Radishes … the facts!
Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway has revealed the secret to her dramatic weight loss for the hard hitting role of Fantine in Les Misérables…radishes.
According to reports the actress snacks on radishes and hummus as part of a strict diet and exercise regime to prepare for parts such as this, as well as the more athletic role of Catwoman in last year’s The Dark Knight Rises.
And while it’s clear she was going for an extreme look for the role of Fantine, even as part of healthy diet, radishes are still a great snack if you’re looking to lose weight or get in shape. Here are a few reasons why:
- The ultimate snack – With just 5 calories per serving1, radishes are officially the lowest calorie food you can eat – only water is as low, making them a great choice if you’re on a calorie focused diet like the 5:2 diet. And not only do they contain next to no calories, they are also super low in fat. Plus they’re a massive 95% water too, making them a great way to help boost your hydration levels2. Add to that their crunch factor – perfect for helping you feel satisfied, getting you to chew your food well and ensuring you stay fuller for longer – and their fresh peppery flavour, and you’ve got one seriously healthy yet satisfying snack.
TV nutritionist, Lowri Turner adds: “Radishes can also help dieters reduce portion sizes thanks to the crunch factor. It takes between 10 and 30 minutes for the brain to register the ‘I’m full’ signal from our stomachs so foods that need chewing, like radishes, slow down eating; this gives our bodies time to communicate the ‘stop eating’ message, meaning we may eat less and in turn lose weight.”
- They are a great source of water – Lowri adds: “Keeping hydrated is really important for good health. Every chemical reaction in our body requires water: it helps regulate body temperature; protects and cushions vital organs; is essential for excretion and making energy from food; it also makes up a large percentage of our vital organs – the brain, for example, is 75% water. For this reason, people are often told to drink 8 glasses of water a day. However, one of the best sources of water is the food we eat. This is because water is absorbed more slowly from food than when you drink a glass of water, so you are more likely to stay hydrated for longer. Radishes have one of the highest water contents of any fruit or vegetable (95%), so including them, either raw or cooked, in your daily diet is a really easy way to boost health.”
- Weight loss buddy – Many weight reducing diets, especially faddy diets, can be low in fibre or fruit and veg. A handful of radishes by your desk at work can contribute to your daily dose of fibre and help to curb those cravings. Just 8-10 radishes also make up one of your recommended five daily servings of fruit and vegetables (but remember radishes can help slimming or weight control only as part of a calorie-controlled diet).
- Low GI – Radishes are a low GI food so can help to stabilise your blood sugar levels, fill you up and provide you with slow release energy. This is because low GI foods cause a slow and gradual rise in blood glucose level rather than the quick and sharp rises caused by high GI foods. As a result, low GI foods can help you lose weight and help to keep blood glucose levels steady, which is especially important in diabetes.
- Good for your skin – Radishes are full of vitamins and minerals including Vitamin C making them a beauty conscious girl’s best friend – if it’s gorgeous skin and a healthy body you’re after, get these pink beauties thrown into your beauty food regime quick sharp.
Radishes are a great snack swap too – even compared to other healthy snacks – see below for details:
Radishes vs. almonds – Swap almonds for radishes as a daily snack and save 1,036 calories – approximately four and a half Krispy Kreme Doughnuts5 – a week6.
Plus…Radishes have zero fat content so are a much better option than almonds which weigh in at a whopping 13.9 fat/g.
Radishes vs. rice cakes – Swap rice cakes for radishes as your daily snack and save 385 calories – approximately two packs of Maltesers7 – a week8.
Plus…Radishes are 95% water so they win hands down against rice cakes when it comes to helping keep you hydrated. And unlike rice cakes, they also deliver a welcome boost of Vitamin C, potassium and folate.
Radishes vs. grapes – Swap grapes for radishes as your daily snack and save 175 calories – or a Cadbury’s Creme Egg9 – a week10.
Plus…Radishes have a higher water content, zero fat and less sugars than grapes.
So why not follow in Anne’s footsteps and get ‘catsuit ready’ by snacking on radishes for a change or trying out this tasty radish and garlic hummus recipe.
For more information or recipes visit www.loveradish.co.uk
Notes:
1. Based on a serving being 10 radishes – see Radish snack swap analysis table below.
2. According to the Institute of Medicine, 20 percent of your water intake comes from food sources.
3. According to FutureBrand, the healthy snacks of the future will need to satisfy our ancient need to chew on something from time to time and give our jaw muscles a workout
4. Based on swapping a 32.5g bag of Walkers Cheese and Onion Crisps (173 calories) for 10 radishes (40g and 5 calories) every day for a week.
5. Based on a 52g Original Glazed Krispy Kreme Doughnut® (222 calories each).
6. Based on swapping 25g almonds (153 calories) for 10 radishes (40g and 5 calories) every day for a week.
7. Based on a 37g pack of Maltesers (183 calories each).
8. Based on swapping 2 rice cakes (60 calories) for 10 radishes (40g and 5 calories) every day for a week.
9. Based on a 39g Cadbury’s Creme Egg (174 calories each).
10. Based on swapping 12 to 15 grapes (30 calories) for 10 radishes (40g and 5 calories) every day for a week.
Radish snack swap analysis (Data calculated using McCance and Widdowson analysis system)
|
Radish x 10 (40g) |
Almonds 25g |
Rice cakes x2 |
Grapes x 12-15 |
|
| Water |
95% |
4% |
0% |
82% |
| Calories |
4.8 |
153 |
60 |
30 |
| Fat/g |
0 |
13.9 |
0.4 |
0.05 |
| Fibre/g |
0.4 |
2 |
0 |
0.35 |
| Sugars/g |
0.8 |
1 |
0.5 |
7.7 |
| Potassium/mg |
9.6 |
195 |
0 |
105 |
| Vitamin C/mg |
0.7 |
0 |
0 |
1.5 |
| Folate/ μg |
1.5 |
12 |
0 |
1 |
| Carotene/ μg |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8.5 |
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