You’ve probably heard about the importance of folic acid in pregnancy. Folate (vitamin B9) is a critical nutrient in the formation of the fetal neural tube, that will later form the baby’s brain and entire nervous system. Women take folate or folic acid in pregnancy to reduce the chances of neural tube defects, and the first trimester of pregnancy is the most important time for this supplementation. Without sufficient folate, red blood cells (produced in the bone marrow) are too large, and...

Many of us grew up eating frozen or canned vegetables, boiled or steamed. It may be a revelation to some that eliminating water as a cooking method often brings out the best flavour in many veggies. That includes the ones you may have disliked as a child, when they were cooked in water! Roasted veggies are quick and easy to prepare. Just toss them on a sheet pan with some olive oil and seasonings and pop them in a hot oven for a delicious side to your dinner, and a welcome addition served...

Olives, and olive oil, have been important foods for millennia. In fact, it was Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, who called olive oil “the great healer”. The chemistry of olive oil is very similar to the oils of our skin, which may be why it has been used in beauty products for thousands of years. It contains vitamins E and K, and it is a mainly mono-unsaturated oil, so it doesn’t have negative effects on cholesterol. It is also rich in polyphenols*, those complex plant-based...