What is the original Muesli?

The original Bircher Muesli recipe is proportionately the opposite of most muesli available in today's supermarket varieties, calling for far more fruit than grains. One serving based on the original recipe consists approximately of:

• 1 tablespoon rolled oats, soaked in 2–3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cream
• 200 grams apple (about one large, preferably a sour variety), finely grated and mixed with the above directly before serving
• optionally top with 1 tablespoon ground hazelnuts or almonds

The original recipe used sweetened condensed milk instead of cream, a compromise due to hygiene concerns regarding fresh milk products in 1900 (bovine tuberculosis etc.), before pasteurisation and refrigeration became commonly available. The original recipe also advised to soak the oats in water overnight as raw oats need a lengthy soaking to soften them before eating. This long soaking time is unnecessary with modern rolled "quick oats", which the manufacturers already soften through a steam treatment. While phytic acid is an anti-nutrient and strong chelator of important minerals, it is removed during the steam process, making muesli desirable, given its positive antioxidant qualities.

Start of the day with a decent breakfast

Get through the day by starting off with a decent breakfast, says nutrition expert

We know it's vital to eat something in the morning. But choosing the right type of food is just as important.

Eat well and you'll sail through the day, feeling happier and more energised.

Should you really breakfast like a king? Can a smoothie ever be enough? And why do you get so hungry after eating a bowl of filling porridge?

With so many myths surrounding the first meal of the day, it's no wonder we don't know whether it's OK to grab a piece of toast or if we should be rising early to whip up bacon and eggs.

Nutrition consultant and author Ian Marber, known as the Food Doctor, thinks we should ditch the typical breakfast of slices of toast and bowls of cereal.

He said: "Complex carbohydrates are converted from food to glucose slowly, which is great.

"But because complex carbs have an inferior alternative in simple carbs - white bread, sugar - I feel we've elevated complex carbs too much. These are good, but they're not THAT good."

Which explains why even a bowl of porridge or a slice of brown toast just isn't enough to keep hunger at bay and energy levels up until lunch.

Editor of Psychologies magazine, Louise Chunn said: "Eating the right breakfast does more than just boost your energy, it has psychological ramifications too - for your mood and for your attitude to healthy food for the rest of the day."

WHAT TO EAT

Ian recommends a mix of carbs and protein.

He said: "Protein is converted from food to glucose very slowly, which means your cells aren't flooded with more glucose than they can cope with."

Steady blood-sugar levels mean energy levels are kept steadier for longer, and that midmorning sluggish feeling can be held off. So poached egg (protein) on wholemeal toast (complex carbs) is ideal. Great, if you've got 15 minutes to cook first thing. But many of us would rather forfeit a decent breakfast to be able to spend that time in bed.

Ian suggests changing the way you think about cooking.

He explained: "You could scramble an egg in two minutes and eat it straight from the pan, then grab an oatcake on the way out of the door. It doesn't have to be beautiful."

And you don't have to fret about eating a different breakfast every day - as long as you have a varied diet for lunch and dinner.

Take as many shortcuts as you need, if it means you'll eat the oh-so-important protein/carb mix each morning.

One more thing you should know before you make the perfect energy-boosting breakfast is the difference between complete and incomplete proteins.

Meat, eggs, fish, tofu, milk and cheese are complete, while oats, nuts and seeds, rye and beans are incomplete.

Ian said: "You should eat complete proteins with each meal."

This doesn't mean adding fish or cheese to everything but rather that incomplete proteins shouldn't be eaten alone.

Instead, add a different incomplete protein to the meal - one slice of toast with humous, the other with peanut butter, for instance - and problem is solved. It's a rule vegetarians especially should take note of.

WHEN TO EAT

Should you eat as soon as you get up or go without for as long as possible? And what if you can't face food first thing?

According to Ian, make sure you eat something within half-an-hour of getting up, "even if it's just half an apple and two brazil nuts, representing your carbs and protein". Eat a second, larger breakfast later.

This two-breakfast method might be the solution if you find yourself getting hungry mid-morning.

Ian said: "I favour eating little and often. Better that than trying to fit in one big morning meal.

"You know the old adage, 'Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dine like a pauper'. That's simply because of the idea that you've got a long time to burn off a lot of energy.

"But when they are flooded with glucose, your cells don't say, 'Ah, it's breakfast, we'll save some of this for later'. They just store what they need to store. If you overeat, it is stored away." Have a smaller dinner, or one with less carbs, because you won't necessarily use up the calories.

Having two breakfasts, or one plus a couple of protein/carb snacks throughout the morning, is a surefire way to keep your energy levels steady.

But it's important for mood, too.

From a psychological perspective, hunger puts a huge strain on us. We beat ourselves up for wanting food outside of set meal times.

Ian believes this results in a "feastor-famine, boom-or-bust" way of eating, leads to us feeling miserable. Mood can also be affected by the things we eat.

Ian said: "Nothing works straight away but things that change your mood are too much carbs, refined sugar and caffeine.

"These affect your glucose levels indirectly through the action of adrenaline. Caffeine mimics the effects of stress, for example and they change your mood and behaviour, at the time and afterwards."

After forcing your glucose levels to rocket rapidly, your morning coffee and those sugar-laced cereals soon make your blood-sugar levels crash, leaving cravings for more caffeine, sugar and simple carbs. And so the cycle goes on.

BREAK THE CYCLE

A decent breakfast can break this negative cycle. The body is satisfied until lunchtime, or until the next protein/carb snack. And the mind is set up differently, too.

Starting the day with a healthy meal means we're more likely to eat well for the rest of it, according to Zoë Harcombe, author of The Obesity Epidemic. On the flipside, an unhealthy breakfast makes us more likely to eat junk.

Zoë said: "We all have this good-andbad-day mentality. If you say you're only going to have porridge for breakfast and then end up having porridge and a croissant, you think, 'I've ruined it now'. So, today might as well be a bad day and you'll eat badly again until the next morning.

Ian agrees, and suggests the effect is even worse at weekends. Have a greasy fry-up on Saturday morning and you probably won't eat properly until Monday morning.

Weekends make up a decent chunk of our lives, so that's a lot of time to spend eating badly.

Even if you've never bothered slotting breakfast into your routine before, perhaps it's time for a rethink. If slapping a layer of salmon pâté or adding a sprinkle of seeds is all it takes to make your day easier, then surely it's worth it.

The full feature is in the March issue of Psychologies - out now.

MAKE A HEALTHY START - ALL THE SMALL THINGS

Transform your regular breakfast into a mood-boosting, energyraising meal by simply making these little changes.

Instead Of Slice of white toast and jam TRY Slice of wholemeal toast, rye toast, oatcakes, corn thins or ricecakes topped with any of the following: scrambled, poached or boiled eggs, smoked salmon, smoked haddock, fish pate, peanut butter, baked beans, houmous or grated cheese.

Instead Of Fruit yoghurt TRY Live bio natural yoghurt with chopped fresh fruits or raisins, and seeds, nuts or oat flakes.

Instead Of Bowl of porridge and honey TRY Half a bowl of oat porridge mixed with half a bowl of plain yoghurt, chopped fresh fruit or raisins, and seeds or nuts.

Instead Of Bowl of cornflakes or sugar puffs TRY Bowl of cereal (not sugared or with honey), chopped fresh fruit or raisins and seeds or nuts.

Instead Of Fruit smoothie TRY Smoothie made from plain yoghurt, apple juice and seeds or half a banana, and a few nuts; or a fruit smoothie blended with silken tofu.

Instead Of Cup of coffee TRY Cup of decaffeinated coffee, decaffeinated tea, green tea, peppermint tea.

Instead Of Bowl of regular muesli TRY Low-sugar muesli, chopped fresh fruit and an extra handful of nuts and seeds.

Instead Of A plain croissant TRY Ham and cheese croissant.

HOW TO EAT RIGHT FOR DIFFERENT SITUATIONS

A day of stress

Got a big meeting, a stressful family event or a deadline to meet? Even if you won't stick to the protein/carb mix for the rest of the week, it's vital you do the morning before. Your body needs glucose, otherwise it's forced to rely on adrenaline for energy. And while that can keep you going for a short time, it won't last.

Food Doctor Ian Marber said: "Adrenaline is a wild card. It can easily get the better of you. You can feel sort of high from it, almost hysterical and uncontrollable." Which, of course, is never conducive to productivity.

You also need food with a high level of B vitamins, magnesium and vitamin C to get your brain working properly. Try extra Brazil nuts for magnesium, fortified cereals for B vitamins and oranges and kiwi fruit for vitamin C.

OFF TO THE GYM

Exercise on an empty stomach and you'll burn off fat cells to provide energy, so the myth goes. But eventually it''s counterproductive.

Ian explained: "At first, glycogen is used, then adrenaline, so you might get a bit of potential fat loss, but it's not quite that simple. The more often you lay down fat and try to dip into it, the less likely it will be that your fat cells will give their fat up."

The solution? Have an apple or banana before your workout, then a second breakfast post-gym.

Muesli makes a great breakfast

For some, having a healthy breakfast in the morning is a daunting task. A lot of us are time constrained most of the time, so the ideal thing (we think) is to skip a meal and go straight to the lunch. Obviously, this does save some time but has damaging effects on your health in the long run. For such people the ideal breakfast is Muesli and NO, it is not just another type of cornflake. It is so much more!

What is Muesli?

Muesli is a breakfast cereal made from oats, apple, dried fruit, nuts and milk. It was made in the 1900’s by Swiss doctor Maximilian Bircher for patients in his hospital. He coined his revolutionary ‘meal’ Bircher Muesli; muesli literally means ‘mix’ in Swiss-German. Nowadays there exist two main types of muesli: Fresh Muesli (the original!) and Dry Muesli (the packaged stuff you find in supermarkets).

Dry Muesli: This is the most popular version of muesli and can be bought pre-packaged at almost all supermarkets. It is usually a loose mixture of mainly rolled oats and often also wheat flakes, together with various pieces of dried fruit, nuts and seeds. Although it contains little fat and a significant amount of fibre, many of the pre-packaged varieties have been heavily processed, can contain fillers and almost always contain high levels of sugars which make it a less-healthy choice. You can look for a low sugar version or make your own fresh muesli to make sure that you are eating healthy.

Fresh Muesli: Called Bircher-Muesli, fresh muesli is a freshly prepared mixture that includes rolled oats that have been soaked in milk, water or fruit juice, as well as finely grated apple, lemon juice, nuts, seeds and sometimes chopped fresh fruit (such as grapes, berries, bananas and mango. If you could find some time in your busy daily schedule to make a big bowl, it can last four or five days and really is the best breakfast food ever!

Next blog will be ... So, why is it a good breakfast food?

Why are oats so good for you?

Oats can help reduce cholesterol, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and can have a positive impact on blood pressure. That was the message from Dr Derek Stewart of SCRI as he helped launch the ‘All About Oats’ campaign to promote the health benefits of eating oats.

Dr Stewart, head of the Quality, Health and Nutrition programme at SCRI – Scotland’s leading crop research institute – recently completed a review which found significant scientific evidence to support the health benefits of eating oats.

Some of the key health benefits of oats identified by the review include:

• can help reduce cholesterol 
• can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease 
• can influence blood pressure 
• oats are low GI foods providing a steady release of energy 
• oats provide soluble and insoluble fibre that can support probiotic bacteria and influence gastrointestinal health 
• oats can enhance the human immune system though the action of β-glucans (the active ingredients in oats). 

Although sales of oat products, such as porridge and oatcakes, increased by seven per cent from June 2006 – 2007 compared to the previous year a recent survey showed 35 per cent of those questioned didn’t know what nutrients were found in a bowl of porridge.

The ‘All About Oats’ campaign aims to change that by highlighting oats as a good source of B vitamins, iron, potassium and various antioxidants and phytochemicals including β-glucans. It includes an ‘All About Oats’ website containing health facts, recipes and useful information on oats.

The campaign has been set up by the Scottish Oats Group in collaboration with Home-Grown Cereals Authority and Scotland Food and Drink. SCRI is a member of the Scottish Oats Group.

How Bircher Muesli was discovered?

The famous doctor Max Bircher discovered ‘Bircher Muesli’ quite by chance. He was a great walker, and one evening while walking in the Swiss mountains, he arrived at a mountain hut just as a shepherd, who lived there, was making his supper. The shepherd invited him to share his meal – a kind of porridge of coarsely milled oats in milk, sweetened with honey, which he ate while munching an apple. The shepherd said he got the recipe from his father, who had got it from his father before.

But why the apple?

He didn’t know, but he did notice that when he went without the apple, the porridge lay heavy on his stomach. How long had he been eating this food? All his life. And how old was he? ‘Seventy, I’ve never been to the doctor, and I can climb the hills as well as when I was a young man’. How many times a day did he eat this food? ‘Twice a day, morning and evening.’  

Bircher’s curiosity led him to investigate further and he discovered that the recipe was not original. In parts of Switzerland where there was plenty of fruit, nuts and grains, meals often evening meals, consisted of this mixture with milk straight from the cow.

And so began research into the nutritional values of Bircher’s ‘mix’. He realised that muesli is the perfect food:

• The oats: vitamins A, E, B1, B2, B12 and protein.
• The milk/yogurt: vitamins A, B2, C, minerals and fats.
• The apples: vitamins B1, C, potassium, pectin and carbohydrates.
• The honey: iron and carbohydrates.
• The nuts: vitamins, B1, B2, protein, potassium and phosphorus.
• The lemon: vitamin C and potassium.

In particular, the combination of milk and oats creates a protein-based combination, showing its amino-acid value as a surplus of lysine, cystine and threonine, and thus equivalent in biological value to egg protein.

Why are the nuts in a box of muesli often at the top?

People have been pondering this apparent violation of the law of gravity since at least the 1930s and for many years scientists thought the answer was simply one of geometry. That is, the nuts may be heavier but they’re also larger than the other ingredients, which can thus move into the spaces created below the nuts as the box is shaken.

More detailed analysis has shown, however, that friction with the sides of the box is also important, producing a downward flow as the box is shaken. As smaller ingredients find it easier to work their way towards the sides, they tend to feel this effect most strongly, again leaving the larger stuff like nuts higher up. It's science, don't you know!

What did you have for breakfast this morning?

Our Mums have been telling us for years that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but we admit that sometimes we skip it. When we’re trying to dry our hair, brush our teeth and feed the cat at the same time we simply don’t have enough hands to knock up some nosh first thing. But boffins reckon that eating a good brekkie is super-important for thinking and working and can even cut down on the risk of getting serious diseases. But do you believe all that? Does eating a giant fry up stop you snacking on junk food later in the day? Can a quick slice of toasted bread or a bacon sanger from the greasy spoon help you concentrate? Or do you really notice the difference when you forget your bowl of morning muesli? Do you do better with a bacon sandwich in your belly? Or can you last till lunch with only a good night’s kip and a cup of tea? Current results (updated hourly) What did you have for breakfast this morning? Full English 4% Toast 28% Cereal 52% Bacon Sandwich 1% Not a sausage 15% Visit: http://www.smile.co.uk for the latest poll results.

Blueberries are really blooming brilliant

Why are Blueberries good for You?

It is well known from a number of studies that blueberries slow down the aging process of nerve cells. Blueberries contain anthocyanin which is an anti-inflammatory substance that is known to soften the arteries and prevent them from getting constricted due to stress. Vasoconstriction caused by stress induces high blood pressure which can result in cardiovascular disease. The relaxation of arteries occurs due to increase in nitric oxide provided by blueberries. Blueberries also improve the mood status by transporting energy to the brain.

It is always important to understand the significance of eating fresh fruits than the derived products of the fruits like processed items from blueberries or stored blueberry fruit juice. Most fruits and vegetables lose their nutrients when they are frozen. However, blueberries that are frozen are found to be not spoiled and hence are preferred to be used in recipes like eating with yoghurt.

Blueberries are rich in vitamin K, vitamin C which helps in absorption of iron, and improves immune system. Blueberries are also high in fiber content. Food taken with high fiber content will control the cholesterol levels and develop the health of the heart. Fiber also helps in enhancing digestion process. Blueberries are rich source of manganese. Manganese aids in bone development as well as in metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

The human body in one of its metabolic processes releases free radicals daily. This daily release of free radicals is responsible for causing many diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular diseases. Blueberries contain antioxidants like anthocyanins and flavonoids, which can nullify the bad effects of free radicals.So in summary, blueberries are rich in vitamin C, contain high fiber content, contain low cholesterol content and have low calories. Hence they are super good for us... and you should definitely be adding them to your muesli!

Shake up your wake up - why breakfast is so important

Here is some great advice from the shakeupyourwakeup.com team. They say eating breakfast has many positive benefits on our whole wellbeing but all too often we don’t realise the difference it can make to how we feel. If you are a breakfast skipper, ask yourself the following questions and you may find it’s worth shaking up your morning routine and finding time for breakfast:

Q: Do you get hunger pangs around 11am and regularly reach for the biscuit tin?
It has been shown that people that start the day with a healthy breakfast are more likely to be within their ideal weight range than those who skip breakfast.

Solution – Something as quick as easy as a bowl of muesli can make all the difference to how often you reach for a snack in the morning and help you manage your weight.

Q: Do you find it difficult to concentrate in the morning?
Several studies have shown that eating breakfast can have a positive impact on your concentration levels.

Solution – Even a simple slice or two of wholemeal toast can help your concentration levels, whether you enjoy it at home or at work.

Q: Do you get stressed and grumpy in the morning?
Research suggests that breakfast eaters are less depressed and have lower levels of stress than breakfast skippers.

Solution: One of the most popular breakfasts for cheering people up is a bacon sandwich but if you are really short of time grab a cereal bar or English muffin on the way to work, it can make a difference to how you feel all morning.

Q: Did you sleep well but still feel like you need more energy?
Remember it will have been several hours since your body has had any fuel, so after a night’s sleep energy stores and blood sugar levels need to be topped up.

Solution – Start the day with a wholegrain breakfast of porridge, muesli or toast that will release plenty of energy slowly throughout your morning, as well as providing many vital nutrients too.