The Standard UK Diet and Standard American Diet has fed our western nations to be quite literally StUK and SAD. The confusing dietary guidelines were based on a flawed, cherry-picked ‘Seven Countries Study’ by Ancel Keys in the 1950s. Then in the 1970s we had the outburst of convenience and heavily processed foods. Never in the history of human-kind has there been so much widely available, cheap, junk food. Coincidentally, there has never been so much widely available information. They say you are what you eat, so let’s avoid fake and nasty.
Doctor Mark Hyman has presented a food pyramid combining the best elements of two popular diets: paleo and vegan. This lifestyle has been proven to be effective in reversing disease and promoting longevity. Let’s be more in tune with how we have evolved to eat as a species. If you are still unsure of the answer, ask yourself the question: “Would my Great-Grandmother have eaten this?”…
Balancing Blood Sugar
Base your plate around plants and top with quality fats and protein. This is the basic meal equation, which not only creates a satisfying meal but is the key to balancing your blood sugar.
Be Empowered
Knowledge is power – but how does this translate to your shopping basket? When shopping, stick predominately to the fresh produce aisles, and buy most of your foods without labels. Frozen and canned products can also be a cost and time effective option. Top shopping tip: read the label! If your food contains more than 5 ingredients, or contain words which look like a chemical factory has produced it, put it back on the shelf.
Seasonal | Local | Quality | Organic
Our detailed shopping list contains, but is not limited to, our most favourite kitchen items. We focus on quality and organic produce, which is seasonal and local. This can sometimes cost more, so avoid waste and use your freezer. Ideally, I would love everything that we purchase to be organic, but unfortunately that just isn’t always practical. To help choose where to invest our money, the Environmental Working Group produces annual lists of the most and least pesticide affected fruits and vegetables: ‘The Dirty Dozen’ contains the most pesticides, so are best to buy organic, and ‘The Clean Fifteen’ contain the least, so are less important to buy organic. Make an informed choice, because the best investment you can ever make is in your own health.
