Nutritionist On Budget

Living healthily does not mean that you have to spend a lot.

You see, the food industry is very clever. Each time a “new” super food has been discovered (that has actually been around for centuries,) all it takes is a punch of pretty packaging and a fancy name tag for a successful public re-invention. In addition it would help to have Jennifer Aniston pictured unashamedly clutching it with a serene smile, each time she leaves the gym in a skin-tight outfit (full make-up flawlessly in place). Soon the media will catch on, hailing it as the new must-have secret behind a perfect physique -  even if it is little more than a few beetroots squashed into a plastic bottle dreamt up by the marketing team at some huge conglomerate.

Let’s take the example of the Pomegranate juice craze:  A 250ml bottle of concentrated juice can set you back £4. Oh yes, but you would get the oddly shaped bottle that will smugly scream “look at me I am so trendily healthy”.

 The truth is, this fruit has been around almost as long as mankind itself and has been respected for its health benefits for centuries. It contains a phenomenal amount of anti oxidants and phyto nutrients, and yes, it is a super food but nothing about it is “nouveau”! So why not enjoy the unfashionable method of actually buying a whole pomegranate in a regular shop and sprinkling its seeds over salad or just eating them as nature intended. This will take about £1 out of your food budget and has less sugar and more fibre than its manufactured celebrity sister.

Now, let’s talk about the critically acclaimed ‘Vitamin Water’... Admittedly Daniel Craig does look hot in a pair of tiny shorts dripping with water whilst clutching a bottle of this drink in his hand – but let me assure you, it is not sipping this over-endowed H20 that got him looking like that. It is all well and good fortifying water with vitamins and minerals but consider this: Artificial vitamins are always less absorbable than those found in fruit and vegetabes and the actual nutrient levels contained in this must-have drink are really rather miniscule.

Here are our top 3 easily affordable super duper foods, which will leave enough money in your budget to blow on topping up your vitamin D levels on holiday this summer!

Cabbage: This is one of the most cost effective vegetables going. It keeps well, complements most flavours and is wonderfully versatile! It is also a brilliant source of vitamin C – surprisingly richer than most fruit bowl residents. So homemade coleslaw with onions, carrots, cabbage, natural yoghurt, salt, pepper and red wine vinegar is a winning summer side dish! Cabbage contains considerable amounts of sulphur - a treat for your liver which will reward you with beautiful clear skin...

Lentils: No wonder the Indian population is mad about these little nutritional pearls. One tin will cost you, oooh... 45p and contains so much goodness we could fill a book with it (although perhaps not a best-seller...) Firstly it is a great source of protein so you can use it in stir fries and curries instead of meat. Secondly it contains phyto oestrogens. These plant compounds gently mimic the action of oestrogen in your body. Hence, your own oestrogen does not get the chance to wreak havoc in the form of period pain, skin breakouts and stubborn weight gain. They can also help protect you from the daily tsunami of artificial oestrogen pumped through the body by the contraceptive pill, inorganic animal products and plastic-wrapped foods.

Apples: This might sound quite boring but they truly are a super food. My granny had one a day all her life and I remember her energetically trimming our tallest garden trees aged 87! Besides brimming with vitamins and minerals they are the perfect handbag filler and a stylish, refreshing snack to boot. Recent research shows that the polyphenols found in the humble apple can help prevent spikes in blood sugar through a variety of mechanisms. Flavonoids like quercetin found in apples can inhibit certain enzymes in the body. Since these enzymes are involved in the breakdown of complex carbohydrates into simple sugars, your blood sugar has fewer simple sugars to deal with. In addition, the polyphenols in apples have been shown to lessen absorption of sugar from the digestive tract. Apples also pelt the system with pectin, a type of soluble fibre that will feed the friendly bacteria in your gut which will keep your immune system alert and your digestion smooth.

Your shopping bill should amount to no more than £1.50 and if you’re feeling terribly on-trend, stick a pomegranate in your basket too!

Now you will stay frugally healthy whilst working hard to make your millions. I will be doing the same tonight by munching my apple on the couch waiting for my lottery numbers to come up!