My Diet Secrets
I’m on a detox at the moment, feeling a bit bored of it but hoping to feel bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, full of energy, in a couple of days! At the end of last year I read ‘Clean & Lean Diet‘ by my best friend’s trainer, James Duigan and it really changed my eating and exercise habits. Brilliantly, James suggests a balanced, not-too-vigorous fitness regime, with a mix of cardio and disciplines such as yoga and pilates. Now I do all three every week, with a little bit of hiking thrown in for good measure (and for good gossip – hikes are the best way to get everything off your chest with a mate!). When it comes to food, James has an equally sensible approach. I probably eat MORE now that I used to, but choosing the right stuff, and eliminating the grotty, toxic stuff, makes your body react in a very cool, positive way. Not just by changing shape, but by giving you miles more energy, brightening your eyes, clearing up your skin, and even clearing your mind. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t lost my love of gin & tonics, chocolate milk and any Mexican food I can get my hands on, but I’ve definitely put in place some changes that are helping. So, combining that book with the tips and tricks I’ve picked up from various health nut friends over the years, here are my diet secrets…
Brekkie
I used to skip breakfast and grab a coffee if I was lucky, but now I make the most delicious smoothie of all time. Almond milk, 4 ice cubes, half a banana, a few blueberries, white chia seeds, a few goji berries, 2 walnuts, flaxseed oil, acai powder, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a scoop of James Duigan’s Body Brilliance powder. It literally is health in a cup, and it doesn’t taste gross, like so many of those green looks-like-river-water juices people drink. You don’t need ALL of those ingredients above, just see how many you can find at your local health shop, and make your own recipe. They’re an incredibly powerful mix of anti-oxidants, protein and Omega 3 oils, which in a nutshell, helps you burn fat and stay full til lunch. If I fancy something more or a mid-morning snack, then I love mashing avocado onto rye toast, with some pumpkin seeds on top, or I’ll spread organic peanut butter onto pumpernickel toast, that’s delicious too. Rye and pumpernickel are wheat-free breads, so you won’t bloat and feel sluggish. In my opinion, they taste better too. And ps. I just can’t give up that coffee, no matter how bad caffeine is supposed to be for us, I enjoy it and days when I’m up at 5am to film, I bloody well NEED it! So I try to switch to organic coffee, if that’s available.
Lunch
I’m a fan of enormous salads with at least 8 ingredients chucked in, so it looks like a rainbow. I usually start with rocket or spinach, then lean meat like turkey, shrimp, salmon, grilled chicken or tuna, then veggies such as corn, tomato, peas, roasted butternut squash, cucumber – anything you fancy. Then something crunchy for yummy texture, like pine-nuts, or cashews, sometimes a bit of fruit to sweeten things up, like grapes cut in half, mango or pomegranate seeds. Goats cheese or feta is always yummy on top. Cold pressed organic olive oil drizzled on top with whatever other seasonings you want. YUM. Low-fat dressings used to be a staple in my fridge, but in fact, they’re full of sugar and synthetic ingredients. If something has more than 5 or 6 ingredients on the back, and you can’t even pronounce half the names, throw it out, it’s no good for you. Keeping things simple is the key.
Dinner
I’m not much of a cook, and I do eat out a lot. If I’m at a restaurant, I know the healthiest thing to do is skip the bread and order fish with greens – that’s usually an option at all restaurants. But, like I said, I’m no saint, so if I fancy the burrito, I’ll order the burrito. Life’s too short not to enjoy yourself and indulge. Plus, if you skimp and have salad, you’ll a) be in the worst food-envy mood while you watch your mates tuck in to pizza and steaks, and b) probably undo all your hard work by scoffing the contents of your fridge when you get home, because you’re still hungry. So, enjoy yourself when you’re out with friends, but perhaps have a vodka soda instead of beer or wine (much better option) and skip the dessert, or go for the fruitiest – not the creamiest - option.
Back to cooking at home, I’ve made a massive effort lately to learn, and farmer’s markets are a good place to start. You actually enjoy picking up the food and thinking about what you could create with it. It’s more therapeutic than a supermarket – not to mention cheaper and better quality.
Supermodel Sophie Dahl has some easy and lovely recipes on her YouTube videos, ‘The Delicious Miss Dahl’, so check them out.
If I’m in a rush, I tend to grill fish in foil with a sprinkle of herbs and some lemon drizzled on top, that’s super easy. Roasting veggies is great too, and I recently made mushroom and chestnut soup, taught by my bestie Stephanie, recipe below. I’m never going to be a gourmet chef, nor do I really want to be, but I have learnt that there’s a huge difference between takeaways and pre-packaged meals (full of bad fats and preservatives, which sit in your body slowing everything like energy and metabolism down), and taking the extra ten minutes to chop up your own meat and veggies. As for carbs, switch pasta, white rice and potatoes for wild rice, sweet potato and quinoa. Oh and if you’re cooking up scrambled eggs, a stew or stir-fry, use coconut oil in the pan, instead of olive oil. This totally surprised me, but when olive oil is heated, it breaks down into a worse fat, so only use it cold.
Easy winter warmer recipe: Wild mushroom & chestnut soup
1 white onion, peeled and sliced
150 grams of mixed wild mushrooms – half the fun is choosing them at the farmer’s market.
Half a litre of stock – chicken or vegetable is best.
150 grams chestnuts (vacuum packet is fine)
Fresh parsley
Heat some olive oil in a pan, then add the sliced onions and sweat for about 5 minutes. Then add the mushrooms, cook for a further 5 minutes before adding the chicken stock and the fresh thyme. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the chestnuts and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Check everything is soft and squishy enough to put a knife through. Remove from the heat and blend until smooth in a food processor. Serve with a little pour of olive oil and some chopped parsley on top.
You can make the soup in advance and freeze it, awesome if you’re having a dinner party or a super busy week.
