Little Taste of Ibiza

A quick couple of days in Ibiza made for a seriously therapeutic treat. We did manage one rather short evening of partying but the main focus was food and a bit of sun-cramming before enduring a long British winter - and having endured a long British summer.

The highlight was a spa day at the five star Hotel Hacienda. For €70 we got to experience the incredible view, stunning surroundings and luxury of the venue, along with a full body massage delivered through various kinds of water jets in a series of pools, AND a three course lunch.

The place is normally pretty crowded by its supermodel and DJ clientele, but by the beginning of October there was hardly anyone else there, which made it feel even more exclusive.

We felt very pleased with ourselves, admiring the view in the hot sun (imagining the cold in England) and sipping cava while we waited for our spa slot.

Next, we were admiring the view again, but this time from bubbling pools of salt water, teetering on the edge of the cliff.

After that we enjoyed the view from our restaurant table, right at the highest point of the hotel and indeed the mountain. The starter was a tapas plate of broad bean and mint salad, tempura prawns and sweet chili sauce (yawn), ricotta toasts, rabbit samosas and chilled asparagus cream. All very nicely done.

The main course was grilled salmon steak, octopus stew, steak and a lamb chop, all served on solid slabs of salt – ideal for a sodium chloride addict such as myself. The meat was seared to crispiness on the outside, pink within. They were accompanied by a buckwheat tabouleh.

Steak and lamb chop was served on a block of salt

I thought I didn’t have room for dessert or care much about it, but the beautifully presented platter of mini-puds was particularly good, and rather less of them than promised were donated to a friend. I forgot to photograph them in my haste to taste. They included a little ice-cream cone filled with chocolate, a rich vanilla ice-cream and a lemon tartlet.

We didn’t want our special day to end just yet, so after lunch we slurped on the best mojitos ever in the world ever while watching the sunset. The designated driver had the best ever virgin mojitos in the world ever, which were literally – and I mean literally – as good as the boozy ones.

We went home for a nap followed by cava and a giant paella at the unassuming Villa Manchega. Such a waste – it was a really good one but the three-person pan-full was enough to feed 12. We didn’t have a fridge at the hotel so we had to leave the copious leftovers at the restaurant.

Other memorable meals included our first meal of the holiday when we had seafood and the saltiest, most garlicky garlic purée/mayo imaginable (that is a good thing, by the way) at the Restaurante El Carmen; a seafood selection with chips and rosé from the Cala Gracio beach café (owned and run for 40 years by a charming native Ibizan guy who’s married to a lady from Burnley and called us 'lasses'); and posh nosh at Villa Mercedes.

Squid and grilled red mullet at Resaurante El Carmen (above); 

Last meal of grilled sardines (below).

Top Foods and Drinks Detrimental to Your Oral Health

Does it matter which snack, breakfast cereal or beverage you reach for on the grocery shelf? When it comes to your oral health, it can make a big difference. The foods and drinks you select each contain different ingredients, including minerals, vitamins, sugars and acids, each with varying nutritional values and effects on your teeth and mouth. In some, the nutritional value is very low and their ability to cause problems to your oral health is high. The next time you reach for a soda, think twice. It could mean avoiding a cavity, even if you routinely use other good oral hygiene habits.

What Is So Bad?
The problem with some foods or drinks is what they are made of. Carbohydrates break down in the mouth into sugars. Sugar is detrimental for teeth. It works as an acid to slowly harm the enamel on teeth. It can damage the tooth structure. Overtime, this leads to cavities and tooth decay that may be hard to halt. Any type of acid that comes in contact with your mouth has the risk of harming your oral health.

Shoddy Food and Drink

What is the worst of the worst? What should you avoid at all costs? The following foods and drinks are considered the ones to vanquish from your diet:

    Carbonated beverages, including soft drinks, are hazardous thirst quenching choices that endanger your oral health. They have the least nutritional value, and have so much sugar and phosphoric acid that they can begin attacking the teeth within 30 minutes.

    Some drinks labeled healthy or sport drinks can also be poor selections. Many promise health benefits, but also contain acidic and sugary substances that lead to the breakdown of enamel on your teeth. Be careful even with chewable vitamins, if they contain sugar.

    Sticky foods, including caramel candy, sugary sweet breads and other sweet carbohydrates are very unhealthy for your teeth. Their sugars are harder to wash away with saliva, therefore, they stay on your teeth longer, causing damage.

    Foods that dry out your mouth, including alcoholic beverages, can lead to an accumulation of bacteria in the mouth. Saliva is necessary for flushing away bacteria, but alcoholic beverages keep your mouth dry.

Other foods to leave on the grocery shelf more often are dried fruits and starchy foods, such as potato chips, bread and fries, as well as highly acidic fruits like oranges and lemons. If you consume them, brush your teeth immediately afterward, or rinse your mouth with water, to reduce their effects.

Beat the Heat, Eat and Drink - The Top Six Water-Rich Foods

Six of Nature's Highest-Hydration Foods

It is well-known that our bodies can get by without food for extended periods, but without water, we can face the most drastic of consequences within a few days. Our bodies are made up of 65-70 percent water and continuing to hydrate can be challenging for many people.

Using nature's fruits to flavor water is one great way to make drinking water more appealing, as well as thirst quenching. All of those wonderful electrolytes that are touted in sugary, artificial "sports drinks" can be obtained through lemons, limes, and oranges! Imagine that!! So start slicing those beautiful citrus jewels - they are also full of vitamin C and aid in digestion - great side benefits we could all use! The body's need for water is often taken for granted. If you wait until you feel thirsty, you are already in a state of dehydration. This means we have to replenish our bodily water constantly - so keep that pitcher in the fridge nice and full, with your water bottle close by and refill, refill, refill!

While essential to staying hydrated, drinking the recommended minimum 8 glasses of water a day isn't the only way to get all our water requirements. It's also important to consume foods that are high in water content to regulate metabolism, circulation, and vital biological systems. Smoothies are a quick and delicious way to get the best of both worlds. All of the foods listed below can be used in tasty and nourishing smoothies.

Six of the Top Water-Rich Foods

Cucumber

Comprised of 96% water, eating a cucumber is like drinking a three-ounce glass of water, only better. It contains key nutrients that can boost health. Cucumbers counteract toxins, cleanse the blood, and are high in electrolytes and potassium. Potassium and sodium work together to maintain fluid levels in the body. This helps regulate circulation and heartbeat.

Watermelon

Watermelon is 95 percent water and rich in vitamin C as well as being a thirst-quenching summer treat. Its health properties include being mildly diuretic so it is helpful for edema, bladder and kidney problems and flushing toxins from the body. It has even been used to treat depression.

Lettuce

Lettuces are roughly 94 to 95% water and are highly refreshing and high in hydration. Lettuce contains fiber, chlorophyll, cellulose and minerals. It is a good source of Vitamin A and potassium--and remember, the greener the lettuce leaves the more phytochemicals and minerals they contain.

Pineapple

At 95% water content, pineapple is very effective in neutralizing summer heat. Pineapple also contains bromelain, which increases digestion, and destroys many parasites. Pineapple has properties that are anti-inflammatory and is especially helpful with intestinal distress. It is delightfully sweet and very thirst quenching. Pineapple is used in Chinese medicine to treat sunstroke, indigestion, anorexia, diarrhea and edema.

Tomato

An important and delicious food, tomatoes contain 94 % water and are rich in the antioxidant: lycopene. Studies show that lycopenes reduced risk of many cancers. Tomato builds the blood, helps the liver and relieves high blood pressure. The tomato alkalinizes the blood and is therefore is useful for acid conditions. Whether you use them in a salad or sauteed with onions and your favorite greens in a breakfast omelette, tomatoes are a super food - and in season this month here in the northeast! Nature's sweet candy for sure so pop some cherry tomatoes in your mouth today! Surely a kid favorite snack too!

Blueberries

Blueberries contain up to 95% water and are rich in many phytochemicals and antioxidants. Blueberries are helpful in renewal of liver cells and because of their high content in Reservatrol they can be helpful in anti-aging, skin regeneration and healing. It is said that eating a cup of blueberries a day helps improve memory function!! While they are in season, buy in abundance - they freeze great for breakfast smoothies!

These delicious and naturally healing foods can be used in simple dishes or combined with other healthy foods into gourmet recipes. The creative opportunities for incorporating these foods are limitless,

Diane Hoch, CHC, founded The Food Evolution in 2010, and is currently its CEO. Diane is passionate about healthy eating, delicious meal creating and furthering a new, eco-conscious food system. She is a crusader for better school food and is actively committed to nutrition education for children and their parents.

The Food Evolution is Nutrition & Cooking center in Bardonia, NY that helps educate individuals and families in healthful eating and meal preparation. The Center is dedicated to fostering the peaceful progress of food evolution on our planet.

Food and Drink in the British Isles

UK restaurants offer a wide diversity of cuisine from all over the world but why not try some local dishes during your villa holiday. Traditional British food usually involves good plain cooking with fresh local ingredients and is often found in pubs or in restaurants which offer lighter versions of old favourites. Roast beef served with Yorkshire pudding or local specialties such as Lincolnshire or Cumberland pork sausages can be found on most menus. In the North Black Pudding made with offal is popular and lamb and chicken dishes feature on many menus along with hearty meat pies and homemade soups. Meals are usually served with chips, mash, boiled or roast potatoes and a good selection of vegetables. Whitbyon the east coast is famous for its crabs and the southeast coast is renowned for its mussels, whelks, cockles and jellied eels. In Britain you are never far from a fish and chip shop selling battered cod or haddock with chips sprinkled with salt and vinegar. Traditional puddings include fruit crumbles, apple pie or sponge pudding usually served with custard. Afternoon tea is still popular and you will find a good selection of cakes, scones, jam and cream and sandwiches on a teashop menu. Cheese is a great regional specialty; look out for different varieties at delicatessens and farmers markets.

There are some excellent award winning white English wines such as those produced by Three Choirs in Gloucestershire and Wickham in Hampshire.While enjoying your British Self Catering holiday you'll find a good selection of real ales is served in many pubs; look out for local micro-breweries. Mild such as Banks', Holdens and Highgate is most often found in the Midlands. Pale ales are more popular and Timothy Taylor, Adnams, Shepherd Neame and Marston's have good examples. Cider is still a favourite particularly in the southwest of England like Thatcher's in Somerset.

In Scotland look out for traditional foods such as haggis (spiced sheep's innards and seasoning) usually served with tatties (potatoes) and neeps (mashed turnip). Venison and grouse dishes are popular as are stovies, a mix of potatoes, onion and beef cooked in dripping. Scotch broth is made from mutton or beef stock, pearl barley, carrots and leeks while Cock-a-leekie soup is made from chicken, rice, leeks and prunes cooked in chicken stock. Smoked fish dishes such as kippers, salmon and Arbroath smokies (smoked haddock) can often be found. Finally, look out for a delicious chowder like dish called Cullen skink made from smoked haddock, mashed potato and milk. Scotland is also famous for its numerous whisky distilleries and a few beers too, like Deuchars and Caledonian.

Traditional dishes in Wales include Welsh lamb hot pot and cawl (meat stew with potatoes and vegetables). Fish is popular and other dishes such as Welsh rarebit (melted cheese on toast) and laver bread made from oatmeal and seaweed. There are plenty of local cheeses to sample such as Caerphilly and Pencarreg. Try Bara brith, a type of tea loaf and Welsh cakes, flat scones cooked on a griddle. Look out for eating establishments belonging to the Taste of Wales (Blas y Cymru) usually a sign of good food and finally some beers to try, Brains or Felinfoel.

In Northern Ireland try local cheeses, oysters and Guinness, Irish stew and drisheen (Black pudding). Look out for soda bread, Barm brak (tea loaf) and potato bread and finish the evening with an Old Bushmills whiskey.

If visiting the Channel Islands, self catering in Guernsey and self catering in Jersey, then you will find plenty of fresh fish, local dairy products and fresh seasonal produce on the menu. Look out for delicious home grown produce known as hedge veg sold by the roadside throughout the islands. Enjoy!