Food can be very confusing: what to eat, what not to eat and even when to eat.
There are lots of different diets, but what is the bottom line? If you come right down to it, what should we be eating?
I asked Natureopath Carrie Walters to share the basics, so here they are, the simple rules for healthy eating:
- On rising – 1 glass of warm water with a squeeze of lemon
- Eat Breakfast every day – eg. egg (poached, boiled etc), bircher muesli with fruit, nuts and seeds, yoghurt with berries, nuts and seeds
- Eat fresh vegetables (including leafy greens) and fruit each day
- Fibre is an important part of the diet – eat whole grains, vegetables (cooked and uncooked), fruits, salads; as they all contain fibre (can have a cholesterol lowering effect)
- Drink 1.5 to 2 litres of water per day (reduce intake of soft drinks and diet soft drinks to special occasions NOT to be consumed daily)
- Avoid deep fried foods and highly refined foods (cakes, sweets etc)
- Drink alcohol in moderation (red wine is best)
Foods
Carbohydrates (low Glycemic Load ‘? GL)
- whole-grain breads
- rice crackers
- wholemeal pastas
- basmati rice
- quinoa
- buckwheat noodles
- chia
- oats
- muesli
- legumes (chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans)
Protein
- Lean red meat (beef, lamb, kangaroo)
- poultry (chicken and turkey)
- eggs
- fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel, tuna)
- tofu and tempeh
- pulses (beans, lentils, chickpeas)
Good fats
- almonds
- macadamia nuts
- walnuts
- brazil nuts
- hazelnuts
- sunflower seeds
- pepitas
- olive oil
- sesame oil
- fatty fish
- avocado
Finally: Any plain foods such as grilled meat, oven baked fish, tofu or vegetables can be transformed with sauces or accompaniments.
Sounds simple doesn’t it? Now all you have to do is avoid all those bad temptations – and that comes down to mindset. (Feel free to talk to me about this.)