Meal Prepping – The Secret Ingredient to Healthy Living

Are you someone who meal preps? If the answer is yes, well done! You’ve already discovered how to make your life easier, healthier, and much less stressed. If the answer is no, let me ask you if any of the following sound familiar to you:

• I often feel tired and hungry after a busy day and don’t know what to cook for dinner
• I feel overwhelmed by making decisions about what to eat 3 x per day, 7 day a week
• I often order takeaway as I have no energy or inclination to cook
• I’m not inspired to cook and I often it the same things
• I always have to dash to the supermarket, as I don’t have anything for dinner in the house
• I don’t know what to eat or cook

If any of these (or all of them!) resonate with you, don’t worry – you are not alone. This is super common with many of my clients, and I will share with you what I share with them – the world of meal planning and prep.

Life is demanding and busy and making decisions about daily meals just adds to one's stress levels. Meal planning takes away this stress and guesswork out of mealtimes, allowing you to have a more relaxed and organised routine, while ensuring you always have a clear idea of your meals in advance.

Meal planning is simply planning your meals for the week to help reduce stress and to best suit your nutritional needs. Your meal planning can be as flexible or as rigid as you want it to be. It's meant to be helpful and not add any extra stress to your day.

Meal planning also serves as a bridge to efficient meal prepping while still offering flexibility and variation to your diet. You can still have variety in your diet by using different ingredients within the framework you've set.

Here are my top tips for successful meal planning and prep:

• Set aside a suitable & specific time each week to plan your meals, shop and meal prep. Try to make it part of your regular routine.
• Decide how you would like to plan e.g. physical planner, spreadsheet etc. Choose whatever works best for you.
• When planning, ensure that your meals are balanced, aim for variety & include different flavours & textures to keep the meals interesting
• Check your weekly schedule & maybe prep meals for those busy days.
• Keep it simple by starting with 2 -3 easy meals until you feel comfortable with meal planning & prep.
• It can be fun to get the whole family involved with your planning & prep.
• To get started with meal prep, choose a day & time that is good for you and start with the meals that really pain you e.g. breakfasts or lunch boxes etc.
• Check what you already have in your fridge & pantry & then create a shopping list based on your meals planned for the week.
• Meal prep can involve batch cooking, pre-cooking components of your meals, washing & chopping veggies, preparing healthy snacks, making dressings & pesto, marinating meat etc.
• Cook once, eat twice by repurposing left-overs into new dishes.
• Batch cooking is great for sauces, soups, stews and curries which can be successfully frozen.
• Short cuts: Pick meals that don't need to be cooked and if budget allows, buy pre-cut veggies or stir fries.
• Always keep staples like frozen veggies, frozen fish and tinned pulses, tinned fish, tinned tomatoes etc. in your freezer & pantry.
• Food storage containers : Glass bowls, bowls with dividers,
• bento boxes, mason jars, glass bottles etc. Label and date containers for easy identification and to track freshness.
• Keep meals interesting by rotating recipes to avoid monotony.
• Find recipes that work for you and that you enjoy. Bookmark them or store them in notes on your phone.
• Keep meals balanced by including protein, healthy fats, a small portion of starchy carbs and plenty of veggies.

And if you’d like to know more, I’m giving away a free eBook called Plan, Prep and Thrive – it contains all the information you need to become a skilled meal prepper. Want to grab a copy? Just click here. And get in touch if I can help at all.

Everything you need to know about eating well this summer

Here are some simple strategies to support your energy, digestion and wellbeing in warmer weather.

Summer often brings a welcome change of pace. Longer days, more time outdoors and lighter meals all contribute to a shift in how we eat and live. In many ways, it can feel easier to make healthier choices at this time of year. Fresh produce is more abundant, there are more opportunities to be active, and meals can feel naturally lighter.

However, summer also presents its own challenges. Shifting routines, social events, travel, hot weather and less structured days can all disrupt healthy habits. Many people find themselves grazing through the day, eating late at night or relying on less balanced meals simply because structure goes out the window.

This blog brings together simple, practical advice to help maintain energy, support digestion and feel well throughout the summer months.

Prioritise nourishment, not just ‘lighter’ meals

Hot weather often reduces appetite, which can lead to skipping meals or defaulting to salad leaves and little else. While lighter meals may be more appealing, it is important to ensure they still provide the nutrients the body needs to feel satisfied and energised.

That means building meals around protein, healthy fats and fibre. A salad with added chicken, chickpeas, avocado and a wholegrain like quinoa or brown rice offers far more nutritional value than just lettuce and cucumber. Lighter doesn’t need to mean less nourishing. 

Think: Mediterranean Diet vibes - colourful fruit and veggies, lean proteins, liberal drizzles of olive oil. 

Stay consistent with meal timing

Changes in routine over the summer can make it easy to miss meals or eat inconsistently. Skipping meals often leads to low energy, blood sugar crashes and cravings later in the day.

Aim to keep a regular meal rhythm – ideally three balanced meals a day with one planned snack if needed. This provides structure, supports metabolism, and helps avoid that common pattern of undereating during the day and overcompensating later on.

Even if your appetite is lower in the heat, smaller meals or lighter options such as yoghurt with fruit and seeds, a protein-rich smoothie, or a wrap with hummus and vegetables can help maintain stability throughout the day.

Make space for enjoyment while travelling

Summer holidays are often seen as a time when all healthy habits go out the window. While it is perfectly reasonable to relax a little, it is entirely possible to enjoy food on holiday without feeling sluggish, bloated or off-track.

Before you travel, it’s worth considering which are the key nutrition or movement habits that will travel well. Starting the day with a familiar breakfast (think eggs, fruit and yoghurt, for example rather than a buffet of pastries), staying hydrated, walking whenever possible and including vegetables in most meals can all help you maintain your energy and keep your digestive system working well.

Eating well is not about restriction. It’s easier than you think to eat well, especially if you’ve given some time to thinking about the treats that are important to you while you’re away that ‘make’ a holiday and focus on doing those things rather than ‘all the things’. That might mean enjoying a daily ice cream and the occasional cocktail (but sticking to dry white wine for the remainder) and only having croissants one day in the week rather than every day. You’re still enjoying the ‘fun stuff’ but you’re not going overboard, which might tip you into feeling sluggish during your time away, and result in a post-holiday diet.

Support digestive health – especially in the heat

Gut health is often overlooked during summer, yet it plays a vital role in how we feel. Bloating, sluggish digestion and irregular bowel movements are common when routines change, water intake drops, or unfamiliar foods are introduced.

Hydration is essential. Increasing water intake, especially during travel and warmer days, helps keep digestion moving. Including fibre-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables, legumes and wholegrains supports gut motility. For clients prone to digestive issues, consider recommending magnesium or probiotics as part of their summer supplement routine.

Movement is also important. Gentle daily activity such as walking and swimming can stimulate digestion and reduce bloating, particularly when sitting for long periods during travel.

Build flexible structure into summer routines

Summer routines may look different, but some gentle structure helps maintain momentum without needing a detailed meal plan. A few consistent habits can go a long way.

You might benefit from having a set of go-to meals that require little prep, such as wraps, cold grain salads, or overnight oats. Keeping staple ingredients like tinned fish, eggs, leafy greens, hummus and frozen berries on hand can help simplify decisions during busy weeks.

One thing you can lean into at this time of year is eating mindfully. Perfect for lazy summer meals, ensuring you chew each mouthful well and pause before reaching for food out of habit rather than hunger can also support digestion and reduce overeating.

Let go of pressure and focus on wellbeing

Summer often comes with increased pressure to look a certain way. There’s nothing more than needing to remove clothes to make you feel self-conscious. It is easy to fall into the mindset of needing to ‘get back on track’ or eat perfectly to feel confident in lighter clothes. This rarely supports long-term wellbeing.

Reframing the focus towards feeling energised, supporting digestion, sleeping well and having enough stamina to enjoy summer activities is far more empowering. Clients do not need to eat perfectly to feel good – they need strategies that work with their lives, not against them.

A consistent approach that prioritises nourishment, hydration, and flexibility can help make this summer feel lighter in all the right ways.

If you would like personalised support with summer meal planning, or tips to manage travel, events and busy days, feel free to get in touch. We can create a plan that works for your lifestyle.

Eat your way to amazing skin

Most people don’t give a second’s thought to their skin – unless they’re scowling at the wrinkles or wobbly bits in the mirror. It’s already doing a fabulous job keeping your insides in, protecting you from infection and radiation, and keeping you warm. There’s also a huge amount you can do to keep your skin looking healthy and fresh and – I’m happy to tell you – stave off the wrinkles without buying that expensive anti-ageing cream. Read on to find out how. 

Ditch the bad guys

Alcohol, caffeine, food additives like flavourings and colourings, salt, sugar, and tobacco are full of cell-damaging free radicals, which play havoc with your skin. Ideally, cut them out altogether but certainly reduce them as much as you can.  

Be fat-friendly

Essential fats found in fish, avocados, nuts and seeds keep cell membranes soft and smooth – they’re nature’s perfect skin plumpers. Just in case the word ‘fat’ sends a red flag up for you, I want to reassure you that scientists have finally admitted all that’ fat is bad for you and makes you fat’ propaganda was flawed. Eating the right fat is not only not bad, but also really, truly GOOD for your health. 

Eat back the clock

Stock up on antioxidant-rich fruit and veg. These are crucial for your entire body – not just your skin. They reduce the speed of skin aging and degeneration. Eat them raw or lightly steamed as cooking for long periods destroys enzymes, minerals and vitamins and can create skin-damaging free radicals. A couple of simple exercises are these: make a concerted effort to add at least one extra portion of veg every night this week to your evening meal. You should also aim to ‘eat a rainbow’ over the course of the week – that means picking as many different colours of fruit and veg as you can. 

As a very general rule, each different colour group contains a different set of plant chemicals. Scientists now know that bringing a variety of different antioxidants into your diet has a synergistic effect, which means the combined result is more powerful than the individual parts. 

Drink up!

Keep skin cells plump and full or your skin will look shrivelled and dehydrated – a long cry from that radiant glow you’re going for. Cells also need water to rebuild and to remove the build up of waste products (toxins). It’s a very simple (and free) step that most people don’t prioritise and yet the results and be striking. Aim for at least 2-3 litres a day depending on weather conditions and your level of exercise. You’ll soon see the benefit for you skin. 

Helpful nutrients for skin health

Vitamin C for collagen production. Foods to include: blackcurrants, red peppers, kale, collard leaves, broccoli, kiwis, oranges, courgettes, cauliflower and spinach, citrus fruit.

Vitamins A, C, E and selenium are antioxidants that limit the damage done to collagen and elastin fibres by free radicals. Foods to include (aside from the vitamin C foods, above, and the vitamin A foods, below): sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach, swiss chard, papaya, mustard greens, asparagus, peppers, Brazil nuts, fresh tuna, some meats including pork, beef, turkey and chicken, cottage cheese, eggs, brown rice, sunflower seeds, spinach, oats, mushrooms.

Vitamin A helps control the rate of keratin. A lack of vitamin A can result in dry, rough skin. Foods to include: sweet potato, carrots, butternut squash, spinach, kale, collard greens, turnip greens, romaine lettuce.

Vitamin D. Skin cells produce a chemical that is converted into vitamin D in sunlight. It’s important for many functions in the body, including immunity, blood sugar balance and bone health. It’s hard to get enough vitamin D from food alone, but do try to include more sardines, salmon, tuna, swordfish, eggs – and don’t forget a daily dose of getting out into the sun!

Zinc for the production of skin cells. A lack of zinc can result in poor skin healing, eczema and rashes. Foods to include: venison, fish, ginger root, lamb, lean beef, turkey, green vegetables, oats, nuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, yoghurt, scallops.

Essential fats for making cell membranes. A lack of essential fats causes cells to dry out too quickly, resulting in dry skin. Foods to include: oily fish (salmon, sardines, halibut, scallops), flaxseed, walnuts, soya beans, tofu.

Watch what you put on your body, too

The skin is the largest organ in the body with a surface area about the size of a double bed. It soaks everything up you put on it, and what soaks in ends up in your blood stream. So, if your shampoo and conditioner or shower gel (all of which wash over you as you shower), or your body lotions or creams contain nasty chemicals like parabens or sodium lauryl/laureth sulplate, you are feeding yourself synthetic oestrogens that can wreak havoc with your hormones. Check labels for ingredients – often they may be marked as paraben-free. 

Learn how to deal with problem skin

A targeted nutrition plan can work wonders for skin problems like acne, eczema, psoriasis and so on. This kind of personalised nutrition is often poorly understood and isn’t really talked about in the media. It doesn’t work to just add to your diet a single ‘superfood’. However, a bespoke plan that takes into all of your skin – and health – concerns can make a huge difference. Ask me how. I’d love to help – why not book a call?

Your Hormone Balancing Action Plan

If you’re suffering with PMS, menopausal symptoms, or hormonal conditions such as PCOS and endometriosis, then take a look at this plan. These simple changes aren’t going to solve everything, but if made consistently over time, they can have a positive effect on your mood and how you feel.

Here’s where to start:

Eat Real Foods

If your hormones are out of whack or you struggle with anything to do with your mood, the very first thing to do is to take a good look at your diet and consider how much ‘real food’ you eat and how much of your diet is processed. If you ONLY switched to real food, making everything from scratch, you would see a big improvement in your health. Ready to do more?

Bring in more fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are packed full of nutrients compared to many other foods and are beneficial for all aspects of health. Focus on the low-sugar fruits (the ones that grow in this country ahead of tropical fruits like bananas, mango and pineapple). For veg, eat more of the stuff that grows above the ground as – as a general rule – it contains less starch and keeps blood sugar levels stable.

Eat protein regularly

Choose a source of protein at every meal and snack. Protein is needed for growth and repair in the body. Good sources of protein include eggs, organic meat and poultry, oily fish like wild salmon, trout, etc. and Greek yoghurt, nuts and seeds.

Think carefully about starchy carbohydrates

Carbohydrates can be broken down into simple carbs and complex carbs. In simple carbs, the sugar molecules that occur either naturally or as a result of added sugar are quickly digested and absorbed into the bloodstream. Examples of simple carbs are cakes, cookies and pastries (in fact, anything with sugar), white bread, rice and pasta, and potato. The result is you get a short-term high but afterwards you feel more tired, fuzzy-headed and hungry.

Complex carbs are made up of hundreds of sugar molecules, and these are absorbed much more slowly so they keep you feeling fuller and focussed for longer. Focus on bringing more of these into your diet ahead of simple carbs. They include wholemeal bread and pasta, brown rice, oats, beans, chickpeas and lentils, quinoa, sweet potato and butternut squash.

Do eat fat

Healthy fats are an essential part of a good diet and should not be seen as the enemy. Fats are also the building blocks of all hormones and keep cell membranes and nerve cells healthy. The best sources of fat are flaxseeds (also known as linseeds), avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, oily fish like wild salmon, nuts and seeds.

Prioritise sleep

There are some actions you can take to make a good sleep much more likely. These include things like avoiding drinks containing caffeine after lunch, going to bed at the same time every day, keeping the temperature in your bedroom comfortable, keeping the bedroom completely dark so you’re not disturbed by light and making an effort to relax for at least 5 minutes before going to bed - a warm bath, massage, meditation and so on.

The biggest tip I can give you is to really ensure that you prioritise your sleep. Make a real effort to focus on all the things you can do to improve your sleep hygiene rather than ‘kind of’ doing it.

Move your body

Exercise can have a noticeable effect on hormones and mood. You might have heard how exercise releases endorphins and the feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin.

Instead of moving in such a way that you place excessive stress on the body, consider how your body likes to move. Focus on things like brisk walks, yoga or pilates, and dance classes ahead of more punishing regimes involving spin classes and long runs.

Improve your digestive health

There might seem quite a geographical distance between your digestive system and your brain but the two are actually very closely connected. In fact, the digestive system is often referred to as the ‘second brain’. If you have any problems with your digestive system, it will be worth working on these with a nutrition professional. Your coach will be able to advise if any functional testing might be appropriate to look for food reactions (allergies or intolerances) or a broader test to see whether you might have bacterial imbalance or infection.

For the purposes of this guide, it might be helpful to ensure you regularly eat probiotic foods like natural yoghurt, kefir and kombucha (all are now widely available even in supermarkets) or even take a probiotic supplement.

Reduce stress

Taking action to reduce stress in your life is essential but many people are concerned the specific things they might do are too much of a luxury in their already-busy lives. Bottom line: you can’t simply keep going the way things are. Taking some time to empty the ‘stress bucket’ is critical for your wellbeing. Yoga and mindfulness/meditation are proven ways to reduce stress but consider taking time out just to do the things you love to do quietly, mindfully and on your own: sitting in the garden with a cuppa, reading, colouring, knitting or trying out a new hobby.

Get expert help

If you’re unsure where to start, why not get in touch? I offer free 30 minute calls, and just might be able to help you.

­­­­­­­­­­­­Which Fat?

Park that notion that fat is bad. It is not. In fact, most of us aren’t eating enough of it. 

Fat can help you lose weight, protect against heart disease, absorb vitamins and boost your immune system. Do you know which fats to eat and which to avoid?

Saturated fat

These are the fats that have the worst reputation, and they’re found in animal fats and coconut oil. 

Here’s the controversial bit because it goes entirely against what we have been told for decades (and we are still being told by government agencies) … these saturated fats that you eat – the dietary saturated fats – don’t raise cholesterol.

The fats that are ‘bad’ are the trans fats, which cause cell membranes to become stiff and hard, and they no longer function correctly. Trans fats are harmful to cardiovascular health (lower good cholesterol - increase level of bad cholesterol). Some trans fats are contained naturally in dairy products, but particularly in processed foods (i.e. hydrogenated oils, margarine). 

Monounsaturated fats

These are the kinds of fats associated with the Mediterranean diet – ­particularly olive oil -, and populations that eat a lot of these fats, like the people of Greece and Italy, have some of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world. 

Many cardiologists advocate the Mediterranean diet, as higher intakes of this kind of fat are linked to lower cholesterol (or, to be more accurate, a better ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol).

Polyunsaturated fats

You will probably know these as omega-3 and omega-6 – the essential fatty acids. ‘Essential’ relates to the fact that the body cannot make this kind of fat; you need to eat it as part of your diet – or take it as a supplement. 

They fulfil many roles in the body, and sufficient levels have implications for cell membranes, hormones (they regulate insulin function), managing inflammation and immunity, mood and memory.

As a rule, omega-6 fats are not as good for you as the omega-3 fats, which are all anti-inflammatory. It’s not that omega-6 fats are inherently bad, just that it’s less good when the balance between the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids gets disturbed. 

Historically, humans ate a good ratio of omega-6 to 3 – ranging between 1:1 and 4:1. The modern Western diet has changed things for the worse, and the ratio is frequently 20:1 thanks to processed foods, vegetable oils and conventionally raised (rather than grass-fed) meat. 

What happens is that you get more of this…

•   Increase in inflammatory conditions/ autoimmune disease
•   Obesity
•   Heart disease
•   Diabetes
•   High cholesterol
• Cancer

Here’s why fat is essential in the body…

• It’s a concentrated energy source. Gram for gram, fat is twice as efficient as carbohydrates in energy production. 
• Fat can be an energy store. Excess fat is stored for future energy production (excess calorific intake).
• Protection – internal (visceral) fat protects your internal organs, like the kidneys and spleen. 
• ‘Subcutaneous adipose tissue’ (that’s code for the fat that you can feel by pinching your skin) helps to maintain normal body temperature and provides padding.
• Fats regulate inflammation, mood and nerve function. 
• Every cell membrane in our body is made of fat – the brain is 60% fat.
• Many hormones are made from fat. These are known as steroid hormones, and they govern stress, sex, and immune function.   
• Fats are actually essential for survival (experiments on rats in the 1920s showed that, then fat was removed from the diet they died). 
• Fat is the preferred fuel for muscles and the heart. The brain can also burn fat for fuel. 
• Essential fatty acids are required for healthy skin, healthy cell membranes, healthy nerves, healthy joints and to help with absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

How did fat get such a bad name?

Fat has got a bad reputation. Over the last 70 years low-fat products have been marketed as the saviour of our health. And the message from governments and the media was – and largely still is – that, when eaten, fat gets stored as fat in the body and puts us at greater risk of heart disease. 

Part of the problem, of course, is that we use the same word for the fat we DON’T want (on the hips, around the middle and so on) and the fat we eat. 

The demonisation of fat began when an American scientist called Ancel Keys produced the first ‘evidence’ linking saturated fat to heart disease in 1953. He based his scientific opinion on observational data of heart disease, death rates and fat consumption in six countries (ignoring statistics from a further 16 countries because they contradicted his hypothesis) and assumed a correlation between heart disease and eating fat. (As an aside, when another scientist looked at the same research, this time considering ALL 22 countries’ data, no correlation was found). 

Although there might have been correlation (there was a relationship), it was not causal (didn’t actually cause the situation). 

A further study on rabbits compounded Ancel Keys’ hypothesis: The rabbits were fed cholesterol (which doesn’t normally form a part of their 100% veggie diet) and went on to develop fatty deposits in their arteries. And then, guess what happened? Poor bunnies!

Governments (and their health care agencies) across the world began advocating a low-fat diet.  They told us to fill up on bread, rice, cereals and pasta, and opt for low-fat or no-fat alternatives wherever we could. 

Soon, the food industry jumped on board to create products that better satisfied this new advice. They replaced saturated fats with ‘healthier’ vegetable oils, like margarine and shortening – ironically trans fats are now one of the few fats research shows ARE linked to heart disease. 

The biggest problem is that, when you remove the fat from foods, you need to replace it with something else to make those foods palatable – and this replacement is sugar. This was a REALLY bad move. 

My favourite fats

AVOCADOS They go with practically anything and are high in both vitamin E and in healthy monounsaturated fats. Slice it, mash it, love it!

COCONUT OIL There’s so much to like. Apart from helping reduce bad cholesterol and blood pressure, coconut oil is an anti-fungal (caprylic acid) when used both externally or internally. The ideal replacement for butter in baking and as your oil of choice when frying (though we think it works best if you’re cooking something with an Asian influence).

NUTS Packed with nutrients like magnesium and vitamin E, nuts bring plenty of essential fats to the table. They make the perfect snack – eat a handful (preferably raw) with a small piece of fruit or spread a little nut butter on an oatcake (peanut butter is just for starters – try almond for a change).

OILY FISH are chock full of omega 3 fatty acids, which are the building blocks of your sex hormones, so are essential for hormone balance. We love them all!

OLIVE OIL Use cold pressed organic oil as a dressing on salads rather than to cook with as the high temperatures reached when roasting or frying can turn the oil rancid. 

Cooking with fat

How the fat is used (through cooking and processing) is a big deciding factor whether it is healthy or unhealthy. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) become free radicals in the presence of light, oxygen and heat. 

That is because frying with oils like olive oil at high temperature leads to oxidation and the production of free radicals – highly inflammatory for the body and may increase the risk of heart disease or cancer.

Use these oils for cooking

Coconut oil, rapeseed (vegetable) oil, avocado oil, butter or ghee, or goose fat (clarified butter).

NOT olive oil or sunflower oil. Don’t use sunflower oil at all (although do eat the seeds) and save olive oil for dressings on salads. 

Eat to improve your heart health

Many people fear a heart attack. Think of it as the last straw. Heart disease is, in many cases, a lifestyle disease that is avoidable and, with the right focus, you can avoid it, too.

There are some pretty big risk factors (outside of smoking and drinking in excess), and these include being diabetic, having high cholesterol, and being overweight. 

What I want to talk to you about today is which dietary changes you might start to make from today, to protect your health and that of your loved ones. There’s fantastic news in this regard because a number of huge studies point to diet and lifestyle change being IT when it comes to prevention.

The INTERHEART study, published in the Lancet in 2004, followed 30,000 people in 52 countries. Researchers found that lifestyle changes could prevent at least 90 percent of all heart disease. 

This was another big one: the EPIC study in 2009 looked at how 23,000 people adhered to 4 simple behaviours: not smoking, exercising 3.5 hours a week, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining a healthy weight. Sticking to these four behaviours alone seemed to prevent 93% of cases of diabetes, 81% of cases of heart attacks, 50% of cases of strokes, and 36% of cases of all cancers. 

A SIMPLE STRATEGY FOR GOOD HEALTH

Of course, everyone is individual, and there is no official ‘single diet’ that all humans should eat. But if there were, this would be it because it handles what the essence of the problem is – being overweight and a highly inflammatory internal environment.

Before I dive in with some of the answers, I want to say a little something about fat because chances are, if you’ve heard one thing about staving off a heart attack, it’s ‘cut back on fat’ (and especially the saturated kind). 

The success of some low-fat dietary models in weight loss is thought to be more likely due to the simultaneous reduction of sugar, refined carbohydrates and processed foods. 

Dietary fat actually turns off fat production in your liver. Unlike carbohydrates and protein, dietary fat does not trigger your pancreas to secrete insulin. 

There is one type of fat everyone should avoid, and it is trans fats, a kind of Frankenstein fat added to food to improve shelf life and mouthfeel of products. One study actually found that the risk of coronary heart disease doubled with each 2 percent increase in calories from trans fats. Another researcher even concluded: “On a per-calorie basis, trans fats appear to increase the risk of CHD more than any other micronutrient.” 

THE REAL VILLAINS…

The real villains in the piece are refined grains and sugar. During processing, refined grains are stripped of the bran and germ, two parts of the grain kernel that contain a wealth of nutrients. The final product is starch with next to no nutritional value, providing little more than carbohydrates and calories. Refined carbohydrates can be found in a wide variety of foods, including white bread, pasta and rice, muffins, cakes, cookies, crackers, and bagels. 

Unfortunately, these foods make up a pretty good chunk of the modern Western diet and may be linked to a higher risk of heart disease. One study from China found that a higher carbohydrate intake, mainly from refined grains, was associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease among 117,366 adults.

Sugar is one of the main culprits of heart disease. Added sugars from foods like sweets, desserts, juice and soft drinks can spike blood sugar levels, damaging the blood vessels, overloading the liver and increasing the risk of heart disease.

Interestingly, a study from Harvard School of Public Health actually found that participants who drank the highest number of sugar-sweetened beverages had a 20 percent higher relative risk of developing coronary heart disease than those who drank the lowest amount.

WHAT THIS MEANS IS …

A lower carbohydrate diet is recommended to balance blood sugar and therefore reduce insulin and blood glucose levels. Elevated insulin is a major risk factor for heart disease and promotes inflammation. 

You’re also likely will lose weight on a blood sugar balancing diet, and that in itself will reduce the risk for many chronic diseases, including heart disease and high blood pressure.

1. PROTEIN Eat a source of protein at every meal and snack. This can be any fish/ seafood, poultry, meat, nuts, seeds, tofu, eggs. Given you probably eat enough meat already and many people don’t eat nearly enough vegetable protein, see if you can bring in more fish and more vegetable sources of protein over the week. Ideally, eat two to three vegetable-based protein meals weekly. Replace animal-based protein meals with lentils, legumes, tofu, quinoa or nuts and seeds, for example. If you’re a fish eater, get in wild-caught fish, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, twice a week.
2. FRUIT & VEG Get plenty of fruit and veg but focus specifically on eating veg that grow above the ground and fruit that can be grown in this country. These foods naturally contain either less natural sugar or lower amounts of carbohydrates, which have an impact on hormones. At each meal, have this cover at least half of your plate. The aim is 7 a day and ideally 5 from veg. Over the course of a week, aim to eat all different colours - span the rainbow to enjoy a diverse intake of nutrients. Enjoy berries, citrus fruit, peppers and leafy greens.
3. FIBRE is a great addition, the soluble kind you’ll find in oats, lentils, split peas, flaxseed, citrus fruits and apples. All of those are heart-healthy choices. From the insoluble category, eat nuts and whole grains.
4. FAT Some fats are healthy, and let’s not forget that fat is actually essential for life. Get your fat from avocados, oily fish, nuts and seeds. 
5. CARBS Think carefully about the quality (what kind) and the quantity (how much) of starchy carbs like bread, pasta, cereals, potato, rice. Focus on wholemeal over white, sweet potato over regular white potato, basmati or brown rice over long grain. You can also try throwing in a few ‘faux carbs’ like cauliflower or broccoli rice, courgetti (courgette spiralised into noodle shapes), butternut squash waffles, and so on. 
6. PROCESSED MEAT In recent years, there have been numerous studies connecting processed meats, like hot dogs, salami and tinned meat, to a range of adverse effects on health. Not surprisingly, processed meats can also negatively affect heart health, so best to give them a wide berth.
7. VEGETABLE OILS can be very damaging for heart health. Recent studies show that oils like rapeseed are not helpful (even though the supermarkets are brimming with these options). In fact, the linoleic acid they contain has been linked to cardiovascular disease and cancer.
8. SUGAR Remove as much sugar as you can from your diet as this is the real villain in the tale. That means saving sugary treats for high days and holidays and, most of the time, ditching breakfast cereals, cakes, cookies, pastries, and so on, and checking the label of jarred sauces, where sugar often lurks.
9. FIZZY POP Avoid fizzy soft drinks. Eliminating soft drinks is one of the best things that everyone can do for their heart. Besides being laden with controversial chemicals and unhealthy ingredients, soft drinks are also brimming with added sugars.

Do you notice a trend in my diet tips? What’s to focus on is real food. What you would benefit from decreasing is the processed stuff most people kid themselves is OK for them to eat. Truly, your body doesn't know what’s going on when you shovel in heavily processed or chemically altered foods. 

Eating this way - sometimes referred to as a low GL (glycaemic load) diet - will also help, providing your body with a steady supply of energy through the day, rather than a high-octane rollercoaster of energy spikes and troughs.

Putting the food work into your life alongside the commitment to regularly de-stress, move your body and prioritise sleep is not always easy to do on your own. It is always helpful to have someone – like me – in the wings helping you fit what you already know about eating well into your life and keeping you motivated to follow your plan for long enough that you really see a shift in your health. 

As a Registered Nutritional Therapist, I work a lot with clients with heart conditions or those who have a family history of heart disease. If you’d like to know more about the programmes and testing I can offer, why not get in touch? You can book a call here.

A SIDE NOTE ON SALT

Salt has long been considered a major contributor to high blood pressure, and the high salt content of processed foods and junk food has been given at least some of the blame for the high incidence of hypertension and heart disease. However, even this recommendation has recently come under scrutiny and may change in the future.

Recent research has cast doubt on the role of salt intake in hypertension. However, the WHO and most countries still recommend less than 2g sodium/day, equivalent to <5g/day salt in adults, which is equivalent to 1 teaspoon. Until this changes, we should stick to the guidelines yet recognise that other factors also contribute to high blood pressure (such as sugars). Salty snacks like potato chips, pretzels and microwave popcorn are full of added ingredients as well as salt, that can take a serious toll on heart health - they are best avoided. Where possible choose natural sea salt, which is rich in trace minerals. The healthiest forms of sea salt are the least refined with no added preservatives. 

Pink Himalayan salt is widely regarded as the ultimate mineral-rich seasoning and the purest of the natural salt family. Regarding health benefits, sea salt is plentiful in trace minerals due to its marine derivation, delivering many of the same nutritional compounds that make superfood seaweed so nutritious. 

The healthiest forms of sea salt are the least refined with no added preservatives (which can mean clumping in the fine variety).