Saiprojects: March 2017

Spring is now in the air, and so is National Fragrance Day. This day is observed each year on March 21st.

Now if you know me very well, you'll know I'm a lover of all things fragrance, especially perfumes. My perfume collection is constantly growing on a monthly basis and I can only get really excited if today is National fragrance day; which mean I can spray as much perfume as I like without a care in the world lol...

Have you ever been transported back in time simply by catching the scent of loved one’s perfume? Or perhaps it was the smell of baby powder on a newborn that sent you reeling back to the days when your child was an infant. Maybe it was a combination of ginger and molasses, and suddenly you were in your grandmother’s kitchen.

Whatever the fragrance, scents and memory are powerfully linked. We associate summer with the smell of freshly cut grass, thunderstorms with the smell of the damp air and the acrid scent of sulfur when lightning has struck. We often connect memories of winter holidays with warm spiced pies and cookies.

The brain is an amazing thing, and science finds out more about it every day. Simply put, the olfactory bulb which is responsible for processing all those smells we take in is next to the hippocampus deep inside the brain. Neuroscientists have discovered that one of the responsibilities of the hippocampus is creating new memories. With the olfactory bulb and the hippocampus immediately adjacent, research suggests smell and memory are nearly related.

Our memories are most closely linked to those we have loved. Your first love may have worn a unique botanical fragrance, or perhaps the uncle who taught you to tie intricate knots smelled of cedar as he told war stories. While we may often take a trip down memory lane by looking at a scrapbook, perhaps this time remembering our favorite fragrances will stir up memories that were long forgotten or maybe we will make some new ones.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Find some new ways to enjoy your sense of smell. Use #NationalFragranceDay to post on social media.-source-nationaldaycalendar.com

What are you top 3 perfumes??? Mine are below:-

In no particular order :-)

Chloe Original
Marc Jacobs- Decadence
Thierry Mugler- Alien
Jimmy Choo- Illicit

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We're all aware that too much salt in our diet is bad for our health, but the hidden salt in food is what we really need to be careful of.

World Salt Awareness Week 2017 is from March 20th -26th and aims to raise awareness of salt in the diet, with this year’s theme called ‘Salt: The Forgotten Killer'. read my blog post on that here-http://saiprojectscooking.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/national-salt-awareness-week-march-20th.html

Here are a list of 5 food items that are surprisingly high in salt:-

Cereal- Probably the one you think is high in sugar is incredibly higher in salt than it is in sugar.
Bread- A slice of bread contains the same amount of salt as a packet of crisps which is shocking
Cheddar Cheese- Cheeses already contain a high level of fats and proteins, however it is found that a serving contains more salt per serving than a packet of crisp.
Stock Cubes- Probably a culprit with this as I use stock cubes with mostly all my traditional cooking :-( You'd think its a flavour enhancer and should not contain salt; well they do contain as much as 50% salt.
Tinned Soup- Supposed to be a very healthy lunch option, however a can of soup contains as much salt as a slice of pizza or even more.

Now here are tips on how to reduce the intake of salt or the above foods generally:-

Be sparing with sauces, especially soy sauce, as they are usually very high in salt
Cut down on salty snacks such as crisps – go for low-salt snacks such as dried fruit, sticks of vegetables and unsalted nuts
Try to eat less bacon, cheese, pickles, smoked fish and ready-made meals, as these contain high sodium levels
Add less salt when cooking – use herbs and spices to add flavour when cooking
Make your own stock, or opt for lower salt stock cubes
Get out of the habit of adding extra salt at the table – remember to taste your food first as often you’ll find it doesn’t need more.

The amount of salt you should take in on a daily basis varies depending on your age. Below are the recommended guidelines from the NHS:

Adults (and children 11 years and over) should consume no more than 6g of salt a day. This equates to approximately one teaspoon and contains roughly 2.4g of sodium
Children aged seven to 10 years should eat no more than 5g or less salt a day
Children aged four to six should consume 3g or less salt a day
Those aged one to three should consume 2g or less salt a day
Babies less than one year old should have less than 1g of salt a day. Babies that are breastfed will get the correct amounts required, and formula milk contains similar levels.-source-belfastlive.co.uk

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Happy Friyayyyyyyyyy Foodies, hope you've al had a good week so far? Phew it's the weekend, so let us all take a moment to relax, chill & enjoy it.

OK so lets get into today's blog post. This post is on the back on yesterday's blog post which I basically spoke about the "Most dangerous parts of the body to carry excess fats". check here if you missed it-http://saiprojectscooking.blogspot.com/2017/03/most-dangerous-areas-of-body-to-carry.htmlhttp://saiprojectscooking.blogspot.com/2017/03/most-dangerous-areas-of-body-to-carry.html

Ok I know it can be very depressing to carry excess fats in the belly area and especially as women, we tend to focus more if what we wear accentuates the belly area.

Well you will be surprised to see the below foods to aid in losing the belly fat.

Eat Fat- When I mean eat fats, I don't mean take a trip to Mcdonalds everyday and stuff your face with a Big mac burger lol; this won't do your waistline any favours. Eating the right type of fats can make a surprising difference to your mid section. A diet rich in monounsaturated fats (think nuts, avocados and olive oils) helped people to lose belly fat without reducing their calorie consumption.

Power walk everyday- One of the best ways to lose belly fat is by exercising such as power walks, sit ups, swimming etc. According to a research study, adults who walked or jogged just 12 miles per week gained no visceral fat, while their sedentary counterparts gained 9% fat in six months. Doesn't have to be vigorous exercises, but minimal can do a lot.

Get some Sunshine (Vitamin D)- This might sound crazy, but not getting enough sunlight can make it prove difficult from losing that spare tyre. When you are low in Vitamin D your levels of the hormone calcitrol rise, and high levels of this substance cause the body to hoard fat. Vitamin D is also believed to work with calcium to help reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol, which causes the body to store belly fat. So get some sunshine when you can.

Get enough Sleep- Could lack of shut-eye be causing your middle-age spread? According to researchers, men and women who slept for five hours or less each night saw an average 32% gain in visceral fat over five years, while those who averaged six or seven hours per night gained only 13%. Scientists believe that lack of sleep alters appetite-regulating hormones, causing you to overeat.

Don't Eliminate Cheese from your Diet- As fattening as Cheese sounds, people often skip cheese from their diet in an effort to lose weight but there’s good reason to snack on cheese. A Clinical Nutrition research found that cutting back on dairy can trigger the body to boost production of fat cells thanks to higher levels of our old friend calcitrol. Eat some low-fat dairy and the calcium will suppress the calcitrol, allowing your body to break down fat better and make fat cells leaner.

Eat Orange Veggies- Fresh fruit and vegetables are good for you - it's no secret. But if belly fat is your particular problem, it could pay to fill your plate with orange and yellow varieties. Betacarotene and lycopene, both of which give colour to veggies such as carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and apricots, are known to have an effect on your waistline. A 2009 study in of Nutrition concluded that those who ate high amounts of yellow and orange vegetables had less body fat in general, but also smaller waists.

Don't Stress- Stressing less can really help to lose the belly fat; when you're stressed, your body releases the hormone cortisol, which stimulates appetite and induces cravings for sugary, fatty foods. Unfortunately, it also gives your body a clear signal that fat needs to be stored for emergency fuel. So, if the work day is getting away from you and you're already considering that sugary snack, take five and breathe deeply instead.

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