Nutrition

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Basis of a Balanced Diet

There is no “one size fits all” basic healthy diet. Each one of us is unique with individual and specific needs; however the following is a guide to the minimum that is required for maintaining a healthy body increasing your fertility and ensure a healthy baby. Listed below is the basis of a healthy, balanced diet taking into account individual allergies, food intolerances and food persuasions.

Always buy organic to avoid chemicals, pesticides and genetically modified foods.

Drink

All drinks should be made using Filtered Drinking Water (to avoid lead, pesticides, nitrates, synthetic Hormones, and excess chlorine and copper).

Alternative drinks to those in the avoid list include water, fruit juices, vegetable juices, herb and fruit teas and caffeine free coffee substitutes like Dandelion Coffee, Caro, Barley Cup etc.

Concentrated Nutrient Sources

• Sprouted seeds including Alfalfa and Mung beans
• Unrefined Honey & Black Molasses
• Cold pressed seed oils – sunflower, linseed, walnut, safflower
• Oily fish
• Goat and sheep milk products
• Natural Live Yoghurt
• Wheatgerm
• Brewers Yeast Products

FIVE helpings of fruit & per day

These can be a combination of cooked, raw, dried and/or juiced. These are the good providers of vitamins and minerals which will help restore your fertility. They will also help to keep your Digestive system working well.

TWO helpings of protein per day such as:

Meat, poultry, eggs, game, fish including sea foods, nuts, nut butters, seeds, beans and pulses and milk products. Milk products are an important source of proteins especially to vegetarians; proteins are the body’s building blocks and very important in its maintenance and repair.

Under FOUR helpings of grain products

Grain products – whole or crushed (not refined) raw or cooked. These would include a range of different flours, as well as other grain products such as rice milk* and oat milk. These could include corn, tapioca, sago, buckwheat, millet, rice, barley, oats and quinoa. Grains contain proteins, fats and carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

*N.B. Not from America, they use arsenic on their rice!

Breakfast

A very important meal of the day. Whole grain bread, porridge or cereals, fruit, fruit juice, yoghurts, cheese, cold meat, fish, nut butters. Cooked breakfast could include whole grain toast, eggs, bacon, potatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, tomatoes, fish, sausage etc. When cooking use olive oil sparingly otherwise grill.

Lunch (if main meal)

Meat, poultry, fish/seafood. Potatoes, grains or pasta. At least two vegetables, one root, one green and a little raw salad. Fruit and/or yoghurts are a healthy option to finish a meal as are dried fruit, nuts, honey, cheese and biscuits. Jelly is a good source of protein. Milk puddings, custards, junkets etc. For variety fruit tarts, crumbles, sponges etc. Any cooked desserts can be made with unprocessed and organic ingredients such as wholemeal flour and unprocessed brown sugar.

Vegetarian option needs to include cheese, eggs, beans, pulses, grains, nuts and seeds.

Vegan option needs to include a variety of beans, pulses, grains, nuts and seeds to complete the protein mix of essential amino acids otherwise lacking in the diet.

Lunch (if secondary meal)

Whole grain bread sandwiches with salad, ham, egg, fish, prawns, nut butters, meat and cheese fillings (keep refrigerated if taken to work)

Soups are best home-made otherwise organic bought soups without additives are best with crusty whole grain bread. Homemade can include bone based broth and vegetables which will also provide proteins, fats, carbohydrates vitamins, and minerals.

Salads can be made entirely from raw as well as cooked vegetables, or by adding cooked grains, beans, fresh and dried fruit and nuts. Pasta, potato, bean and grain based salads with added raw and/or cooked vegetables . Jacket potatoes with a fresh salad, baked beans, hoummous, sauces.

Tea (if major meal) see lunch given above

Sandwich made from whole grain bread, cakes, scones, biscuits. These can be alternated with gluten-free products, even if you are not allergic, just for variety. Sugar free jellies, jams, honey, nut butters. Soup, yoghurt, cheese, marmite. Herb and fruit teas, milk and smoothies, fresh and dried fruit, fruit juices.

Supper (if snack meal) see sample menus above for ideas

Sandwich made from whole grain bread, cakes, scones, biscuits. These can be alternated with gluten-free products even if you are not allergic just for variety Soup, yoghurt, cheese, marmite. Herb and fruit teas, milk and smoothies, fresh and dried fruit, fruit juices).

Yeast

If yeast overgrowth is part of a health problem, no foods containing yeast should be consumed such as marmite, pickles and fermented sauces. Avoid processed, tinned and packet foods, microwaved foods, excess tea and coffee, soft drinks and confectionary with sugar substitutes, preservatives, artificial colouring and flavouring, and avoid white flour products.

Practical tips for the kitchen

• Always buy organic. Better still, grow your own! Eat fruits and vegetables raw whenever possible. If the vegetables for that day’s menu must be cooked, always ensure that you have something raw on your plate, no matter how small. This could include grazing mustard and cress.
• Eat foods fresh. Do not buy much fresh produce at one time to avoid storing fruit and vegetables for long periods. Where this is not possible, store produce in a cool place such as a fridge.
• When possible, avoid preparing foods in advance as this can lead to diminishing levels of soluble vitamins C and B complex.
• Use mineral water or filtered water for cooking vegetables and use the stock/water for soups and gravy.
• Do not overcook vegetables. Heat destroys enzymes as well as B vitamins complex and vitamin C.
• Soak muesli in the fridge overnight in buttermilk or yoghurt to breakdown phytates. Phytates prevent the absorption of vital minerals such as calcium and zinc.
• Make bread with natural sour dough. Flour, especially whole grain flour contains phytates which interfere with the absorption of vital minerals. The sour dough contains nutrients which convert phytates into phytic acid solving the problem.
• When cooking vegetables, add vegetables to the boiling water to minimize oxidation and loss of vitamin C. Use the stock/water in soups, stews, casseroles and gravies. Preferably steam your vegetables, and also use the stock/water found in the steamer in gravies.
• Avoid reheating foods and serve them promptly after cooking to retain nutrients.
• Use stainless steel, enamelled and glass cookware. Avoid Aluminium cookware as aluminium is a toxic substance which can accumulate in the body.
• Grill rather than fry foods. If frying, use olive oil rather than hard fats. Stir frying with a minimum of oil is the preferred method of frying (Discard oil after use). Alternately, use a spoon of oil and 2 spoons of water to cook foods in a frying pan. You will find that the food is cooked when the water has evaporated and the last few moments of frying in the remaining oil finishes the process.
• Braise vegetables in the oven in a closed dish moistened with stock. Many vegetables can be roasted in the oven with a little olive oil, garlic and herbs.
• Use only filtered or bottled water for drinking and cooking.
• Avoid microwaving foods. Microwave cooking significantly changes food nutrients, decreases the bioavailability of B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, and essential minerals. All cooking causes changes to food molecules which cause new life forms called radiolytic compounds, however microwave cooking causes a much greater number of these compounds which go on to cause deterioration in your blood stream and your immune system.
• Use milk from cartons rather that bottles, light destroys vitamins C, A and B2.
• Avoid hazardous food colourings, preservatives and other food chemicals. Buy a copy of "FIND OUT" from the Online Shop and take with you when you go shopping.
• Use eggs from free-range hens, preferably organically fed.
• Peas, beans, lentils and pectin from apples, oats, lemons and other citrus fruit are natural ways of eliminating toxic metals. Also onions, leeks and garlic.

Practical tips for the garden

• Use any space available in your garden, however small to grow a vegetable.
• Use natural compost, horse manure, liquid organic seaweed manure.
• Discourage slugs with ordinary seasalt.
• Discourage ants with a line of flour.
• Put caterpillars on the bird table.
• Interplant vegetables with French marigolds and nasturtiums.

Easy vegetables for beginners are Lettuce, perpetual spinach, beetroots, carrots, and dwarf beans, and radish. Peas, runner beans and tomatoes are also easy to grow but they do need support and to be tied.

Taking a bit more room are sweet corn, (these can be grown in between flowers), marrows, courgettes. Onions and leeks take a long time to mature but are a welcome crop in the autumn. Kale and purple sprouting broccoli take many months to mature but when there is little else available in Spring, they are ready for picking. They too look great planted among the flowers.

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