On this page you will find many useful pieces of dietary lifestyle information. It is not intended to be comprehensive, but is designed to give you an insight into how you can improve both your diet and nutrition.
If you would like help with designing a personalised programme, please telephone one of our personal trainers for advice or click here to send an e-mail.
Dietary Lifestyle Guide
What to do to prevent vitamin losses in food:
To prevent losses of natural vitamins in food try to:
- cook vegetables and fruit on steam for best results
- if you cook vegetables in water do it in a little amount which can then be used for sauces or soups
- prepare meals as late as possible before serving them
- prepare salads from freshly cut vegetables, otherwise they lose vitamins B and C,
- use vessels made of stainless steel; cooking in copper pots make meals poorer in vitamin C, E and folic acid
- always buy fresh products, especially vegetables and fruit - only such quantity which can be used within a few days
- store pod vegetables, pasta, rice, flour in dark containers because sun rays destroy vitamin B2
- taking too long washing vegetables rinses out vitamins B and C, it is best to wash them using a brush in running water
- do not expose milk and dairy products to sun ray action because they lose vitamins A, D and B2
- keep food requiring cooling in a fridge (at constant temperature up to 4%B0C) to prevent it going bad. In case of frozen food it is best to keep it at temperature under -18°C. Canned and dried food should be stored in a cool and dry place.
Lifestyle Tips - click here to download and print this lifestyle tips article.
Do you suffer from a lack of energy and find that life is becoming more and more difficult to cope with? You wouldn't be alone. Nutrition plays an important part in fuelling not just the body but the mind with the right nutrients to get through more stressful and demanding life experiences.
Energy boosting snacks
- Fresh or dried dates
- Dried apricots or figs (check they have not been sprayed with preservative)
- An apple, orange, banana or pear
- Live yogurt - plain with some fresh fruit (pineapple, papaya, mango, peach)
- Homemade flapjacks - made with some chopped nuts (almonds, cashew)
- Oatcakes with mashed avocado
- Rye Crisp bread or Rice cakes with hummus / tzatziki
- Raw vegetables - carrots, celery, radish, red or yellow pepper, cauliflower
- A handful of seeds - pumpkin, sunflower, linseed
- A fresh smoothie using live yogurt, banana and unfiltered apple juice
Energy robbers
- Stimulants such as Alcohol, Caffeine and Tobacco
- Refined and processed foods
- Sugary foods (Confectionary, biscuits, soft drinks)
- Excessive saturated fats
- Skipping meals
- Poor digestion
- Infections
- High stress
- Poor sleep and relaxation
- Allergens and Toxins
Energy Facts
Besides water and air, the body needs a constant, regular source of food to provide energy for movement, breathing, circulation, immune protection and brain function. Your brain utilises 50% of the energy that you get from your food and even more so when actively using your brain for concentration or memory. It is not surprising that when your energy levels dip, you are likely to experience mood swings, headaches and irritability.
Dietary strategy
- Eat plenty of fresh foods rich in the energy giving nutrients such as alfalfa, fresh fruit, vegetables and beans (preferably organic, to avoid possible contamination with hormones, antibiotics and pesticides).
- Drink plenty of water, at least 1.5 litres of filtered or mineral water daily.
- Avoid skipping meals - especially breakfast - which is the most important meal of the day since your body's blood sugar level is at its lowest.
- Exercise regularly - just 20 minutes three times a week - to improve your stamina, circulation and ability to deal with stress.
- Include more whole-grains like brown rice, oat-based cereals and millet packed with B vitamins.
- Stimulants like coffee, tea, alcohol and sugar give a short-term energy boost but this soon wears off, leaving you craving more sugary, refined foods. Therefore greatly reduce your intake of colas and fizzy drinks, chocolate biscuits, cakes, snacks, croissants and mass-produced refined foods. Not only do they leave you feeling tired but they also deplete important nutrients like magnesium, chromium and B vitamins, and we become even more exhausted.
- Don't eat heavy protein meals late at night as they take a long time to digest.
Energy boosting nutrients
Vitamin B1
Beans, Peas, liver, Whole grains
Vitamin B2
Almonds, Chicken, Lamb, Mushrooms
Vitamin B3
Tuna (fresh), Buckwheat, Cauliflower, Courgette, Turkey
Vitamin B5
Eggs, Lentils, Brown rice, Wheat bran
Vitamin B6
Avocado, Brown rice, Wheat bran
Biotin
Cashew Nuts, Cauliflower, Soya beans, Oats, Walnuts
Vitamin C
Berries, Blackcurrants, Guava, Kale, Peppers
Magnesium
Broccoli, Kale, Hazelnuts, Pistachios
Manganese
Avocado, Bran, Oatmeal, Tea
Co Enzyme Q10
Sardines, Beef, Spinach, Alfalfa, Kidney, Potatoes
Follow this quick 4 point guide to a healthier, lighter and brighter lifestyle
1. Slow down that Sugar Load: remember, SUGAR = FAT!
A. Cut out those white carbohydrates (e.g. white bread, rice, pasta, pizza, mashed potatoes, chips, crisps, biscuits): they turn straight into sugar in the body, which can turn straight into Fat! (Tip: dried fruit like dates, raisins, etc are also very high sugar foods!
B. Eat more unrefined complex carbohydrates (e.g. wholegrain bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, oats porridge, oat cakes (good as snacks), low sugar fruit like berries & apples): they slow down the release of sugar into the bloodstream, increasing energy & reducing fat. They also increase fibre, which helps the gut and keeps your bowel movements regular.
C. Fizzy drinks, too much refined fruit juice, tea, coffee and alcohol all increase sugar in the body. Reduce or avoid them where possible.
D. Don't be fooled by 'no added sugar' on the label. There are often added bad fats or damaging artificial sweeteners like Aspartame. A healthy natural Sweetener is Xylitol (available in many supermarkets and health stores)
E. Combine your protein with your carbohydrates. Research shows that it can slow down the release of sugar into the bloodstream.
How to lighten the load on your liver
A. Keep food and drinks organic where possible. This reduces the amount of chemicals in the body and increases available nutrients. Pesticides and additives slow down the liver detoxification process.
B. Use foods like red onions, garlic, leeks and ginger in your cooking every day. They support the liver to efficiently detoxify the body.
C. Add about a quarter teaspoon of turmeric to your food daily. It is excellent liver support for improved detoxification.
D. Replace coffee with Dandelion root coffee (available in health stores). Your liver will love it.
E. Increase healthy essential fatty acids: Eat oily fish about 3 times per week (e.g. salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herring).Also have a handful of raw nuts and ground seeds (pumkin, sesame, sunflower, linseed) each day. (Tip: mix 1-2 tablespoons of linseed with half a tub of low eat cottage cheese to make it more available to the body.
F. Reduce unhealthy fats like 'hydrogenated' or 'partially hydrogenated' fats and saturated meat like bacon and pork, and fast foods and 'fry-ups'. If you must fry food, use coconut or extra virgin olive oil or a little butter.
H. Use eco-friendly household cleaners and washing products, and organic chemical-free soaps shampoo and conditioners. Your liver has to clean all this up as you inhale it, and absorb it through your skin.
Delight your digestive system
A. Eat more Fermented foods like plain yoghurt, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, tamari sauce. They are helpful for the gut and ‘help feed' the good bacteria'.
B. Increase your gut bacteria by taking a good quality Probiotic Supplement
C. Eat prebiotic foods that feed the gut bacteria, like onions, garlic, leeks, ginger, Jerusalem artichokes, and bananas (not too many as they are high in sugar)
D. Increase fibre by eating more unrefined, complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, wholewheat pasta, oats, corn, millet.
Refuel with the RIGHT fluids
A. You've heard this one before...It's because it's true! Drink at least one and a half to two litres of good quality Water each day. Apart from many other vital body functions, you can't detox without it! (Tip: Remember, if you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated!)
B. Reduce tea/coffee: Apart from the fact that they dehydrate you, your liver has to work hard to detoxify caffeine. Replace with herbal & fruit teas, freshly squeezed vegetable & low sugar fruit juices and water (try it with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, for variety.
C. Cut down on alcohol consumption. Your liver uses lots of energy to detoxify alcohol so keep it to a minimum so that the liver can concentrate on its other important functions.
Foods that boost the immune system
Eat a whole food diet. This should consist of:
- Brown rice
- Millet & Quinoa
- Vegetables & Fresh fruit
- Beans & Pulses
- Fish & Free range eggs
- Seed & Nuts (excluding peanuts)
Add raw or lightly steamed garlic to meals. Warming foods such as soups and stews are recommended.
Drink plenty of water throughout the day (approx 1½ - 2 litres). Bottled or filtered water is preferable to tap water.
Use soya, rice or goat's milk in preference to cow's milk.
Other liquids can include, freshly pressed vegetables juices such as carrot and parsley, hot water with lemon and honey and herbal teas such as ginger, rosehip, elderflower and peppermint.
Foods that weaken the immune system
- Red meat
- Dairy produce
- Refined foods and saturated fats
- Stimulants such as sugar, tea, coffee and alcohol
Useful tips
- If you're feeling under the weather, don't stay in bed.
- Unless you have a fever, go out for a walk or move around the house to help shift toxins out of the body
- Wash your hands frequently and throw away used tissues, to prevent re-infecting yourself or infecting others
Water facts
Did you know?
- It takes a loss of only 1% - 2% of your body's ideal water content to cause dehydration
- An average person loses about 90 ounces of water daily
- Many of us favour tea, coffee, fizzy drinks and alcohol, which can actually cause dehydration
- Hunger feelings are often confused with dehydration; try drinking a glass of water if you're feeling hungry in between meals, you may find that you're not as hungry as you first thought!
- You should aim to drink at least 8 glasses of clean fresh water per day
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