Already you may be thinking, “Oh no, is Alva going to suggest we eat boring tasteless food?” Not at all. If you can find the right recipes you do not need to compromise on flavor or go hungry. We all know where eating too much factory processed food will lead.

In the past we may have been able to eat big meals but in the modern world of less activity we all need to change the way we eat.

This is the new challenge: to eat healthy 90 percent of the time. In this article I will sum up the key to healthy eating.

Dealing with the time factor

Most single people work very long hours as the pressure is on young people to build a career. Mums are busy and many work also. We can see the results of unhealthy eating all around us. It is called the spare tire. The solution is to produce quick healthy meals that taste delicious and are filling.

Portion control

Portion sizes have grown and grown, both at home and in the restaurant industry. Portion control is the backbone of keeping your weight down. A healthy portion size that should be consumed at any one meal is no more food than you can hold in your two cupped hands. Put your food on your plate and then say, no thank you, to second helpings. Your goal is to have a balanced plate of colorful food with the right balance of carbohydrates, protein and vegetables for your main meal. If you eat too much you will feel full and sleepy.

Check your plate of food; half the food on your plate should be vegetables and a quarter carbohydrates and a quarter proteins. This is the science simplified but if you try this you will feel healthy and energetic.

Keep your plate colorful

The wonderful colors of fruit and vegetables are there to be attractive to advertise their goodness. You should always eat a rainbow. Half your plate should always be salad or vegetables. Fruit should be eaten daily. Fruit and vegetables protect you from illness and aging. Always offer fruit after a meal.

Understanding carbohydrates

Carbohydrates give you energy. Carbohydrates come from plants and are broken down in the body to produce energy. There are two kinds of carbohydrates, complex and simple.

Complex carbohydrates are the ones we want in our daily diet. These give us good, long term energy. They are found in whole grains such as oats, bran, barley, brown rice, rye, spelt and potatoes with their skins; and vegetables such as beans and lentils

Simple carbohydrates are the ones we need to only eat occasionally, not as the basis of our meals. These include white bread, white rice and sugar. The reason we want to avoid these are because they have been processed to make them white and much of the goodness has been taken away. For example, we do not want wheat for our bread that has been de-husked and bleached white, and stripped of nutrients and fiber that our bodies need for good digestion. Simple carbohydrates such white bread, biscuits and cakes give us spikes of energy. They can be quickly digested. They can be quickly converted into glucose and this is released into the blood steam quickly. This creates a peak of energy followed by a drop in energy which makes us feel like eating more food to regain the feeling of energy.

Complex carbohydrates in their natural form are healthy, fill you up more and slowly release energy over time. Complex carbohydrates deliver energy just as nature intended. Try and persuade your family to try brown rice; it has a lovely nutty flavour and makes everyone feel full and satisfied longer. Carbohydrates should fill a quarter of your plate.

We need to eat lean protein to repair and build organs

Protein should be included in your main meal of the day and should cover a quarter of your plate. It is vital for good health and wellbeing. Good protein sources include lean meat and fish, and chickpeas, beans and lentils, tofu, nuts and seeds.

Fat is essential

Many people try and banish fats to lose weight but some fats are essential for cell reproduction; so banishing all fat would endanger your health. Essential fats cannot be produced by our bodies and are key to good health. You need at least a tablespoon per day of essential fats such as fatty acids found in vegetable oils, eggs, avocados, nuts and meat.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found only in oily fish, soy, beans, nuts and seeds. Walnuts are also a good source. It is a good idea to use lots of different oils in your cooking such as olive oil, ground nut oil, coconut oil and grape seed, sesame and avocado oils. This way your family receives the benefits of lots of different oils.

The unhealthiest fats are Trans fats which are made in factories by turning a liquid oil into a solid through a process called hydrogenation. These have been shown in studies to raise cholesterol. They are made because they are cheap to produce and have a long shelf life. They are used in readymade cakes and readymade meals. I would always prefer a little butter on my bread.

Finally, think of your plate in four quarters: two quarters should be vegetables and one quarter protein and one quarter carbohydrates. Then you have a healthy plate and you will soon feel the benefits in terms of healthy weight and good energy.

My tasty recipe of the week

Caribbean Chicken: Easy, tasty, healthy and quick

Serves 6

Preheat the oven at 200/400F Gas mark 6

Ingredients

6 chicken breasts or chicken thighs with bones and skin removed

For the marinade sauce

6 spring onions trimmed and chopped.

2/3 red chillies according to taste, chopped and seeded

50g/2oz fresh root ginger peeled and chopped

3 large garlic cloves peeled and chopped

½ tsp ground allspice

3 tables spoons of honey

6 teaspoons of olive oil

Small bunch fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

120ml/4fl oz. dark soy sauce

Preparation method

1. Put all the ingredients for the marinade sauce in a food processor and blend.

2. Place the chicken in a large shallow dish, pour over the sauce, cover and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

3. Put the chicken dish in the oven and cook until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is bubbling and reduced. About 30 minutes.

4. Serve the Caribbean chicken with brown rice, peas and grilled pineapple with wedges of lime on the side.

Ask Alva

My doctor has said that my hairfall may be due to the stress of taking a new job which means working long hours. Mita

Today’s work environment often requires us to sit at desks and work on computers for much of the day. Often, when one suffers tight muscles in the neck and shoulders from this type of work environment, the scalp also gets tight and restricts the flow of blood to the hair roots. Over time this can cause the hair to fall. A head massage can often alleviate those problems and allow the hair to grow back. Try massaging your scalp with Permea Plus Hair Repair Massage Oil which contains sic natural oils that feed the scalp and encourage new growth.

— Alva

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