Articles
Healthy eating
Due to her work in the media, many Australians readily acknowledge Rosemary Stanton as being one of the country's most respected authorities on nutrition.
When Rosemary wrote 'Healthy Eating for Australian Families', her aim, as reported on the back cover of the book, was to produce a book that shows 'people how easy it is to combine healthy and enjoyable eating'.
And she has certainly been successful in doing that.
Her book is not only informative to read, it is also packed with delicious and nutritious recipes. In fact, there are more than 170 recipes in the book, all of which are diabetes friendly. In addition, many of the recipes are gluten-free as well.
'Healthy Eating for Australian Families' consists of three main sections devoted respectively to basic nutrition, recipes and specific dietary needs.
Rosemary starts off her book with a one page summary of how to get the best use out of it.
For instance, she explains that each of the recipes in the book is accompanied by 'an analysis of the energy and major nutrients in an average serve of the finished dish'. She points out that there is also 'a list of specific vitamins and minerals contained in the recipe'.
In the section of her book about basic nutrition, the discussion is based around four main topics. They are:
1. The basics of healthy eating, and the benefits to be derived such as a longer and healthier life, ample amounts of energy for both work and leisure activities and a healthy immune system.
2. The basics of good nutrition, where the subjects that are covered include the importance of protein in a person's diet; the different sorts of fats that are found in food; the relationship between carbohydrates and the Glycaemic Index (GI); the amount of fibre a person should consume on a daily basis; and an explanation of the role of vitamins and minerals in maintaining a healthy body.
3. Losing weight and keeping it off in this part of her book, Rosemary reveals the four habits of people who have been successful in losing weight, and most importantly, keeping that excess weight off in the long term (for at least six years).
4. Learning how to read food labels by gaining an understanding of the ingredient list, the nutrition information panel and the different types of food additives, as well as being aware of any substances in food that may cause allergic reactions.
The recipes that have been included in the book have been organized into the following categories (I've provided an example of a recipe from each category to whet your appetite!):
Breakfast (buttermilk pancakes with berries)
Soups (Scandinavian fruit soup)
Starters (smoked salmon pinwheels)
Light meals (zucchini frittata)
Salads and vegetables (mushroom salad with crunchy topping)
Pasta and noodles (pasta vegetable bake)
Seafood dishes (barbecued sesame seafood)
Mains with meat and chicken (Moroccan-style lamb with chickpeas)
Desserts and sweet treats (steamed apricot pudding with orange sauce)
Baking (low-fat chocolate cake)
A bonus with the recipes is that, where applicable, they are designated as fitting into one or more of the following groups:
Quick and easy, or as Rosemary says, 'the meal can be prepared, cooked and on the table in 30-35 minutes, or less'.
Vegan, that is, the recipe is 'free from any animal foods and any foods that contain ingredients derived from animals, including honey'.
Vegetarian, which means that the recipe contains no meat, meat products, poultry or seafood.
Gluten-free.
People, at different stages of their lives, need advice about specific types of nutrition to keep their bodies healthy and performing at an optimum level. And that's exactly the sort of information that Rosemary provides in the third and final section of her book.
By reading through those pages you will find advice and tips that have been organised into the following half a dozen areas:
1. Sports nutrition Rosemary warns that 'sports people who eat poorly dont achieve their best performance'.
2. Pregnancy and lactation nutrition Rosemary advises that, 'ideally, women should commence a top-quality diet some months before pregnancy so there are good reserves of all nutrients before facing the nutritional stress of supplying the needs of a baby'.
3. Vegetarian diet, with a focus on potential problems and how to avoid them.
4. Fussy eaters how to tackle the problem of a child refusing to eat.
5. Diabetes in this part of the book, Rosemary has included advice about how diabetics can successfully manage their illness.
6. Allergies a collection of practical insights into allergies, intolerances, food sensitivities and Coeliac disease.
To conclude this review, here's an invaluable piece of advice from Rosemary herself: 'If you are in doubt about how to ensure your diet is healthy or whether some health claim is true, see a registered dietitian who can go through your eating pattern and suggest appropriate substitutes to provide all the nutrients you need for good health'.
So if you want to ensure that you and members of your family lead a healthier and more active and enjoyable life, I strongly recommend that you get a copy of Rosemary's book.
Like me, you'll be pleasantly surprised to discover just how delicious and satisfying health eating can be!
For more information about Rosemary Stanton's book, 'Healthy Eating for Australian Families', or to purchase a copy of it, pay a visit to the Web site of the book's publisher 'Murdoch Books'. To do so now, click here