NUTRITION AND HEATLH: TEN TOP TIPS

Nutrition and health go hand in hand: Eating healthily is the key to well-being.

“May food be your medicine and your medicine be your food” the Greek doctor Hippocrates,
considered the father of modern medicine, said 25 centuries ago.

Bad air quality, not doing exercise and having inadequate nourishment leads us to a decline in
health, and even to different types of illness, and causes fatigue which lowers our self-esteem
and increases the risk of suffering from depression and mood swings.

The foodstuffs rich in fibre and wholegrain cereals help to prevent certain types of cancer,
such as colon and stomach. Moreover, there are foods which cheer us up and increase our
vitality, such as raw food, unrefined carbohydrates, organic food, and vegetable proteins and
fats, such as virgin olive oil.

How can we connect with our bodies and listen to the feelings of hunger? We should reduce
the quantities we eat and abandon habits and routines that make us eat more than we need to.
Sometimes we retain liquids, our digestion becomes heavy and certain organs have to do
excessive work, for which reason sleeping and having a repairing rest is essential.

The foodstuffs we ingest are the fuel which give our bodies the energy they need to work
properly; if the fuel is poor quality, we won`t feel well which will affect our mood, appetite,
mental capacity, libido and sleep.

As a general rule, it`s advisable to increase the intake of foodstuffs that are beneficial for the
body.

 Vegetables preferably steamed and not over-cooked, so that they maintain all their
minerals and vitamins, using fresh vegetable oils to cook with.
 Fruit which should be eaten for breakfast on an empty stomach or during the morning
or afternoon, and preferably seasonal.
 Salad is also a great foodstuff, combined with raw dried fruit, avocado and fresh oil,
to be eaten for lunch rather than at night.
 Legumes, lentils, chick peas and beans should all be cooked or put in a salad and
are very beneficial to our health.
 Other beneficial foodstuffs are fish, poultry and eggs, which are better when free
range, and some dairy products, like yoghurt or kefir.
On the other hand:
 Reducing the use of salt and sugar, lowering the intake of milk, cold or cured meats or
refined products is also recommendable.
 Eliminate the consumption of processed foods which contain preservatives and
colouring, soft drinks and “light” varieties of products.

These 10 suggestions about nutrition will help to improve our quality of life and cleanse our
organism:

1. Regarding how to eat: To achieve better digestion, meat, dairy products, fish,
eggs and dried fruits should not be served with cereals, bread, pasta, flour and
biscuits, while salad and vegetables can be served with everything.
2. Hydrate yourself adequately with herbal teas, using infusions of thyme,
rosemary, artichoke or horsetail which cleanse the liver and kidneys. Drink plenty of
water and pu-erh, Rooibos or Mu tea.
3. Look after the intestine with marinated foodstuffs which ferment on their
own, like gherkins, onions, carrots, parsnips, ginger, cabbage, capers, olives,
kombucha and Aloe Vera.
4. The Sun: It`s advisable to expose yourself to the sun 20 minutes a day, totally
naked if possible, which is how our bodies produce Vitamin D.
5. Do regular physical exercise, such as walking for an hour a day and stretching
the muscles to tone yourself up and stimulate blood flow.
6. Fast for one day a week, eating only fruit and vegetables that day, or eat only
vegetables for dinner one or two days per week to clean out our overworked internal
organs.
7. Hydrotherapy, in the sea or at a Spa, or even at home, by adding 2 kilos of sea
salt to a bath in order to achieve osmosis to clean the organism by incorporating
mineral salts into the body and getting rid of residues.
8. Eat cleansing, energising support foods like garlic and onion, either raw or in
stews, using as an alternative black garlic, sesame seeds, umeboshi, turmeric, red
fruits, pomegranates, pollen from bees, chia seeds, quinoa and as a sweetener, rice
syrup and honey.
9. Eat foodstuffs rich in calcium: Calcium can be obtained from almonds, chick
peas, sesame, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and sardines, which will help improve
our bones and teeth.
10. Chew your food properly: in order to help the digestive process, food should be
chewed properly to aid the absorption of nutrients and make it easier to digest.
These ten tips about Nutrition to help health and well-being have been proposed by Blanca
Galofre, nutritionist and dietician, in her book “Integrative Nutrition for the Whole Family”.