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Feel guilty after eating your favourite foods? While it’s true everything is ok in moderation, the good news is that some of those treats you think are “naughty” actually have some health benefits.
Dark Chocolate Chocolate lover? Finally there is some good news - it contains heart healthy antioxidants called flavonoids and at a high level. The benefits of antioxidants come from their ability to protect cells in your body from damage against unstable molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals are implicated in the cause of heart disease and the development cancer. So dark chocolate helps fight off these baddies. Studies have shown that small amounts of dark chocolate can help decrease blood pressure and the levels of flavonoids in dark chocolate are higher than in blueberries and green tea!
This news is hard not to like! But not all chocolate is created equal. Benefits are only found from dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids or more); no benefits come from milk or white. However, this is not an excuse to over-indulge; a serving of 25g is plenty to get your hit of antioxidants. Any more than this and you are likely to overindulge in fat and calories which are, of course, bad for your health.
Coffee Feel guilty about your morning coffee? Despite what you may have heard, there is no proven link between coffee consumption and osteoporosis or high blood pressure. Now for the good stuff - coffee increases your alertness, improves concentration and is a source of antioxidants. Coffee can also help with sports performance too. Its benefits are useful in sports/exercise ranging between 20-60 minutes, as well as longer endurance events.
Caffeine promotes an increase in the utiltisation of fat as a fuel and “spares” the limited supply of energy stored in muscle called glycogen. Caffeine also decreases perceived fatigue, stopping you from feeling as tired during an event. Recent studies suggest that caffeine taken at 1-3 mg/kg body mass or 70-150 mg helps improve performance. Typically, it is taken around an hour before an event and during longer endurance events. Note: More than this doesn’t produce more benefits and can lead to unwanted side effects. Below is a table showing caffeine content in various types of coffee.
Drink
Serve (ml)
Caffeine Content (mg)
Instant Coffee
250
60 (12 -169)*
Brewed Coffee
250
80 (40 -110)*
Short Black/Espresso
1 Standard Serve
107 (25 - 214)*
Source: Australian Institute of Sport *Because caffeine content varies widely between brands, these values are given as a range for different beverages prepared as a part of a study
Red Wine It’s nice to know that an occasional red wine is doing you some good rather than harm. Red wine contains a compound called Resveratrol, which is thought to protect against cardiovascular disease. It may also be help protect against certain types of cancer. Resveratrol is a potent antioxidant that comes from grape skins and is concentrated in red wine. A couple of glasses a week can help keep your heart in good tick. Please note: Excessive drinking will cancel out any benefits, and this isn’t a reason to start drinking a bottle a night - this will do harm not good!
A Cooked Breakfast There’s something nice about having a cooked breakfast during the weekend, but bacon and eggs are associated with an unhealthy start to the day. While a cooked breakfast can be bad for you, there are ways to enjoy one the healthy way. A poached egg is a good source of protein, B vitamins, and vitamin A. It also provides some vitamin D, as well as vitamin E. Have this with some wholegrain toast which provides carbohydrates and fibre; throw in some grilled mushrooms and tomatoes which are full of vitamins then add a slice of lean bacon. This will make a tasty and healthier brunch that can be enjoyed occasionally guilt free!
A point to note - avoid café style big breakfasts with sausages, hash browns and streaky bacon - these are high in saturated fat and calories... not a good way to start the day. Poached eggs on toast is a much better option for a café breakfast.
Nicola Graham
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Chocolate lover? Finally there is some good news - it contains heart healthy antioxidants called flavonoids and at a high level. The benefits of antioxidants come from their ability to protect cells in your body from damage against unstable molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals are implicated in the cause of heart disease and the development cancer. So dark chocolate helps fight off these baddies. Studies have shown that small amounts of dark chocolate can help decrease blood pressure and the levels of flavonoids in dark chocolate are higher than in blueberries and green tea!
Coffee
Red Wine
There’s something nice about having a cooked breakfast during the weekend, but bacon and eggs are associated with an unhealthy start to the day. While a cooked breakfast can be bad for you, there are ways to enjoy one the healthy way. A poached egg is a good source of protein, B vitamins, and vitamin A. It also provides some vitamin D, as well as vitamin E. Have this with some wholegrain toast which provides carbohydrates and fibre; throw in some grilled mushrooms and tomatoes which are full of vitamins then add a slice of lean bacon. This will make a tasty and healthier brunch that can be enjoyed occasionally guilt free!