How to eat

Successful extraction of nutrients from your food is as essential as eating a good diet. However, many people have poor digestive function.

How to maximise your digestive function.

Make sure you’re in the right frame of mind for digestion: Avoid eating if you are stressed, rushed, anxious etc. Your digestive system will not work under those conditions!

Stimulate and support the digestive process

Bitter tastes stimulate the production of stomach acid and enzymes

  • Take a few drops of Angastura, or herbal bitters in water 10 minutes before eating. Other bitter things include, raw chicory – try making a small raw salad before meals.

Support and supplement your enzymes:

  • Raw vegetables are particularly helpful:
  • Try a chicory, or watercress salad as a daily addition to your diet (these have the added advantage of being bitter).
  • Try raw vegetables with humus or guacamole.
  • Take an enzyme supplement with your food (see supplement recommendations below).

Increase your stomach acidity

  • Try “live” apple cider vinegar: 1-2tbs in 15ml of water 10-15 mins before eating.

Chew really well, to better break down your food, both with your teeth, and the enzymes contained in your saliva. This will cause you to eat more slowly, giving your stomach more time to prepare itself for digestion.

Match your meals times better to your digestive system:

Try to eat a much smaller evening meal, eg. A small salad with soup, or plates with mixtures of chopped apple, sliced carrot and dips. Try to always eat before 7pm.

This should make it easier for you to fuel your day with a hearty breakfast. Eggs would be an excellent option. Yoghurt with nuts and seeds is another good option.

Drink enough water (but not with meals)

Your requirements vary hugely depending on your size, level of activity and temperature / humidity of the environment. However, most people don’t drink enough water. Anything between 1.5 and 3l would be a normal requirement for an average woman.

Avoid foods which feed stomach bacteria or raise blood sugar levels:

  • Sugar
  • Sweet (even “sugar free”) drinks
  • Carbohydrates, especially bread, pasta, biscuits, snacks etc.

Bicarbonate of soda stomach acid test – if you want to find out whether you have adequate levels of stomach acid for healthy digestion.

First thing in the morning, add ½ tsp bicarb to a small glass of water and drink it on an empty stomach. You should be burping within a minute or two. If not, this is suggestive of low stomach acid levels. Remedy: See “increase your stomach acidity” above.

What to Eat

Eat Real Food – Not processed

Whole vegetables and meat and diary as near to what comes from animals as possible. Preferably organic.

Not too much

Small plates, small portions. eat slowly enough to know when you’re no longer hungry. Then stop!

Adequate protein

Protein is essential, we are largely composed of protein, which is constantly being regenerated. Eat meat, fish, nuts, seeds, eggs

Healthy Fat

Our cell walls are made up of fat, hormones are made from fat and our brain is particularly hungry for fat. Eat plenty of olive oil, coconut oil, coconut milk and fat rich foods like eggs, nuts, avocados

Lots of Vegetables

The plant fibres and chemicals (vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, tannins, anthocyanins, catechins and many others) are vital for our health. We will wither and die without them. The more we can eat, every day, the better. Aim for variety, particularly in colour. Fruit is good in moderation, with an eye on the sugar (fructose) content.

Food isn’t just fuel – it’s actionable information for your DNA, one bite at a time.

Our cell walls contain thousands of genes, and the way those genes express themselves can be switched on or off by our diet and lifestyle. (There is a whole new branch of science devoted to this very issue, called epigenetics).

The area of healthy nutrition is filled with confusing and conflicting information.

  • The food industry has its own, commercially motivated messages. Real food, straight from the farm or the ground will never make as much money for big industry as processed food.
  • Governments also have their own political agendas. The food industry, and Industrial Agriculture are forces to be reckoned with. Huge amounts of money are involved and lobbies are extremely powerful.
  • Pharmaceutical companies are also responsible for misleading the public. Cholesterol blocking drugs, for example rely on the widespread belief that Cholesterol is bad and we should avoid foods rich in cholesterol. This is totally incorrect. There is no scientific evidence to back these assumptions. Cholesterol rich foods will NOT give you high cholesterol. Quite the contrary, they will enhance a healthy cholesterol balance.

The Rules – what makes a good diet

Eat organic foods which are in season if you possiblycan

These will be much fresher, contain much higher levels of vitamins, minerals and enzymes, and will not contain toxic pesticide residues. Box schemes can be quite good value for money, and local farmer’s markets can be excellent.

Make your food taste good!

The simplest dishes can be hugely enhanced by the addition of lemon juice, butter or olive oil, black pepper, toasted almonds, toasted seeds or spices (toasted caraway, cumin or coriander seeds) and fresh herbs.

Try adding my green sauce (see recipe section) to meat or vegetables for a super extra portion of greens, and bags of taste.

Avoid Sugar and sugar substitutes (retrain your palate)

Everyone is becoming more aware of the relationship between poor health and sugar consumption. The less you eat, the less you want it. After a few weeks of minimal sugar, you will begin to find many foods you used to enjoy disgustingly sweet!

On the other hand, you’ll find that you have more energy and you won’t be as hungry when you switch to eating real, one-ingredient foods. You will also eliminate artificial sweeteners from your diet. There is absolutely NOTHING good about artificial sweeteners!

  • Avoid: sorbitol, saccharin (Sweet-N-Low), aspartame (Equal), and sucralose (Splenda). These are harmful toxins! Many studies are now confirming the damage they can do.
  • All sweet tasting things will provoke in insulin response in the body (which we should seek to avoid where possible). Sugar replacements of any kind (except occasional good quality honey) should be avoided.

Check for hidden sugars.

  • Read labels – you will be amazed where sugar crops up.
  • Sugar comes in many disguises. Any word with “ose” at the end is a sugar (Glucose, fructose, galactose, maltose, sucrose, dextrose etc).
  • The following are all sugars: Corn syrup (including “high fructose corn syrup” HFCS), corn sweetener, cane juice, fruit juice concentrate, maple syrup, raw sugar, xylose, sorghum.
  • Drinks can be a particularly harmful source of sugars. Avoid all fruit juices / squash / wine or beer/fizzy drinks (except pure water).

For sweetness add cinnamon to foods. Grated apple or carrots add sweetness, or figs and dates.

Carbohydrates - Avoid grain based carbs and sugar.

Highly refined, processed carbohydrates (biscuits, cakes, snack foods, even some bread) will be quickly converted into sugar in your gut. This can disrupt your blood sugar balance, disrupt your gut microbes, disturb your sleep, cause you to gain weight, and rob you of energy.

Grains are the only major food group which isn’t essential to human health. Many people these days are arguing that we should remove grains altogether from our diet. If you have problems with weight management, sustained energy, sleep or mood, you may well benefit from removing grains from your diet. Please see my recipe information for many excellent alternatives.

What about Gluten ?

Many people have a hard time properly digesting gluten.

Gluten is extremely indigestible and modern foods contain so much more gluten than we have ever been exposed to before. Also, the modern digestive system is not nearly as robust as that of our forebears. (Thanks to our environment, lifestyles and diets).

Gluten plays a role in a host of both psychological and physical problems, from depression and anxiety to reflux and IBS. Worse still, gluten is associated with a host of auto-immune diseases, such as psoriasis, thyroid problems, cardiovascular problems, skin conditions, inflammatory bowel diseases and many others.

Should you eliminate gluten from your diet?

The best way to find out, is to eliminate gluten totally from your diet for a minimum of 14 days. Be absolutely strict. Read all labels, and ask at restaurants.

Note your health in the following areas:

  • Joints
  • Gut health: Bloating, IBS, discomfort, constipation, diarrhoea
  • Sleep
  • Mood (depression, anxiety)

After a minimum of 14 days, re-introduce gluten. Keep noting all symptoms related to the above bullet points. It can take 3-4 days for some symptoms, such as depression, to become apparent.

Then decide for yourself if you will benefit from coming off gluten.

Eat protein with every meal

Protein is essential for building and maintaining lean muscle mass and stoking your fat burning metabolism. Along with fibre, protein keeps you full between meals, so your meals and snacks should always include protein.

The best protein foods include grass fed meat, poultry, wild (not farmed) fish, organic eggs, and some dairy products (like whey protein, yogurt, and kefir, a little cheese), nuts and seeds.

How much protein should you eat?

An easy rule of thumb is to eat 1 gram of protein per pound of desired

Bodyweight, so if your ideal body weight is 10 stone (140lb), you should be eating 140g protein per day.

In practise, 1-2 eggs + one average sized piece of meat or fish + some nuts and seeds, or a little cheese or yoghurt should be adequate for most women. If you are undertaking intense exercising or training, you may need more protein.

Eat daily healthy fats.

“Healthy fats are good. Healthy fats help you LOSE fat fast.” It’s true!

Fats will help you feel full for longer, and they are the best source of fuel for your cells.

  • For cooking use: Butter, ghee, coconut oil, beef dripping, goose fat
  • To add to salads or vegetables, use: Plenty of olive oil (with lemon juice or vinegar)
  • Enjoy fat rich foods such as eggs, nuts, seeds and avocados
  • Avoid margarine and vegetable oils (except those listed).
  • Omega-3 fats are particularly important. You can enjoy these in wild fish (such as salmon) and even walnuts. But it’s hard to get enough to compensate for the damage our modern world inflicts on us. You may well benefit from a high quality Omega 3 supplement

Fast for at least 12 hours between your evening meal and breakfast

Intermittent fasting can be very helpful, not only for losing weight, but also, for balancing blood sugar levels. I strongly recommend you avoid snacks before bed.

Our body benefits hugely from significant gaps between meals. You may well benefit from occasional missed meals (Either supper or breakfast), for a longer gap. For more information on the many benefits of intermittent fasting,

Drink only water and green drinks

Drinking more water and eliminating fizzy drinks, “sugar-free” drinks, fruit juice, black tea and coffee will make a dramatic change in your health.

It’s likely that you’ll have better digestion, fewer headaches, and less overall body pain. The liquids you consume are extremely important for your health. Start your day with 2 cups of cold, clean, filtered water + the juice of ½ a lemon to get off to a healthy start. (See my information about water and hydration) Don’t consume too much water too close to bedtime, though, as this will interrupt your sleep. One to two cups of coffee per day is ok, but avoid developing a large-Starbucks twice per day caffeine habit.

Swap one of your coffees for Green Tea. It still contains caffeine (most versions) but tea comes with many health benefits of its own. Research suggests that drinking Green Tea with breakfast and lunch will help you stay full longer.

Feast on fibre

It will help sustain and increase your energy. The fibre found in nuts, seeds, fruit, vegetables and beans, helps avoid bloating and maintains bowel regularity, and keeps hunger at bay.

Good foods / Bad foods – where do you start?

Avoid / Because
Diet or “sugar free” drinks / Aspartame (used to sweeten many diet drinks – often disguised by different names, such as sucralose) is in the running to become one of the most toxic chemicals consumed on a regular basis. Studies repeatedly show this chemical to be associated with a large increase in cardiovascular disease (up to 50% increase in heart attacks[1][i]), kidney failure and neurological disease. Avoid all artificial sweeteners.
Fruit juice, squash, wine, beer / These contain too much sugar (fructose). Even natural, freshly pressed fruit juice. When the body is confronted with large amounts of sugar but no fibre, fat or protein, it is severely stressed. Repeated sugar stresses lead to dysfunction in sugar metabolism and many other problems.
Cheap Table Salt / Cheap table salt is highly refined, and potentially damaging to our health. However, we need sodium chloride. Use sea salt instead.
Sugar / Try to avoid adding sugar to food or drinks, and avoid foods with added sugar.
Unhealthy Snacks and biscuits / Good snacks include apples, nuts, oatcake + cheese, avocado, nut butter on cucumber slices, hard boiled egg,
Inflammatory Oils / For cold food (salads etc) use olive oil. For cooking, try to use coconut oil, butter, or animal fat (goose, beef dripping etc). These fats which our ancestors used (at a time when heart disease was almost unheard of!), are much healthier than other vegetable oils.
Margarine or fat spread of any kind / That anyone believes this is healthy is a triumph of marketing. This highly refined, rancid and disgusting substance is deeply unhealthy and should be avoided! Use butter – (there is a considerable body of research confirming that this is not bad for you!)

Recipes

Useful equipment

I don’t know what I would do without my Moulinex vegetable grater. This is a mechanical grater (it cost me around £18 from Amazon). You put your carrots / apples or other vegetables into the grating compartment and just turn the handle. It saves your knuckles and It’s easy to clean too. (Alternatively, you may have grating attachments on your food processors).

Alternatives to grains

Replace any grains you normally eat (breakfast cereals, rice, couscous, pasta, wheat).

  • Quinoa (it’s a seed which you can use like rice) Available from most supermarkets. Makes great porridge, and fantastic for salads.
  • Sweet potato – This is less starchy than regular potato
  • Butternut squash – you can peel this, chop it into squares, cook it and mash, adding butter. It’s very tasty.

-Cauliflower rice:

  • Cauliflower, grated and steamed with butter for “rice” or cooked and mashed really well with butter, makes a remarkably good addition to a meal (people often wonder how I get my mashed potato to taste so delicious, and are amazed when I tell them it’s cauliflower!)

Alternatives to bread:

Avoid “gluten free” bread if possible. This is often highly refined, and, in my opinion, rather unpalatable.

-Pancakes made by combining eggs with ground almonds (click for a basic recipe). I add things like grated carrots or apples or courgettes for sweetness and interest.

-Buckwheat pancakes – I always soak mine overnight with yoghurt or apple cider vinegar plus a bit of water.– see THIS recipe for the rationale

-Sweet potato bread (click for recipe)

Interesting websites, books and sources of information

  • Hemsleyandhemsley.com – lovely gluten free, dairy-free recipe ideas, maybe not practical for every day. Their book (by the same name) has many excellent recipes, and I highly recommend it.
  • Nomnompaleo.com – loads of gluten free, dairy-free recipes (scroll down the page). Lots of them are straight forward, easy.
  • MarksDailyApple.com – again lots of ideas. This website is worth exploring further if you have the time. There is a lot of valuable and interesting information.
  • DeliciouslyElla.com Lots more GF, DF recipe ideas. An inspiring website. She has also written a book. The recipes are good, but contain some ingredients which have to be ordered on-line.
  • Chriskresser.com There is a wealth of very useful health information on this website, along with recipes. Green juice

Combine 1 apple, 1 stick celery, 1/3 cucumber, (small bag or big handful of spinach), ½ courgette. Juice of half a lemon, small (1/2 in sq) ginger.