You’d be forgiven for thinking the word flavonoid is scientific speak for flavour. After all, both words sound very similar. But actually, the science of flavonoids goes a lot further – just like the list of benefits they carry. So what are flavonoids and what flavonoid-rich foods should you look out for? What are flavonoids? In simple terms, flavonoids are compounds that are high in antioxidants. They’re mainly found in fruits, vegetables and other plant-based foods but also crop up in red wine and dark chocolate.1 The general rule is that...

Like we NEEDED another excuse to munch away on dark chocolate! You might not think of chocolate as being a health booster, but it can do a surprising number of good things for your body and mind (not to mention, your tastebuds)! This article explores why this treat could hold the key to working towards your wellness goals. By the end, you’re guaranteed to see dark chocolate in a whole new light! What is dark chocolate? Dark chocolate isn’t the same as milk or white chocolate because it contains no...

After water, tea is the second most consumed drink in the world.1 When you step back and take a look at this figure annually, it equates to almost 36 million cups of tea a year.2 And just in case you were wondering what the world appetite for tea looked like, we have the global figures for you too. Worldwide, 25,000 cups of tea are consumed every second, that’s around 2.16 billion cups per day.3 Just as there are stacks of tea drinkers, there are stacks of different tea varieties too, ranging from white, Oolong and black...

Lots of us rely on a caffeine boost to kick-start our morning routines, wake us up and give us that extra bit of oomph we need to get going every day. More often than not, most of us tend to get these caffeine fixes by reaching out for a steaming cup (or two) of coffee or tea. Other than tasting great – you may be a tea or a coffee lover or partial to enjoying both – these two drinks also have something else in common, they contain caffeine. Even...

With the conflicting advice out there about whether they’re good for us or not, carbs can seem complicated. And there’s a simple reason for this fact - people seem to either love or hate them. There are, in fact, two different types of carbohydrates – refined carbs and complex carbs – which each come with their own different set of properties. In this article, we explore carbs overall, as well delve a bit deeper by taking a closer look at refined carbs in particular. What are carbohydrates? Overall, carbs fall...

Dietary fibre is an important component of a healthy, balanced diet. Fibre is a type of carbohydrate found naturally in plants, including wholegrain cereals, fruit, and vegetables.1 Not only is fibre key for maintaining a healthy digestion system and preventing constipation, but studies have also shown that a high fibre diet is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.2 If you are looking for guidance on how to include more high fibre foods into your diet, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll...

  Wondering how many portions of fruit and veg we should eat a day? And how big the portion sizes are? We can help with that. Government guidelines suggest we eat at least five, and up to 10 portions of fruits and vegetables per day.1 However, it can be difficult to know how to achieve this, and what a portion actually looks like. One portion of fruit or vegetables is 80g.2 The table in this article shows how much of the food you’d have to eat to get one portion. Some...

Have you been trying to lose weight, but it just won’t seem to shift? Instead of trying yet another restrictive food plan, it might be time to see if you can revamp your metabolism using nutritious foods instead. What is the metabolism? People generally use the word metabolism only in relation to fat burning and weight loss. In fact, your metabolism has a hand in all your body’s systems. ‘Metabolism’ is the overall term given to the huge range of chemical processes which take place in all living cells in...

You might have already heard of kombucha, the popular, fizzy drink packed with bacteria and yeast, but what about hard or alcoholic kombucha? Hard kombucha is the latest craze in fermented tea, with many people choosing it as a healthier alternative to beer and cider. But what actually is hard kombucha, and does it have the same benefits as non-alcoholic kombucha? We'll give you the low down on everything you need to know about this delicious alcoholic beverage, so keep reading to find out more. What is hard kombucha? Kombucha is a gently...