Anne Hathway showcased her enviable figure at the Oscars last night
Anne Hathway stepped up on to the stage last night to receive her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in the amazing Les Misérables; a role she lost a considerable amount of weight for.
The dramatic weightloss was for the role of Fantine in the film and it took a strict diet and exercise regime to get her ready for it.
According to reports the actress snacks on radishes and hummus to prepare for the parts in both Les Miserables, 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 serving, 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 levels. 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 Doughnuts - a week.
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 Maltesers - a week.
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 Egg - a week.
Plus…Radishes have a higher water content, zero fat and less sugars than grapes.
Or why not try this recipe from www.loveradish.co.uk
Toasted garlic hummus with radishes and pitta bread
A really healthy lunchtime snack – and equally perfect as an accompaniment for grown up drinks.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
You’ll need:
Hummus:
6 cloves of garlic, sliced
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
400g tinned chickpeas, drained
1 lemon zested and juiced
1 tbsp tahini
Salt and pepper
Accompaniments:
400g mixed radishes cut in half
4 warmed pitta breads
What to do:
Place the garlic and olive oil into a medium sized frying pan, heat gently until the garlic starts to turn a golden brown, remove from the heat and set aside.
Place all of the hummus ingredients into a food processor, blend until, fairly smooth and season with salt and pepper.
Serve with radishes and warmed pitas.
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