Power Food basics

* Eat small meals frequently - five meals are better than three - carry sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds and munch on these when you get hungry as a small meal in between lunch and supper.

* Eat when you are hungry, not out of habit. Graze rather than gorge, small snacks in between meals will help keep your blood sugar levels even and energy levels constant.

* Sit and eat your food calmly without doing something else at the same time.

* Eat a varied diet using whole foods grown on healthy soils, simply prepared and eaten as close to their natural state as possible; for example, eat the skin of potatoes and the germ and bran of wheat.

* Eat vegetables, fruit, sprouted seeds, fish, whole grains (barley, rice, pulses), nuts and a little meat. A diet containing these foods is low in saturated fats and refined sugars, moderate in protein and high in fibre and complex carbohydrates.

* Eat unrefined, slow-releasing carbohydrates (whole grain cereals, pasta, breads), which release their fuel slowly, a couple of times a day. For fast energy eat these with unrefined fast-releasing carbohydrates. For example, fruits such as bananas, apples and coconut, can be combined with slow-releasing carbohydrate cereals like oats and millet. Avoid refined carbohydrates.

* Ensure that you have optimum intakes of all essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals etc.).

* Avoid stimulants and depressants (coffee, tea, cigarettes etc.) as much as possible and limit your alcohol intake.

* Eat a varied diet, choosing from a wide range of different kinds of foods.

* Eat at least three pieces of fresh fruit a day, and two to three servings of fresh vegetables.

* Eat fast-fermenting and acid fruits on their own as snacks. Most soft fruits, including peaches, plums, mangoes, papayas, strawberries and melon, ferment quickly. High-acid fruits (although alkaline-forming) may also inhibit digestion of a carbohydrate; these include oranges, lemons, grapefruit and pineapple. All of these fruits require little digestion, releasing their natural fructose content quickly.

* Include a salad as a major part of one meal each day. Try to incorporate dark green leafy and root vegetables such as watercress, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, green beans or peppers, raw or lightly cooked.

* Eat plenty of the foods rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals, such as peas, broccoli, watercress, carrots and berries.

* Eat two servings daily of beans, lentils, tofu or 'seed' vegetables.

* Eat 80 per cent alkaline-forming foods, 20 per cent acid-forming foods. This means eating large quantities of vegetables and fruit, and less concentrated protein foods such as beans, lentils and whole grains, meat, fish, cheese and eggs.

* Eat animal protein with vegetables. Concentrated protein such as meat, fish, hard cheese and eggs requires lots of stomach acid and a stay of about three hours in the stomach to be digested. So do not combine with fast-releasing carbohydrates.

* Avoid refined carbohydrates, such as white sugar, white bread, bought cakes, biscuits etc.

* Choose free-range eggs and live yogurts. Keep dairy intake to a minimum.

* Eat as much raw food as possible. Raw organic fruits, vegetables, raw seeds, nuts and grains are particularly good for you.

* Choose seasonal produce that is fresh. Buy fresh foods in small quantities and buy them often, as keeping them destroys their nutrients.

* Choose organic fruit and vegetables. Be an opportunist and buy whatever looks good on the day. Do not worry about minor cosmetic blemishes, irregular sizing, minor bruises or the occasional insect. Store the food properly and eat it fresh. Organic food is now widely available, but for really fresh vegetables buy direct from a farm or through a box scheme.

* Eat organic meat and chicken; the animals are reared without the routine use of drugs, antibiotics and wormers which are commonly found in most conventional livestock farming.

* Drink at least 2 litres (3.5 pints) of water a day. Add chunks of lemon, lime or orange to 'pep' it up, or freeze juices in ice cube trays and serve these in your water.

* Take frequent exercise and keep active.

Extracted from The Power Food Cookbook by Amanda Grant.
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