Cheese and tomatoes: what's the score?
Alistair asks: I absolutely hate cheese and tomatoes - am I missing out on any important vitamins?
Wynnie says: Cheese is made from milk curds and, like milk, yogurt and all dairy products, contains many nutrients including calcium, phosphorous, fat, protein, vitamins A, B12, folate and B2. If you eat other dairy products every day, then you won't miss out on these essential nutrients that are needed for growth and making strong bones and teeth.
But as well as providing nutrients, cheese contains compounds which can protect against dental caries, particularly if it's eaten between and after meals. It's thought that cheese helps to deliver large amounts of calcium and phosphorous to the tooth enamel, protecting it when it comes under attack from acids produced in the mouth when you're eating.
Eating cheese also produces more saliva in the mouth which not only neutralises the acid, but also helps to clear food from the mouth, reducing the amount of sugar available to be turned into acid by bacteria.
If you really can't face cheese, reduce the risk of dental caries by minimising the number of snacks you eat between meals, particularly chewy, sticky foods like dried fruit or sweets, as whenever you eat, you create acid in the mouth. Try not to sip sugary drinks or suck on candy either. If you must indulge, make sure you rinse your mouth and brush your teeth afterwards.
As for tomatoes, they are rich in vitamins A and C - a cup of tomatoes provides over 50 per cent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, and more than 20 per cent of vitamin A.
The red pigment found in tomatoes is called lycopene. It's an antioxidant which helps to neutralise damaging free radicals that can harm cells in the body. Although raw tomatoes are good for you, cooking them releases even more of their benefits. Cooking tomatoes in oil is especially effective in releasing lycopene from its location in the cell walls, allowing your body to absorb this antioxidant better.
But if you're not a tomato fan, don't worry; other fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, guavas, apricots, papayas, pink grapefruits, strawberries, red peppers and carrots provide a similar spectrum of nutrients. Providing you eat a variety of different fruit and vegetables every day, you shouldn't miss out on anything too crucial.
Alistair?s diary
Breakfast: Fried eggs,ham, toast; hot chocolate or water
Lunch: Chicken or roast pork with rice, beef with noodles; can of Coke
Dinner: Roast chicken, stir-fried vegetables, spare ribs, rice, Chinese soup with pork or chicken, vegetables
Snacks: Chips, biscuits, ice cream, chocolate, Japanese rice cakes.
Exercises: 1hour of skipping, 1hour of badminton every week, regular tennis and swimming during the summer
Don't miss out on those nutrients from cheese and tomatoes. Try the following smoothie made with alternative ingredients that will pack the same nutritional punch.
2 cups watermelon chunks, seeded
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup strawberries
1 cup ice
Juice of half a lime
Blitz all ingredients in a blender, share with a friend and enjoy!
