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Nutrition

1. Eat organic food as much as possible.

If you can't, try to eat food that has been processed as little as possible. Organic food contains higher levels of beneficial minerals, essential amino acids, vitamins and cancer-fighting antioxidants than non-organic counterparts.

Also, it contains no food additives (i.e. hydrogenated fat, aspartame and monosodium glutamate), no pesticides, no GM food and no drugs (i.e. antibiotics), all of which have been linked to numerous health problems.

2. Drinking water helps remove toxins from your body by flushing them out.

Drink least half your bodyweight (in pounds) in ounces of water per day (bodyweight in KG x 0.033 = minimum quantity of water to drink in litres per day). If you exercise regularly it's a good idea to add extra to your intake.

Also, consider getting a whole house water filter system installed at home. This'll save on buying bottled water, and ensure that you drink and bathe in quality water every day. Your skin absorbs water when you bathe or shower, so it's important for it to be filtered and clean too. See Your Body's Many Cries For Water in the References section for more info.

3. Eat little but often

preferably 6 small, balanced meals a day at approximately 2-3 hour intervals).

4. Avoid the Four White Devils like the plague.

By these I mean white processed sugar, white processed salt, white processed flour/grains and white processed dairy products. The same goes for alcohol, caffeine and any so-called sports drinks. Some low fat products (e.g. some yoghurt) are high in sugar and should be avoided. Some low sugar products are full of artificial sweeteners, which are toxic to the body.

5. Fat is not the enemy.

Your body needs essential fatty acids to make substances like hormones and for use in the walls of your body's cells. If you overcook fat or expose it to high levels of heat
(e.g. frying) you alter its chemical structure and make it unusable and therefore harmful to the body.
Eat some oily fish (see below). Alternatively you could consume some oils (coconut oil, cod liver oil, fish oil or Udo's Choice are good ones, though not the only ones), or an Omega 3 supplement.

6. Meat (and in fact all food) should be cooked as minimally as possible

(i.e. grilled or roasted is best). When you overcook meat or fish (and food in general) you destroy the proteins (or other nutrients)
it contains, thereby making it almost worthless in nutritional terms. When cooking vegetables, steaming is the best option. Vegetables retain more vitamins and minerals when cooked in this way. Better still, eat as much of your vegetables raw (or as close to raw) if possible.

7. Fish is a problem food as many are polluted with mercury.

If you want to eat fish buy varieties of wild, fresh, deep sea fish as opposed to farmed fish of ANY kind (i.e. wild, Alaskan salmon as opposed to farmed salmon, as the latter swims around in its own faeces).
Small, oily fish contain fewer toxins (e.g. mackerel, pilchards and sardines) and contain essential, unsaturated fats that are needed by the body. Buy tinned fish as a last resort. If it's tinned, it's been processed and has lost some (or all) of its nutritional value. It'll also have absorbed aluminium from the tins it's stored in, and excess levels of aluminium in the body has been linked with development of Alzheimer's disease.

8. Always have breakfast and have it at an early hour.

It should be the main meal of the day alongside your post-training meal. You may consume as much as 25% of your daily calorie intake at breakfast. Having breakfast earlier in the morning will speed up your metabolism and give you more energy and vitality. Make your last meal of the day a light, healthy snack. Finish eating roughly 1-hour before bed if possible.

9. Rotate the foods you eat as much as possible.

In an ideal situation, whatever you eat Monday wouldn't be eaten again till Friday. If you eat the same foods on a daily basis then you may actually encourage your body to develop sensitivities or even outright allergies to them. Try to have as much variety in your diet as possible. See 'How to eat, move & be healthy' in the resources section for more info.

10. Many people are allergic to wheat and dairy (especially cows' dairy),

though some can tolerate goat or sheep produce. Go without them and see if your health improves. Chances are you're allergic to them and allergies can play havoc with your health and weight. Check in the Resources section for suppliers of healthy dairy products and alternatives to wheat (spelt wheat, sourdough, sprouted wheat, rye bread).

11. Lose the desserts and minimise alcohol if you eat out and socialise regularly.

Allow yourself either one cheat day a week where you eat what you like or have just one cheat meal OR allow yourself a SMALL treat each day (preferably before training so you burn it off). When changing your diet, it would be best to go without cheating completely for at least the first month.

12. Educate yourself by reading labels on products in shops.

As much as possible avoid ALL additives, flavourings, colourings and preservatives.

13. Metabolic Typing

Visit www.metabolictyping.co.uk and take the online test to work out which type of metabolism you have; one that favours larger amounts of protein and fat, one that favours larger amounts of carbohydrate or one that likes more of an equal mix of the two. Having worked that out you can eat right for your type. Then you can rotate your foods and work out what you are allergic to.

14. Use supplements sparingly.

Get as much of your nutrition from real food. It's pointless taking supplements if you are eating junk food. Supplements cannot take the place of good quality food in your diet. They are only a potentially useful addition.

15. Consider having a food allergy test carried out.

This allows you to eliminate foods that react with your body causing it to store fat and water, and will also help you to improve your digestion by removing those foods from your diet that play havoc with your guts. Check out www.davehompes.co.uk for help with this area.

16. Eat as soon as possible following exercise

This will replenish what you have burnt off during the session and maintain the high metabolic rate produced by the training. The make up of this meal will depend on your metabolic type. Ensure that your meals are tailored to suit your metabolism.