All posts tagged: folate

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Broccoli and Almond Soup with Mint & Crème Fraiche

Published by Carmen

When it comes to pureed soups, I think there are two types of people; those who love them and those who don’t. A bit like marmite some might say. So for those of you who already love pureed soup, you can skip this paragraph. After all, I’d be preaching to the converted! But for those of you who, like me avoid pureed soups at all costs, read on my friends. I admit that I definitely fall into the non-soup eating category and rarely make soups unless they have lots of chunky pieces of veg, meat, or noodles in them (like ramen- yum). BUT, this soup is an exception. Yes, it is pureed. And yes, I don’t just like it, I actually love it! And I’m not the only one; we used to make this broccoli soup at a cafe I worked at while I was a student in London, and it proved hugely popular. Even among the pureed soup avoiders like me. And believe me, when you realize how easy and quick this soup is …

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Chickpea and Spinach Stew

Published by Carmen

Did you know beans are in right now? No, I didn’t either, but a fellow foodie friend says they’re the new kale, alongside brussel sprouts and sauerkraut (in case you haven’t kept up with the latest food gossip, here you have it). Though I’m not one to follow food trends, this one is actually a thing, even the United Nations have caught up, dubbing 2016 as the year of the pulses to heighten awareness of their nutritional benefits. Beans beans the musical fruit… I have to admit, I had a little proud moment after hearing that, given that for the first time ever I had been way ahead of the trend on this one, as is never the case with fashion. But having grown up in Spain, I have a deep love for Mediterranean style food. I’ve always loved beans, though I realise it’s not a feeling shared by everyone. That little rhyme ‘beans beans the musical fruit, the more you eat the more you toot’ has given beans a bad press for a long …

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Folic Acid, Folate and Methylfolate: Which is best?

Published by Carmen

Okay this is a little bit of a technical post, so scroll down to the ‘So what does this mean for you?’ part if you want to skip the first bit. Folic acid is a B vitamin (B9) that is known to be necessary in early pregnancy. Folic acid is actually the synthetic form of folate, which in turn is naturally occurring and mainly found in green vegetables, beans, and lentils. Folic acid supplements are recommended to be taken when trying to conceive and during the first trimester of pregnancy, to prevent neural tube defects in the baby, such as spina bifida and anencephaly. Some research also suggests that folate plays a role in preventing congenital heart disease and oral clefts in the baby, as well as reducing the risk of preterm birth. Folate has a much bigger role in our bodies that just preventing spina bifida though. It is responsible activating, making and repairing our DNA. It is also in charge of cell division, blood cell production and the conversion of homocysteine; a protein …