Diet and Nutrition

Stuck for time? Try this food prep for your weekly staple!

In the following video, I show you a simple way to ensure that you are getting all the right vitamins and minerals each day. By prepping your food once a week, you have a staple part of your diet ready to go whenever you need it. Just add chicken, fish or a veggie/vegan alternative!

Watch the video below and then MAKE SURE ​you check out why each item is so good for you below! You'll be amazed at what each of these foods can do for your body, health and logevity of life! Please leave your comments below both before doing this and after...thanks.

The Benefits of Each Ingredient:

Bell Peppers

Bell Peppers, (or otherwise known as sweet peppers or capsicums) are part of the chilli peppers/tomatoes/ breadfruit family and are native to Central and South America.

When dried and powdered, they are known as paprika but whole, they can be eaten cooked or raw (with salad for example).

They are low in calories (31 calories per 100gm) and exceptionally rich in vitamin C but most of the calories comes from carbs (fructose and glucose which makes them sweet). They also have an abundance of antioxidants which makes them an excellent addition to any healthy diet.

The vitamins and minerals in Bell Peppers include Vitamins C, B6, K1, E and A, Potassium and Folate. Red Bell Peppers mildly activate thermogenesis and can increase your metabolic rate without increasing your heart rate or blood pressure. Great for burning calories and fat!

Spring Onions

Spring Onions (or Scallion) are loaded with essential nutrients for our body such as Vitamins A, C and B2 (or Thymine), copper, phosperous, magnesium and potasium.

As well as tasting fantastic, they are low in calorific value, can be eaten cooked or raw and they aid digestion due to the fibre content. The Allicin content can also fight against skin wrinkling!

Vitamins C and A will boost your immune system and the sulphur compounds increase your body's ability to produce insulin. If you are pre-diabetic or suffer from diabetes, this certainly helps.

They also have antibacterial qualities and can event help in the prevention of cancer due to other compounds such as allyl sulphide and flavanoids. Having both sets of genes in my DNA that cause macular degeneration, I was also pleased to hear that the carotenoids and vitamin A present in spring onions keeps your eyesight healthy and helps to prevent loss of sight.

Brussels Sprouts

I must have been quite a rarity in my childhood because I have loved Brussels Sprouts for as long as I can remember. I would hoover up any leftovers after the family Sunday lunch!

Happily, if ever there was a food known as a "super-food", Brussels Sprouts would be it. At around 37 calories per 100 grams and being high in nutrients such as Vitamins K, C, A, Folate, Fibre and Manganese, they should be part of anyone's staple diet.

They are particularly high in antioxidents which neutralise free radicals and reduce oxidative stress in your cells which helps to lower your risk of chronic disease.

Like many other vegetables, Sprouts have been researched to show they could prevent against cancer, especially colorectal cancer, by protecting us against certain carcinogens.

They also contain Omega 3 fatty acids (good substitute for seafood), they can reduce inflammation and are easy to add to your diet such as in my recipe above.

Broccoli

Like Sprouts, I have always enjoyed Broccoli too...must be good parenting by the folks eh (although my kids haven't followed suit...yet)? Broccoli is said to be the most nutritious "powerhouse" of any vegetable and are full of vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants!

Once again, they have cancer prevention properties along with immune boosting compounds and is particularly known for preventing breast and uterus cancer.

The are full of good carbs and contain vitamins A, C, K, B9 (folate) as well as potassium, phospherous and selenium. Broccoli though, is one vegetable that changes its benefits depending on how it is cooked, if cooked at all. They say steaming is the healthiest way as it has the least negative effects.

Broccoli can also reduce cholesterol and allergic reactions, lessens inflammation and increase bone and heart health. It is also a great diet aid for digestion, preventing constipation and is good for weight loss due to the high fibre content.

Add to all this the fact that it benefits detoxification, eye and skin care and anti-aging, why the hell wouldn't you eat it! Get some down you today : )

Baby Plum Tomatoes

Botanically speaking, tomatoes are actually a fruit but you knew that didn't you? Still, we tend to prepare and eat them as a vegetable in our food because they taste so damn good (especially as a pizza topping as my son will attest).

Tomatoes are again, rich in vitamin C, K, potassium and folate so once again they are a great antioxidant and can help to prevent cancer (possibly reducing prostate cancer in men) and heart disease. Are you seeing a trend here?

It is so clear that to prevent a multitude of life-threatening illnesses, the biggest head start we can give ourselves is to eat more veggies! How simple is that?

They are also good for eye health (including protection against macular degeneration and other eye diseases), good for your skin due to the carotenoids (and the antioxidant "Lycopene" found in tomatoes is even one of the main ingredients in certain new beauty pills) and the vitamin K is good for blood clotting and wound healing.

I personally add these baby plum toms to my scrambled eggs and usually grab a couple as a snack as I pass the fridge. Lovely and sweet!

Turmeric

Turmeric (sometimes known as Indian saffron) is one powerful, medicinal spice and is the one that generally gives a good curry its rich yellow colour. The curcuminoids found in Turmeric (around 3%) have long been used as a medicinal herb in India particularly for its anti-inflammatory effects, reduction of chronic pain and antioxidant properties.

It is thought that Turmeric is poorly absorbed into the body but can be helped by consuming black pepper alongside it. This is why I add it to the mix in the video above. It can enhance the absorption of curcumin by up to 2000% (see NCBI for source)!

Turmeric is also good for depression (source), arthritis, skin diseases, wounds, digestive ailments, liver conditions and pain relief. Somestudies suggest that it is good for helping to prevent certain cancers such as pancreatic and prostate/colorectal cancer (source) as well as multiple myeloma.

As I said, there may be some side effects to taking Turmeric so take care, particularly if you are pregnant or undergoing certain treatments. When my wife was going through chemotherapy, I checked with the nurse that it was ok for me to give her this dish (as in the video) during chemo.

She said she would need to check with the oncologist right before she handed my wife a plate of sugary biscuits...pfft. I ignored any forthcoming advice as did my wife and she is now 100% clear two years later!

Garam Masala

Garam Masala (translation: a hot mixture of spices) is technically made up from up to 30 different spices and its ingredients can vary depending on where you buy it. Typically though, it contains a mix of black peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, mace, fennel, coriander, bay leaves and more cumin.

It is thought that the spice mix originated in Northern India and was a pre-cursor to and inspiration for today's curry dishes.

The mix can improve your digestive system by heating up the body and increasing thermogenics and raising one's metabolism. Again, great for burning fat and shifting the weight. It can also ward off constipation and guess what...help in the prevention of cancer.

On top of that, the cinnamon in Garam Masala can also naturally lower blood sugar and help in the fight against diabetes. Cooking for too long can make Garam Masala become bitter which is why I add it to my mix and only cook for about 5-10 minutes.

Again, be aware of any allergies and reactions from this spice as it contains a large mix.

Ginger

Ginger is best known for its anti-bacterial, germ-fighting, anti-parasitic, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains many types of powerful antioxidants, including shogaols, gingerols and zingerones. It is also great for keeping your mouth healthy and keeping oral bacteria from growing (the ones that can cause periodontal disease).

If you suffer from stomach sickness, maybe during pregnancy (morning sickness) or are undergoing chemotherapy, Ginger can calm nausea fairly effectively. It is also good for arthrius and sore muscles after exercise which is one reason why I take it. I must say I have very little stiffness in my muscles after exercise these days and I am sure it has helped with my ankle problems (bursa).

Ooh, did someone say it helps prevent cancer by slowing down the growth of some cancers (colorectal, gastric, ovarian, liver, skin, breast, prostate)? Incredible how much we take spices for granted but how many of us rarely use them in our diets (apart from the Saturday night curry take-away).

Ginger can also drastically lower blood sugars and improve heart disease factors, reduce menstrual pain, lower cholesterol levels, improve brain function and help fight infections.

Ground Cumin

Cumin (Cuminucum cyminum) is a flowering plant which belongs to the family Apiaceae from which the seeds and taken and grounded into a spice. It is full of iron, magnesium, calcium, manganese, phosphorus, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and vitamins A, C, E, K and B6.

There are also minerals such as iron, copper and zinc present and is low in saturated fats, sodium and cholesterol. Like other spices mentioned above, Cumin is good for digestion, it helps with diabetes, can improve blood cholesterol, fight inflammation and promote fat and weight loss!

Black Pepper

I am a big fan of black pepper and have added it to my scrambled eggs for many years. I also added it to the mix above once I heard of its tendency to aid in the digestion and absorption of Turmeric.

Let's start with cancer. Once again, black pepper has been known to prevent cancer and actually becomes twice as potent when combined with turmeric. The antioxidants in black pepper include vitamins C and A, flavinoids, carotenes and a host of other free-radical-removing compounds.

Black pepper also joins the fight against poor digestion, skin issues, coughs and colds, depression and lo and behold, it helps with weight loss. the latter is again due to its thermogenic properties which increase metabolism using phytonutrients to help break down fat cells.

If after eating black pepper, and any of the ingredients on this page, you start to perspire, that is your body ejecting excess water and toxins...brilliant!

Sea Salt

Let's start by addressing the difference between sea salt and the typical table salt you find in restaurants and most homes. Table salt has usually had all of its beneficial minerals stripped out and now only contain sodium and chloride. This can actually create imbalance and disease.

Pure, unrefined Himalayan sea salt for example, is a necessity for human health and is something we really should consume daily. It keeps you hydrated, reduces water (fluid) retention, prevents muscle cramps (ever taken salt tablets for cramps?), balances electrolytes and is good for skin health (exfoliation) and Psoriasis.

Once again it is good for eye care and finally it makes your food taste delicious! Get hold of some high quality, himalayan sea salt if you can. I sometimes take it with warm water, freshly squeezed lemon juice and a dash of organic Apple Cider Vinegar first thing in the morning.

Coriander (Cilantro)

I started using coriander in everything more than a decade ago when I found out that it has amazing detoxifying properties. It can protect from lead poisoning whilst pulling existing metals from your body.

Side note: Heavy Metal

If you have amalgam fillings (metal/mercury) in your teeth, you inhale and absorb that mercury into your blood stream every time you chew, brush your teeth or drink a hot beverage (tea/coffee). This can be incredibly hard to remove and your body will store it in your fat to prevent harm to your nervous system and even your brain.

When you lose a lot of weight, you may find it hard to lose those few, last flabby pounds. That could be because your body is trying to protect you by keeping that fat to store the harmful toxins. If they are release too quickly, they could look for the next and last fatty storage depot remaining which is your brain.

It is thought that this could be the cause of many brain related illnesses. Have you noticed that the elderly people with Altzheimer's for example are generally quite thin?. My grandmother suffered from this around the same time she lost a lot of weight in her later years. She was always fairly large to that point. Anyway, that is just theorectical but definitely noteworthy.

Just for the record, I was so shocked by this video (smoking tooth), and what my private dentist told me about metal fillings that I had all of them replaced with ceramic fillings. He said that the parts per million of mercury in the air after working on amalgam fillings was through the roof and many hundreds of times above the recommended maximum.

They wore masks during the entire filling removal every time. Serious stuff.

Anyway, to finish on a more positive note, coriander is great for removing said toxins so try to add it to your diet regularly, I sometimes eat a bunch of it raw for the hell of it! Fresh is best.

It can also help with diabetes, fight cancer, lower cholesterol, improve memory, fight infection and of course, add flavour to your meals!

Final thoughts

How many people do you know that add all or any of the above to their diets? Admittedly as a young man living with friends in London for 10 years, I didn't really have a great diet. However, I did still regularly eat sprouts, broccoli and a few other healthy ingredients but nothing like the list above.

Hopefully you can see the incredible benefits to each and every one and once prepared (in one hour), you can have all of that goodness EVERY DAY!