Words Eve Herbert

BREAKFAST

I fully advocate that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I always try to have some protein and carbohydrates as I find that it sets me up for the day. When I have time, I like to have eggs (which are rich in amino acids) boiled, poached or scrambled, with lots of fresh herbs or slices of avocado. Other days I might have smoked salmon with rye bread or a green juice. I love to load up on greens in my juices so include cucumber, celery, and apple, and often add ginger for its digestive and immune-boosting properties.

LUNCHTIME

Lunchtimes can be quite a busy as I juggle being a mother, working at my practice in Grace Belgravia and running my supplement range GP Nutrition. Often I’ll have lunch out. A couple of my local favourites are Granger or the Electric in Notting Hill, or if I’m at the clinic Grace Café is great. I adore sushi so that’s one of my go-to lunches. If I’m at home I like to make a big salad with greens, tomatoes, avocado and cucumber and add some oily fish (such as salmon or mackerel) or pulses, such as chickpeas or cooked lentils with herbs and a dressing made from cold pressed rapeseed or walnut oil and lemon.

SNACKS

I always carry snacks for mid-afternoon cravings and dips in my blood sugar levels. My favourites are protein bars or little bags of nuts or seeds. I like the spicy/mildly flavoured versions for variety – the Punch foods seeds selection are good, they are delicious and sprouted which makes them super healthy. The high protein content of these snacks means the glucose is released more slowly, keeping me feeling fuller for longer, plus nuts are nutritional wonders – high in magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese plus B vitamins and vitamin E.

DINNER

By the time it comes to dinner it’s usually something relatively quick and easy. There is always fish and organic chicken in the fridge and loads of vegetables. My favourite grains are brown rice, barley and spelt/rice pasta. Sometimes I’ll have a baked sweet potato with hummus and salad. I personally avoid gluten about 95% of the time for my own digestive symptoms. If we get a take away it will always be Thai or Japanese with brown rice.

I also try to avoid lots of ‘free’ sugars, found in sweets, confectionary etc. However, when the desire strikes, I find plain dark chocolate with a high cocoa content (at least 70%) satisfies my urges for a little piece of something sweet. Plus, good quality chocolate does contain minerals and antioxidants and nothing beats a glass of lovely red wine after long day at work.

For more information: Gabriela Peacock