Recipes for Life – I is for Ingredients

R.E.C.I.P.E.S

Part 4 of 7

The next Ingredient in to the bowl of life is I… the actual ingredients you use as part of your diet. The important thing to remember about ingredients’ is this… the better the quality, the higher the value to your body. If you do not feed your body well, how can you expect it to be healthy well and full of energy?. You can change very easily how your body feels and responds everyday by the quality of the food you put into it. Here are a few tips I always recommend.

Use filtered water. Buy brightly coloured fruit and vegetables. Buy from local suppliers. Buy organic as much as possible. Less sprays equals a healthier you!

Grow your own herbs, fruit and vegetables. This is one good thing which has come out of the recession if I dare use the word is that many more people are getting back into growing their own. Including me too! This year I had tomatoes, peppers, swiss chard, chives, parsley, marjoram, basil, sage, mint, lemon balm, chamomile, thymes, rosemary, lettuce.. It’s really a great feeling to be eating something which you know has not been sprayed from your own back garden. It is obvious the fresher the ingredients the better they are for you. All you need is a small space, a few pots or old baskets and get planting. I was actually surprised that it did not take as much time as I thought it would. Either way the flavour, the taste and the health benefit make it worthwhile.

Always experiment with new ingredients and products, this way you will not become bored with your meals. Often we opt for the takeaway because we just want change. Each week in the recipe for life programme I will be sharing with you select ingredients which will provide specific nutrients and also introduce you to some new ingredients along with the how to use them. Many are afraid to try something different as they might not like it, so what, try it if you don’t then you don’t.

Always TASTE, do not decide by the look of it that you do not like it.

This week I challenge you to go to your supermarket and buy a fruit or vegetable you have never cooked before. Or indeed cook something in a different way, dress it up differently, that way you add variety and new interest to your food. These simple ingredients can make all the difference to your health!

If you would like to check out my Recipes for Life Programme, just click here