We All Scream For Ice Cream!!

You may have gathered from my facebook entries that I think the only place to spend the summer is down on the beach playing in the surf with the kids and getting plenty of fresh air. As long as the weather is good enough that's where you'll find us.

If your kids are anything like mine they LOVE ice cream as an occasional treat and I find if virtually impossible to sit and watch my kids eating ice cream without wanting to join in! This article provides some calorie saving tips so that you can enjoy an ice cream without blowing your healthy eating......

For those of us in the UK it may be a bit American (all cups and Heath bars!) but you get the jist......

6 Ways to eat ice cream without blowing your diet
by Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, PREVENTION

It’s not summer without ice cream. It’s also not summer without skimpier outfits and trips to the beach, so I try to have my cone, sundae, or single scoop without overdoing it.

Here are some tasty ideas—and surprising facts—so you can indulge your ice cream jones, guilt free.

Note: One scoop is ½ cup and calorie counts for ice cream are estimates based on several popular brands.

1. Order two flavours of gelato - For gelato and ice cream, most fruit flavors (like strawberry, raspberry, or pineapple) have 30 to 50 fewer calories than their chocolate or vanilla counterparts, so you can afford two scoops instead of one!

Try this: Order 1 scoop of fruity gelato like strawberry (180) Top with 1 scoop of rich gelato like chocolate or pistachio (230) Total calories: 410

2. Get a small version of the real thing - Don't be fooled by "light" ice cream—it refers to fat, not calories. In fact, a large serving of light soft-serve chocolate ice cream will set you back 444 calories! Enjoy a small portion with a topping instead.

Try this: Order a small (1 cup) soft-serve light chocolate-vanilla twist ice cream (243) on a plain cone (17) Total calories: 260

3. Craving volume? Stick with sorbet - Choose sorbet and you'll get 3 scoops for your calorie budget! Just be aware that most sorbet contains high fructose corn syrup, so you don't want to order it too often.

Try this: 3 scoops of fruity sorbet (360) Total calories: 360

4. Skip the sprinkles and go for the candy! - It may be hard to believe, but ½ a chopped Heath bar actually contains fewer calories than 2 tablespoons of sprinkles (120)!

Try this: Order 1 scoop of chocolate ice cream (260) Top with half of a chopped-up Heath Bar (105) Total calories: 365

5. Still a sprinkle queen? Pair with frozen yogurt - A 1-cup serving of frozen yogurt (220) still has 40 fewer calories than ½ cup of regular vanilla ice cream (260), saving you room for a cone and sprinkles.

Try this: Start with a 1-cup serving of low-fat or fat-free frozen yogurt (220) in a sugar cone (50) Roll the ice cream in 2 tbsp rainbow or chocolate sprinkles (120) Total calories: 390

6. Eat peanut butter cup solo - Peanut butter ice cream adds 90 calories more than plain chocolate or vanilla. Skip the toppings to stay trim — it's rich enough without them, anyway.

Try this: 1 scoop peanut butter-flavored ice cream like Peanut Butter Cup or Chocolate Peanut Butter (350) Total calories: 350

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins are metabolic catalysts that regulate biochemical reactions within your body. Your body cannot manufacture them, which is why you must obtain them through your diet. To date, 13 vitamins have been discovered, each with a specific function. You need vitamins to function properly, but any excess offers no improvement in body function.

Vitamins are required in tiny amounts for growth, health and physical well being.

Most people use vitamin supplements in their diets but despite claims to the contrary, supplements will not:-

• Enhance performance
• Increase strength or endurance
• Prevent injuries or illness
• Provide energy
• Build muscle
  

Minerals are present in all living cells. They occur freely in nature in the soil and water and travel through the food chain by being absorbed into plants that grow in the soil and then into the animals that consume the plants and water. Vegetables of the same species can differ in mineral content, depending on the soil in which they were grown.

Each mineral has its own unique role in the body.

You need some minerals in large amounts: sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.

Others, such as iron, zinc, selenium and iodine are needed in smaller amounts. As with vitamins, you can get the minerals you need if you eat a variety of wholesome foods.

Iron and zinc can be exceptions to that general rule, particularly for those who abstain from red meat; the same is true of calcium for those who abstain from dairy products.

Vitamin and mineral deficiencies tend to be related to medical problems so for the average healthy person when it comes to nourishing the body, always try to get your vitamins and minerals you need from the food you eat; food first!

If for psychological “health insurance” you wish to supplement your diet, you can take a single one-a-day type multivitamin. (This is what I do!)

Where to find some of the more essential Vitamins and Minerals

• Calcium- milk and dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables, beans and nuts. Needed for building and maintaining strong bones and healthy teeth.
• Iron – liver, other meat, eggs, chicken, fish, green leafy vegetables, dried fruit, whole-grain cereals, bread, pasta, nuts. Involved in formation of red blood cells. Lack of energy during period may be result of iron deficiency.
• Vitamin A – For healthy skin and healthy eyes. Two forms; retinol found in liver, fish oils, eggs, margarine, milk and yoghurt. Beta-carotene found in orange and yellow fruits and vegetables eg peppers, carrots, apricots, melons, and in green leafy vegetables eg broccoli, spinach, watercress.
• Vitamin C – Helps boost immune system. Helps body fight infection, helps with healing of wounds, reduces cholesterol, good for gums, bones and teeth and helps the body absorb iron (hence glass of juice with cereals at breakfast).
• Essential fatty acids – Just as important as vitamins and minerals. Important for structure of cells, help with oxygen uptake, and producing energy. Maintain liver, heart and brain health. Good for muscle tone and healthy skin. Omega 3 is found in cod liver oil, flaxseed oil, rapeseed oil, soya beans, walnuts, herrings, sardines and mackerel, Omega 6 is found in plant oils such as sunflower, corn, olive and evening primrose.
  

The Great Thing About Fruit.....
STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.

KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

Have a fruity summer!