Brilliant Food by Mollie Blake


I’m delighted to share my Love Affair with Food with you today, and for me, it’s the eating rather than the cooking. I’m not a good cook and do it for survival rather than passion.  I make myself cook and I make my family eat it. Some efforts are more successful than others, but, hey, we are all still alive J

Despite my culinary inadequacy, I do care about what we eat. Rather than share a recipe with you today, I thought I would share my five super-foods to keep you healthy.

No. 1 Blueberries

You would not believe all the benefits these delicious berries provide.
·         Vitamin K - blood coagulation and binding of calcium in bones and other tissues
·         Vitamin C - helping to repair and regenerate tissues, absorbtion of iron and preventing heart disease
·         Fibre - associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer
·         Manganese - supports bone health and helps prevent osteoporosis. It’s also needed for antioxidant and enzyme function, helps maintain cognitive function, fights and damages diabetes, supports lung and respiratory health, helps prevent arthritis and osteoarthritis, reduces pms symptoms
·         Antioxidants, in particular anthocyanins - provide anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-cancer benefits

So what’s not to love? If you only make one change to your diet – add blueberries.


No. 2 Oats


High in fibre and protein, oats contain some unique components.
·         Beta glucan - one form of soluble dietary fibre that’s strongly linked to improving cholesterol levels and boosting heart health. 
·         Avenanthramides - exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-itch activity


No. 3 Olives


Although approximately 80 percent of the calories in an olive are fat, it is the healthy fat, the main one being oleic acid. Studies have found this to have a protective effect when it comes to cancer and maintaining a healthy heart.

No. 4 Broccoli

These little green trees, as my son used to call them, are a great source of a long list of what helps make us brilliant:

·         Vitamin B - B complex vitamins are needed for healthy skin, hair, eyes, and liver. They also help the nervous system function properly
·         Choline - a macronutrient that's important for liver function, normal brain development, nerve function, muscle movement, supporting energy levels and maintaining a healthy metabolism
·         Vitamin A - important for normal vision, the immune system, and reproduction. It also helps the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs work properly
·         Potassium - potassium-rich foods can lower your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease. Studies suggest boosting your potassium intake and curbing salt and sodium can slash your stroke risk by 21% and may also lower your odds of developing heart disease
·         Iron - an essential nutrient, it is a component of haemoglobin in red blood cells that distribute oxygen around the body, and myoglobin that is found in muscles and tissues.
·         Zinc - necessary for the body's immune system to work properly, zinc plays a role in cell division, cell growth, wound healing, and the breakdown of carbohydrates. Zinc is also needed for the senses of smell and taste.
·         Calcium - the body uses 99 percent of its calcium to keep your bones and teeth strong, thereby supporting skeletal structure and function. The rest of the calcium in your body plays key roles in cell signaling, blood clotting, muscle contraction and nerve function.
·         Selenium - works as an antioxidant, especially when combined with vitamin E. Antioxidants like selenium help fight damaging particles in the body known as free radicals.


No. 5 Salmon


This delicious fish has a lot to offer our bodies, as well as our taste buds. In addition to being a good source of B vitamins and choline, mentioned above, salmon is packed with a whole lot more.

·         The sunshine vitamin D – this has multiple roles within the body, helping to maintain the health of bones and teeth; support the health of the immune system, brain, and nervous system; regulate insulin levels and aid diabetes management; support lung function and cardiovascular health; influence the expression of genes involved in cancer development
·         Taurine - important for the body because of its role in the maintenance of organ and cell function
·         Omega-3 fatty acids - these are one of the "good" types of fat. They may help lower the risk of heart disease, depression, dementia, and arthritis. Your body can't make them - you have to eat them or take supplements.
·         Phosphorus - next to calcium, phosphorus is the most abundant mineral in the body. These 2 important nutrients work closely together to build strong bones and teeth
·         Potassium – this is a mineral, not a vitamin. Eating more of these potassium-rich foods can lower your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease. Studies suggest boosting your potassium intake and curbing salt and sodium can slash your stroke risk by 21% and may also lower your odds of developing heart disease

Don’t you just love the idea that your food is helping to keep your body brilliant?

But there’s more to life than that, and I couldn’t end a piece on “What Makes us Brilliant” without including something that makes us happy.

What would life be without chocolate? Wishing you all a very happy love affair with your food.
Sugar Free Chocoloate




 Mollie Blake is a published author of contemporary romance. A lover of reading sexy stories, Mollie decided to go one step further and write her own. Her romances are filled with danger and peppered with hot sexy scenes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and UK Romantic Novelists Association.

Connect with her on the web:



Website     Facebook      Twitter       Author Page




Keeping You: A Cheshire Love Story (Cheshire Love Stories Book 3)



His past haunts him. Revenge drives him. Can her love save him?

After a chance meeting in a bookshop, young Suzy Harper is engaged by multi-multimillionaire, Lawrence Bane, to work on translating a French document. They embark on an intense relationship, but he is surrounded by mystery and shame as demons from his past threaten to destroy everything he has worked for, including her love for him.

This exciting erotic romantic thriller traces the increasingly intense and tender relationship between the inexperienced Suzy and her wealthy, troubled lover, Lawrence. There are two obsessions in Lawrence’s life—his passion for Suzy and his drive for revenge against the gangland boss who murdered his best friend.

Will Suzy be strong enough to accept Lawrence for the man he is? Will Lawrence trust the woman he loves enough to reveal his darkest secrets to her? Will their love survive the challenges that lie ahead?

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Comments

  1. The books sounds good. I love all of those foods. I like to cook and usually cook every day. I like trying new recipes and some don't come out good but at least I tried.

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    1. Thanks for commenting Mary. I have to follow recipes. My husband band me from improvising many years ago. But I do try xx

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  2. Sounds like a fun read!
    These foods are so fantastic for us. I eat oatmeal every morning and luckily never get bored of it. My husband is obsessed with frozen blueberries. He buys in them larges bags and eats them like ice cream!

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    1. Ha, Val, at least it's healthy. And sounds lovely with ice cream xx

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  3. I am all about the chocolate!!! Actually, I like all of the foods you've listed, except for olives. *shudder* I can't even put one in my mouth!

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    1. Ha - I grew into olives in my forties. I love them now :) xx

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  4. Replies
    1. Add a few strawberries, Gloria, and it's a lovely combination xx

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  5. I love all of these! I like to soak chia seeds and oats in almond milk for 20 minutes for an added boost of nutrition. Top it with blueberries for an even bigger kick of healthy goodness.

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    1. That sounds good, Theresa. I haven't heard of chia seeds - I'll go and look them up. xx

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  6. Great list of foods and the book sounds good

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  7. Wonderful info on food.
    Love this cover and love romantic thrillers. This sounds like a good one.

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    1. Thanks Sandra - let me know what you think if you do read Keeping You xx

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  8. Blueberries and salmon sound good to me!

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  9. Thank you so much for this!
    I love all these delicious foods, especially blueberries and salmon...and the book sounds really intriguing. :))

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    1. My weakness, Nancy. Something that delicious has to be good for us x

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  11. I love the saltiness of green olives, and I'm trying to eat broccoli more than I have been. I love a romantic suspense novel, and this one sounds really good. Hugs...RO

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    1. Thanks RO. My son and I are good with eating broccoli. It's the husband who needs persuading. And it's not easy to hide. Tiny pieces in a pasta dish can work :) If you decide to read the book I hope you enjoy it x

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  12. Salmon, oats, chocolate, and blueberries are all regulars in my diet! :)

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    1. Hi Sherry - so we have much more in common ;) Nice to meet you xx

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  13. Thank you sooo much for this outstanding post my friend!!!!

    honestly speaking i never saw blue berries here ,though oats ,broccoli and fish are regular part of our meals .
    ah what a bd luck that though i love to eat chocolate but can't as in the 48th year of my age hubby doesn't allow me to have it daily as i like but once in a while little bit is allowed.

    Mollie sounds very nice writer

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