Health and Wellbeing

When you’re keeping an eye on everyday spending, you don’t want to needlessly throw food away too soon. But at the same time, you don’t want to risk eating something that might have gone off. One of the main problems is, we’ve become so reliant on ‘Best Before’ and ‘Use By’ dates on packaging, that we’re less confident about relying on our own judgement on whether food is fresh or not. Older people’s immune systems also tend to be less able to recover from food poisoning. This makes knowing how to store food safely and for longer vital to avoid becoming ill. 

Breakfast is often said to be the most important meal of the day. However, it’s the meal we are most likely to skip... Breakfast breaks your overnight fast. Hence it’s really important to have a good breakfast as this kick starts your metabolism, warms you up, boosts your concentration, increases energy levels and maintains steady blood sugar. Breakfast can also expand the range of nutrients in your diet and help you reach your 5-a-day.

During winter it is often more difficult to get out and about due to poor weather – it’s colder and can often bring ice, snow and even floods. A hot meal and a hot drink helps to keep you warm especially over the colder months. Age UK recommends you have at least one hot meal each day. At Oakhouse Foods, we provide a full range of meals and groceries that can be delivered straight to your door by our friendly delivery drivers, making this difficult time of year easier and saving you time.

If you've thought about trying a diet with less meat there are plenty of benefits to going vegetarian or even just cutting out meat one day a week. Meat Free Mondays are a great way to incorporate vegetarian meals into your diet and make a difference to your health and to the environment. Health benefits There are many health benefits to eating less meat including having a lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Vegetarians tend to have lower cholesterol and eat less saturated fat than those who eat meat every day and following a more plant based diet often makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight. Because of these health benefits, vegetarians and vegans also live longer on average than those who eat meat every day. Watching the pennies Eating veggie can be kinder to your pockets with lentils, pulses, fruit and veg often cheaper than buying meat. And there are plenty of tasty meat substitute products available these days, making it easier than ever to enjoy meat-free versions of your favourite meals.

As we age it is important to look after our bones and our joints, as we can be more prone to problems like osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. The most common type of arthritis in the UK, osteoarthritis affects the cartilage between our joints and is most likely to occur in the knees, hips and small joints in the hand. Your weight can have an impact on the osteoarthritis of the hips and knees as it increases the pressure on them. If you are watching your weight why not try smaller portions with our popular Mini Meals range? This range has some of our favourite dishes but in a smaller portion so you don't feel like you are missing out on your usual tasty meals from Oakhouse!

Winter is here, the nights are drawing in and the heaters are on! Although it is comforting to settle down in front of the TV with a blanket and a cup of warming cocoa it is still important to keep fit and well in the winter months. Eating healthy will keep you alert, energised and help protect

February is Heart Month, with the British Heart Foundation encouraging us all to think about what we can do to look after our tickers. An important part of this is keeping your blood pressure at a healthy level – and the great news is, even small changes can give your heart health a real boost. Your blood pressure is the amount of force your heart uses to pump blood around your body. If it’s too high, this puts more strain on your arteries and heart muscles, which increases your risk of developing health problems such as heart disease, strokes and kidney failure. Having high blood pressure doesn’t in itself cause any symptoms, so the only way to keep on top of yours is to have it checked regularly by your local GP or practice nurse.

Whilst you might be busily making plans for Christmas, at this time of year our bodies are also working hard to fend off the many bugs around during cold and flu season. And though there’s no cure for the common cold, there are some effective things you can do to boost your immune system and stave off winter illnesses. 1. Eat well One of the best ways to support your immune system is to eat a varied diet that’s packed full of vitamins and minerals.

With long, dark evenings and cold, wet weather ahead, the winter months can leave many of us feeling down in the dumps. But from eating a balanced diet to doing some gentle exercise, there are simple measures you can take that will help see you through to spring with a smile. Around 1 in 5 people in the UK suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during winter – more commonly known as the ‘winter blues’. Doctors think that a lack of sunlight can cause some people’s bodies to produce more of the sleep hormone, melatonin, making you feel tired and irritable throughout the day. Cold weather and short days can also make some people depressed, and cause them to want to shut themselves away indoors, and sometimes overeat.