Monday 27 May 2013

INDIVIDUALISED SUPERFOODS

In my never ending quest for healthy eating (to make up for all the wine, chocolate and coffee I consume) I am constantly reading about the superfoods we should all be consuming.  We read about whole grains, lots of veges and fish three times a week. Also the 'new stuff' (new that is really old) like quinoa, chia, kale, coconut oil,  sunflower seeds, sprouted nuts.

Some of them taste awful, others are really expensive and yet others take such a long time to prepare.  What the dietary information doesn't always tell you is that some of these foods are actually not good for everyone, for all sorts of reasons (including blood type, dosha type, if you have an auto immune disease etc.)  

It sometimes takes years of experimenting to get it right, and know what is good for you or not - so you have to individualise your superfoods.     

Take my case for example: I am blood type A and vata dosha. Things I am not supposed to eat on the blood type food plan I am encouraged to eat on the vata food plan and vice versa.  It has taken me a lot of trial and error to get the mix right, and also to know what to expect if I slip up.  (Often 2-3 days of trying to get the balance back again.  I have posted this previously).

Among others:

I am not good with potatoes,  garlic, eggplant, cabbage or hard cheeses.  

Other foods I tend to eat only in small amounts, cautiously, and always with either a sploosh of olive oil, slice of avocado or a dollop of real Greek yoghurt as a pacifier (leafy greens, broccoli). 

Others I eat with abandon and no side effects (oat porridge, sweet potato, peanut butter).  

It is interesting that a 'fad diet' known as the 'flat stomach diet' advocated eating one of 4 choices with every meal in order to retain a flat stomach. These were either virgin olive oil, dark chocolate, a glass of red wine or avocado.  

None of these 'stomach flatteners' (read pacifiers) cause me any concern (apart from the red, one is good, two ..... is great! threeeee issssshhh ...... you get the idea!).  

And it is not just food ... if your lifestyle isn't complementing your diet, no amount of shovelling kale and sesame seeds down your gob is going to help.  

Does anyone out there also have this fixation with their diet? (apart from Sarah Wilson, who has an AI disease and needs to balance through her diet as well as lifestyle).  

Perhaps I am showing my age?  (Shhhh; I didn't say that !) 

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