24.10.08
Happy 40th Birthday 
Ok, it’s a little bit of a mixed bag today: one new word (and meaning) and two recipes - one healthy one and the second if you wish to dabble in one of the seven deadly sins lol
New word Phytonutrient (also known as phytochemicals) - are naturally occurring chemicals derived from plants. Unlike true nutrients, phytonutrients are not necessary for sustaining life but are believed to actively help prevent ill health or diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and arthritis. Useful phytonutrients are: Flavonoids - are normally antioxidant, sometimes anti-inflammatory, sometimes antibiotic, flavonoids also have potent anti-carcinogenic properties (cancer stopping). Flavonoids work by preventing cancer promoting oestrogen from getting into cells whicle others suppress COX-2 and enzyme that enable cancer to grow and spread - grapes (and by association wine). Anthocyanidins - a class of flavonoids with very powerful antioxidant properties and thought to be 50 times more powerful than vitamin E. Found in abundance in red, purple and blue fruits especially berries. Carotenoids - such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin. Powerful antioxidants with anti-cancer and anti-ageing properties and last but not least Glucosinolates - anti-cancer compounds found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. It is interesting that if you google cruciferous vegetables then it comes up with all these sites which talk about if you eat these veges it cuts down by half your chance of getting either breast or prostate cancer (depending on whether you are a boy or a girl). Foods which work: prunes, pomegranate, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, garlic, kale, strawberries, spinach, raspberries, brussels sprouts, plums, alfalfa, broccoli, beetroot, oranges, red grapes, red pepper, cherries and kiwi fruit. Taken from 100 Health Health Boosting Foods
Banana and peanut butter smoothie (good recipe)
1) peel and slice 1 ripe banana and freeze it for at least two hours. 2) put frozen banana in a blender with 300mls semi-skimmed milk and 1 tablespoon of smooth peanut butter. 3) blend. 4) serve. Taken from 100 Health Health Boosting Foods
Butterscotch sauce
1) melt 25 grams butter, 2 tablespoons of golden syrup and 175 grams of soft brown sugar together in a small pan. Bring to boil. 2) Stir in 4 tablespoons of single cream re-heating gently. 3) eat. Taken from Sam Stern’s Cooking up a Storm
Food today: berry smoothie, snack - almond choc, lunch - chicken nibbles, snack - another smoothie and dinner is anybody’s guess lol
Off to ride my broomstick….see you Sunday