Nutritional Guidelines

I’ve spoken a lot in the past, about making sure you eat the correct ratios of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, but it suddenly occurred to me (I can be a little slow sometimes) that perhaps many people aren’t sure what constitutes a carb, protein or fat (let alone a good quality one)!  So, to help, I’m going to break it down for you...

1.    CARBOHYDRATES
GRAINS:
As much as possible, avoid commercial breakfast cereals (such as Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Pro-Nutro, Granola, Wheat-bix etc.).  Try oats, amaranth, spelt or other porridges instead, if you feel you need a carb-rich start to the day.  Also avoid processed grains such as white flour products, white rice, commercial bread and pasta.  If you really enjoy the latter two, eat stone-ground, wholegrain options, and not too regularly.  Good quality whole grains include brown rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, brown basmati rice, wild rice, barley, spelt, amaranth and oats.
VEGETABLES:
Try and eat raw vegetables every day.  Buy vegetables as fresh as possible (www.organicfootprints.co.za), and preferably organic.  Choose 3 or 4 different colour vegetables daily e.g. green broccoli, red pepper, orange carrots, etc.  Try and eat vegetables you wouldn’t normally buy, so that you get more variety in your diet.  Steam, grill or steam-fry; avoid boiling.
FRUIT:
If you enjoy fruit, try and avoid eating the same ones every day, throughout the year; rather go with what’s in season as these will be most nutritious.  Eat these with a small handful of nuts/seeds, as a snack between meals; avoid having them directly after a large meal, as they digest faster than other foodstuffs and so tend to sit and ferment in the body (causing gas and bloating).  Don’t overeat, as fruit is very high in sugar.

2.     PROTEINS
ANIMAL:
Try and avoid farmed and tinned fish and shellfish.  Don’t eat seafood too regularly as mercury contamination has become a very real problem in the oceans.  Choose only free-range, grass fed, non-medicated beef and lamb.  Eat only organic, free-range eggs and untreated, organic milks and cheeses.
VEGETABLE:
Soak beans for 48 hours (changing water at least once) and then rinse and cook on a low heat for up to 6 hours; can be frozen for later use.   If using tinned beans (avoid, if possible), check for those without added sugar, salt and other preservatives.  Pulses (lentils, peas, chickpeas etc.) should be soaked overnight before cooking.  As with beans, if using tinned, check ingredients first.

3.     FATS AND OILS:
Cook only with organic coconut fat.  Use cold pressed oils (flax/hemp/olive/almond/walnut etc.) as a salad dressing, or add into warm/hot food; never heat in a pan or cook with these oils as they are destroyed by high temperatures.  Try and eat these oils daily.  At all costs, avoid margarines (which contain hydrogenated fats and trans fatty acids).  

SNACKS
For snacks, eat fresh seeds or nuts (buy these as fresh as you can and keep in an airtight container in fridge).  Eat them with, for example, fresh fruit or plain yoghurt, or add some to your salad.  Eat unroasted and unsalted (i.e. raw).  Alternatively, try crudités with humus, tahini, avocado or cottage cheese.  Also, low-temperature roasted peanut butter with celery/banana etc.