deliciousmagazine.co.uk 109
your health.
‘APROBIOTICFOROBESITY?’reada
recentheadlineinTheNewYorkTimes,
aboveanarticlesuggestingsupplements
ofa commongutbacteriummightbeused
asa treatment.
Unfortunately,thestoryisn’tquitethe
weight-lossbreakthroughitsheadline
implies.Researchintoprobiotics– live
microorganismsinfoodsorsupplements
believedtohavehealthbenefits– isinits
earlydaysandthequalityoftheresearch
isvariable.
ThestudyfeaturedinTheNewYorkTimes
articlewastiny(ithadjust 32 participants)
andafterthreemonthsnoneexperienced
anystatisticallysignificantweightloss,
thoughsomeparticipantsdidshow
improvementsincholesterollevels,insulin
sensitivity,markersofinflammationand
liverdysfunction.
What’smore,thearticledidn’tmention
thatresearchershavea financialinterest in
thetreatmentsucceeding,havingtaken out
a patentandstarteda companybasedon it.THE
5-BITEDIET
Alsoknownas
starvingyourself,
thisdietpromises
quickweightloss
withoutspecial
foods,counting
caloriesor
exercising.The
madplaninvolves
takingonlyfive
bitesoffoodat
lunchanddinner–
forgetbreakfast!- leavingadherents
frail,lethargicand
nutrient-deprived.
Avoid,avoid,avoid.
DIET
DIGEST
SEASON’S
EATINGS
What’s at its best right now –
and why it’s so good for you
CELERIAC
Knobbly old celeriac isn’t photogenic,
but let’s embrace its inner beauty.
With a sweet, nutty flavour
reminiscent of celery (to which family
it belongs), celeriac is delicious and
an excellent source of fibre, vitamins
C and B6, magnesium, potassium,
manganese and phosphorous.
HOW TO ENJOY
Slice away the top and bottom and
use a vegetable peeler to remove the
rough skin. Chop, then deploy
celeriac wherever you would potato:
in mash, gratins or simply roasted.
Celeriac also makes a tasty soup.
Sweat some onions and garlic in a
pan until soft, add the celeriac and
enough chicken or vegetable stock to
cover, then simmer until tender.
Whizz until smooth, then add salt
and pepper followed by a splash of
cream (a drizzle of truffle oil is also
good). Go half celeriac/half potato if
you find the flavour a little robust.
BEHIND THE
HEADLINESDID YOU
KNOW?
Chia seeds have
fought their way
to the top of
the ‘superfood’
hotlist. According
to Google,
interest in these
nutrient-dense
little seeds has
increased by
more than 850
per cent over the
past decade.IN:DRESSED UP DRESSINGS
A simpleoil and vinegar
dressing is a fine thing, but
whynot turn up the volume
withsome extra flavour,
texture and nutrients?
MAKE UP A STANDARD
BASE of three parts
extra-virgin olive
oil to one part
lemon juice or
vinegar. Season,
then accessorise:
add tahini, yogurt
or miso paste; whole
or ground seeds (try
Hodmedod’s camelina
seeds, rich in omega-3s);
finely chopped kimchi for
a dose of good bacteria or
chopped herbs for a boost
of beneficial vitamins.SWAP
SHOP
BECAUSE SM A LL
CHANGES CAN MAKE
A BIG NUTRITIONAL
DIFFERENCEOUT: BASIC
VINAIGRETTES