As the pace of life speeds up, the place that suffers all too often is the home and the children. Working mothers don’t really want to spend hours over the cooker preparing family meals in the evenings, but although convenience food may seem the modern option, we are paying a terrible price for that convenience.

Very recently in the United Kingdom we have witnessed the perils of mass food production. A red dye (Sudan 1) that found its way into a batch of chilli powder was then used in a large consignment of Worcester sauce. This in turn was included in the ingredients of many hundreds of ready-made meals sold in major supermarkets and when the mistake was discovered, resulted in food having to be withdrawn from sale. Sudan 1 has been shown to be responsible for causing cancer in animals and may yet lead to cancer developing in humans. To prevent this happening again, all dried and crushed chilli will be tested to see that it is free from contamination.

If we want fast food or ready-made meals very cheaply, the food industry will provide it by obtaining its ingredients as cheaply as possible. These cheap ingredients are then spiced up with cheap color, sauces, oil, and loads of salt. But do we really want that for our children and ourselves? Can we trust the food industry with our health after the BSE scare? Or do we really need to think about our priorities and make time for home cooking and care of our families?

Exercise Hint

Exercise Away Visceral Fat

Couch potatoes put on dangerous pockets of fat much faster than was previously thought. Not the kind that are in plain sight, keeping you from ever setting foot on the beach, but the invisible kind, visceral fat, hidden among your internal organs, armed and ready to help you develop diabetes and/or heart disease. The solution for reducing visceral fat is vigorous exercise. Couch potatoes who get no exercise could store an 8.6% increase in visceral fat over the course of eight months, whilst people who exercise vigorously over a similar period could lose that amount. So start slow and work up to a level that’s comfortable for you. Newcomers to exercise may benefit from my Mini-Morning Workout — get a free copy by emailing [email protected]

Recipe of the Week

Delicious Tuna Steaks

Serves 6

Ingredients

59 ml orange juice, (fresh or frozen)

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tsp. sesame seeds

45 ml light soy sauce

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated, or 2 tsp. ground ginger

20 g scallions, chopped

680 g tuna steaks

Method

In a stainless steel bowl or plastic resealable bag, combine first 6 ingredients. Add the tuna and let marinate for 20 minutes. Broil or grill the tuna 6 inches from the heat source for 4-5 minutes per side. Cook until done as desired.

Ask Alva

I sometimes get white spots on my fingernails. I’ve been told they are a sign of a calcium deficiency, but I get plenty of calcium from my diet, and I take a supplement every day. What causes the spots? Margot

The spots you notice are not caused by a calcium deficiency. They’re called “leukonychia” and are very common. Most of the time the white spots are simply a sign of some past injury to the matrix (base) of your nails. By the time the white spot shows up (about six weeks after the injury) you’ve probably forgotten all about banging or knocking your fingers. Sometimes, the injury can stem from a manicure that put excessive pressure on the base of the nails. The spots also can be a sign of an allergic reaction to nail polish or nail hardeners. Whatever the cause, the spots are temporary and will grow out as your nails grow. However, it can take more than eight months for nails to grow out completely so the spots may be around for a while. If you feel that your nails are weak, I would recommend you try taking Permea Plus tablets for a few months. Alva