise, coupled with ever increasingly aggresive episodes of.. er I think I’ll call them ‘digestive disruptions’ to keep this post in good taste.

A year and a half on, following numerous visits to my GP and refferals for every test the bowel doctors could think of…I was left nearly 10Kg lighter and none-the-wiser. Apart from a bit of a gluten intollerance, there was nothing to report. So, my doctor diagnosed me with IBS and told me to try not to get too stressed and to keep a food diary, oh and to maybe buy a book about it. He kindly printed me an NHS info sheet and sent me packing.

Mmmm. Not exactly bad news, but not exactly good news either. At least I could call it something, but what did IBS mean and what should I do? I got a book!

‘Eat to Beat IBS’ by Dr Sarah Brewer & Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, opened my eyes to the facts about IBS – what it is, the causes and the symptoms. [Read more...]