My food philosophy

how i like to eat

More than anything else I am a greedy foodie at heart. I love to cook and experiment with new recipes and interesting ingredients.

My approach to food is fundamentally about health, balance and enjoyment not restriction. I am not, and never have been interested in following any particular named dietary regime. My approach to eating is based around the following the following principles:

Eat real food

Above all else I think that we should base our diets around foods that have been minimally processed as possible. Preferably cooking from scratch using fresh raw ingredients. By this I mean foods that do not include a list of ingredients or a nutritional panel. If it does include a list of ingredients, make it a short one with ingredients that you recognise and can pronounce.

Yes, organic if possible (given availability and expense) but above all else focusing on quality ingredients. Eating with the seasons, foods that you can trace back to the farm or supplier. For this reason I love buying produce at my local farmers market or direct from the producers.

optimal nutrition

It is easy to eat just to satisfy your hunger. It is better to try to optimise your nutrient intake and nourish your body with every bite that you take. This means choosing food wisely and layering in the goodness. Increasing the variety and the colours that you eat. This is what I teach in my clinic.

Plant power

I believe that the majority of our diet should be plant based: vegetables, salad, beans and pulses, nuts, seeds and some fruit. However, that said I am not vegan or even vegetarian and do enjoy some good quality animal proteins. Most of my recipes can be adapted to suit all eating patterns.

keep sugar to a minimum

I passionately believe that most of us we can do with eating less sugar in all shapes and form. However, it is easy to be fooled by the words 'no added sugar' or even 'no refined sugar'. This does not necessarily mean that the product is low in sugar. I have lost count of the times I have seen 'sugar-free' products and recipes that are loaded with sugar-like ingredients. I work with my clients to help them avoid these pitfalls.

"free from" as needed

I am not a big fan of excluding foods or groups of foods for no particular reason. However, my experience in clinic has shown me that some people certainly do better if they exclude foods like gluten and / or dairy from their diet. For this reason, as and when appropriate, I can sometimes suggest this. However, I prefer to take a decision like this on the back of laboratory tests if at all possible. In general I certainly encourage people to include some of the delicious non-dairy alternatives into their diet and to help people get out of the rut of eating gluten based meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Food should be enjoyed

Above all else I passionately believe that food should be about pleasure and enjoyment. A meal is time to spend with friends and family and should not be a constant worry about calories, restriction or guilt. We can too easily be overwhelmed by the stories that we hear in the press or the latest dietary fad and find our lives ruled by being 'good' or 'bad' - at the end of the day it has to be about balance.

So yes I do make my own nut milks and bone broth; have experimented with fermentation (not always successfully); I own (and use) a spiraliser and love my green smoothies.....however also I enjoy a steak and glasses of wine and have a weakness for the odd croissant. As I said it is all about balance!

I have to admit I am addicted to Pinterest and use it compulsively to collect recipes. So if you are looking for healthy recipes to inspire you, click here to go to my Pinterest account