Let's Dangle Some Carrots
When in doubt, eat a carrot. Plus: Health Gossip, Healf HX26, and a Haircut
Good morning! Have you hydrated properly yet? It’s seriously hot. I wheel this out every time the temperatures soar, which is more frequent than ever, but I’m going to do it again here:
We could all do with paying a little more attention to hydration right now. If you’re spending time outside, exercising, or sweating more than usual, electrolytes can be helpful. And don’t forget that food contributes to hydration. Watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, strawberries all count.
Even mild dehydration can affect energy, concentration and physical performance, so it’s worth staying on top of it during a heatwave. Drink an extra glass or two of water today, especially if coffee, cocktails or both are on the menu.
Now that I’ve got that PSA out of the way, I’d like to make the case for another summer staple: the crunchy, hardy, good lookin carrot.
I really should have added them to the hydration roster because while we often associate hydration with watermelon and cucumber, carrots are nearly 90% water themselves. Add some to your lunch and you're contributing to your fluid intake while also getting fibre and a welcome hit of colour.
Now I know fibre isn’t the most glamorous topic but it deserves a mention here. It supports regular bowel movements, feeds beneficial gut microbes and plays a role in everything from digestive ease to long term metabolic health. Most adults in the UK aren’t getting enough of it. One medium carrot contains around 2g of fibre. Not a crazy amount on its own but fibre adds up meal by meal, snack by snack, carrot by carrot.
They’re rich in carotenoids, the plant pigments responsible for their gorgeous orange colour. One of the most abundant carotenoids in carrots is beta carotene, which the body can convert into vitamin A. Beta carotene often gets reduced to “the eyesight nutrient” but vitamin A’s remit is much broader than that- it’s involved in immune function, skin health and maintaining the tissues that form part of our first line of defence eg the gut and respiratory tract.
From a hormonal health perspective, carrots are interesting too. Once hormones have been processed by the liver, they leave the body via the digestive tract. You know what that means? Regular BMs. And carrots are fan-tas-tic at helping us keep things moving.
The carotenoids in carrots have another summer benefit- these pigments accumulate in the skin and some research suggests higher carotenoid intake is associated with improvements in skin appearance because it contributes to the skin’s natural defences against UV damage. This doesn’t replace sunscreen obviously but it’s another reason carrots earn a place on the plate.
They also happen to be one of the easiest ways to eat the colour orange. Regular readers will know I love the power of a colourful plate. The more the merrier baby! Different coloured plants contain different compounds and carrots make the orange category easy.
In my opinion they’re one of the most useful nutritional foods to keep around full stop (I’ll often have them loose and ready to go in my bag). They last for ages in the fridge, travel well, require very little preparation and work in everything from salads to soups. They also pair beautifully with foods that improve both satisfaction and nutrient absorption. Carrots with hummus. Carrots with tahini. Carrots with some cheese. The beta carotene in carrots is fat soluble, meaning the body absorbs it more effectively when eaten alongside a source of fat. Conveniently, these combos also make for a more filling snack.
If you’re a nutritional therapy client of mine, there’s a reasonable chance you’ve been encouraged to eat a carrot a day. Constipation, skin complaints, plant diversity goals, fibre intake, summer snacking. The carrot finds its way into a surprising number of conversations. We’re fans here.
We’re eating carrots
There are some wonderful carrot recipes out there but I’ll be honest with you - anything that requires turning on the hob is not in my interest right now. So. Here are three super simple recipes for carrots that you can use in minutes that’ll leave you feeling refreshed and cool.
These all serve one and require approximately five mins of effort. You can double or triple the amount and keep it in a glass tupperware in the fridge ready to spoon out before the next meal.
1. Carrot Ribbon Salad with Pistachios
Ingredients:
1 large carrot
1 tbsp EVOO
Juice of ½ lemon
Small handful of mint leaves, chopped
1 tbsp pistachios, roughly chopped
Flaky salt and fresh black pepper
Method
Use a vegetable peeler to shave the carrots into ribbons.
Toss with olive oil, lemon juice and mint.
Scatter over pistachios and a pinch of flaky salt.
Eat immediately.
2. Carrot, Tahini and Sesame Slaw
Ingredients:
1 large carrot, grated
1 tbsp tahini
Juice of ½ lime
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp sesame seeds
Small handful of coriander or parsley
Flaky salt to taste
Method
Stir together the tahini, lime juice and maple syrup.
Toss through the grated carrots.
Finish with sesame seeds and herbs.
Serve as a side or pile onto toast with a boiled egg.
3. Vinegary Carrot, Cucumber, and Silken Tofu Salad
Ingredients:
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 large cucumer, sliced thinly
2 tbsp Japanese rice vinegar
1 tbsp Tamari
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp chili flakes
200g silken tofu - optional
Method
Stir together the rice vinegar, tamari and maple syrup.
Toss through the grated carrots and cucumber and sprinkle with chili flakes
That’s it. Can you believe it. I like to add cubed silken tofu for a hit of protein. If you want to do this too, be gentle when tossing and give it 15 minutes in the fridge if you can. The tofu soaks up the dressing and it’s delicious.
What it all comes down to is this: carrots make healthy eating easier. And I’m a big fan of anything that makes healthy eating easier. When in doubt, eat a carrot.
What’s fed me
It’s not just food. Everything you take in shapes how you think and feel. Here’s what I’ve been up to that’s nourished my creative brain:
I was interviewed for Health Gossip. And how I loved this chat! Thank you Lily. We kick it off with my definition of health: “Being healthy means feeling good most of the time, for a long time. Energized in the day, relaxed at night, and having enough strength, discomfort, joy, or sadness relative to what the experience calls for, rather than chasing an unrealistic state of constant perfection.”
Read the full interview to get a look into my morning routine, hear about my favourite meal, and that time i found out I was allergic to shrimp.
I attended the IPM Congress. I do a lot of ‘continuous professional development’ training as a registered nutritional therapist, and sometimes that means going to conferences. Last week had me spending time with GPs and other practitioners in lectures and workshops that covered all the topics in the instagram screenshot above.
Then at the weekend, I headed to HX26, Healf’s wellness festival. Very different crowd. I like having a foot in both worlds. Research, clinicians, lectures on one side. Consumer wellness, founders and curious members of the public on the other.
I now have a small wellness shop in my back room thanks to all the goodie bags. I also got to spend time with friends, including Fedora, who writes Late Filing. If you’re a Londoner and haven’t subscribed yet, I highly recommend it.
I got a haircut. That’s kind of it. Mainly, I wanted to preserve the H-theme of this week’s recaps. Thanks to Ross and Salt salon for always giving me the best ‘do.
Carrot every day until doomsday
ooo going to make the slaw tomorrow!