Rose petals, calendula, tulips, begonias and lavender have been long used as ingredients to our foods and teas, but there are many others. Don’t start picking any flower you see, it might be toxic or poisonous, so the best is to buy them in a food store. You probably won’t find them in a regular small supermarket, maybe just in some gourmet shops, but if you do, try them and you will be amazed on how it can turn your normal meal into a special and original one.

Always follow recipes and the manufacturers’ advices.

Here are a few ideas on how to use them.

• Add some different flowers to a vegetable salad, it will taste even more delicious and it will be a joy to experiment.
• Decorate a dessert or an ice cream with a nice flower.
• Add some leafs to a simple fruit dessert; try orange sprinkled with some lavender, simply amazing.
• Add some petals to cakes or biscuits; a few different leafs in a simple sponge cake will make your tea time unforgettable.
• Add some flowers to vinegar or an olive oil to flavour them.
• Put a few small leafs in an ice cube tray, add water and you will have beautiful ice cubes.

Don’t be afraid to try.

Be healthy,

Mariana Costenla

Nutritionist/ Dietician

When we eat fruit, we ingest not only vitamins and minerals, but also carbohydrates and fibres. On its skin and pulp fruit contains what we call soluble fibres, such as cellulose and pectin. Soluble fibres retard gastric emptying resulting in a high level of satiety, and may also lower cholesterol and glucose levels helping prevent heart diseases and diabetes. But this is not all. Soluble fibres also yield positive effects regarding visceral fat. Previous studies show that the consumption of foods with high soluble fibre content is commonly related with low weight and abdominal fat.  The truth is that increasing the consumption of foods with low caloric contents, such as fruits, will help you to avoid high dense foods, which contain loads of fat and salt, and only cause you harm.

By choosing fruit juices you will be taking all the skin and pulp away, therefore losing the important fibres that fruits contain. Despite being less healthy, fruit juices have other benefits. About 25% of all the water we need comes from food and 75% comes from all the liquids we ingest. Fruit juices contribute to our hydration as they contain around 90% or more of water. They become good alternatives to fruit when the weather is hot and you can mix more than one kind of fruit making the fruit juice even healthier. Just make sure you prepare your own fruit juice or in case you need to buy one, read the label and choose one with no added sugar, water or other ingredients.

Be healthy and choose well.

Mariana Costenla

Dietician/ Nutritionist

It has been well known in Europe for a long time as a cooking spice, apart from its medicinal use. Of its many properties, it is mostly known as an anti-septic, anaesthetic, bactericide, detoxifying and anti-inflammatory plant. Ginger has volatile substances, very aromatic, that can decongest the respiratory system as well as protect against nose, throat and lung disease. It is also widely used to prevent motion sickness and nausea and to help those who suffer from long and hard digestions.

Regarding its nutritional composition, it is very rich in zinc and selenium.

Above all, ginger is delicious and adds a special flavour to any dish. It is easy to find either fresh, in which case it will look like a little root, canned, crystallized or in powder.

Here is an easy way to make ginger tea – grate some fresh ginger into a cup and add hot water. Wait around 10 minutes and drink. You can also add grated ginger or some bigger pieces to any meat, chicken or salmon and then cook them as you like, it will be delicious. Try a juice made of apple, ginger and sparkling water or maybe one with carrot, fig, banana and orange juice with ginger, and transform a cold rainy day into a beautiful hot summer day.

Be healthy,

Mariana Costenla

Dietician/ Nutritionist

It has a green leaf, strongly flavoured, which is typically spicier in the winter and a little more sour if produced during the summer. It is widely used in Italy and recently it spread to other countries, gaining faithful fans around the world. Either you love it or you hate it.

Rocket is a very rich and low caloric vegetable – it is a great source of vitamin A and C, calcium, iron and potassium.

It is generally used in salads, pizza, pasta, bruschettas and all kinds or starters and main dishes. You can even put rocket leafs in a soup. But it shouldn’t be confused with wild rocket, which is a completely different plant in looks and taste. Wild rocket belongs to a different genus, the genus Diplotaxis. It has a branched leaf and an even stronger taste.

Both are available for sale; just check the one you are buying so you know how and what to cook with it. They go perfect along with some fruit, such as Office Fruits, to balance its strong and spicy flavour.

Here is a recipe for a delicious light meal with rocket.

Bresaola with wild rocket, Parmesan cheese and berry vinaigrette

Place in a large dish some thin bresaola slices, the rocket on top and some fine Parmesan shavings. Season with the vinaigrette missed with some cranberries, blueberries and raspberries (30-40 g).

For the vinaigrette:

For each part of vinegar count 3 of olive oil

2 tea spoons of Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

Be healthy,

Mariana Costenla

Nutritionist/ Dietician

Usually these allergies come from pollen grains from trees, grasses and weeds that float through the air and believe me, pollen can travel miles spreading a path of misery amongst allergy sufferers. These allergies can trigger or worsen diseases and problems such as asthma, sinusitis or ear infections. So the best you can do is to avoid pollen as much as possible. Stay away from flowers and gardens. Try to stay indoors when pollen levels are highest.

And what should you eat? First of all, drink plenty of liquids. Liquids will keep you hydrated; they work as a vehicle to get rid of those allergens. Use Office Fruits to make delicious fruit juices, not only is it a healthy way to eat fruit, it is also liquid and provides lots of vitamins and minerals. Vitamins increase your immune system and are very useful in reducing frequent allergic reactions.

Do not forget fresh fruits and vegetables and their juices and you will be allergy free.

See you next week.

Mariana Costenla,

Nutritionist/ Dietician

Chocolate is made from the seeds inside the cocoa tree, originally from South and Central America. Nowadays it mostly comes from Africa and Brazil. There are many sorts of chocolates, but there are 3 main categories: milk chocolate, white chocolate and dark chocolate. White chocolate does not have any cocoa residues, it is mostly cocoa butter, milk and sugar and so it has more fat and sugar in its composition, than milk or dark chocolate. In fact, the darker the chocolate, the richer it is in nutrients, apart from fat and sugar.

Chocolate has potassium, magnesium, iron and chromium and it also has some vitamin E and B complex, but its power comes from theobromine and caffeine, two alkaloids with stimulant effects. We can also find another alkaloid called phenylethylamine that mimics amphetamines in its actions, responsible for the release of norepinephrine and dopamine which for several times have been referred to as love chemicals. Still, a moderate consumption of chocolate  has been associated to a lower risk of chronic heart disease and a lower Body Mass Index. It will not make you lose weight, but if you stick to dark chocolate it won’t get you any fatter and you will be definitely happier.

I recommend, since it is Easter time, delicious strawberries dipped in dark chocolate.

Enjoy and be healthy.

Mariana Costenla

Nutritionist/ Dietician

Bread is a great source of energy; it gives you plenty of carbohydrates, fibre, B complex vitamins and minerals.  It is prepared by mixing several flours plus yeast, salt and water. Its caloric content can vary tremendously depending on its flour composition: wheat, oat, rye, barley or corn, and even more if you add raisins, seeds, fruit, milk or fat. Choosing the right bread can actually be a way of sticking to your diet and eating a fast meal without the extra fat or sugar commonly associated with fast meals. Bread’s unique composition has a great capacity to keep you satisfied for a longer period of time while helping you regulate bowel movements. This way, substituting bread for crackers, which is very frequent on a diet, leaves you less satisfied and doesn’t necessarily translate into a lower calories intake. Crackers are usually more caloric than bread and you have to eat twice as much.

And what about whole bread or white bread? Whole bread is richer, it has more protein, vitamins and minerals and definitely more insoluble fibres, but it is usually more caloric as well. On the other hand, bagels or baguettes have no interesting nutrients but are also caloric options. Rye bread has a lower glycemic index so it is probably one of the best choices you can make. When in doubt, read the label and the nutrition facts and choose the one with less fat. Do not be fooled with health ads – packages that say “low cholesterol”, “low sodium” or “no added sugar” are not forcibly better than others. Bread is not supposed to have fat, so don’t forget to always read the label.

Now imagine your lunch break, a fast one, where you enjoy a natural strawberry juice and a great rye bread sandwich with some roasted meat, tomato and lettuce…

Doesn’t it sound tasty and healthy?

Mariana Costenla

Nutritionist/ Dietician

Strawberries are perfect Office Fruits as they have good fibre content which helps maintain blood glucose stable therefore maintain satiety during a busy morning. At the same time, the flesh’s pectin helps lower bad cholesterol and the seeds’ insoluble fibres contribute for good intestinal movements. Strawberries are what I call super foods. But everything comes with a price. Those with irritable bowel syndrome and kidney disease mustn’t eat them. They can be highly allergenic because of a substance that is similar to aspirin; its seeds can damage the intestinal mucosa; and oxalic acid is very bad for kidney stones.

Still, I find them the perfect mix of taste and nutrients. Be sure to wash them well and do not cut them in advance or they will lose their vitamin C.

Here is a recipe for a delicious strawberry juice.

Use the same amount (in weight) of strawberries and pealed oranges. Put them in a mixer with some ice and serve with mint leafs.

Be healthy,

Mariana Costenla

Dietitian/ Nutritionist

Child obesity is growing at the speed of light. Did you know that one out of ten children, aged 2-10, is obese? Children who are obese are more likely to become obese as adults, but with proper nutrition, exercise and support, children can lose the weight and develop healthy habits for life. But it starts at home and you, as a parent, are responsible for that. A super lunchbox will give your child the nutrients needed to get through the day. Besides, you can get cheaper meals by using what leftovers you might have, as easy to prepare and delicious as any other foods.

Here is the perfect lunchbox:

•  Fruit: make sure they eat at least two pieces at school. Take them sliced in a small container and mix them with some nuts.

• Yogurts: stick to low fat yogurts that have what is needed just as much as the others. Add some cereals or walnuts separately. It makes everything funnier.
• Fruit Juice: homemade is preferred, it is true it loses some vitamin throughout the day but still it is better than any other one. Do not forget the water.
• Sandwich: make sure you have a portion of all kinds of nutrients, such as, a portion of protein such as cheese, ham or egg and a portion of vegetables, such as lettuce, cucumber or tomato.
• Salads: mix some vegetables with pasta; add some fruit and protein as cheese, ham or meat, olive oil and salt and it is ready to go.

Alright, this would be perfect but we all know how kids are. Make one change at a time, it will be easier for them to accept.

Be healthy,

Mariana Costenla

Dietitian/ Nutritionist

There are several types of soup, some clear and some thick and their composition depends on the type of ingredients they are made with, turning them into hyper-caloric soups or not. They can be made with almost anything, such as meat, fish, eggs, all types of vegetables, beans, herbs and spices, even flour and cream. These will determine how healthy and caloric your soup will become. If you consider a vegetable soup you will get a large quantity of water, vitamins, minerals and starch, easy to digest with only a few calories and highly satisfying, contributing to a healthy immune system, a good bowel functioning and a healthy weight.

Unfortunately eating soup is a habit that must be taught at a young age otherwise it will hardly become a part of everyday meals. And they do more than just feed you. In the winter they will warm you up and during the summer they will refresh and hydrate you. So why not consider soup as a starter for every meal?

Here are 2 recipes to try, one hot and one cold soup.

Hot tomato soup:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can ground peeled tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 L of vegetable stock (home-made if possible)
• Salt and black pepper
• Fresh basil, sliced

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the onion and garlic. Let them cook for about ten minutes, stirring to prevent burning. Add the vegetable stock and the tomatoes and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Take it away from the heat and blend. Do not forget to season the soup. If it tastes too acid, add half a tea spoon of sugar.

Serve and add the basil to the plate.

Cold vegetable soup:

• 125 g beetroot
• 125 g watercress
• 125 g red onion
• 250 g carrots
• 1 clove of garlic

Mix all ingredients in a liquefier and serve into small cups. To cool it even more store in the fridge for a few hours before serving or add a few ice cubes.

Mariana Costenla

Dietician/ Nutritionist