A pasta dish?? From a nutritional therapist?? Well, this isn’t your regular pasta!! Sainsbury’s are now producing grain-free pasta alternatives, so I thought I’d give them a go. Of course, health shops have been selling these products for a while now, but they often come at a cost. This packet was £2.95 for a 500g bag – more costly than regular pasta, but if you think of it in context of giving your family a high-protein meal, it doesn’t seem so expensive anymore. So, one nig

We all know that calcium is important for healthy bones (1, 2); however this is a simplistic statement. Having too much calcium is unlikely to increase bone mass; in fact, studies have shown that increasing calcium can be detrimental, leading to deposition in soft tissues where it has been linked to atherosclerosis (3). Calcium intake in young children builds up a healthy reserve of calcium; however, calcium is not the only factor in bone growth and strength. No one single su

My daughter loves going through my recipe books and finding delicious things to bake. I like to feed my family healthy foods and sometimes there is a clash between us when she wants to bake sugary treats and I don't have the ingredients to hand because my cupboards are stocked with healthy alternatives. A few days ago, she came across a recipe in the "Chocolate Covered Katie" recipe book that satisfied her need to make a tasty treat and my need to use healthy ingredients. Cho

More and more information is being discovered about the colonists in our midst. I am not talking about immigration, but about the microbes that exceed our human cells by more than half! Most of these organisms reside in our guts, but they can also be found on our skin and every orifice – even if you are a cleanliness freak. However, this situation shouldn’t give cause for concern. The organisms that live on and within us carry out many essential functions, regulating the immu

My family loves a delicious dessert, and I love giving it to them, so it makes me even happier when the dessert I am presenting is healthy. On the menu tonight was a nectarine and pear crumble with a crunchy grain-free topping. By using nuts instead of my usual oaty crumble, this dessert became a piece of protein paradise! First, prepare the fruit. I used 2 large Conference pears and 2 nectarines. Peel and chop them. Arrange in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon c