Stevia, what is it and why does it sound like the female version of Steven? Well I can only answer one of those questions. It's a sweetener and sugar substitute native to south America, extracted from the leaf of plant species Stevia rebaudiana. A lot of us love the sweet, sweet taste of sugar and ...

Couscous originated from the North African diet and has a light, fluffy texture. In Morocco it is traditionally served as part of a tajine, consisting of slow cooked chicken or lamb with vegetables, chickpeas and often nuts and dried fruit in a delicious stew. Wholewheat couscous itself comes from ...

Four years have flown by since the last Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. This year, the games are taking place (between 4th-15th April) in the Gold Coast region of beautiful Australia . England’s team of strong and talented weightlifters will strive to excel and aim to reach the top of the medals ...

I love peanuts, they’re an incredible edible which is actually native to the tropics. The legume most often misconstrued to be a nut is also extremely good for you! Peanuts, whilst being ubiquitously popular as a snack in the UK, are also featured in Asian cooking with satay and chikki (or peanut ...

Native to the Mediterranean and Eurasia and growing in rocky, mountainous areas, there are several types of oregano, not just the ones you can buy in the shops. In fact there are 44 species of oregano! You probably know it though for its role in Greek and Italian foods and many love it for its ...

Shallots are an extremely well recognised part of folk medicine native to Asia as well as being a versatile ingredient. They are closely related to onions as you've probably guessed, and share some similarities with garlic. If you love onions and would never dare to pick up a shallot, let me see if ...

OK folks, this one is for geeks of the sport: there’s no better man to look to for rugby advice than Brian O’Driscoll. If you were to ask any rugby fan to name the greatest centre to have ever played the game I have no doubt his name would be the first on their lips. So if you’re a rugby player ...

Spices are often the food stuffs that get tucked away at the back of your cupboard primed and ready for that rare day when you are preparing a curry from scratch. Cumin is one of those amazing little ingredients that people just forget about but there is a lot of surprising goodness in eating a ...

Exercise isn’t just good for your health — your dog loves it too! Daily walking is standard for dog owners everywhere. A study conducted by Michigan State University showed that dog owners have significantly more active lifestyles than people without dogs. Not only does exercising with your dog ...

Everyone has a nut that they cannot resist, from pine nuts to the humble peanut, nuts are a fantastic source of natural fats that you cannot get enough of. Hazelnuts are a listed superfood with tons of health benefits as well as an excellent flavour. There are, however, some misconceptions about ...