Making healthier food choices

PRESENTATION BY PAOLA BASSANESE, ENERGYA LTD

Our digestive system is like a long TUBE

● MOUTH-TO-LOO LINE

Mouth

Oesophagus Stomach Liver Pancreas Small intestine

Large intestine

Anus

Understanding our bodies

To function, our bodies need to:● Absorb nutrients

● Zinc, digestive enzymes, stomach acid

● Take the rubbish out Avoid or limit

● Salt, sugar, coffee, alcohol, drugs, processed foods

● Increase consumption of whole foods Pulses, wholegrains, fruit and vegetables

Wheat and dairy: the enemy

● Most people have an intolerance or allergy to wheat and dairy products, causing: Bloating Constipation Lack of absorption Mucus production

Cheat your taste buds: choose wheat and dairy free recipes

Aduki bean chocolate muffins

This recipe is wheat, yeast, dairy free and with a low Glycaemic Index if you use agave syrup instead of sugar and gram flour instead of normal flour.

Ingredients

●150gr pre-soaked aduki beans

●3 tablespoons agave syrup (or sugar)

●3 tablespoons cocoa powder

●1 tablespoon coconut oil

●1 egg

●½ tablespoon gram flour

●1 pinch baking soda

●cinnamom and other spices to taste (optional)

Soak the beans overnight. Cook the beans in boiling water for at least one hour then blitz in a food processor. Check that there's no small bits left, you need to get a smooth paste.Mix all the ingredients together: melt some coconut oil over boiling water if the weather is cold and set some of it aside for the ramekins.The mixture should make 4 small muffins. Swirl the coconut oil inside the ramekins, pour the mixture in and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 150 degrees Celsius.Serve with either single cream or strawberry jam.

www.energya.co.uk

Energya's top tips

● Put pen to paper: Keep a food diary for at least 3 days noting the

foods you eat and what you drink. Note down the times of each meal and snack and any reaction (e.g., sleepy, energised, heavy etc)

Energya's top tips

● Always eat breakfast and never skip meals: THE INVERTED PYRAMID This will avoid a process of starvation so your body

won't hold on to body fat to survive

Energya's top tips

● Have protein with every meal It helps you feel fuller

● Aim for variety in foods: Our bodies are programmed to have nutrients from

different food groups to ensure we have an optimum intake of vitamins and minerals

Energya's top tips

● Fit exercise into your diary: Exercise helps to manage hunger

and cravings by reducing

emotional eating

● Take regular time out: Relaxation is vital for a

healthy digestion. Don't

eat that sandwich at your desk!

Healthy snack ideas

3-4 almonds

1 apple/1 pear/1 orange

2 rice cakes with hummus or almond butter

small bag of popcorn

unsweetened yogurt with 2-3 dried apricots or other dried fruit (no added preservatives)

celery, carrot, pepper and cucumber sticks

fruit salad (without added sugar) with a few sunflower seeds

banana/strawberry/fruit smoothie

pitta bread with tzatziki (yogurt and cucumber dip)

1 hard boiled egg

small handful of mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, hemp)

3 slices of ham and salad

1 chicken drumstick and salad

1 side salad (tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce) with plain yoghurt dressing

1 small vegetables soup

Case study: sugar overload

It was a challenge at first to source a lunch without bread and a dinner without pasta, but after a week it became quite interesting to see what foods I had not tried before. I never felt compromised as there is so much choice in fruits and vegetables, pulses and meats, I just had to think 'outside the square'. My energy levels increased and I wasn’t feeling sluggish in the morning and my appetite was reduced as I felt satisfied from the food lists and menu guidelines Paola provided. I also lost weight and lost that bloated feeling.

... Paola has raised my awareness of some wonderful new foods, the positive effects of a wheat free diet and that breads and pasta aren’t the only foods that can satisfy the appetite. Thanks again!

Discussion: if you could make just one change

today, what would it be?

More info

● www.energya.co.uk● www.patrickholford.com● www.sparkpeople.com● www.mind.org.uk/foodandmood/● http://www.food.gov.uk/healthiereating/● http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/