What is an Optimum Diet? Is the balanced diet becoming a bit of a myth... here are some facts to help you decide.

Making changes to your eating habits is one positive way of helping you obtain and absorb nutrients, revitalize your body and speed up the health promoting effects of any supplement programme you may currently be undertaking too.

The following pointers are recognised by many nutritionists as being key to a balanced, optimal diet

Make sure at least half your diet consists of ALKALINE forming foods which are all vegetables, fruits, sprouted seeds, yoghurt, almonds, brazils, millet and buckwheat (acid forming foods are grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, eggs, cheese, oily fish and poultry).

Eat all food as raw as possible.
All cooking destroys vitamins and breaks down the fibre in food.

Avoid frying foods and never use vegetable oils for cooking. Damaged fats turn into carcinogenic molecules. Grill or bake instead. If you do fry use olive oil or a small amount of butter (providing you do not have weight or cholesterol problem) for as short a time as possible. Vegetable oils when heated, or exposed to light, turn into toxic chemicals which can be carcinogenic and speed up the ageing process.

Cold pressed sunflower, sesame, linseed, grapeseed or safflower oils can be used for salad dressings, spreads and mayonnaise. Keep oils in the fridge to stop them going rancid.

Margarine - if you must use margarine, Vitaquel is unhydrogenated and does not contain health damaging 'trans' fats. Do not use margarine for cooking.

Drink at least eight glasses of water a day between meals. The most important nutrient in your body is plain water. 99% of the chemical reactions in our body depend on water. If we do not drink enoug h water, waste products from our kidneys cannot be eliminated efficiently. Drinking too much tea and coffee dehydrates the body, and increase requirements for water. As tap water is full of impurities, bottled water (Volvic) or filtered water is best. For other drinks try diluted fruit juices and herb teas.

Avoid or reduce foods with added salt. Don't add salt to your food. It isn't needed.

Avoid or reduce sugar and other foods with concentrated sweetness. sugar that is not used for energy is converted to fat and cholesterol. Honey and maple syrup are marginally better. Dilute fruit juice and soak dried fruit.

Avoid fatty meats like beef, pork and lamb and other high fat foods. Saturated fat contains a substance called arachidonic acid which is pro-inflammatory and encourages blood clotting. Have more vegetarian sources of protein.

Avoid 'processed' and 'fast' foods with long lists of preservatives and additives. These chemicals can cause hyperactivity in children and allergies in adults. Their long term use can contribute to cancer.

Avoid or reduce significantly regular consumption of tea, coffee and alcohol. On average, don't drink more than a glass of wine, spirit or a pint of beer a day. These drinks are stimulants; they increase blood pressure and rob vital nutrients from the body.

Have at least 3-5 pieces of vegetables every day. Vegetables lose their beneficial nutrients if you boil them for a long time in a lot of water. The best way to cook vegetables is to steam them in just a small amount of water in the pan, with a lid on, for just a few minutes.

Eat as many raw foods as possible. Eating raw foods prevents the destruction of their natural enzymes. Enzymes catalyse chemical reactions, including those involved in digestion. Food enzymes are thoug ht to contribute to the activity of those digestive enzymes produced by the body. Begin slowly and gradually to increase the amount of raw foods you eat.

Some Useful Tips

Buy organic - nitrogen fertilizers lock minerals into the soil. Minerals in glaciated soils form insoluble compounds with chemical fertilisers so that they are unavailable for absorption by plants.

High protein diet can hinder mineral absorption and lead to bone loss or softening

Carbonated drinks contain high levels of phosphorus which causes excretion of minerals.

Cooking grains and lentils is very easy. They simply need bringing to the boil in water and then simmering for the length of time shown on the package (to avoid excess wind often caused by eating beans, discard the frothy boiling water and replace with clean water). Mixing grains with beans gives you a very good source of protein. Always wash your beans well to remove any added salt. If possible buy those beans which say 'no added salt or sugar'.

Grinding nuts - a piece of equipment which may be very helpful is a coffee grinder to grind nuts and seeds making them easier to chew and digest. Ground nuts are very versatile and can be sprinkled on breakfast cereals, or on salads. They are also very nice with yogurt and fruit. 1 - 2 tablespoons will be plenty for one serving.

Rye bread - Rye bread is a nutritious alternative to wheat bread. Bread stores well in the freezer which may make it more convenient for you to have 'bread-free' days. Alternatives to bread are oat cakes and rice cakes. The latter are very nice spread with a thin layer of sesame seed butter, hazelnut or almond butter.

Baked potatoes can be quite quick to do in the microwave oven, are very nutritious with beans, cottage cheese, tuna fish, sardines etc. Remember to have them with a large salad and eat the skins too - that is where the nutrients lie.