Eat:
– always eat breakfast, and try to eat it within an hour of getting up (whether you’re hungry or not!)
– eat three meals and two snacks a day;
– eat 4 or more servings of wholegrains.
– eat fish.
– eat whole foods, like wholegrains, lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, fresh fruit and veg, and good quality protein.
– eat seeds and nuts, especially hemp, flax, sunflower, sesame and pumpkin.
– dairy products are a great source of mood-boosting tryptophan and other nutrients, but should be organic where possible. Milk should always be organic – higher in omega 3, no hormones or contaminants to block receptor sites.
– balance your meals by including carbohydrate, protein and healthy fat, keeping blood sugar release steady;
– choose carbohydrates which release their sugars slowly (wholegrains, low glycaemic index fruit, veg, beans and pulses)
– buy food as fresh as you can (especially fruit and veg) to ensure as many nutrients as possible; keep frozen ones as a standby to use when you’re just too tired to shop!
– prepare recipes in batches, then freeze some portions to use when fatigue or lack of enthusiasm hit;
– try to eat at least 7 portions of fruit and veg daily (it’s really not as hard as you think!).
Avoid:
– avoid processed, ‘white’, packaged or refined foods, chemicals, additives, preservatives and toxins as much as possible.