Author: Healthy Diet Tips

We spend about a third of our lives asleep, originally thought to be a passive activity, studies now show that when we’re asleep, our brain is engaged in a number of activities that have important implications for our health and wellbeing. This means sleep isn’t the absence of wakefulness, but an active and metabolically different state. As such, it needs to carry equal standing alongside balanced nutrition and adequate exercise as essential components for achieving and maintaining good health.While adequate sleep in hours is essential for wellbeing, the quality and regularity of that sleep is often more important for overall…

Mouth taping is a recent health hack on every wellness influencer’s lips. The idea is as simple as it is strange: you tape your mouth shut overnight so that you’ll be forced to breathe through your nose while you sleep. Advocates of mouth taping say this can reduce apnoea and snoring, increase oxygen intake and stave off bad breath – but these claims are dubious.The mouth taping trend has been spurred on by recent celebrity endorsements. Erling Haaland, the Manchester City and Norway footballer, recommended the practice during a podcast interview and Gwyneth Paltrow wrote that mouth taping is “probably…

This spicy ranch chicken recipe uses a homemade yogurt-based dressing as both tangy marinade and creamy finishing sauce for juicy grilled chicken breasts. The magic lies in dried dill, one of the very few dried herbs that are just as good, if not better, than their fresh counterparts (fenugreek and oregano also fall into this camp).Garlic powder and onion powder round out the dressing, resulting in a fresh, bright, and deeply savory homemade ranch with the nostalgic flavor of bottled versions, but better. Double or quadruple the dry ingredients for your very own ranch seasoning mix to shake over anything…

Struggle to sleep in hot weather? From quick wins such as taking a lukewarm shower before bed, to longer term ideas such as choosing the right bed sheets for summer nights, discover tips to help give you a restful night’s sleep.In hot weather what matters most?In hot weather what matters most for a good night’s sleep is to lower your core body temperature by a few degrees, this lets the body know that it’s time to sleep. When the weather is hot this can be more difficult and the result is often a fragmented and restless night.Kerry Torrens BSc (Hons)…

Step 1Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; oil grate with vegetable oil. Place 3 lb. large tomatoes (such as beefsteak or heirloom), halved, cored, in a large heatproof bowl; drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Toss to combine, then arrange tomatoes, skin side down, on grate; grill, undisturbed, until deeply charred underneath, 10–14 minutes. Using a fish spatula or long tongs, transfer back to bowl. (Tomatoes will fall apart. No need to peel.)Step 2Using a potato masher or your hands (be careful as tomatoes will be hot), smash tomatoes until the texture of a chunky marinara.…

Roasting peppers is one of my favourite ways to enjoy them – the skin blisters and the flesh becomes soft and sweet. Try my simple methods for roasting at home, then use them in our favourite recipes below. Discover the most efficient way to prepare and cook peppers and avoid reaching for that jar in the supermarket.Learn about the health benefits of peppers in our helpful guide, and then check out our top recipes for peppers to get some dinner inspiration.Alice Shields is our acting food editor and has spent the last decade developing foolproof weeknight recipes. She roasts a…

Step 1Prepare a grill for medium heat; oil grate with vegetable oil. Combine ½ cup quick-cooking couscous, 1 Tbsp. baharat, and 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large heatproof bowl. Pour in ½ cup plus 2 tsp. boiling water. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel; let sit 5 minutes.Step 2Using a fork, break up couscous (it will be a little less fluffy than usual). Add 1 large shallot, finely grated, 5 garlic cloves, finely grated, 1 lb. ground beef, preferably 20% fat, ½ cup finely chopped cilantro, ½ cup finely chopped salted toasted pistachios,…

As a keen baker, I often whip up batches of homemade jams and marmalade to fill my cakes and tarts with, and they’re a great way to save any mushy fruit from waste, too. A properly sterilised jar will keep your preserves, well, preserved for a good few months. Read on for all my tips and tricks I follow to make sure jars are fully prepped before I get cooking, plus step-by-step instructions for the process.My example below shows the jars being used to keep homemade mincemeat, but you will find this technique useful when making any marmalade, jam or…

Defrosting chicken properly is one of those simple kitchen jobs that really matters, and I always stick to methods I know are safe and fuss-free. Defrosting chicken ensures an even cook – whereas cooking chicken from frozen could leave you with an outside that’s cooked and a centre that may not be, which means it could contain harmful bacteria.Barney has written thousands of recipes including countless roast beef dinners over the years. Read on for his top roast beef cooking tips, or check out more of Barney’s recipes.What’s the best way to defrost chicken?There are a handful of foolproof ways…

The farm that’s owned by 8,000 peopleSister-and-brother duo Charlotte and Ben Hollins rallied thousands of people to save their organic family farm in Shropshire, creating a community ownership model that is now growing with a second site. Charlotte tells their story:I grew up at Fordhall Farm in Market Drayton. My brother Ben and I are the fourth generation of our family to farm this 140-acre site – our late father, Arthur, took over the tenancy in 1929 at just 14 years old. Back then, chemical fertilisers were promoted as miracle yield boosters, but Dad found that they depleted the nutrients…