by Marilina Lewis – Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach
Crispy Clean & Chilly……but sometimes rather ‘hot’ too !
That describes our gorgeous South African winter at the moment….but it also describes a very useful and healthy little vegetable!
The CHILLI….
Here are some of the many benefits of these fiery little numbers:
° Excellent for your IMMUNE system as they are super rich in antioxidants vitamin A and C. It’s capsaicin though that is the antioxidant that gives peppers their heat – the more capsaicin, the hotter the pepper and the higher the antioxidant level
° Other vitamins found in chillies include the vitamin B group (mainly B6) and vitamin E. They are also high in potassium, magnesium and iron
° Capsaicin’s peppery heat stimulates secretions that help clear mucus from your stuffed up nose or congested lungs
° Studies have shown that chillies can help significantly control insulin levels after eating a meal – It helps with diabetics as a meal with chilli in it means your body doesn’t need as much insulin to break down the food
° Chillies seem to have an impact on heart health as it has been shown that chillies can help reduce blood cholesterol levels and the formation of blood clots
° Capsaicin stimulates brain to excrete endorphin and gives a sense of pleasure when ingested. This is the reason people get addicted to chilli – and it often is said to be an aphrodisiac!
° Endorphins are also natural pain killers so the chilli may help relieve all kinds of pain from arthritic to muscular
° And as a final handy side-effect some people find that chillies help with weight loss – whilst they do “warm up“ the body, thus maybe raise the metabolism, they also curb the appetite by being ‘spicy’ so use them in sauces and dressings, savoury and sweet dishes – try the Lindt dark chilli chocolate as a treat…..yum!
Try these great recipes with chillies
Chicken and Zucchini Rissoles with Chilli
Pasta with Grilled Peppers and Chilli
Marilina Lewis
Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach
Durban, South Africa
PERSONAL INFORMATION:
I am extremely passionate about health and wellness and I dedicate my time to this field as I believe adults and children need to be encouraged to live an optimum lifestyle. I also believe that health is about lifestyle change, not about dieting and deprivation. I want to make it my mission to close the gap between the “delicious master chefs” and the perception that eating healthy food needs to be boring and a ‘punishment’. My free and colourful weekly newsletters, which often include recipes, also help to teach people how to keep healthy food exciting & tasty.
CORPORATE WELLNESS:
I offer my wellness service in the workplace to help optimise the productivity of employees, minimising the need for sick leave and managing stress levels. This creates team building and allows for a happy, healthy environment.
I provide my services at Wellness Days/Programs held at company venues. This includes healthy food displays and advice, consulting on existing health conditions of the employees, either in a group or individually. It includes healthy food demos and group workshops that target health, wellness and weight loss. I am also able to provide health ‘makeovers’ for company canteens.
PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS:
My services include devising unique personalised eating plans for individuals (for weight loss and to help specific health conditions), for shape-up challenges and group workshops, using Live Blood Analysis as a motivational tool as well.
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