Outdoor eating for resilience

So you've been good at work all week and eaten regularly and healthily, maintaining your energy levels throughout the day. It's the weekend and the sun is threatening to shine and the thought of outdoor entertaining crosses your mind.

For some reason I haven’t had many opportunities to demonstrate my barbecuing skills this summer. Perhaps I should have taken advantage of the wonderful weather we had a Easter.

It’s often said that barbecues brings out the ‘caveman’ instincts in us males as we grapple and turn our kebabs and burgers to stop them from burning.   In fact little has changed in terms of our body make up since those prehistoric times...

And that's what seems to be causing such a big issue for us in the 21st century as our bodies struggle to cope with the refined carbs that play havoc with our sugar levels, causing lack of sustainable energy and obesity.

These refined carbs are a bit like the 'instant light' type of barbecue coals you can purchase in that they heat up quickly to such a heat that the food can easily get burnt. The coals also cool down as quick as they heated up giving a relatively short time to cook all your food.

On the other hand the compacted shaped briquettes take longer to get going however provide a steady workable heat that lasts considerably longer. These briquettes are like the complex carbs of low glycemic load which release sugars into the body in a more steady predictable way. This in turn prevents the blood sugar spikes that leads to the body having to literally defend itself by releasing large amounts of insulin which mops up the excess sugar that ultimately gets converted into fat.

So here are a few pointers if you're planning to indulge in a bit of outside entertaining

- try kebabs made up of either chicken, turkey or prawns alternated with peppers, tomatoes courgettes and mushrooms.

- if you are a fan of the instant light coals then it's probably worth starting the chicken off in the oven...  a good reason to go for the longer lasting briquettes!

- if you want a burger go for a good quality one with minimal amounts of fat... Or even better make your own.

- venison sausages have a far lower fat content  and have a great meaty taste

- for vegetarians, consider kebabs with tofu or halloumi instead of meat

- potato salad seems to be the side dish of choice at so many barbecues however why not try something a little bit lighter such as three bean salad

- if you are barbecuing some vegetable for the kebabs why not cook a few more to mix with couscous or quinoa along with some small cubes of feta cheese to make a delicious side dish.

.. And remember if you've got any leftovers to take them into work for either snacking or lunchtime.

For more information on eating to build resilience, health and wellbeing please click on the link below to receive a free copy of my book 'Fit for business.. 7 steps to improve your company's competitive advantage.'

http://www.martincrisp.com/freebook/