I see a lot of clients who have a terrible relationship with food. They treat certain foods as they’d treat an errant lover: one day they adore them and can’t get enough; the next they want nothing more to do with them. They diet, then binge. They go to spas, lose two stone on a restrictive regime, then come home and turn into a round ball again. It’s exhausting and debilitating. They’re not getting the nutrients they need to stay young and vibrant. They have developed such phobias around food that they can’t answer one simple question: what can I eat?
This book is about finding the answer to that question. And then cooking it in the healthiest possible way to give your body the chance to look and feel all-round younger. It is a short-cut to rejuvenated skin, bright eyes, glossy hair, a leaner physique but also – crucially – to a new energy and zest that makes you look young to everyone you meet (and to your reflection in the mirror).
THE NEW NORMAL
So: what can we eat in a world bedevilled by too many (mostly bad) food choices? I’m on a mission to cut through all the nonsense and make healthy youthing foods mainstream: the new normal.
Let’s face it, normal is not about dieting (diets, as we know, don’t work). On the contrary. It is about choosing and cooking normal good-for-you youthing foods. But how do you achieve that sensible and happy state? I’ve had most success with clients when they start eating nutrient-dense foods ‘for health’. This quickly makes them feel vibrant and energetic, debugs their system of niggles (the bad skin/hair/nails, headaches, joint pain, gut problems, low immunity and extreme tiredness they didn’t want to bother their doctor with), as well as inducing the delightful positive of looking five to 10 years younger within just a few months.
In Cook Yourself Young (CYY), I’ll show you ways to cook for health and youthing using natural, non-processed foods that make us feel good and look even better, that satisfy us so that bingeing and blitzing and gimmicky diets are no longer part of our lives.
So let’s keep it simple. Overleaf you’ll find seven core principles that will help you create fabulous, tasty food using healthy ingredients that can decelerate the ageing process and boost immunity. These principles will change your way of cooking and eating to make you look, feel and live a healthier, leaner, more balanced, energised – and above all, younger – life. Keep them at the forefront of your mind and instinctively you’ll choose the best youthing option for yourself and your loved ones and, this time, it will be easy and it will be for life.
THE FIRST PRINCIPLE: EAT THE NEW NORMAL; DROP ADDICTIVE FOODS
By addictive I mean processed foods, refined or hidden sugar, salt and ‘bad’ fats. These are dictionary-definition addictive, as they make your body crave more of them.
ADDICTIVE FOODS:
Processed foods made with refined flour and grains (white pasta, white rice, white bread, plus shop-bought gunk such as pizzas, biscuits, doughnuts, cakes, crisps and so on). Pretty much everything in a box or packet
Anything with refined sugars (including fizzy drinks). Also pretty much everything in a box or packet (notice a theme?)
Sodium chloride (salt): don’t use it in cooking or sprinkle it on food; avoid high-salt smoked foods and ready meals
Processed meats such as salami, bacon and sausages
Cow’s dairy: with my delicious substitutes, you’ll barely notice the absence
‘Low-fat’ foods claiming to be organic or slimming. If it has more than a few ingredients, it is heavily processed
These induce cravings so you eat more of them more often, and they are nutrient-light and high-cal so you feel hungry while getting fatter. You get into an anti-youthing cycle of sluggishness and/or hyperactivity as the body is less able to process the toxin bombing from the overload of junk.
I think the slowly-slowly approach is harder. Why not just stop feeding the addiction? Give it up now: if you pack your diet with nutrient-rich new normal foods, your body will reacclimatise fast (and thank you for it).
HOW TO DROP ADDICTIVE FOODS?
There’s a myth that it takes 21 days to kick a habit. I think that’s tosh (and dangerous tosh, as you have one more reason to beat yourself up if you fail). Food addictions are tough to crack and my rule of thumb is to allow a week for each year of addiction. So, if you are 36 and have eaten lots of refined sugar since the age of 16, don’t expect to be free of it until 20 weeks after you stop eating it. I know, that’s longer than you’d expect, but be gentle on yourself...
SLOWLY-SLOWLY OR COLD TURKEY?
I think the slowly-slowly approach is harder. Why not just stop feeding the addiction? Give it up now: if you pack your diet with nutrient-rich new normal foods, your body will reacclimatise fast (and thank you for it). Note: some of my recipes contain maple syrup to add extra sweetness, but, if you are on a no-sugar diet, just leave it out.
THE NEW NORMAL: WHAT CAN I EAT?
I’ve given a list of 50 Stellar Youthing Foods. Add these to your diet at any opportunity you get. And stock up your New Normal kitchen cupboards with:
Whole grains: amaranth, brown rice, millet, oats (try and sprout them if you can)
New normal flours: brown rice, buckwheat, hemp, millet, potato, quinoa, spelt, tapioca; and ground almonds, too
Fresh veg and fruit (as wide a range as you can)
Nuts, seeds and my New Normal oils
Beans, legumes, split peas (soak or sprout before use)
Spirulina and chlorella (algae), wheatgrass, E3Live
Dried fruit in moderation: dates, apricots, raisins
Maple syrup or stevia (to be used in small doses!)
Himalayan/Celtic mineral salt: more minerals and saltier than table salt, so you use less. But, for youthing, cut all salt; use herbs, spices and lemon juice instead
SHOULD I GO VEGAN, VEGETARIAN OR RAW?
Going vegan is hip and you might think that cutting out dairy, meat and eggs means you eat loads of healthy veg, pulses, beans, seeds, nuts and fruit. But often vegans end up eating piles of pasta and other carbs and not much else. The result? Terrible skin (eczema, itchiness, dermatitis) and feeling low-energy, grumpy and generally out of whack.
So, whether you’re vegan, vegetarian or raw, be creative so you get enough protein (nuts, seeds, pulses, peas), minerals (especially iron, zinc and selenium to prevent anaemia) and vitamins (especially biotin and B-12 for skin, mental focus and energy). Lots of my recipes are great for vegans and vegetarians: they’ll boost mental and physical energy and give you all the nutrients you need for a youthing lifestyle.
WHAT IF YOU LAPSE?
Don’t get spooked. Being normal is about being human, and humans have lapsed ever since the Garden of Eden. Allow for lapses. Some people restrict themselves all week and then, on Sunday, eat anything they want and, if this works for you (by which I mean you have no symptoms and are at the top of your game), then that’s OK. In fact, it’s much better than deciding to give up chocolate for ever and then wolfing down a bar the next day. Doing that leads to what I call ‘flabby willpower’ and erodes your confidence in your own decision-making. Instead, I’d rather you took responsibility for your decisions (good or bad), positively decided to eat a bar of chocolate and enjoyed every bite.
Take the long view. Once you start eating the New Normal, you’ll lose your diet phobias and feel safe around food. You may have the odd blip. Forget it and move on.
THE SECOND PRINCIPLE: COOK YOUNGER
KNOW THIS: the way we cook food affects its nutritional and youthing benefits. I aim for high-nutrition cooking, which happens to be high-youthing cooking, too. The cooking process should retain maximum nutrients, antioxidants and anti-inflammatories in all our food, to sustain us and keep us looking and feeling younger. So, how to do that?
HERE’S THE CYY WAY:
Dehydrating: one of the most youthing ways to cook. The food is in essence still raw and all the nutritional value has been kept. If you can eat 40 per cent raw, including dehydrated foods, you are loading your plate with a varied array of nutrients and allowing your body to heal and rejuvenate on a daily basis.
Steaming: the best youthing option for most veg and fish. It allows food to retain goodness, as water-soluble vitamins don’t leach away. Steaming veg with tough cellulose walls (spinach, carrots and cruciferous leafy greens) makes nutrients more accessible. And it improves broccoli’s youthing properties, as it helps produce carcinogen-kicking isothiocyanates in the body.
Steam-frying: my top way to cook youthing, tasty meals, as it brings the richness of frying with, typically, less than 1 tsp of oil (that tiny amount helps us absorb the essential fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K). In terms of youthing, it allows for excellent nutrient retention.
HOW TO DO IT: heat a heavy-based pan over a medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add ½ tsp of avocado or coconut oil and swirl to coat. Add 4–6 tbsp of water, wait until it bubbles, then add the food. Cook as normal.
Slow cooking: low-cost cooking in a slow cooker (or ‘crock pot’) gives high-energy, youthing results, because:
You don’t need to add any oil
You won’t get exposed to AGEs (advanced glycation end products), toxins that come from cooking meat at high temperatures. AGEs destroy collagen, so are ageing for skin
Some nutrients are lost, but fewer than through boiling. (You can blanch vegetables to minimise enzyme loss before adding to the pot. But that adds an extra layer of faff…)
Soups, stews and curries become tender and tasty, if you whack in aromatic onions, garlic, spices and dried herbs
WHAT YOU NEED: an electric slow cooker. These aren’t expensive; you can get a 3.5-litre version for around £15.
WHAT TO COOK: fish, veg, grains.
NOTE: don’t cook dried beans in a slow cooker. They need to be boiled to neutralise toxins that can make you ill.
I’m not keen on grilling and barbecuing meat, boiling, microwaving or deep-fat frying. Here’s why:
Grilling and barbecuing meat: charring or grilling meat or fish to give that caramelised taste produces inflammatory, collagen-destroying and anti-youthing AGEs. Cooking proteins at high temperatures also produces chemicals called HCAs and PAHs that can cause inflammation, speed cell damage and increase the risk of chronic degenerative diseases including cancer. Both are listed on the US government National Institutes of Health’s list of official cancer-causing agents.
Boiling: you may as well wash your nutrients down the sink. Cooking veg in lots of water at high temperatures leaches water-soluble vitamins and around 60 per cent of mineral content. If the water turns a dark colour, you are waving the antioxidants goodbye. Research shows that only artichokes and carrots seem to emerge unscathed from boiling.
HOWEVER: you do need to boil dried beans, to deactivate toxins that can make you ill.
Microwaving: I don’t have a good thing to say about this. It’s too easy to use the ‘wrong’ container (which leaches chemicals into food), or to nuke veggies so they emerge as a tasteless, nutrient-light mush. As for youthing, I am convinced that microwaving changes food’s structure and creates a negative impact on the body and, though we’re years away from proving this, I don’t want to take the risk.
Steaming veggies is easier and can help retain more nutrients. Take broccoli and other cruciform veg, for example: they contain a cancer-fighter called sulphoraphane that is enhanced by steaming and depleted by microwaving. ’Nuff said.
Deep-fat frying: just don’t go there.
Poaching: less nutrient-slaying than boiling, this is cooking for a short time in water just below boiling point. It’s good for eggs, fish and some fruits, but not for vegetables.
Roasting: I like to roast starchy veg such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, swedes and beetroots as well as onions, garlic, carrots and aubergines at a low temperature. You don’t need fat, but it is delicious to sprinkle rosemary or thyme over veg for extra flavour. Add a drizzle of oil of your choice after the roasting has finished, to give that creamy taste.
Eat, drink broth: remember that vegetable water your mum used to make gravy with? It’s the water left over from steaming or poaching veg. Save it and use it as you would stock. Add it to risottos, stews, curries, hotpots or when steam-frying; it’s nutrient-rich, low-cal and gives great flavour. Sometimes I even drink it cold first thing in the morning as a youthing antidote to any food or drink excesses of the night before. Try it before you say ugh…
GET THE FATS RIGHT
The good fat/bad fat debate rages on, so for sanity’s sake I like to keep it simple. For cooking, I use coconut oil or avocado oil. For drizzling, dipping and so on, I add hemp, olive and pumpkin seed oils. With these five, you have all the taste, nutrients and youthing benefits you want.
As you know, fats are vital for our bodies to work properly, for healthy skin, for the proper functioning of cells, brain and liver, and to process the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Counter-intuitively, good fats even help weight loss: they make us feel satisfied so we eat less, but they also burn as energy rather than being stored in fat cells.
When you’re buying oils, go for first cold-pressed extra-virgin, as these have not been degraded by heat in the extraction process. Choose oils in dark bottles and store in a cool, dark place (not near the cooker).
Avocado oil: use for cooking. It has a high smoke point (so won’t degrade when heated, the chemical outcome of which causes inflammation). It’s high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, contains a heap of vitamins and minerals, plus protein. It helps with processing other nutrients, especially youthing carotenoids, can reduce blood pressure, is anti-inflammatory and good for skin. A great multi-tasking oil.
GO CYY: the rich flavour gives dense creaminess to soups, smoothies or mash. It’s also delicious on salads and grains.
Coconut oil: this contains short- and medium-chain triglycerides, the same as those found in animal fats. The liver burns these as energy so, despite it being highly calorific, it can actually help with weight loss. It may help reduce blood cholesterol, too. I love the flavour and aroma.
GO CYY: use in baking, curries and high-heat cooking.
Hemp oil: this won’t get you high, even though it’s extracted from cannabis seeds! I love the nutty taste, and the great youthing benefits. It has a good balance of omega-3 to omega-6, contains essential fatty acids and some polyunsaturated fatty acids vital for youthful skin and joints, strong immunity, heart health, brain function and mood. It’s high in antioxidants, a good plant protein source (comparable to meat, fish and eggs) and contains a natural dose of calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron.
GO CYY: don’t cook with it (it has a low smoke point), but it’s tasty drizzled on pasta and quinoa before serving. Add 1 tsp to thicken smoothies and make them more nutritious. Its nuttiness complements oily fish or it makes a tasty salad dressing with lemon.
Olive oil: you’ll be aware of its health and youthing benefits (it helps reduce inflammation, cholesterol levels, protect against diabetes and heart disease and may help break down stored fat to encourage weight loss). Just don’t cook with it (fry, grill or roast) at high temperatures as it becomes unstable and can cause inflammation.
GO CYY: drizzle over pasta, quinoa or rice dishes, or use in salad dressings, mash, dips, add 1 tsp to smoothies...
Pumpkin seed oil: I love the deep green colour and strong, earthy taste. It is full of zinc, fabulous for the immune system, skin and bones. It helps regulate insulin and is good for sperm production. Not to be sniffed at! The sleep hormone tryptophan rates high in this oil: take some with a piece of fruit, for serotonin and melatonin to help sleep.
GO CYY: though it has a high smoke point, heat destroys the flavour, so drizzle on baked potato or use in dressings.
Rice bran oil: I want to sneak in the very underrated and little used rice bran oil, derived from the germ and inner husk of the rice plant. The oil is a much lighter colour than olive oil and looks insipid, but has a nutty taste. It has the added benefit of two unusual compounds: an antioxidant called gamma-oryzanol, which blocks the absorption of cholesterol into the body and tocotrienols which are a group of related fat-soluble compounds that easily convert to vitamin E, giving great skin and hair.
GO CYY: the reason I wanted you to know about this oil is that it has a very high smoke point, so is great for those very occasional dinners where frying, sautéing or baking is involved!
USING NUTS
If you’re eating handfuls of nuts, soak overnight first. It rinses off tannins, making them taste better. It also kicks off sprouting, that activates enzymes to make nuts more nutritious and easier to digest. They can be dehydrated after being soaked for adding to salads, sprinkling in soups, or just for snacks
Store nuts in the fridge and chuck them at the first sign they’re off. All high-fat foods can turn rancid
Nuts are of course vegan, lactose-, gluten-and wheat-free. But why are they so great for youthing? Five reasons:
1 Think about what a nut is: it’s the egg of the plant world. It contains all the nutrients and genetic instructions to produce life. This means nuts contain protein and youthing phytonutrients a-go-go, from beautifying vitamin E to the free radical and cancer-fighter ellagic acid.
2 Specifically, they help with detoxifying, immune strength and wound healing, protect against type-2 diabetes and have a positive effect on blood vessels, cholesterol and heart health. If you substitute nuts for meat and dairy, studies show a 45 per cent reduction in heart disease risk.
3 Nuts are good deliverers of omega-3 and other healthy fats. These feed the cells, brain, muscles, joints and skin, allow a speedy hormone messenger service to flow between cells and help reduce inflammation.
4 Eat widely for a range of flavours and benefits: almonds, brazils, cashews, coconuts, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts all have totally different tastes and slightly varying nutrient profiles. For example, eating a couple of brazils a day is thought to decelerate the arrival of grey hair and reduce allergies and inflammation. Eating copper-rich hazelnuts neutralises free radicals, while pistachios contain an anti-inflammatory that alleviates dermatitis and strengthens skin.
5 They don’t make you fat. Although nuts are high in fat, what’s remarkable is that people who eat them tend to be slimmer and therefore look and feel more youthful. This may be because the good fats they contain make you feel fuller and less likely to go on mad sugar binges.
THE THIRD PRINCIPLE: GO NUTS!
To practise successful youthing for life, you need to switch from being a predominantly dairy eater to being a nut eater (unless you are among the one per cent of the population with a nut allergy, in which case skip this). It’s part of your mission to become plant-powered! You’ll notice that many of the recipes in this book use nuts (as milk, as flour, in smoothies and puddings). That’s because nuts offer major youthing bonuses and can, with a little expertise, be easily substituted for every kind of dairy. Let’s give it a go.
Nut milk: an easy swap. Instead of cow’s milk, use nut or seed milk. Make your own instead of buying processed long-life nut milks, it takes just five minutes. DIY nut milk is more delicious and nutritious and wonderful for skin, hair and nails (it’s the vitamin E and omega-3s). Nut milks come in totally different flavours depending on the nut. If you are allergic to nuts try making rice milk, buckwheat milk or pumpkin and sunflower seed milk. You make it in the same way.
GO CYY: pour on cereals, use in smoothies, ice creams, add to hot drinks, use in baking. Or drink it fresh.
Nut yogurt: you can make yogurt from nut milk, using a probiotic yogurt starter (from health food or kitchen shops) and your nut milk of choice. Your body gets the same amount of good gut bacteria as from dairy yogurt.
Nut butters: these are soooo easy to make, try my Almond butter. Nut butters have more taste and texture than dairy butter, so you can’t substitute them for butter when baking; I tend to use coconut oil or butter in baking.
Nut cheese: try my creamy nut cheeses. They are delicious and work as toppings on bakes or sprinkled on soups. They are best with intense flavour bursts from herbs and spices: try garlic, chilli, chives, cumin, whatever makes your tastebuds come alive.
THE FOURTH PRINCIPLE: GET THERAPY WITH HEALING HERBS AND SPICES
I’m always amazed by how timid we are about using herbs in the western world. Adding 1 tsp of dried oregano here or a garnish of parsley leaves there just doesn’t hack it in the youthing stakes. One of my missions is to herb up the nation (that’s ‘beef up’ for plant fans) and encourage you to whack huge bundles of herbs and plenty of spices into your dishes, so you can take advantage of their fabulous rejuvenating effects.
Herbs and spices pack an industrial-sized nutrient punch: they are intensely powerful. Many pharmaceutical drugs are based on the bioactive constituents of these plants; in fact, 40 per cent of anti-cancer drugs developed between 1940 and 2002 were derived from natural plant products. We like herbs for their intense flavours and these come from the volatile oils that also provide an incredible range of therapeutic and youthing benefits (see right for a few!).
Generally speaking, herbs are antioxidant, alkalising and anti-inflammatory. They are free radical fighters, immune-boosters and detox helpers. They do pretty much all the youthing you need: strengthen cells, joints, muscles, veins, blood and organs; make eyes, hair and nails shine; heal skin; make you happy. Youthing therapy.
Please use herbs prolifically. Chuck handfuls of parsley, coriander, dill and other leafy herbs into casseroles minutes before serving. Use herbs as vegetables: make soups with them, or eat them raw in salads. Add exotic spices to dishes and smoothies to bring flavour fabulousness and nutrient intensity to your diet. Eat lots of different kinds (not just from the list below). For example, if you enjoy foraging, pick young nettle tops in late spring when they are sweetest (wear long gloves!) for soup or pesto, or add dandelion leaves to salads. Both these herbs (some call them weeds) are high in chlorophyll and rejuvenating minerals and vitamins. In other words, see herbs as a food, not a decoration. A major player, not a bit part. Your body will thank you for it.
If you use dried herbs or spices, buy organic if you can as the nutrients won’t have been blitzed by irradiation…
NOTE: if you use dried herbs or spices, buy organic varieties if you can as, that way, their nutrients won’t have been blitzed by irradiation…
10 HERBS AND SPICES YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT
Garlic and turmeric are in my top five youthing foods for their hormone-balancing, anti-inflammatory properties. Mint and nutmeg are up there, too. As for the 10 others I have highlighted here, I really can’t cook or live youthfully without them…
Basil: awesomely flavourful and super-youthing for the digestion (killing bugs, worms and viruses), cancer-fighting and with flavonoids that help protect cell structure and function. Also high in vitamin K, which strengthens bones.
GO CYY: use in pesto, salads, soups (especially tomato), stir-fries, or as basil tea (delicious, honestly). The oils are volatile, so add to food at the end of the cooking process. I like a bit of chopped basil in lemon ice lollies, too.
Cinnamon: I use this liberally as it reduces blood sugar levels; when eaten with sweet foods it helps stabilise sugar spikes. It’s also anti-inflammatory, kills bacteria and fungi so is fantastic for the gut, and is cholesterol reducing; a total must-have in the youthing larder.
GO CYY: add to sweet foods – puddings, cakes, breads, smoothies – or eat with fruit to minimise sugar rushes. Fantastic in Indian dishes and curries, too.
Coriander: leaves or seeds. This power-packed anti-inflammatory can reduce blood sugar and cholesterol and help digest fats. It’s traditionally used to help with diabetes and to lessen anxiety, so it’s a youthing all-rounder…
GO CYY: THREE WAYS TO STORE HERBS FOR WINTER
1 Freeze them: good for herbs with a high water content, such as basil, chives, mint, parsley and tarragon. Spread the dry leaves out on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Freeze. Next day, tip into freezer containers and store in the freezer. Their nutrients and flavour last for about three months.
2 Ice cube them: finely chop dry herbs, and put into ice cube trays so each hollow is one-third full. Cover with stock or water. Once frozen, store the cubes in freezer containers. Add two or three to casseroles.
3 Dry them: good for herbs without much water content, such as dill, oregano, rosemary or thyme. Place the leaves apart on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Place in the oven on its lowest setting, leaving the door ajar, for three to five hours until dried. Store in an airtight dark glass jar.
If you’re already adding fresh herbs and spices to your morning smoothies, then why not drink them as tea, too? You get intense youthing in a tisane. Here’s how to make herb tea:
The leafy version (for one mug)
STEP 1: put a handful of washed leaves (such as mint/basil/rosemary) in a glass teapot or bowl.
STEP 2: pour over a big mugful of just-boiled water.
STEP 3: leave for five minutes, then strain and drink.
The rooty version (for one mug)
STEP 1: peel and chop a root (such as ginger/liquorice/dandelion) to give 15–30g. Put in a pan with 500ml of water.
STEP 2: bring to the boil; simmer for 10 minutes.
STEP 3: strain, then drink.
GO CYY: add ground seeds to meat, lentil and grain dishes; it’s a mainstay in Indian curry spice mixes. Coriander leaves are delicious in salads, are the taste backbone of guacamole and make a great alternative for basil in pesto.
Cumin: a good detoxer and youthing free radical scavenger, cumin may also help with nutrient uptake as it stimulates the production of pancreatic enzymes. And it’s thought to protect against cancer. It’s also the secret ingredient in so many Middle Eastern dishes…
GO CYY: buy as seeds or ground spice. I use it liberally in soups and rice, grain and bean dishes. Sprinkle in homemade nut cheese. Good in breads, Mixed seed crackers, smoothies and carrot cake.
Fennel: whether vegetable bulb or seeds, this ticks a heap of youthing boxes. It’s anti-inflammatory and extremely good for the digestive system because it is antifungal (so a candida-fighter) and antibacterial. It’s also high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
GO CYY: eat the bulb raw in salads, or you can barbecue and roast it, too. It’s great with fish. Toss cooked fennel in lemon and oil and eat with courgette ‘pasta’. Or sprinkle seeds in smoothies and sauces.
Ginger: soothing on the digestion, anti-nausea and anti-inflammatory so good for joints. Studies have found ginger helpful with osteoarthritis, aching muscles and musculoskeletal disorders and also in halting tumour growth.
GO CYY: super-versatile in sweet or savoury foods and in smoothies. Great as a tea. Use root or ground ginger.
Lavender: a mood and sleep enhancer used to help with anxiety and depression and soothe the nervous system. It can ease headaches, too. The essential oil found in the flowers is what you need for youthing and you can dry the buds. Some people inhale the essential oil or use a lavender pillow, but I like to eat it, too.
GO CYY: add dried lavender to meat dishes instead of oregano, sage or thyme and use it to flavour cakes and baked goods, too. Drink lavender tea before bedtime.
Parsley: whoppingly high in chlorophyll, vitamin C, folic acid, iron and other minerals, with anti-inflammatory flavonoids which act as free radical scavengers, this herb also has anti-cancer and blood sugar-reducing effects. Parsley is a youthing essential. Eat regularly!
GO CYY: parsley can be used as you would salad leaves, in smoothies and tabbouleh, or add it to soups, pesto, casseroles or stir-fries. Add the leaves near the end of cooking, to retain the nutritional value.
Rosemary: an anti-ageing multi-tasker containing powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, which also works as a gentle liver detoxer. This herb also stimulates the immune system and helps to improve the digestion. Rosemary strengthens tiny blood vessels good for the skin and blood flow to the brain, which may be why it is called the herb of remembrance…
GO CYY: this is my herb of choice with roasted veg, meat and fish (it is traditionally used with meat because it helps in the production of bile which breaks down saturated fats). It’s delicious in breads, crackers and salads. Drink as tea or use to flavour nut milk.
Thyme: a great antioxidant that also (like rosemary) helps brain function and boosts immunity in the gut. One study showed it even slowed the effects of ageing in animals. Its essential oil – thymol – is one of the main ingredients of commercial mouthwashes, because of its antiseptic qualities.
GO CYY: thyme is a traditional ingredient in bouquets garnis and is delicious in soups, stocks, casseroles, fish, meat and egg dishes. Use the herb fresh if you can, when the thymol and other powerful flavonoids will be stronger.
THE FIFTH PRINCIPLE: WASH YOUR INSIDES EVERY DAY
Imagine your body as a washing machine. If it isn’t regularly sluiced through with water and soap, grungy bits build up in odd places and it stops working properly. To avoid that happening to your insides, you need to put on a daily wash using water and some metaphorical ‘soap’, followed by a nice cleansing rinse. It will get all your internal body systems working smoothly and at top notch, and also build good bacteria in the gut. Here’s how:
1 Drink 500ml first thing: preferably a whole lemon squeezed into warm water (you can add ginger, if you like), or a green juice. If you are feeling low in energy, juice a mix of beetroot, carrot, ginger, spinach and lemon; about 250ml of that will pep you right up.
PIMP MY WATER: WHAT’S IT DOING IN THERE?
1 builds: body parts – cells, organs, muscles, joints, blood, lymph, digestive juices – are made of water.
2 lubricates lymph, digestive and nervous systems.
3 transports nutrients and chemicals around the body (via the blood, spinal fluid, saliva and so on).
4 regulates temperature via sweat and respiration.
5 detoxes by flushing waste out of the body.
WHAT IS HEALTHY WATER?
‘Bottled drinking water’ can come from any source, while those labelled ‘purified’ or ‘vapour distilled’ are processed tap water. Avoid.
Distilled water: drink with caution, though good for detoxing. It is boiled and condensed, which strips out contaminants and pulls toxins from your body (along with minerals).
‘Natural mineral water’: from natural springs, bottled at source. Normally alkaline, relatively pure and with the right mix of minerals and trace elements.
‘Spring water’: from a natural underground source, mineral-rich, but may be chemically treated.
Tap water: often contaminated by bacteria, drugs, heavy metals and chlorine and with some minerals removed. But filtered tap water is better than none: just make sure you get your minerals elsewhere.
2 Eat a small amount of fermented food (separately from other foods). Take a probiotic pill daily. If you think you have parasites or fungi take an antifungal (oregano, caprylic acid) and antiparasitic herbs (black walnut, wormwood, clove oil) to keep your gut robust and build immunity.
3 Drink regularly: if you can do a bit more internal rinsing, all to the good; I’d advise drinking 1.5 litres or even more each day. It can be water, herb or green teas, home-made juices… anything but caffeine- or sugar-rich drinks (no coffee, cola, fizzy or energy drinks).
That’s all there is to it! Do this every day and you can consider your body youthfully cleansed.
THE SIXTH PRINCIPLE: EAT 40 PER CENT RAW TO ALKALISE, AND SPROUT YOUR PROTEIN
This principle is about quick and easy alkalising. What’s that? It’s a pathway to optimum youthing. It is about keeping blood and intracellular fluids slightly alkaline, when they work best. Our bodies are great at doing this…
But sometimes because of bad diet, stress and so on, our bodies become slightly acidic. To counteract this, minerals (especially calcium and magnesium) may be pulled from bones, weakening them. Acid wastes build up and have to be eliminated through the skin, liver and colon, or they will be dumped in fatty tissue. An acidic body is an open arena for the development of inflammation and degenerative diseases
Instead of eating acid foods (meat, dairy, lots of grains), boost your diet with alkaline veg and seeds. Try for around 60 per cent alkalising to 40 per cent acid-forming foods. Remember, fruit contains sugar so is essentially acidic. Eat it sparingly (no more than two servings a day). Check to see if you need to alkalise
YOU SAID EASY ALKALISING?
Life’s short and I like to keep it faff-free. So instead of studying food alkalinity charts before a meal, just do this:
Eat 40 per cent of your food raw.
That’s a salad for lunch, a green juice with breakfast, some Mixed seed crackers and a salsa during the day and you’re done.
Raw food is intrinsically alkalising because it is mostly veg, a bit of fruit, nuts and seeds. (There are some exceptions – including the dreaded ‘raw’ energy bars and processed ‘raw’ foods – but avoid these!) I especially like to eat sprouts, as they are easier to digest than vegetables and have more nutrient density because they are packed full of protein, ready to make a plant. However, I’m not wedded to eating a high raw diet: some foods contain more nutrients when raw, others are better cooked. Yes, cooking can destroy the vitamins in some veg – vitamin C and folic acid are particularly vulnerable – but the losses are unlikely to affect your body’s regenerative abilities. Instead, what I like about the 40 per cent raw rule is:
Veg and fruit are generally very high in fibre, so great for gut health, which is central to the youthing process
No one has interfered between you and your raw food (especially if you buy organic). That means the foods are free from extra-loading with sugars and fats
Veg, fruit, nuts and seeds are nutrient-dense, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory; they tick our youthing boxes
Chewing on hard veg is a workout for your teeth and jaw muscles, helping to keep them healthy
Raw food boosts vitality, rejuvenates skin and joints and keeps the immune system strong (and veg juice counts)
WHICH MEANS THAT:
Anyone, anywhere, can manage this
THE SEVENTH PRINCIPLE: YOUTH YOUR KITCHEN
You could spend weeks hunting down youthing, non-toxic cooking utensils that don’t scratch, peel, chip, crack or leach. But I’ve decided one simple rule cuts to the heart of the matter: do not cook with any utensil you would not like to chew on. Do you enjoy putting plastic or food wrap in your mouth? No, thought not…
So don’t use...
Plastic, silicon or PVC spatulas, chopping boards, bottles, storage containers or cling film. Think of it like this: the plastics they are made of will degrade over time and sooner or later you will be swallowing the chemicals they contain. These include nasties such as BPA (bisphenol A), shown to affect the nervous and immune systems in animals as well as linked to coronary heart disease and hormonal changes in humans
Aluminium and non-stick pans: because many people believe they leach the chemicals they are made from or are coated with into the food you cook
Instead try...
Nature-based utensils such as wooden spatulas and chopping boards (their oils also make them naturally antiseptic); ceramic or glass pots; breathable muslin food covers; glass (not plastic) straws. All are cheap and easy to find. You can put cling film over muslin food covers to stop the food degrading, as it won’t then touch the food
Use dishes made from glass and pans that are enamel-coated: they can be heated to high temperatures without any problems. Or use cast-iron or heavy-based stainless steel pans, but not if they are chipped or scratched
YOUTHING GIZMOS YOU MIGHT LIKE
A juicer (masticating, centrifugal, fusion)
A mandolin, for fine veg slicing
A hand-held blender (for soups)
A steamer (with two baskets)
A bristle veg-scrubbing brush
An electric slow cooker
A food processor (for chopping)
A dehydrator
