The everyday act of consuming food should never bring you a feeling of captivity or worry. In a supercharged life, food is to be enjoyed and savoured. Here, we walk to the unforced rhythms that come with a commonsense attitude towards food and a balanced approach to eating. Letting go of a rule-bound approach to eating will bring you a sense of freedom, but still allow you to commit to food choices that equate to vibrant health and longevity – and a life fully lived.
I’ve pulled together a list here of the basic commonsense eating guidelines I live by. Instead of being motivated by the fear of negative consequences, why not try to implement one or more of these in your life?
| 1 Eat mostly plants Despite the vast differences in doctrine between the mainstream and alternative nutrition experts, the one thing we can all agree on is that eating plant foods is really good. I like to ensure that plant foods – such as nuts, seeds, fruits, grains (brown rice, oats, quinoa, buckwheat), fruits, sea vegetables, herbs and spices – make up the majority of my diet, with the greatest emphasis on seasonal vegetables and especially greens. I still enjoy animal products such as meat, eggs, fish, cheese, butter and ghee, but in smaller quantities. |
| 2 Avoid processed foods where you can Industrially produced foods that your ancestors wouldn’t comprehend are best eaten in small amounts. Any ingredient with a number, or a name that doesn’t register as ‘food’ when you read it, probably isn’t food. Stick to things that are foods, in as natural a state as possible. If a laboratory or factory has done most of the preparation, it’s probably better to leave it on the supermarket shelf. |
| 3 Live by the 80:20 rule Sticking to your nutritional values 80 per cent of the time will allow you a healthy margin where you can say yes to the chocolate cake at your friends’ birthday parties, or enjoy a big slab of pizza as you travel through Naples. There are food opportunities in life that just can’t be ignored or turned down. Don’t be that killjoy. Allowing yourself the space to stray from your regular nourishing eating habits will help you not to take yourself too seriously, and will bring freedom to your social food situations. Twenty per cent indulgence won’t do you any harm if you’re otherwise healthy. |
| 4 Balance out your eating Eating is all about balance. If you’ve been out of your normal routine while at work or on holidays and found you’ve overindulged in a specific food, spend the next few days nourishing yourself back to homoeostasis (metabolic balance) with the foods you’ve been missing. If you’ve spent a few days eating lots of starchy, cooked foods, for example, it might be a good idea to spend a couple of days eating some raw and lighter foods through vegie juices, salads and vegetable soups. |
| 5 Take an Ayurvedic approach Traditional Ayurvedic medicine teaches us that we attain health when we eat a practical balance of different types of foods from the taste categories of bitter, sweet, sour, salty, astringent and pungent.Having a varied diet of different tastes,eating seasonally, and ensuring the right balance of cooked and cold foods helps the nervous system recognise nourishment. You can work out your ideal Ayurvedic eating plan by determining your dosha, which will help you eat in a commonsense way for your unique body type. |
| 6 Choose quality over quantity This is especially true with animal products. Overall, try to invest in better-quality food that’s chemical-free or organic. Shop at local farmers’ markets rather than supermarkets if possible. With animal products, look for organic or 100 per cent grass-fed and grass-finished. It’s better to enjoy smaller amounts of quality food than gorging on food that’s cheap and of lower quality. |
| 7 Eat mindfully Do what the French do and make an occasion of your meal, even if it’s just morning or afternoon tea. Unplug, turn off the TV, sit at the table, use proper dinnerware, eat with friends and family, and give thanks. Tune in to all your senses and pay attention to enjoying and savouring each glorious mouthful. Enjoy the following morning and afternoon tea delights. |
What Are You Looking For?
Spread Knowledge 🤓
