CHAPTER 10
HOW TO EAT EVERY DAY
Firstly, before I make my suggestions of how you should eat every day, I think it’s important you understand about enzymes. They are extremely important and the food choices you make can dramatically affect them. Enzymes are the spark of life and you need to maintain them in the same way you need to look after your money in your bank account. In the same way you would invest your money wisely, you need to invest wisely with your food choices, or your reserves will run out … it really is that simple.
If you want to stop your hair from going grey, protect your eyesight, keep your hearing tip‐top, create healthy digestion, bones, and muscles, and feel like your mind and your body are mentally and physically strong, then listen up.
We have all heard about enzymes, but do we know what they are and what an important role they play in our well‐being? All these amazing activities are going on in our bodies every millisecond of the day and we often don’t give them a single thought. Enzymes are one of the most interesting and important substances found in nature and make activities possible within each of the 100 trillion cells in our bodies. They are the special added ingredient to allow growth and repair and stabilization within our cells. They are proteins that are organic and work like lightning in our bodies to make things happen. Over 3000 different types of these catalysts have been discovered and identified within our systems and they all have a specific job to do and an alkaline environment is the best and most efficient condition for these little sparks of life to work their magic.
If you look up enzymes in a dictionary you will get a lot of scientific blurb. However, all we really need to know is that they play a crucial role in all our chemical processes within the body, including digesting food, transmitting nerve impulses, and making our muscles work. If you think about it that’s just about every function we do from blinking and thinking to chewing and pooing!
It is my belief, and I share that belief with many others who have studied this subject for years, that we are all born with a certain constitution. In the same way we are all born into a variety of families, backgrounds, wealth, and health, we are all born with a certain number of enzymes and some naturally have more than others. However, we all have a limited pot! Think of it as a bank account with a million pounds in and throughout your life you start to draw out cash without putting any back. As we get older our cash starts to dwindle, and particularly quickly when we consume what is thought of as the modern, Westernized (acidic) diet such as coffee, milk, tea, chocolate bars, sandwiches, biscuits, processed foods, foods cooked to a frazzle … and the list goes on! The reason we start to become depleted in these enzymes is because these types of foods contain no enzymes at all. So in a way we are robbing our own bank accounts of life‐giving enzymes by eating such foods and depleting our systems. Enzymes can only be replenished when we eat raw, living foods which massively aid digestion, which in turn allows us to absorb all the nutrients that we need for the optimal functioning of our delicate but amazing systems.
Enzymes are literally the spark of life! They govern every single function that happens in your body, and every cell needs nurturing and looking after on a daily basis. If you actually stop to think of all the functions we are required to do in a day it’s quite mind‐blowing!
So, what are the main reasons for eating living foods such as sprouted seeds and raw vegetables?
- The nutrient value is at its highest when a food is in its natural state.
- It helps to replenish those all‐important enzymes that are vital to keep you alive! It’s putting money back in the bank account.
When we eat and drink junk it is depleting the account, so as you get older it becomes even more important to look after yourself better. Perhaps that’s why we can’t quite bounce back so quickly after a drinking session anymore, or why we feel groggy after gorging on pizzas followed by chocolate! Our enzymes are not able to function so well if we eat these acid‐forming foods. That’s a fact!
It’s quite simple really when you think about it! Gorillas in the wild are big, strong, and energetic. Why? They eat their greens … uncooked! Nature is so clever. Raw green vegetables are the most concentrated source of nutrition in any food, with a high amount of minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. They contain K, C, E, and B vitamins and phytonutrients that protect our cells from pollution, toxins, and damage. So, when your granny said ‘Eat your greens’, I think she knew what she was talking about!
My first two favourite things are juices and smoothies. I can promise you that if you add these two things into your life you will feel the benefits almost immediately. Not only that, you will see a vast improvement in your skin, hair, and nails and your energy will rise. There are two completely different health reasons why I want you to add these things in and here’s why:
Juices
How many of us can realistically eat two to three pounds of vegetables each day? Not many. I know juicing removes the fibre, but it has such great health benefits. I would highly recommend you start juicing if you don’t already because it will send your health through the roof. You will have such clean and vibrant energy you won’t know what to do with it! Not only that, the whites of your eyes will look clean and glistening and your skin will glow. I know there are mixed feelings amongst the press when it comes to juicing, but if you mostly juice with vegetables (80% vegetables and 20% fruit in each juice) you will not spike your blood sugar and the juice will act like a medicine to your blood – an intravenous drip giving you a wash of magnificent vitamins and minerals like never before. By removing the pulp (the fibre) your body has to do very little to digest. That’s why if someone is really sick a juice fast is the best way to heal as it takes very little energy for the body to process and absorb allowing the goodness to go directly into the blood.
As you are drinking and not eating, you are able to take in higher volumes of nutrients, and if you juice twice a day you can add 5–6 different vegetables, including dark greens for your chlorophyll fix. This will keep your blood nice and clean and help nurture each and every organ. Juicing is also very supportive to the good bacteria in your gut, and it helps to keep your immune system fighting fit by adding that extra volume of nutrients. It’s far better absorbed by the body than man‐made vitamins and minerals, so if you want preventative health this is the way to go. It also helps to detox our bodies and eating foods such as ginger, celery, carrots, lemons, broccoli, apples, and kale helps to lower bad cholesterol; this doesn’t overload the system but enhances it.
If I have a juice before a run or a gym workout it has magnificent effects on my energy levels and gives me a much better performance. You can vary your juices so you have an array of vitamins and minerals in each and you can make it in batches giving you enough for three days. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge and there you have it. Your nutritional kick ready to go. Simple! NOTE: buying a more expensive cold press juicer will benefit you in the long run and is worth the investment. It keeps more nutrients in your juice and extracts more juice from your fruits and vegetables, meaning you have to spend less on them. By adding water‐based vegetables and fruits, such as cucumbers and watermelon, to your juices you can make larger volumes.
Smoothies
I personally think you should include both juices and smoothies in your daily regime. Smoothies are different from juices as they retain the fibre and you mix them in a blender. I love them because you can add in all your powdered superfoods, and you have an instant blend of utter goodness. Like the juices, this will hugely increase your energy, and topped up with your superfoods, you will feel superhuman after a few days. If you have any digestive issues at all, smoothies are the best way to heal and repair. They will also keep your bowel extremely happy and clean. You may go to the toilet more frequently than normal, but this is good. It’s a clear‐out, remember I said everything has to flow. Well, this is your nutritional flow and I would highly recommend you do this.
My number one tip is to follow recipes until you get good at making your smoothies delicious. So many people I know just throw in whatever is in the fridge and they taste vile. If they taste vile you will not continue to make them, but if you make them delicious, then all the family can enjoy them. To prevent cancers and other harmful disease, it is recommended that we eat between five and nine portions of fruits and vegetables daily. Smoothies are the best and quickest way to ensure that you are getting plenty more than this. If you want to optimize all the nutrients, this is the way forward. You get a boost of all your vitamins and minerals, strengthen your immune system, and gain extra strength for your bones and muscles. Smoothies will help you to lose or maintain weight, and if you need to gain weight just add extra protein to your shakes in the form of pea, hemp, or flax. It helps to reduce your cholesterol, lower high blood pressure, improve mental focus and clarity, reduce and combat cravings, and is an incredibly effective anti‐inflammatory. Basically smoothies are alkalizing, rich in chlorophyll, help with allergies, and can contribute to preventing serious diseases because of the volume of goodness in each and every one!
The number one rule of healthy eating is to be organized. I don’t care if you work a trillion hours a week, have 10 kids, and run your own company. Do not tell me you don’t have time for healthy eating. It’s a fact that we all make the time for things that we want in life and eating healthy food should be no exception. The easiest way to manage a busy life is to plan three days in advance. Whatever you make, prepare, or cook, make enough to stick in the fridge so you can either add to it, or simply take it out and eat or drink.
If you have children, this is a great thing to teach them and they can even help you prepare your weekly juices and foods. The more hands‐on they are, the more likely they are to participate, and the earlier you can get them started the better. Being healthy can be so much fun, does not have to cost a fortune, and can be delicious and yummy. If you think about the nourishment that your body deserves on a daily basis you will have the best mindset to make this work for you and your loved ones. Remember: you might have a predisposition to illness in your family, or a weakness that runs in your genes, but it’s your lifestyle choices that will pull the trigger. You are the one putting the foods that you choose in your mouth. So the choices are really down to you.
Forget the calories too. If you follow a life‐giving diet plan with only whole foods, fruits, and vegetables you will not only gain amazing clarity, have a great body, and more energy than you could ever imagine, you will not have to count calories anymore. You don’t want anything other than the foods that are going to supply you with enough nutrients to support your immune system, prevent serious disease, and give you the strength to do all the exciting things you want in your life and the ability to repair and feed your precious and fabulous cells. Life is for thriving and not just surviving, and it’s too short for calorie counting! You should be health counting instead!
With our busy lives meal planning is important. Make enough juices, smoothies, salads, soups, etc to last you three days at a time.
Daily Eating Plan
We need to rid the body of toxins each and every day and feed our cells to become super strong and healthy so that all body systems such as the lymphatic, immune, endocrine, skeletal, and nervous systems work smoothly and correctly. This way of living guarantees energy and vitality and allows you to be your natural healthy weight.
When it comes to my meals, feel free to be experimental – after all it’s you that’s got to eat it.
So, if you like more spice add some, and if you want different vegetables, add them. Use as many fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices in your foods every day as you can to maximize your health!
Wake up: have a cup of warm water, with a cube of ginger and a dash of cayenne pepper. This is a great way to start the day as it continues with your overnight cleansing/fasting and alkalizes the blood, which helps flush toxins from the liver and keeps your lymphatic system very happy. The cayenne pepper is also a slight stimulator, so gives you a similar kick to coffee, but better!
Meditate: even if you can only do five minutes, make time to set your brain up for the day. There are so many guided meditations for free on YouTube there are no excuses at all not to do this.
Dry skin brush: followed by hot and cold showers. This also stimulates the lymphatic system and helps to get rid of toxins. If you work out first thing in the morning you may want to do this after your workout, but either way it’s fabulous at keeping you clean inside and out. Always brush towards the heart, up the legs, up the arms, clockwise on the stomach area and down the neck. Then rinse off with two minutes hot water (as hot as you can stand without scalding yourself) and two minutes cold. You can repeat if you wish, and this helps to stimulate your blood circulation and wake you up ready to face the day!
Before you work out: whatever you choose to do, walk, run, cycle, swim, dance etc., I would suggest having your juice. There are three classic examples for you to choose from on pages 150–152. Each one is enough for one day’s juice. If you wish to make more for your three days in the fridge, just triple the ingredients and there you have it. I would suggest you use one medium wine glass half full for each juice, and you ideally need two juices per day. One in the morning and one mid‐afternoon.
Make your water bottle for the day: it may be a good idea at this point to make up your water. As you are chopping for your juice you may as well cut a few more slices of lemon, lime, cucumber, mint, and ginger for your water bottle. The larger the better so you can sip all day long with your alkaline goodies in. Not only do the fruits and vegetables make the water taste delicious, they add vitamin and mineral goodness to it too. Fabulous! Don’t forget to add to a glass container not plastic.
Breakfast: start your day with the best foods to keep your body happy. Forget packet cereals, fry‐ups and ready‐made muffins. Remember your heart needs your help, not your hindrance. See the delicious and nutritious recipes on pages 153–156.
Mid‐morning snack (or as a lunch alternative): I would suggest a green smoothie with your added superfoods in to make this the most energizing blended drink you can have. It will enhance your brainpower, help to keep you feeling fresh and alert, and create a body that is truly nourished. See recipes on pages 157–159. I personally would have that as my lunch, but if you are hungry and want something ‘solid’ then prep some food in advance for lunch. The trick is to feel full after lunch, so you don’t reach for the naughty snacks in the afternoon. Eating this way should make you feel really satisfied and energized at the same time.
Food is not meant to make you tired and lethargic, it is meant to be light and life‐giving, so try not to overeat.
Lunch: having a wrap full of the rainbow salads is probably one of the easiest lunchtime foods you can have. Get a whole grain wrap, or gluten free if you are intolerant, and fill it with radishes, sprouted seeds, green leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, beets, and asparagus. Alternatively, try one of my tasty salads from pages 160–162. The trick to making a salad filling is to add goodies to it that excite you. Add an array of leaves, such as rocket and watercress, and all colours of the rainbow vegetables. A lovely addition to any salad is watermelon, it’s so fresh and gives it an element of sweetness. Or you could add apple, pear, or chopped dates too if you like. Nuts and seeds, spinkled on top, are always filling and grains such as wholegrain rice and couscous can bulk out your salads and keep you full. I always make a salad big enough to last for 3 days in the fridge, so you can have it any time you need to grab something to go to work or eat at home.
If you are a meat eater, or a fish lover, or want to include a bit of haloumi then add some to make it more interesting for you. It’s important that the food you eat excites you and you do not need to feel deprived in any way. When you eat in such a pure way you are actually being kind to your body and giving it all the nutrients it needs to fire on all cylinders. Remember most vegetables can be eaten raw and if you start to eat this way you will appreciate the flavours of everything in a completely different way.
Salad dressings: it’s all about the dressings! You can make a simple salad taste so much more exciting with the right dressing! Not only that, when you use the correct ingredients it can enhance the goodness of your salad. The simplest dressing is freshly squeezed lemon, some olive oil, and crushed garlic. This makes a tasty and alkalizing dressing. For other options see pages 163–164.
Bowl foods: soups and stews are also a great and easy way to ensure you have healthy meals at the ready. You can make them in a big batch and keep for several days in the fridge and just take out to eat for lunch or your evening meal. They can be light and full of green goodness too and if you live in colder climates, sometimes you need the warmth to soothe you! Use herbs and spices in abundance for extra healing and warmth and add additional things that you love if you wish to experiment. See recipes on pages 165–167.
Green or herbal tea: Switch your milky tea or coffee for a health‐enhancing green tea. Or try a herbal tea that could add to your health as mentioned in the health beverage section in Chapter 8.
Mid‐afternoon snack: have a second glass of your already prepared smoothie, this will boost your energy and allow you to feel bright and cheery for the whole afternoon. If you get hungry, snack on a protein ball, fruit, or a selection of chopped vegetables that you can dip in humous or an avocado dip. Medjool dates are also a good snack if you are wanting something sweeter.
Around 5 p.m. have your second juice: this will feed your body without using up much effort and if you are going to work out in the evening will help your energy levels immensely.
Evening meals: they should be kept light and, ideally, not be eaten after 8 p.m. Remember the food that goes into your body always needs to feed your system. All evening meals should be small and light, a salad or soup would be great. Always try and eat something raw in the evenings if you can. Even if you want something warmer and cooked, have some salad on a side plate to feed your precious enzymes. See recipes on pages 168–170.
Sweet treats: if you have a sweet tooth and want the occasional chocolate pudding you have to try the one shown on page 171. It’s delicious and nutritious and you don’t even have to cook it. Or maybe a healthy banana and strawberry ice cream, see page 172. Yes it’s good for you and dairy free.
There is so much goodness in all of these foods you could live on them forever. They are full of nourishment that will keep you vibrant and healthy, and alongside your smoothies and juices you are packing a huge nutritional punch every single day.
Evening drinks: herbal teas such as chamomile, lime flower, and peppermint ease the digestion and calm the mind, aiding peaceful sleep.
Have lots of sex: a healthy sex life is good for the heart, especially with someone you really love! It keeps your oestrogen and testosterone levels in balance and helps you to sleep better. It is a massive stress reliever, helps you to burn more calories and lessens your risk of heart attack by 50% if you regularly have sex each week. It makes your immune system stronger, improves your mood, and can even reduce pain. So, if a headache is your excuse, think again! When you orgasm, your oxytocin increases by five times, and this mood‐improving endorphin actually relieves aches and pains. Regular sex helps you to live longer because when certain hormones are released during sex, your skin and tissue repairs better, and your blood circulation improves. So not only will frequent sex make you want more sex, because of the elevated hormones, your waistline will thank you and you will feel generally more relaxed, calm, and happy!
Nightly gratitude and evening meditation: be thankful for your day and meditate on positive things for tomorrow.
