5 tips for excellent health

Yesterday, I saw a 70-year-old at the clinic. I regularly see people of that age, so when I looked up from the questionnaire that this woman had filled out, I did not expect to see someone who looked so young.

Agneta looked around 40, at most 45. She wasn’t wearing any make-up and had a sparkle in her eyes. Naturally, I wanted to know her secret.

Agneta’s response was simple: she makes sure that she fills her life with good stuff and minimises the bad stuff, and that way her life stays in balance.

By good stuff, she meant fresh food, brisk walking, restful sleep and lots of hugs from her grandchildren, while the bad stuff meant stress and toxins. It seemed like such a simple prescription, and yet it’s one many of us struggle with.

That’s why I created the cut-out list below, so that we can put into practice Agneta’s tips and all age as gracefully as her:

1. Create the perfect plate: 50 per cent low starch vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes, etc, 25 per cent lean protein (chicken, fish, beans, nuts or seeds), and 25 per cent gluten-free whole grains like brown rice, or starchy veggies like sweet potato.

2. Eat a rainbow: Powerful plant compounds called phytonutrients are found in dark green, blue, red, orange and yellow vegetables, and these help to turn on anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, detoxifying genes.

3. Don’t drink your calories: Sodas, juices and too much alcohol (more than one glass with dinner) all affect your waistline because you don’t compensate for them by lowering your intake of solid food. Water really is your best bet. Flavour with mint, lemon or even cucumber if you don’t like the taste.

4. Balance your blood sugar: Try to keep your blood sugar even by eliminating sugar in all forms for one month. When we combine sugar and flour, we cause our insulin levels to spike, which in turn causes our bodies to store fat around the abdomen.

The result? “Diabesity”, a phenomemon that’s touted to be the biggest cause of heart attacks, diabetes, cancer, and even dementia.

5. Ditch the wheat and dairy: Dairy can cause digestive problems, sinus congestion, allergies, asthma, eczema, and even acne. And did you know that two slices of whole wheat bread raise your blood sugar more than two tablespoons of sugar?

As one of my patients said to me after just two weeks of following these guidelines, “I didn’t realise just how bad I was feeling until I started feeling so good.” You can have that too.