Lee McCusker

Lee McCusker (BA; MSc; MSc; MSc; ANutr; SENr) is a registered public health nutritionist (ANutr) and sports and exercise nutritionist (SENr) from Belfast. He runs his own private nutrition practice in West Belfast where he works with the general public as well as athletes. Lee is our nutrition columnist and is a nutrition lecturer on HND programmes in Belfast Met College. Lee has robust academia behind him with a total of four University Degrees including two MSc’s in Food and Nutrition and Sports and Exercise Nutrition through Ulster University.

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HEALTHWISE: Careful what you’re eating in those acai bowls

ACAI bowls are all the rage at the minute – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.They can be highly nutritious. There’s the granola with its richness in b-vitamins and fibre, and the acai berry purée which is rich in antioxidants like anthocyanins, berries and vitamin C as well as nuts like almonds, cashews and walnuts with their Omega 6 and 9 content. You may have nut butters too, including peanut butter.

HEALTHWISE: The importance of Vitamin E

VITAMIN E and Functions Vitamin E is a very important antioxidant which can protect the body from things called free radicals that can come from air pollutants (cigarette smoke, radiation, metal etc) and can cause disease in our bodies like cardiovascular disease and cancers.

HEALTHWISE: Men and women: How does my body store fat?

FAT is stored in almost every region of our body either around our organs, beneath the skin and within muscles.

HEALTHWISE: Nothing beets nitrates for your blood pressure

FOODS like, beetroot, spinach, rocket and celery are a key component of a balanced healthy diet and count towards five portions of fruit and vegetables per day.

HEALTHWISE: Supplements: Choose well and watch the dose

SUPPLEMENTS are any product that aims to supplement your diet with nutrients that you would otherwise lack. Popular ones include vitamins D, C and B,, calcium, fish oils and probiotics. But who needs supplements?

HEALTHWISE: Finding the gold standard is a tricky business

AT this point in time there's no gold standard when comparing a mixed moderate diet of animal foods (meat, dairy, eggs, fish) mixed with plant foods (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, oats, fruit and veg) versus a vegan diet (plant foods only).

HEALTHWISE: Why not steam your vegetables instead of boiling

WHEN vegetables are cooked under certain conditions some of the B and C group vitamins can be reduced or destroyed.

HEALTHWISE: Sensible weight loss advice

WEIGHT loss of between 0.5-2 pounds per week is a safe and realistic target and can have massive health benefits.

HEALTHWISE: Take care with your barbecue as summer arrives

EVERYONE loves a good barbecue in the summer, especially during the nice weather that we’ve been having this week.

HEALTHWISE: Keep an eye on your diet if you’re feeling down

FOOD and mood are closely linked. The food we eat provides us with energy and nutrients that our brains need to work well. This in turn affects our emotions and how we think.

HEALTHWISE: Let’s keep up the good work on trans fats

TRANS fats were produced historically when vegetable, olive or sunflower oil etc had a chemical called hydrogen added to them to make them solid at room temperature (as they are liquids) so the final product could be packaged as a margarine, for instance.

HEALTHWISE: Do you need Glutamine supplements? Maybe

Glutamine helps support immune cells and is a primary fuel source for our intestinal cells.

HEALTHWISE: The benefits of ginger are many and varied

GINGER is a natural spice that is used around the world to add a strong flavour to foods, especially in curry dishes. It has reportedly been used as a herbal medicine for many centuries to cure common health problems.

HEALTHWISE: Sun and supplements key to your D3 intake

VITAMIN D helps absorb calcium which is a vital mineral that is essential for our bones. Some of the best dietary sources of vitamin D3 include oily fish like salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel etcetera. A portion of these provides around 50 per cent (5ug) of the recommended intake of 10ug. It isn’t advised to take two portions of fish per day to achieve your recommended daily intake of vitamin D3 as the manageable mercury and toxins in fish would then start to become a problem.

HEALTHWISE: The male menopause: Healthy eating is crucial

THE male menopause? There is such thing – yes, there really is!

Foireann ag Laochra Loch Lao sa Chorn Domhanda Frithchiníochais

Gaelic Games: St John's thrash local rivals St Paul's in quarter-final clash

MATCHDAY LIVE: Moneyglass lead Tír na nÓg in relegation play-off as final ten minutes unfold

BREAKING: Antrim announce McShane as new Antrim senior hurling manager

ROBIN LIVINGSTONE: Hillsborough parade a right royal poser

JUDE COLLINS: Time to shame Martin and Harris into action

TRÓCAIRE: Belfast donations have changed lives in Zimbabwe with UK government support

ANDRÉE MURPHY: The gods of fair play were AWOL on Sunday in Croker

Lee McCusker

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