My interview with Plant Sumo

Plant Sumo Interviews Bea Lyus

2021-02-21

1. What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life? I don't think I have given many books as a gift as they are so personal and you don't want to get it wrong when you are giving a heartfelt present. But if I would again, then I would do either Rhonda Byrne: The Secret and/or Paulo Coelho: The Alchemist. They are in the top 100 best selling books of all time.

2. What purchase of £/$100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)? My readers love specifics like brand and model, where you found it, etc Currently, we have a lockdown 3.0 in the UK at the moment so going to shops again would be wonderful, but impossible. My latest investment was into some Tropic products as I love their ethos, they harm no animals, they support education in vulnerable countries and they rate really high on the "Think Dirty" app, i.e. there are no nasty chemicals, toxins, parabens and SLS in them. I am so surprised but their products actually work. In order to get Tropics, you need an Ambassador that can sell products onto you. If you don't know one, just go on YouTube and google Tropics Ambassadors, I have seen some of them advertise their videos there with shopping opportunities. My favourite is their Skin Feast facial cream or their Rainforest Dew serum for dehydrated skin.

3. When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do? (If helpful: What questions do you ask yourself? Get outside and head to be surrounded by some greenery. Spending time in nature has got amazing benefits to the mind. Deep breathing is another one I would do or recommend, like belly breathing.

4. What are the bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise? I hear a lot of "just eat those biscuits, it really doesn't matter how much carbs you are eating a day, as long as you are happy". I always ask myself what will happen when after all the biscuits their blood sugar drops? Surely a nutritionist should know better that it will further invite more cravings.

5. In the last five years, what new belief, behaviour, or habit has most improved your life? Practicing gratitude helped me a lot, to be thankful for my life, family, opportunities, friendships and of course, my true calling to help people with their health. Finding the thing that floats your boat is also a big one for me out there. Sometimes it's not mindfulness, yoga or running which can help you through the difficulties, we are all different so if it's collecting antiques, knitting, wathcing old movies, then that is yours. You just have to find the one where you can immerse yourself in something so much so, that you forget about time. That's what you would need to do more of.

6. What's your favourite vegan meal? It has to be a joint win amongst vegan shepherd's pie. lentil dahl with brown rice and aubergine gratin with courgettes.

7. What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made? (Could be an investment of money, time, energy, etc. My worthwile investment was to dedicate time and study naturopathic nutrition. The insight & knowledge I got out of it, helps me to become the best person, live a fuller, longer and healthier life and at the end of the day, I can say I am really making someone's life better by educating them about their health and nutrition. It has certainly a ripple effect, the more people I can reach the more people I educate, the more people will become healthy as my clients will pass on the positives to their household and the whole family will eat better and healthier.

8. If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it — metaphorically speaking, getting a message out to millions or billions — what would it say and why? It could be a few words or a paragraph. (If helpful, it can be someone else’s quote: Are there any quotes you think of often or live your life by?) The following quote: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND ALL THAT YOU ARE. KNOW THAT THERE IS SOMETHING INSIDE YOU THAT IS GREATER THAN ANY OBSTACLE - by Christian D. Larson.

9. When did you first become a rebel? (e.g., dropped out of school against your parents' wishes/start a project no-one believed in?) I have always been brave in my life, I guess when I decided to move and live in another country in my mid-twenties. :-)

10. How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favorite failure” of yours? I think the key point is not to take failure personally. Failure is only feedback, or life's way of telling you that there is a better way of doing something.

11. Tell us about your business. What does it do and what value do you add? I'm a registered nutritional therapist and use natural remedies and therapies for all things connected with the mind, brain and energy. I have created a name, The Mind Solution to encompass what I do, and my experience is that almost anything to do with our mental and physical wellbeing can be effectively improved with safe, natural therapies. I help people by first finding the problem, by looking at diet and lifestyle factors, then using scientific testing to understand one's body’s nutrient profile and how it responds to different foods. I then design a therapy programme using food as medicine, supported with nutrient supplements and lifestyle changes, backed up with health coaching, emotional support and wellbeing exercises. To best answer, if people are feeling down, struggling to sleep at night or stay energised and focussed during the day, suffering from brain fog or forgetfulness, or chronic fatigue, their life is getting out of control, they are in the best hands with me.

12. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I would probably study hypnotherapy and practice body, mind and soul together.

13. Where do you see your industry in the next 5 years? I hope in the next 5 years, nutrition becomes a more mainstream priority and nearly every person would have a nutritional therapist to ensure a healthy, happy and long life - as opposed to only people with a condition coming to see me to get fixed. There is no diet which cannot be optimised further. :-)

14. How do you feel about artificial meat products and its role in vegan/vegetarian-ism's growth in the coming years? If the question refers to meat substitute products as opposed to lab-grown meats, I think that they have an insufficient level of protein for a balanced and healthy diet.

15. How has Covid-19 changed your industry? It shifted consultations from face-to-face to online.

16. How has Covid-19 changed your company? It broadened my horizons to think nationally rather than locally.

17. What's your favourite vegetable? My favourite vegetable is kohlrabi. It is such a shame that it is so rare here in the UK.

18. What did you have for breakfast this morning? Avocado smash with hard boiled eggs on sourdough toast and a Rooibos tea.

Bea Lyus - Naturally Nutrition Interview - Plant Sumo

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What’s the difference between a nutritional therapist, a dietician and a nutritionist?

I thought I’d share a post to address this question, as I’m often asked how nutritionists, nutritional therapists and dieticians differ, or indeed what they have in common, and what each of their respective roles entails in terms of improving health.

Dieticians

Dieticians typically work in the NHS, often as part of a team alongside doctors, physiotherapists, psychiatrists and nurses to treat acute physical and mental health conditions by altering and optimising the patient’s diet.  As dieticians often work within clinical or hospital settings and are legally able to provide certain prescription medications, they are required to be regulated and governed by law.  Dieticians don’t only work with patients though and can also take on advisory or developmental roles in the food industry or work in media and public relations to educate and inform the general population about healthier eating.  They can also work to influence or advise on governmental public health policy.

Nutritionists

In a similar vein, nutritionists (sometimes incorrectly referred to as nutritionalists) also apply their expertise in an organisational or corporate setting, but do not work with individual clients on a one-to-one basis.  Nutritionists provide scientific, research-based information about the impact of nutrition and food on people’s health and wellbeing, both at the individual and population level.  Typically, nutritionists work in the fields of education, research, policy development, as well as in the private sector, for example in the food, catering and hospitality industries. 

Nutritional therapists

Nutritional therapists on the other hand do work with individuals on a 1:1 basis.  For the avoidance of doubt, it’s important to note that there are both “nutritional therapists” and “registered nutritional therapists”.  Anyone can become a nutritional therapist fairly easily by completing a short course covering the basics, and there are an abundance of “hobby” nutritionists out there as well as personal trainers offering nutritional advice as an added-value service to accelerate their clients’ progress.  And more power to them, because where someone is doing intensive physical training to lose weight, gain muscle mass or improve their sporting performance, adding a little bit of good nutritional advice to their programme will take them a long way.

By contrast, registered nutritional therapists (or registered nutritional therapy practitioners) are educated and trained to a high level in the science of nutrition, biochemistry and anatomy.  They are accredited by the British Associate for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), which was set up with government support to protect the public.  Accordingly, a registered nutritional therapist must have met with the necessary standards of professional qualification and is required to keep their knowledge up to date with ongoing continued professional development (CPD) training.  Furthermore, they must be covered by the required level of professional liability and malpractice insurance to ensure public safety.

Registered nutritional therapists’ approach

Registered nutritional therapy practitioners draw upon respected scientific knowledge and research studies to address clients’ health concerns, support optimal health and promote peak performance.  Where needed, they use functional testing to identify potential food intolerances, gut biome imbalances and nutrient deficiencies.  These in-depth laboratory tests go beyond what a GP would carry out and enables the practitioner to understand the underlying factors that could be contributing to an individual’s symptoms or health concerns.

Nutritional Therapy is a complementary medicine.  This can be defined as “any of a range of medical therapies that fall beyond the scope of conventional medicine but may be used alongside it in the treatment of disease and ill health” (Oxford Languages), and is favoured by individuals with chronic conditions, as well as those wishing to prevent future illness or enhance their health and wellbeing.  A registered nutritional therapy practitioner works on the principle that every client is unique and provides a personalised nutrition programme and lifestyle advice to address their specific needs.  

Whilst complementary medicine is different from conventional medicine, practitioners never recommend nutritional therapy as a replacement for medical intervention and always refer any client with 'red flag' signs or acute symptoms to their doctor. They will also frequently work alongside relevant medical professionals and will communicate with other healthcare workers involved in the client's care to explain any nutritional therapy programme that has been provided.  In turn, they also check for contraindications between medication that the client has been prescribed and any recommended nutrient supplements to ensure the safety of the therapy programme.

As a CNHC-registered nutritional therapist and BANT member, I have worked with hundreds of private clients over the years to help them overcome a wide range of health issues including migraines, insomnia, candida, infertility, adrenal stress (burnout), obesity, digestive problems, anxiety and stress. You can find out more about what I can help with and how on my homepage www.naturallynutrition.co.uk.

Cleanse your mind, body and soul - my 14 days programme to be your best self

There is still time to join this fantastic two weeks with no calorie restrictions. Sounds good? Call or email me to learn about the benefits and hear about the New Year sale of this great programme. 

Why would I need to see a nutritionist?

Don't let your health or life impacting factors distrupt your every day life... Be the writer of your own story...

According to Hippocrates, all diseases begin in the gut (in broad terms the digestive system or colon). It does not come as a surprise that as many as one in ten adults in the UK suffer from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and complains of a range of symptoms varying from diarrhoea to constipation, wind, bloating, indigestion, heartburn (reflux), urgency to pass or abdominal pain just to name a few. There are many causes including food allergy/intolerance, inflammation, stress, infection, toxic overload, overuse of antibiotics, and not appropriate functioning of the gut muscles.

When you go to seek help at your local surgery, they don’t really know what causes or how to help, so they usually direct you to the pharmacy for an over the counter medication for pain/symptom relief. Unfortunately this does not help the situation in the long run and they might exacerbate the current symptoms that you have. Secondly they don’t get to the underlying/root cause of your digestive upset. 

 I have come across lots of people that they do not see what nutrition can do and how life changing it is. Modern medicine does have a place in crisis and life-threatening conditions. However how many of us know that digestive abnormalities or chronic high blood pressure can be managed through diet? Or stress can be beaten? Mental diseases can be supported and in fact can turned around? Brain function can be enhanced after giving birth?  We know by now that  some individuals stay compliant on the drug but how about the rest of us who is unable to tolerate the mainstream interventions? Think about it, if we all have a unique genetic make-up then a one size fits approach can't be right for of us all. As I mentioned it above, these medicines don't get to address the underlying cause.  That is the problem...

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You may feel some sort of a relief in the short term but they do not make it go away. So if that's the case, what else can we do? We need to take a closer look at what we eat, drink, breath in, going through on a daily basis and with some simple changes we have to maximise the impact that we can do on our own health. 

We talk about epigenetics lately which is how the environment or external factors effect our genetics, how an external factor can switch on and off a gene and make an impact on our DNA sequence. These switches on the genes might trigger diseases or cancer to develop. We come across 80,000 chemicals/food additives/preservatives/flavour enhancers/acidity regulators, fumes, pecticides, herbicides, pollution, ozone, external stresses just to name a few. Some of these things are beyond us. If you live in the city and we talk about pollutants in the air, can we at least make sure that the food that you eat, drink that you drink are supporting you to the best? That you don't live a sedentary lifestyle and at weekends you go out to the park to take a deep breath in the fresh air. If you live in the country side or on a farm and you inhale lots of herbicides, can we look at how we can support your detoxification or chelation? If you are working long hours, going through lots of stress and have always some pain or ache, colds, flu etc. how we can combat that you stay at the top of your game?

This is where a NUTRITIONIST come in handy. She/he is not just looking at the food aspect but the lifestyle, the stress, the physical movements of the body i.e. alignment, sedentary lifestyle; the emotional factors on someone's life. 

Take action and change your negative life impacting factors.

The sooner you start, the sooner you will feel the benefit. As I always say, nutrition is available to us... naturally!

CALL now, be the writer of your story.

Flash Sale - ACT NOW

20% off all nutritional consultation sessions 

Register today and save 20% on unlimited consultations between 1 January and 31 March 2016.  This offer is also extended to the Detox programme consultation session.

Contact me now to qualify for your 20% savings and give yourself the gift of a great start to the new year.  This Boxing Day offer is open today only and closes at midnight, don’t miss out.

Beet burgers

Lovely dinner idea using as many colours of the rainbow as possible and increasing your 5-a-day to more like 7-10 vegetables a day. All you need is 500g of grass-fed organic beef mince, 225g of organic beetroots (grated) (I like 'So organic' cooked beetroot in its natural juices), 2 cloves of garlic (crushed), 1-2 shallots or small/medium onion (grated), salt, pepper, cumin to season. No added eggs, breadcrumbs, flours or bread needed to hold it altogether. Combine mince with grated beetroots, crushed garlic, grated onions and above seasoning. Leave it standing for a bit. Form balls or burgers by wetting your hand and fry it in taste and aroma free coconut oil, ghee or mix of coconut oil and grass-fed butter. Fry it about 3 minutes on each side. Serve it hot and keep leftovers for your lunchbox. It's a real favourite in our household. 

Accompany it with roasted sweet potato. Finish it with grass-fed butter (I like 'Kerrygold' unsalted) whilst it's hot so the butter can melt over it. Add steamed vegetables of your taste. I added a mix of steamed courgette, asparagus and Brussel sprouts. 

For a different experience, steam quinoa and add the juice of the pan. Bon appetit! 

Baby & Adult Food: Babaganoush with Wholemeal Pitta

Aubergines are amazing when it comes to feeding a toddler or any adult who would like a yummy snack. Just use the following ingredients: 1 tablespoon of olive oil or taste and aroma free coconut oil, 2 aubergines, 2 garlic cloves (for babies that they are used blend meals, just use 1/2 or 1 garlic to start with), juice of 1/2 lemon, 75g of organic goat's cheese, 2-3 tablespoons of tahini, 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, ground black pepper, tiny amount of Himalayan pink salt. 

This could not be simpler. Switch on your oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Prick the aubergines with a knife all over and put it on a baking sheet and into the over for 30-40 minutes of roasting until they are soft. Once it's ready, wait a bit for them to cool down and peel off the skin and scoop the flesh into a blender/food processor. Put in all the other ingredients and blend until smooth. (Goat's cheese need to be crumbled before putting them in). 

Wholemeal pitta - buy organic ones and cut the pitta squares diagonally to get triangles. Place them on a baking paper onto a tray, drizzle it with olive, season them with freshly ground pepper and paprika for adults. Grill them for about 5 minutes until they are crisp but not too hard. Are you coeliac or have gluten sensitivity? Try the Kallo's buckwheat super-seeds cakes (with wholegrain brown rice) or eat the dip with Amisa's buckwheat crispbreads. 

Enjoy the dipping together with your baby!

Boost your knowledge: aubergines are just about still in season (August till October) and they are full of antioxidants, brain protective compounds (nasunin) which protects fats in the brain cells from damage.  Another substance called chlorogenic acid has antimicrobial, anti-LDL (bad cholesterol combating) and antiviral properties. It can also help easing constipation and it's a very good fibre. 

BreakFAST

Loving a quick and easy breakFAST. Ingredients: left over home-made spelt scones with nut & seed butter accompanied by a mug of kale (generous handful), a celery, a tablespoon of tahini & pea protein all blended in the Nutri Bullet. Instead of scones, you can use wholemeal or spelt bread. Voila! Enjoy. 

Preparation: 3 minutes. Who said that breakfast needs to be complicated?

How to feed your toddler right

Are you tired of giving your toddler pouches or ready made food all the time? Unsure what to cook and prepare for them each day? Are you wondering whether they get the important nutrients?  Is he or she a fussy eater? Are they constantly hungry? Do they fuss when you give them vegetables? Exhausted all your options? 

If you answered yes to any of these questions or want to put your mind at ease by learning about how to feed your child healthily, come along and learn with me. 

Bea who is a qualified Nutritional Therapist and a mum of a 13-month old, would like to help you by sharing some ideas about baby and toddler nutrition. The following topics will be covered:

- What foods are best

- What are the safe ones

- Why it is important

- How much water/juice/tea/milk is right for them

- Demonstrating some easy recipe ideas.

Mums and Dads are both welcome.

Looking forward to meeting you there.

Best wishes,

Bea 

Click here to purchase your ticket and learn how to maximise the health, happiness and development of your child.

 

How To Feed Your Toddler Right  is held on 8 November 2015 from 13:30 - 14:30 at Salfords Village Hall

Salfords Village Hall

5 Honeycrock Lane

Salfords

RH1 5DG

The best start for you and your baby

 

Today I would like to share with you a few tips on how to confidently give your baby the best start in life by increasing your chances of a complication-free pregnancy, getting your body ready for labour, and having the highest quality milk after baby is born.  Every new mum wants the best for her child, and can easily make a big difference now with a few small changes to her nutrition. 

It was only last summer that I was going through the exciting journey into the unknown that was my first pregnancy, and I remember how I valued the support of those who had already been through the experience themselves. Being supported before and particularly during and after giving birth is fundamental, so save all the numbers you need to call when the time comes.

Being in any of the trimesters, you may feel it’s been enough, sleeping is becoming uncomfortable, you always need the loo and anticipation of the big day gets stronger all the time.

During the last stage, some of us can suffer from something called pre-eclampsia, which mainly occurs after the 20th week of the pregnancy. Symptoms include high blood pressure, swelling and protein found in the urine; fortunately, these can be overcome or avoided with a few adjustments to your diet. I don’t agree when people say, just eat what you want when you are pregnant, as too much of the wrong foods can cause serious complications in a pregnancy. So you may need to listen to your body when it craves this or that, but cravings typically indicate mineral deficiencies and if you experience any unusual cravings I would suggest speaking with a nutritional therapist, let it be myself or any other professional therapist.

When we are caring for a baby inside, it is especially important to avoid sugary or processed foods, refined wheat and dehydration. Drinking enough is crucial as the water surrounding the baby needs to be replaced every day, and that can only be done when the mother sticks to two litres of water a day, minimum.

Keeping up your multivitamin supplements throughout your pregnancy and into the first few months of baby's life is also highly recommended. It’s difficult to stay healthy and well nourished when tiredness, interrupted sleep and providing a 24-hour service become your everyday routine at the same time as having to deal with hormones and emotions. Some supplements are tailored to each single trimester of the pregnancy and I usually recommend these to my clients.

Take the opportunity to sleep as much as possible during pregnancy, and make time for yourself to relax.  The more relaxed you are, the healthier it is for your baby and the easier your birth will be.

When a mother goes into labour, eating is the last thing she wants to do when the contractions start to speed up. This is when the birthing partner needs to take the lead, and in the nicest possible way convince the mother to eat well so that she’ll be strong when it comes to this stage. For my clients I usually suggest high protein and natural sugar based foods, eaten in small quantities but often, whilst drinking smoothies and plenty of filtered water. 

Foods like these are also good for immediately after you have given birth.  During labour you’ll have burnt as many calories as during several circuit training classes. That’s a lot of work, and you will need to replenish your body afterwards to help yourself recover and be ready to start feeding and caring for your newborn baby.

The benefits of breast feeding are undisputed and this was something I was determined to do, but it really didn’t come easily to me or my daughter.  It was painful and frustrating at first because baby was not latching on correctly.  If you have found this, I can highly recommend seeing a breast feeding support nurse, as once you have both got the technique right it’s very comfortable (and so much more convenient than bottles!)  If you do opt for the bottle, it might be wise to check that your baby’s tummy is tolerant to dairy infant milk formulations, as many babies suffer from colic for this reason.

To keep baby satisfied and developing healthily, good nutrition can also increase the quality of your milk. Your milk is made up mostly from water, so it’s important to drink at least two litres, ideally three, of water each day.  Protein in your milk provides the building blocks for baby’s development so it’s essential you take in the right amount with every meal, as your body has adapted to steal the protein from your own muscles if you don’t.  Choose foods with a good balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat.  Yes, fat: the “good fats” are also essential for baby, both as a source of slow-release energy and to facilitate brain development, so don’t be tempted to cut all fats right out when trying to shed those pregnancy pounds, especially as breast feeding will help you get back into shape. 

Fortunately there are many foods and recipe ideas for you to choose from which have a good balance of the nutrients you need. There is also a wide range of supplements to compensate for any foods which you may be allergic or intolerant to, cannot fully absorb, or simply prefer not to eat. Don't forget food is always best though. 

The impact that your diet has on your baby’s early life is not to be underestimated.  Even a few easy adjustments can result in a significant benefit for your child’s development and your own wellbeing, while a full nutritional therapy programme tailored to you will ensure your baby gets the very best start in life.  I would urge anyone who is pregnant or breast feeding to see a good nutritional therapist, whether myself or another practitioner, as correct nutrition is more critical now than at any other time in your life.

My green fix

One of my all-time favourite smoothies: spinach, kale, avocado, blueberries, raspberries, lemon juice, coconut oil, almond butter, cinnamon, ground flax seed. If you don't find it sweet enough, just add a little coconut sugar or Biona rice syrup. 

How to make it

Wash thoroughly all veg and fruit and add them to your blender with all the ingredients. Blitz and enjoy :-)

Healthy is the new sexy

The media, advertising and social networking sites all expose us to images of beautiful-looking people, designer clothes, bloggers’ and stylists’ new creations, make up, instructions on how to look better... It’s easy to take all this for granted, but it plants the seed into all generations that if you don’t look the part, you don’t fit in. So we use beauty products heaving in chemicals, tanning beds, personal training sessions and fad diets.

Big business

Beauty and fitness are multi-billion pound industries and it’s no secret that manufacturers, and retailers want you to spend as much money as possible on their products. Their marketing gurus manipulate through the ads with healthy sounding, exciting things to make you look more attractive than ever. Less publicised are the skin-altering ingredients such as hormones, parabens, mineral oils, aluminium and other potentially harmful compounds that can be absorbed into your blood stream.

The real answer

The point which too many people miss is that looking great is a by-product of good health. It can only be achieved by healthy, nutritious, organic, free range, varied diet with all colours of the rainbow and minimum of 2 litres of water. In addition to this many of us are intolerant to certain foods, which can result in unhealthy-looking skin, digestive problems or brain fog, amongst other things.  To look and feel our best, these foods are best identified and removed from our diets, and the cleaning and cosmetic products we use should be switched for natural, certified organic alternatives.  

Whilst exercise is not a substitute for healthy eating, healthy eating is not a substitute for exercise either; the two are complementary and will give you the best results when used together.  30 minutes’ exercise five times a week is the most effective way to increase your metabolism and burn excess fat, in the process building good muscle tone, preventing colds and flu and reducing the risk of cancers, osteoporosis and other health conditions. It also lowers blood pressure, improves circulation and prevents type II diabetes.  However, any exercise is better than nothing and something as simple as walking instead of taking the bus will still help.

A true story

I must reiterate that exercise is not a substitute for healthy eating.  I was astonished to hear a story from a friend who also practices Naturopathic (drug-free alternative medicine) nutrition like I do. A client came to see her to help her with digestive problems and stress, and it also did not come as a surprise that she wanted to lose weight, as 65% of UK women tried to lose weight in 2013 just in the UK alone. My friend took the case and prepared a nutritional plan tailored to her needs. After a few weeks the client came back and asked whether she could send her programme on to her personal trainer, which my friend agreed to. The PT came back shortly afterwards and disputed the plan, which the client did not start and instead carried on only with her PT sessions. My friend then asked whether a personal trainer or a nutritionist would be in the best position to give specialised nutritional advice.  The client realised she had been misinformed by the PT and after starting her plan, began to feel better and lost weight effectively.  

Is fat bad?

As far as losing weight goes, it is a myth that fat-free products will slim you down, in fact completely the opposite. A good balance of fats is necessary to fuel your brain, help cell walls and absorb the fat-soluble vitamins for the body’s further use, so cutting out fat could do more harm than good in the long run.  In addition, low fat foods are often processed and high in sugars, which are in fact the major cause of weight gain.

Get the new sexy

So instead of neglecting health and investing in high-maintenance "faking" of its by-products, why not just invest directly in a healthy body and enjoy the benefits for a lifetime?  Each of us has only one body and we should take good care of it throughout life, giving it what it needs and deserves. Don’t spare money on food; lower quality foods contain fewer nutrients and more artificial ingredients.  People often comment that fresh, organic food is expensive.  They are right, high quality foods are more expensive, and when we eat them we greatly increase our chances of a longer, healthier life.  How much is that worth to you?

Making it work for you

Here are my easy steps to follow for a healthy body and natural beauty.

Step 1. Identify what you want to improve and seek help (or seek help to identify issue) from a qualified nutritional therapist.

Step 2. Focus on your food as the main fuel for your body for life

Step 3. Exercise as often as possible ideally 5x 30 minutes weekly (walk, power walk, run, swim, dance, jog, do yoga, cycle, ride) as often as possible – if you live a sedentary lifestyle then once a week is not enough.

Step 4. Positive thoughts all the way.  The effect of this is not to be underestimated!

Step 5. Be confident. Now it’s time to shine your new-found beautiful health from within.

Zingy salmon with rainbow salad & roasted sweet potato

This quick, easy meal is a packed full of healthy nutrients and is great feel-good summer food – just what was needed on the wettest day of the month!  Read on and I’ll tell you how I did it...

Ingredients for 2

The protein:

• 2 Alaskan wild salmon fillets

The zingy topping:

• 1 garlic clove chopped
• 20g fresh coriander finely chopped
• 15g fresh ginger finely chopped (peel the skin off with a teaspoon)
• 1 spring onion finely chopped
• ½ lime juice
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of brown sugar

Healthy carbs:

• 450g of sweet potato washed, pierced and roasted in the oven in 45 minutes at 180°C
• Sour cream (if you are not intolerant to dairy)

Speedy salad:

• Half a bag of young spinach (about 100g) washed
• 2 celery sticks, sliced
• 3 medium tomatoes chopped into quarters then sliced
• Half a cucumber, chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, sliced
• 2 radishes, finely sliced
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1 little gem lettuce torn into chunks

For the dressing:

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil (find an oil that you like the taste of, always buy oils in a dark bottle)
• 1.5 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 2 medium garlic cloves (crushed)
• Salt
• Ground pepper
• Squeeze of lemon or lime juice

The finishing touch from my herb garden (optional):

• Sprig of Vietnamese coriander
• Fresh chives

How to make it...

Start with the sweet potato before the fish as it takes the longest time to cook. No need to peel it, just wash thoroughly, pierce and moisten before putting onto a roasting tray.

Whilst the sweet potato is getting nice and toasty, start preparing your fish and its sauce. Use a food processor or pestle and mortar to crush the garlic, coriander, ginger, spring onion, salt, olive oil, brown sugar and couple of tablespoons of water to form a chunky paste. This is your fish topping.

Next, drizzle the salmon with olive oil and wrap loosely in foil, then place into the oven 25 minutes before the sweet potatoes are ready.  After about 15 minutes, spread the fish topping over the salmon and return to the oven with the foil off for the final 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl after washing thoroughly. The easy thing on salads is that you can become as daring and adventurous as you want. Be experimental and use seeds, use goji berries, crushed walnuts or different oils and herbs to make it your own. Whatever you think that will be just right.

To make the dressing you will need a small bowl or highball glass.  Mix the crushed garlic with the oil, vinegar, lemon / lime juice and seasoning then stir vigorously.  Now you have a healthy dressing that’s far tastier than anything you’ll find on a supermarket shelf, just as the fish and sweet potatoes are finishing.

Once they’re all ready, cut the sweet potato into chunky rings and serve with the fish and a generous portion of salad.  Top off with the garden herbs and bon appetit!

Health benefits:

A light yet satisfying balanced meal that keeps you feeling fuller for longer, with many of your 5-a-day ticked off. The ingredients have been carefully selected to support a healthy and efficient heart, circulation, brain and digestion, whilst being rich in antioxidants to help keep ageing at bay.

The result you want:

Your fast, feel-good summer food has left you feeling nicely satisfied and enabled you to easily resist the lure of the snack cupboard, whilst leaving you plenty of time to enjoy the rest of your evening.  You can feel proud of yourself!

For me, I love to end the day feeling proud of cooking a beautiful meal for my family that strengthens us from within, and going to bed feeling positive come rain or shine.