NEWS FROM GROWING UP MILK

GROWING UP MILK LAUNCHES UK'S

 FIRST VITAMIN D DAY 

Vitamin D Day to shine spotlight on vitamin D

LONDON (26 MARCH, 2013) At the dawn of British summertime 2013, growingupmilkinfo.com launches the UK's first Vitamin D Day (31 March) to raise awareness about the importance of the vitamin for toddler development.

The first day of British summertime marks the start of when the sun is at the right angle for our bodies to make vitamin D. This period from April to September is vital as it is the only time Brits can receive vitamin D from the sun. Experts agree that the limited sunshine in the UK does not always give toddlers the opportunity to get all the vitamin D they need, which is why they recommend that toddlers have vitamin D rich diets and take supplements to help support their growth and development.

With a recent survey highlighting that the majority of UK mums (91%)i don't know the recommended dietary intake of vitamin D for toddlers, Vitamin D Day has been created to address misconceptions, and educate the nation's parents, about the role of diet in providing the essential vitamin.

Health expert and ITV's This Morning regular, Dr Chris Steele, who is backing Vitamin D Day, stressed the importance of dietary intake of vitamin D for toddlers. He said: "Many parents are confused about how much vitamin D is needed for the normal growth of toddler bones and teeth.

He added: "The lack of vitamin D in toddler diets is a growing health concern and we need to ensure that our toddlers are getting the best from their diets. Presently, the average British toddler is only getting 27% of their daily vitamin D RNIii which is a major concern as the sun cannot be relied upon alone to fulfil a toddler's vitamin D needs."

Leading weather intelligence company Metra Weather expects that the first months of this summertime will not be much better than the washout summer of 2012, with warm summer temperatures not expected until May and another dull and wet July iii.

Growingupmilkinfo.com nutritionist, Dr Leanne Olivier, commented: "With the unpredictable weather, toddlers in the UK are considered vulnerable to low-levels of vitamin D.

"And it's harder to get vitamin D from the sun north of Birmingham with toddlers in the cities of Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds and Sheffield indexing higher for low levels of the vitamin. This also applies to toddlers who have darker skin or cover up for cultural reasons, with this in mind it is imperative that a toddlers' vitamin D intake is supplemented through diet."

Vitamin D Day aims to educate Brits on the food sources, like oily fish, liver and eggs, as well as food and milks fortified with vitamin D, such as fortified breakfast cereals and Growing Up Milk, to help supplement vitamin D levels in our little ones' diets.

A range of activities will be taking place in the lead up to the awareness day such as vitamin D cooking classes with mums, recipes from toddler chef Fiona Faulkner, and a vitamin D Q&A video with Dr Chris Steele, which will feature on the newly developed Growing Up Milk Info website.

For information on healthy ways to help your toddler top-up their daily vitamin D intake, download free toddler meal planners, or get advice from health experts, visit growingupmilkinfo.com.

NEWS FROM HIGHER LIVING

THAT’S WHAT MAKES YOU BREW-TIFUL

One Direction told: Break glass in an emergency...for tea!

One Direction have been given a special secret weapon for their up-coming sell-out Manchester gigs as the clean-living boys shun booze once again – and demanded TEA instead.

The low-maintenance lads – who drank peppermint tea at last month's Brits – have told organisers that the only thing they want in their dressing room is a plentiful supply of tea bags.

And to stop the thirsty boys running out, one of Britain's last remaining organic tea blenders Higher Living has created a special tea dispensing device to be placed back stage… only in an emergency.

A source close to the band said; "The lads and their management team have specifically asked to keep their dressing room low-key before the shows and requested tea in there rather than booze."

Higher Living has filled the boys' dressing room with a mountain of organic peppermint tea bags for Friday and Saturday's gigs – but if they get through the lot, as a last resort they can smash the emergency glass.

The ‘One Way Or Another’ hit singers appear to have an insatiable appetite for British tea with band members admitting that they take it on tour when abroad. Tea fanatic Louis Tomlinson even recently revealed a steaming hot cup of tea tattooed on his arm which is believed to be in reference to the One Direction song Little Things, which features the line: 'You can’t go to bed without a cup of tea / Maybe that’s the reason that you talk in your sleep.'

Premium organic tea maker Higher Living is described as the Rolls Royce of teas and is one of the last remaining tea blenders in Britain.

A Higher Living spokesman said: "Many professional singers drink tea before gigs to warm-up and repair vocal chords plus peppermint’s menthol qualities also help clear the airways. The lads are so committed to their fans that they don’t want anything to spoil the show and won’t leave anything to chance. We hope the emergency tea kits will give them peace of mind to perform their best set yet!”

One Direction aren’t the only singers who enjoy a good brew with other global superstars such as Noel Gallagher, Madonna and even Tinie Tempah admitting their love for Britain’s national drink.

NEWS FROM MIELE

Cooking Up A Steam

Miele launches the world's first calorie-neutral restaurant

Imagine a restaurant where you can dine on the finest food, created by an award-winning chef, and leave having burnt off every calorie consumed in the sitting…

Yesterday, in celebration of its steam-cooking appliances, Miele launched the world's first calorie-neutral restaurant; Steam.  Open for one day only in Covent Garden, the pop-up eatery saw diners enjoy healthy, steamed food without compromising on taste, or their waist.

'Calorie-neutral' doesn't mean just be nibbling on lettuce leaves and sipping water. Miele teamed up with the award-winning Head Chef at The Boundary, Frederick Forster, to ensure that each and every foodie at this exclusive dining experience was served a meal that oozed with flavour.

The interactive quality of Steam is what gave the restaurant its calorie-neutral status. Whilst dining, customers participated in a number of activities, to ensure they offset their calorie footprint. From taking part in an exercise class, to completing dining workouts whilst sitting on vibrating seatpads in order to increase calorie burn, 'steamees' certainly experienced a dining extravaganza like no other.

Dominic Worsley, Marketing Director at Miele comments: "We are very excited about the launch of Steam. This is something that has never been done before, so we can't wait to hear what people think. If the restaurant proves a success, we'd love to roll them out across the country."

Talking about the restaurant, National Chef of the Year Frederick Forster adds: "To show that healthy food can be tasty too, all of the dishes I have created for the restaurant were cooked using Miele steam ovens. Cooking with steam preserves all natural flavours, vitamins, colour and texture, and there is no need to add oils or fats to your food, making it healthier than food cooked using other methods."

So, what was served up? Dishes for the day included scallop and chorizo brochette with cucumber and ginger dressing; beef fillet with beansprout salad; quail egg cocotte with mushroom and leek fondue; and prawn stuffed lemon sole with herb butter sauce. Diners even enjoyed a dessert, as Frederick served up a tasty banana cake with confit pineapple and crème chantilly.

As a supporter of The Haven, Miele raised money for the UK breast cancer charity at the restaurant launch.

Steam was open on Wednesday, 13^th March at 5 – 7 Grape Street, Covent Garden, with four 90-minute seatings commencing at 12:00, 12:30, 18:30 and 19:00.