All of the structures and functions of the human body are built from and run on nutrients. All of them.

Food is so important as it is your body’s fuel! Food should also be enjoyed and make you feel alive.

It is so important to find the right diet for you. We are all different and it would be remiss for me to suggest a one set for all rules for eating. Below I have outlined some basic guidelines for healthy eating which I have found have worked wonders for me.

If you are struggling with where to start, begin with a basic real food diet and then modify to what suits you as an individual. Some people will not tolerate dairy or grains very well and it is for you to work out your tolerance level. Or arrange for a food allergy (from your GP) or IgG food intolerance (your naturopath can arrange this) testing. Get the facts before you decide to deprive yourself of what may be delicious and nutritious food for you. You may even find cutting back on certain foods may allow your gut lining time to heal and with gradual re-introduction you may better tolerate these foods. For others it may be simply about better food choices, such as putting down refined white bread and swapping it for highly nutritious, more easily absorbable spelt sour dough from your local baker. Did you know that many who cannot tolerate cow’s milk diary, find that goat or sheep milk diary is fine for their system? This is due to a difference in protein structure making these alternatives easier to absorb.

Above all I am a huge advocate for whole foods with tons of variety to really boost nutritional status. I refuse to count calories and instead count nutrients because the type and source of food is what counts the most!

  1. 1
    Eat REAL WHOLE FOODS from nature

    • Eat a VARIETY of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, meat and fish

    • Avoid processed foods because food in a can or packet is not real food and will have chemicals added

    • Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store to find fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, fish

    • Every meal should contain something fresh (e.g. vegetables, fruit) and some protein (e.g. meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds)

  2. 2
    Eat an abundance of vegetables and fruit

    • Brightly coloured vegetables and fruit contain antioxidants which scavenge free radicals and protect against inflammation and aging

    • Aim for a rainbow of colour on your plate throughout the day

    • These are jam packed with nutrients and fibre for amazing health

  3. 3
    Eat good fats

      Omega 3 essential fatty acids are anti-inflammatory and prevent disease and aging

    • For example avocado, nuts, seeds, flaxseed, olives, olive oil and oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, salmon, grass fed organic meat/chicken

    • Fat is a key nutrient-rich energy source. For example coconut contains medium chain fatty acids which are used as an immediate source of energy.

    • Animal fat should be from clean, grass-fed, organic sources

  4. 4
    Avoid trans-saturated fats

    • These are a form of artificially saturated hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fat typically made from vegetable oil such as canola

    • For example junk food such as cakes, biscuits, margarine

    • Highly inflammatory and have no place in the human diet

    • Implicated in heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, infertility, liver dysfunction, depression

  5. 5
    Eat good quality protein at each meal

    • Organic grass fed meat, chicken, eggs

    • Deep water small fish and oily fish; avoid/limit large fish such as tuna to one serving per week

    • If vegetarian eat legumes, nuts, seeds, gluten free grains such as quinoa and amaranth

    • Always soak legumes, nuts, seeds and grains in some water with a pinch of salt, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar for at least 12 hours to improve digestibility

  6. 6
    Enjoy gluten-free grains

    • Gluten containing grains such as wheat, rye and barley can be highly inflammatory to someone whose digestive system is not robust

    • Enjoy gluten-free grains such as quinoa, amaranth, basmati rice

  7. 7
    Dairy

    • Pasteurised milk has been heated destroying natural enzymes and vitamins (A, D, E, K). Low fat milk is high in sugar and low in vitamins.

    • Eat organic full fat natural yoghurt and kefir (fermented from unpasteurised milk) which contain an abundance of probiotics for a healthy gut

    • Organic butter is very low in lactose and very high in vitamins A, D, E and K

  8. 8
    Cook with coconut oil, ghee, butter, animal fat

    • These fats maintain their stability at high temperatures

    • Vegetables oils such as canola, peanut have low boiling points so turn rancid at high temperatures and are highly inflammatory and toxic in the body

  9. 9
    Want to feel super?! – Include super foods

    • These foods pack an extra punch of nutrients and antioxidants in each serving

    • Such as chia seeds, black foods such as tahini, rice, purple foods such as blueberries, green leafy vegetables such as kale, goji berries, cocao

  10. 10
    Looking for something more to increase vitality?

    • Start the day with warm water and lemon juice or a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (Braggs “with the mother”) to ramp up digestive enzymes and detoxification

    • Include anti-inflammatory foods such as ginger, turmeric, pineapple, leafy greens

    • Add medicinal herbs and spices such as thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, coriander, cinnamon to meals

    • Garlic and onion are super antimicrobial foods to help ward off the flu

    • Eat your probiotics – eat fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir

    • Cook bone broths – very high in minerals and good for gut health and immunity