 Wow! Less than a week away until the new Food Matters Live Conference takes place in London at the ExCel centre. Can you tell that I am excited? An event dedicated to food, health and nutrition!? You would not be able to keep me away!!
Despite the rather intensive approach to build anticipation before the doors open on Tuesday morning, I have welcomed the event planner guides and seminar information. With speakers from around the UK from some of the most prestigious health and nutrition related research centres and universities, high profile food companies, and media and Governmental representatives, the excitement for me was already there! With such a jam packed schedule on offer, it still is a difficult process to narrow down the seminars I would like to attend. Not to mention the hundreds of exhibitors on show as well! There are several key themes relating to the marketing and reformulation of products showcased at this event. In particular, exploring ways to enhance their attractiveness and health functions to consumers. These themes do not really draw me to the event. I appreciate that there are many ways to maximise health potential. I also appreciate that product re-formulation is deemed as another step towards improving the nutrition value of staple food products. However, I am not sure it addresses broader issues in the future health of our nation... Reassuringly, there are several other strong themes. Indeed, I am looking forward to hearing and learning more about how our environment and psychology shapes our food choices, how individualised nutrition linked to our genes will progress in the future, and learning more about how to make our food systems more nutritious and sustainable. I will also be interested to hear from some of the thought leaders in Public Health specifically regarding, who's responsibility it is to drive health improvements in our population. One of the quotes used to advertise this particular talk regarding our nation's health was somewhat alarming; "By 2015, the total cost of poor diet to UK society is estimated to reach £27 billion". So will we get an insight from Food Matters Live as to how our health can be improved and these costs reduced...? Tune in next week to find out. You can also follow me at @AmyG_Dietetics
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The Allergy and Free From Show took place again this year in Liverpool and London, with exhibitors from around the UK sharing their latest advances in products for people with allergies and intolerances. The show also included cooking demos and a few talks on related subjects such as asthma and coeliac disease. They market themselves on their website as follows,
The Allergy & Free From Shows are weekend events full of products (food, drink, skin / hair care, household items and more), cooking classes, talks, expert advice, kids activities – the list goes on – all ‘free from’ and all dedicated to helping you to improve your life. All though this free to attend, 'Free-from', exhibition could be mistaken for a 'free-for-all', due to the amount of tasters available for visitors, it was still an interesting exhibition to attend. I am hoping in the future this exhibition will lessen the dominance of the big supermarkets with their endless goodies. Instead, it would be better to give opportunities for smaller companies to have an impact, without having to bleed their stocks dry! I went on a busy Saturday morning back in October and had limited time unfortunately. I just whizzed round the stalls on this occasion, so my review is largely product based... The exhibition itself showcased some really innovative companies trying to promote awareness of allergies, and products which are naturally gluten free, and allergy friendly. Some of my favourites were the following companies (both big and small!) but remember these companies are not sponsors, and all my comments are my own opinions! The Honest Carrot - a company who offers really tasty, homemade vegetarian food Allergy Buddies - a fab company which offers 'custom made products to alert everyone of a child’s allergy or intolerance'. Lavida Food, for their bean pasta range- which is super tasty! Conscious chocolate - raw, organic handmade chocolate. You only need a small piece to enjoy this! And was intrigued by Trimbake mainly because the product is made out of a blend of natural fruits, vegetables and legumes which provides a more natural approach to fat and sugar replacement in a recipe. I am also waiting to hear about a new baby shampoo product, currently being trialed by a relative on their child who has reacted badly to a range of mainstream shampoos to-date. The product is from an international brand, who offer a 'mild and tear-free' baby wash product which appears to backed up by a appropriate testing and research . So I will await her verdict! In addition, some really worthwhile and effective organisations such as, Coeliac UK, IBS Network and the National Excema Society who were on hand to explain what their societies offer to the public and to health practitioners. Their websites offer a range of resources available to the public for free, and not just for paying members. Overall, the varieties of starchy foods such as breads, pastas and snacks such as crackers, I can imagine is very appealing to those who are denied such products from the gluten filled aisles in a supermarket. However, there was an almost overwhelmingly large amount of biscuits, cakes and other unhealthy snacks on offer in the free-from sections of the exhibit. This worryingly, matches the misplaced trend in thinking everything gluten free is healthy. Apart from having their gluten removed, gluten-free foods like cakes and biscuits are not so very different from their regular counterparts. You may find that these alternative products are just as high in sugar, salt and trans fats…all of the ingredients we should be watching out for! But I digress. As the event remains free to attend, and I enjoy finding out how some of the smaller companies are progressing, I will probably be there again next year...  I am increasingly being asked in clinic "Which is the best yoghurt to buy!?". With such an array of options in the supermarket, I can understand why it can become confusing knowing how to decide. Ultimately, we all have our own taste preferences, and budgetary considerations which will drive our purchasing behaviour. However, having a closer look at your staple foods every now and then can be quite insightful, and you may be surprised at the results! There are 3 key things I will suggest you think about in your choices, to make them more healthful or appropriate to your health goals. 1) Choose natural where possible to avoid added sugars (glucose/syrup/barley malt) 2) Look for a short ingredient list – keep it simple! 3) Look for the addition of probiotics/live cultures Whilst not strictly a 'whole food', yoghurts (made by bacterial fermentation of milk), can provide a range of vitamins and minerals, calcium, and some good quality protein (in particular, from Greek style yoghurts). This fermentation process lowers the lactose and galactose content which can lessen the inflammatory effect on the body. Indeed, further research suggests there is an association between fermented milk products and a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease. More recently, new research is emerging that higher fat dairy in the form of yoghurt can protect against Type 2 Diabetes, an effect not found in similar low fat foods. Overall, by carefully choosing a more healthful option, yoghurts can be a great choice for breakfast, a snack or a simple dessert. Added sugar During my work as a practitioner, I am always keen to assess food items on an even platform, using the latest guidance to inform my thinking. Helpfully, the guidance provided by the British Dietetic Association on identifying high sugared products, takes the effort out of this process. Nutrient High Low______ Sugar >22.5g per 100g <5g per 100g In recent times, the 0% fat, low fat and diet yoghurts have dominated the supermarket trolley as a shopper's choice. This is in line with standard advice to lower saturated fat (SF) intake for a range of health reasons. However, be mindful not to focus purely on this low fat label, as often reduced fat products have added sugars, in addition to the natural sugars (lactose) that make up yoghurt. Low fat does not automatically equate to a healthy option. For example, standard low fat yoghurt has approximately 13-20g sugar per 100g, (or 20-30g in a 150g standard pot) which would be considered a medium-sugar food. Ingredient list Bearing in mind the Wholefoods1st philosophy of keeping it fresh and simple, I find myself increasingly drawn towards less adulterated options, with short ingredient lists. I can then add my own whole fruit/nuts/seeds, for additional flavour and health benefits. Yes it is important to assess the nutrient values, but what about the overall quality and health value of a product? Ultimately, having a 100-150g serving of whole or low fat natural yoghurt provides a more healthful option with only minimal amounts of sugar and fat when looking at the diet as a whole*, and ultimately should be a more satiating experience. If a client has a large amount of saturated fat in the diet from biscuits, pies, pastries and red meat, I would certainly be addressing these areas as priorities for improvement, rather than the saturated fat obtained from natural yoghurt. Attached are some examples of ingredient lists of yoghurts (taken from a large supermarket brand website). It is interesting to see what you are naturally drawn to without the packaging to entice your purchasing choices. 
Probiotics
If you want the added benefits of live cultures and probiotics choose products that specifically state they contain them. For example, a label may read “Contains the following live cultures: Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus….” . Probiotics have been found to improve the digestive and immune system. Specifically, strains of bacteria found in yoghurt can assist our existing gut bacteria to digest common foods more easily, such as fruit, veg and wheat. In addition, live cultures have been linked to the treatment of IBS symptoms, acute diarrhoea and prevent infection due to their complex ability to improve mucosal barrier function in our gastrointestinal tract. However, the effects have only been shown when consumed every day over a period of time. I have completed further analysis on the ranges of natural yoghurt available in the supermarkets which is available to clients I work with. Interestingly, the calorie and protein content of natural yoghurt can vary a fair bit. If natural yoghurt is new to you, try a small pot first. If it is not to your liking, then use the other two principles to guide your choices, combined with the guidance on choosing low sugar products. * Recommendations regarding saturated fat intake should be < 10% of total calories. For example a typical healthy woman requires 2000Kcals a day to meet their energy needs. 10% of 2000Kcals = 200 Kcals. A 150g serving of natural yoghurts contains 1.5-4g of SF. This equates to 14-36 Kcals, 7-18% of this advised 200Kcal limit. Information sources
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