10 simple swaps to help you take control of your wellness

Choosing healthier foods can be easier than you may think. By changing just a few eating habits and making small changes you can look better, feel better and slim down too!

Add more vegetables to your life

Experiment with some of the many simple ways to do this to help maximise your nutrition. 

• grate a carrot, courgette or pureed cauliflower or swede/turnip/celeriac to any savoury sauces, soup or casserole
• add extra sides of greens to every main meal
• add a handful of leafy greens (spinach, chard, kale, parsley or broccoli) to your smoothies 

Replace white sugar with natural sweeteners

Stay away from refined sugar in drinks, on cereals and in recipes, use natural sweeteners such as rice malt syrup, raw honey, pure maple syrup or coconut sugar.. Even better, experiment by adding less sugar than recipes suggest, it will be better for you and will taste just as sweet. 

Eat fresh fruit instead of juice

Skip the glass of orange juice and eat a fresh orange instead. As well as extra fibre, fruit sugars are less damaging to teeth when they’re contained within the whole fruit.

Try plant based milks instead of cow’s milk

Dairy can be a trigger for an upset stomach. Substitute with a nut milk such as almond, coconut or soya (see our previous post ‘Make your own nut milk’), or make milk from hemp seeds. 

Swap fruit juices/fizzy drinks for soda water

Drinking just one can of soft drink a day increases your risk of diabetes by 22%. Try soda water with ice and a lime slice to significantly reduce the sugar content from liquids.

Use Greek yoghurt instead of milk

Replace milk on your granola with Greek yoghurt (see the recipe for 'Extremely tasty granola' in our breakfast recipes)

Bake sweet potatoes instead of chips

Sweet potatoes are full of beta carotene, which converts into vitamin A in your body.

Slice into wedges, toss with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Place on a baking tray and roast at 200 degrees (gas mark for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Sweet potatoes can also be used as a mash for fish/cottage pie, baked whole or made into crisps.

Try frozen fruits instead of ice-cream

Freeze and blitz one or more different kinds of fruits such as banana or pineapple adding cacao, coconut water or nuts. Banana gives a lovely low fat creamy texture.

Drink infused water instead of fruit juice

Put half strawberries and mint or sliced orange and cucumber in a jug and chill for 3-4 hours. Enjoy the fruity flavour without the calories.

Use almonds instead of breadcrumbs

Ground almonds are perfect for coating chicken or binding meatballs or burgers, while roughly chopped almonds can be sprinkled over gratin. Almonds will boost your zinc, fibre and iron levels. 

Let us know of any healthy food swaps you have made.

Namaste

Alison x

Sources:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/emofly/food-swaps-for-healthier-snacking#.vf1Nax4r2

http://www.waitrose.com/home/inspiration/waitrose_lovelife/healthy-swaps.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/15/healthy-food-swaps-so-easy-so-nice_n_6472010.html

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/Healthyfoodswaps.aspx

Have you forgotten food is medicine?

Have we forgotten how amazing our bodies are, how we can do so much with what we have already? Do we need all the gadgets, the processed quick foods, the chemicals, many of the pharmaceutical drugs?

Yes I have to agree gadgets and convenience foods make life so much easier, and we definitely have a need for medicinal drugs, but has it all gone a bit too far? I have heard experts say that we are living in a world with an eating disorder and I am inclined to agree for the most part. It is too easy to live in ignorant bliss, for example if you eat a Mars bar today there will not be evidence of damage to the body, the same the next day and the next. If you don't drink enough water for a day or 2 or even 3 … then your body will adapt as it is a sophisticated machine, particularly if you have good genes, the damage will take time. However, at some point there will be evidence of that damage and it may be a heart attack, a rash e.t.c. At which point you are thinking why is this happening to me? Consuming high sugar, alcohol or a diet high in processed foods over time will most likely manifest into diabetes, cancer, arthritis or other auto immune illnesses. There are so many conditions linked to how we fuel our bodies and take care of ourselves i.e. what we eat and drink, how much physiological stress and the amount of sleep we have.

It is usually when we look back historically that we can fathom or analyse changes in attitudes, so how did we go from the ancient Egyptians using natural foods, herbs and spices (e.g. figs, grapes and ochre were thought to be a cure for diarrhoea) to depending on pharmaceutical drugs and ignoring the natural foods we can consume daily to improve or sustain our health? 

One of the most influential doctors of his time was Claude Galen (130-200AD), who taught that natural substances provided from the environment could be used to heal. Using Hippocrates teachings and his own findings, he produced 22 volumes of medicinal teachings. These practices attracted many followers and continued for over a thousand years. Leading in to the 18th century there was a strong held belief that disease was caused by evil spirits and superstitious practices such as wearing amulets, using bits of human skulls or parts of frogs used to ward off plagues and such. Modern medicine was beginning to surface, and by the 18th century people could buy over the counter remedies. Although there were still those who advocated and provided books of home help treatments, including bleeding oneself and applying cow dung. Then of course Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) shaped our understanding of infectious disease, which was a significant advancement in curing and restoring wellbeing for so many, resulting in scientists searching for ways to battle numerous types of bacteria. Herein we find ourselves too dependent on antibiotics with bacterial resistance a major worry. So, in my view you could certainly argue that these treatments were the start of looking outside of ones resources and finding a cure, therefore leading to an attitude of looking for a drug/treatment rather than thinking about health as a lifestyle.

Remember that being overweight is mostly a build up of toxins, this is why fuelling in the best way for you is going to reduce risk of so many illnesses and diseases, not to mention improve your energy levels.You deserve to live free from illness, to have the body you want, to feel comfortable and to feel vibrant. The first thing you can do for you is to learn to listen to your body. You are unique and at the risk of repeating myself, please remember that what is right for a friend may not be good for you. Food and specific ways of eating are extremely emotive topics and there are strong opinions when it comes to eating meat not eating meat, paleo and vegan diets e.t.c. Steer clear of tight dietary labels where possible, and definitely avoid any plans which encourage eating junk foods whilst counting calories and not advocating eating more fruit and vegetables!

Today think about how special your body is and how you can practise self care by consuming lots of vegetables (smoothies/salads) and water, have an early night and starting a short meditation/mindfulness practice. You will be amazed how by just stopping and taking stock of these things and taking small actions will revitalise and help you achieve everything you need to.

3 tips for longevity and reducing risks of illness and disease:

1. Eat a mainly plant based diet - aim for half of your plate to be vegetables with a rainbow of colours (lots of greens!). The antioxidants present in fruits and vegetables will reduce free radical damage in the body.
2. Drink more water - this is different for everyone and dependent on the weather of course. Aim for approximately 2 litres of water a day (herbal teas are included in this).
3. Clear the junk from your cupboards - you know what I mean…

Lots of love and health,

Kelly x

Sources

Books: 

• Micronutrients in disease Kedar N. Prasad 2010
• The Antibiotic Paradox Stuart B Levy 2002