How I See It...

Hello,

I don’t know about you, but I seem to have spent an unhealthy amount of time this last week looking at my BBC Weather app. It never lets me down but sadly there seems to be a distinct lack of suns. The upside is, I get a little more done indoors. This week’s task was writing up my thoughts on food for a book called HowTo AgeWell. What you put into your mouth has everything to do with it – you can’t run a Ferrari on 2-star!

I’ve never been on a diet as such, but have become more interested in the source of my food, conscious of what I eat and what I should keep away from. I can’t tell you the number of meals I’ve sat down to and someone has piped up “I’m on Keto”, “Thought I’d try Macrobiotic”, “I’ve gone Paleo”, “I’m plant based”, “I’m juicing so brought my own” – yes, that’s actually happened. But if you look at the essence of these eating fads and remove labels you come down to a very simple way of eating that’s healthy and doesn’t deny you any treats, and it’s this:

Eatwhole foods. These are foods you can see in their original form and have hardly been tampered with. So remove from your life as many processed foods as you can. A friend of mine, Susie Cornell, who has battled MS for years, says, “If it’s in a packet with lots of writing put it down.”

SENSIBLE, NOT FADDY

I keep my diet varied and as far as I can, seasonal; if there is an organic choice that won’t bust my budget I take it. I’m not vegetarian or anti-dairy but I don’t eat meat or dairy in abundance. I try my hardest to keep away from “The Killer White Stuff” – bread, pasta, rice, sugar. I love them all, but if I have any of them it’s a huge treat. Maybe that’s the word we’ve all forgotten. Treat.

I love red wine or a small gin and slimline tonic. FYI, a Pinot Noir packs an antioxidant punch but has a far lower sugar content than full-bodied reds. As for white wines and prosecco, I think of them as a glass of sugar. If the Rosé comes out, I make one glass into two by adding sparkling water and ice.

In my kitchen, car and case when travelling is always a vessel with a cocktail of nuts in. These are my friends. A small handful will quickly remove an unhealthy desire (unless it’s the shoe-buying one; no nut in the world can stop that).

I totally believe in the science of gut health. if you haven’t already, do research this; our gut microorganisms play a vital role in digestion, absorbing nutrients, even controlling our mental health. This week’s magazine is packed with more amazing advice so I’m making a mint tea and am about to sit back and enjoy reading it. Love, Anthea X