It was at the launch of the ‘Be Simply Great’ campaign from the Simply Great Drinks Company at London’s Radio Bar, with its fabulous views over the London Eye, The Shard and St Paul’s. It’s designed to challenge silly diets and overzealous exercise and is fronted by gorgeous Olympian Victoria Pendleton.
I was speaking with Dr Christian Jessen – better known for being the hunky doctor on the TV programme Embarrassing Bodies. He said how juice is vilified for being highly calorific, but that it enables the body to absorb many of the vitamins and minerals in breakfast cereals, so that’s the perfect time to have a glass.
“I’m not suggesting half a litre,” he was saying. “As in all things, it is moderation that is key.”
I started talking about iron as an essential mineral and how difficult it can be to mask the taste in functional drinks and asked him if it was better to eat spinach. He then went on to say that this was a long-time myth, as someone had once accidentally moved the decimal point when it came to measuring iron levels and it had gone on to become known as a ‘wonder food’ – particularly in the cartoons of Popeye and Olive Oil. What a shock! 100 years of spinach revenge. Still, I don’t believe it did us too much harm, and actually I love the stuff, whether wilted to nothing under fish or fresh in salads.
Two other innovations caught me by surprise this week, this time more in the beverage category, and have made me smile. First, Bowser Beer for Dogs – yes really! It’s made using alternative ingredients, and you can read my colleague Shaun Weston’s recent blog about the product right here. See the FoodBev Innovations section) Secondly, Kirin Ichiban’s Beer Slushie is just what we need to cool us down during the 2014 Fifa World Cup excitement. Read about it here. It looks like we’re in for a proper summer – no rain here in the UK for days – and now I’m worrying about watering my tomatoes!
If you come across any surprising new foods and drinks, or facts that change your perception, email me. For now, enjoy the sun!
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