There was a recent article in the The Independent newspaper about the French and their obsession with vegetables. The journalist Emma Townshend was waxing lyrical about her trip to a local French restaurant, where she couldn't quite identify what vegetable formed the basis of the soup she was eating, the waitress, who spoke some English, could only proffer the mysterious vegetables name in French.

The article goes on to applaud the French for their highly nuanced knowledge of vegetables which is cultivated from a young age, apparently children under the age of six can decipher between the leaves of a mache and frisee lettuce. To further prove the point, French Historian and Biographer, Evelyne Bloch-Dano has just released a biography of .....you guessed it.....the vegetable. The book focuses on everything from Christopher Columbus and his initial reaction to tasting a chilli in the Americas to 'the allotments created by starving 1945 Berliners among the ruins of shelled houses "Lifes revenge over death"...you can read more of Townshends review here: reference.

The humble tomato contains large amounts of lycopene which assists the body in the fight against cancer.  Not only does lycopene prevent numerous cancers from developing, it has been proven to stop the growth of pre-existing cancer cell structures within the body and additionally it is not denatured or affected by heat so your Italian pasta sauces are actually quite good for you....reference.

Tasty and informative......it's my first blog!

Eating healthily, much to the dismay of the multimillion dollar dietary industries, is an easy way to shed the pounds and give the body the nourishment it is entitled to.

Although the words 'health' and 'food' can conjure up images of shops filled with hippies and that smell like pet food stores, to eat healthily doesn't have to involve burying your head in a bag of horse oats and drinking milk thistle smoothies.

The objective of my blog is to chat about the ways in which you can munch yourself to a better, healthier existence with an onus on food that benefits the body but i am permitting myself the scope to discuss food in all its incarnations, if needs be, as from time to time it is good for you have a treat, as the french say 'everything in moderation including moderation'.

 Do you sell them by the bucket load? Cherries are recognized for their ability to assist with healthy brain functioning and prevent memory loss.

One of the most basic ways to ensure that the food you are eating, especially if you have gone to the trouble of preparing it and cooking it, actually contains or retains it's health benefits; is to cook it properly. So take broccoli for example - i think most people are already aware that if you boil it into a soggy mess the nutrients are rendered useless - the florets and stems should be cut into small pieces and let stand for about 5 to 6 minutes before cooking. The broccoli should then be either steamed or boiled for 3-5 minutes. This maximizes the vegetable's anti-carcinogenic properties. Broccoli provides one of the highest concentrations of sulforaphane found in food, sulforaphane increases the enzymes in your liver that fight cancer inducing chemicals found in other food and the environment. There is lots more scientific info here: reference.

Fact: Trillions of flies blanket the surrounding villages of Lake Victoria in Africa every year. The locals, being resourceful, turn the flies into a tasty nutritional burger.

Speaking of Broccoli, I used to work in one of Dublin's best loved restaurants/bakeries called Panem, which is located on Ormond Key. I recall the owner and chef, Ann Murphy, used to serve a simple but delicious Broccoli soup, it is definitely worth checking out if you are visiting Dublin. While most of the menu might not be described as 'healthy' eating it is all lovingly made, the pastries and breads are baked on the premises from 3.00am each day and Ann prides herself in sourcing only the best ingredients - olive oil imported from Italy, chocolate from Belgium. It has a five star full star rating in the gospel according to Tripadvisor.