Whilst we would very much like everyone to only go on one of our Healthy Holidays, we realise that that is never going to be the case.  Everyone likes some variety.

So, for those of you who are about to go on your travels, without heading to one of our in:spa, fitscape or destination yoga venues, we thought you might appreciate it if we gave you some expert advice courtesy of one of our star nutritionists.

Nutritional therapist Amelia Freer explains how to stick to a healthy diet and lifestyle on your summer holiday.

1. Holidays are great for your health.  Most people work hard and experience a lot of stress, so it’s important not to try to do too much on holiday. Sleep as much as you can – get to bed early, lie in and take naps to help your adrenal glands recover and encourage relaxation.

2. Travelling can put a strain on your health and diet. Try to avoid processed and junk food at airports and on the flight. These will give you an immediate sugar rush, followed quickly by an energy slump – when you’ll want to have another sugary snack.

3. Plan what you’ll eat on the journey. Take a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts and seeds for snacks.  I like Bounce Balls and Nakd bars, both are natural with no added sugar.  I usually pack a salad in a Tubberware box to eat on the flight.

4. Drink plenty of water, especially when flying. All that air-conditioning and the thin air in the sky really dehydrates your body.

5. When on holiday, eat a big healthy breakfast, such as fruit and natural yoghurt followed by eggs or smoked salmon on wholewheat toast. Eat a good lunch plus snacks in the morning and afternoon and try to have a light dinner with no starchy carbohydates (pasta, potatoes or rice).

6. Take advantage of local and seasonal food. If you’re staying by the sea, eat lots of fresh grilled fish. Oily fish – including sardines, fresh tuna, salmon and mackerel – is particularly good as it’s rich in Omega 3, which keeps your skin hydrated and encourages healthy digestion as well as weight loss.

7. If you do plan a boozy night out, eat plenty of protein first and try to alternate glasses of alcohol with water. A couple of glasses of red wine is the best option. Cava has been found to be good for blood sugar management – it releases its sugar slowly into the body. Cocktails are the worst due to all the sweet mixers and sugar in them.

8. Try to eat a variety of different coloured fruits and vegetables – oranges, red peppers, green courgettes, yellow sweet corn – to get a wide range of antioxidants.

9. Lying in the sun feels great but you only need 10 minutes of unprotected sunshine to get your daily dose of vitamin D. After that you should use sunblock. As we get older, the collagen in our skin breaks down more rapidly, leading to lines, wrinkles and discolouring.

10. To prevent the breaking down of collagen, eat lots of purple fruits, such as fresh blackberries, blueberries and black grapes. One study showed that eating tomatoes reduces your risk of turning red in the sun so have a glass of tomato juice – though it’s much safer to use sunblock!

Amelia Freer is a member of the British Association of Nutritional Therapists and works for The Healthy Holiday Company.

Amelia worked in PR and event management for seven years and discovered the power of nutrition though treating her own poor health. After four years studying at the renowned Institute for Optimum Nutrition (and with her health completely restored), she relocated to Northumberland where she now runs her practice. Passionate about good health and food, Amelia is enthusiastic about re-installing healthy eating routines and encouraging people to rediscover great tasting, fresh and seasonal food. Amelia runs regular healthy cooking demonstrations and is a member of the British Association of Nutritional Therapists.  As well as being a resident nutritionist on many in:spa retreats each year, Amelia is also now hosting both in:spa and fitscape holidays.

For further information about all our nutritionists, please see in:spa nutritionists

Amelia Freer has been an in:spa nutritionist for several years and has helped numerous guests on in:spa retreats over that time. She is amusing, inspiring and very well informed.

Amongst her many areas of expertise is the subject of foods that are good for your skin. On Thursday 23 June from 18.30 – 20.00 at the Dermalogica store just off Kensington Church Street W8, Amelia will be giving a talk on this important and popular subject, with plenty of time for guests to ask questions afterwards.

Skin Superfoods – learn how to boost collagen, banish wrinkles, and moisturise from within. This will be an exciting and informative talk about the cutting edge research that is the next step in 21st Century skin care. While skin care ranges have introduced vitamins and plant extracts to skin creams, new research shows that taking in special skin nutrients internally can make skin glow. Come and hear how special foods can improve texture, hydration, protect you from free radicals and address pigmentation.

Price: Just £15 per person, to include a glass of wine and some tasty, healthy nibbles. Places are strictly limited, so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Booking: please call Nicola on 0845 458 0723

Location: Dermalogica, 8 Lancer Square, London W8 (just off the south end of Kensington Church Street)

Nearest tube: Kensington High Street

Click here to view map

Alli is one of our highly regarded in:spa nutritionists and passionate about sharing her knowledge and skills with everyone.  With this in mind, she has teamed up with guilt-free cake maker Ruth Feingold to host two baking workshops in June, focusing on sugar and gluten free baking.  A maximum of 10 guests can join the workshops in Alli’s kitchen in London’s Chiswick on 6 or 17 June.  From past experience, we’re sure that these events will be both fun and informative, and guests will enjoy a light lunch or supper as part of the festivities.

Alli and Ruth will teach you how to cook the following:

• Pistachio Cake
• Orange Torte
• Lemon Raspberry Muffins
• Banana Loaf
• Chocolate Coconut Muffins

If you have the time, we are happy to highly recommend that you join one of the workshops.

Dates:  6 June from 19.00 to 22.00 and 17 June from 10.00 to 13.00

Location:  Alli’s kitchen, 72 Thornton Avenue, London W4 1QQ  See map

Price:  £50 per person to include a light lunch or supper

Booking:  email alligodbold@msn.com or telephone 0780 359 6907

The English Tea Room at Brown’s Hotel, Mayfair has recently launched, under the guidance of acclaimed in:spa nutritionist Amelia Freer, their ‘TEA-TOX’, a healthy version of their award-winning Traditional Afternoon Tea. Served on tea-stands, guests can indulge in the following, without feeling too naughty:

Apple and cucumber jelly (100% pure apple juice, cucumber and gelatine)
Blueberries and lemon cream served in a chocolate cup (blueberries, lemon, low-fat crème fraîche and sugar-free Xoxoline chocolate)
Carrot seed cake (eggs, sugar-free xylitol, ground almond, potato flour, carrot, baking powder, cinnamon, sultanas, olive oil, sunflower and pumpkin seeds)
Orange cake with yogurt topping (orange, sugar-free xylitol, eggs, ground almond, low fat yogurt, low fat crème fraîche, lemon, honey and gelatine)
Raspberry sorbet (raspberries and sugar-free xylitol)

Smoked chicken with pear and walnut on a chicory leaf
Poached salmon with cucumber on baby gem leaf
Smoked mackerel with beetroot and horseradish on rye
Egg white, chive and mushroom duxelle on spelt bread

Hummus (chickpeas, garlic, lemon, coriander, tahini and olive oil) and
Guacamole (avocado, chilli and lemon juice) with crudités

Alongside a selection of different teas and herbal infusions including whole peppermint leaf, fresh ginger, chamomile, along with a blend of silver needle and rose.

The price of this special ‘Tea-Tox’ is £37 per person. Should guests wish to enjoy a ‘Champagne Tea-Tox’, then The English Tea Room will serve it with a glass of Dosnon & Lepage, Extra-Brut Champagne, which is low in calories, at £45 per person. Please call 020 7518 4006 and quote ‘Tea-Tox’ on making a reservation. Advance bookings are highly recommended. Afternoon Tea is served between 3pm and 6pm Monday to Friday and 1pm to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday.

in:spa nutritionist Amelia Freer says “This Tea-Tox is ideal for those who are keen to indulge in afternoon tea, without piling on the pounds. The ingredients are perfect for blood sugar balancing allowing guests to feel fuller for longer. With no salt or sugar, high in omega 3 and antioxidants and bursting with fibre it ticks all the healthy boxes. It is a must-try for all”.

Brown’s Hotel, Albemarle Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 4BP

Tel: +44 (0)20 7493 6020

Lorraine has been an in:spa nutritionist for several years and has helped numerous guests on in:spa retreats over that time. She is amusing, inspiring and very well informed and always gives thoroughly enjoyable presentations.

Thursday 23 June, 18.30 – 20.00

Amongst her many areas of detailed nutritional expertise is the subject of skin superfoods.  On Thursday 23 June from 18.30 – 20.00 at the Dermalogica store just off Kensington Church Street W8, Lorraine will be giving a talk on this important and popular subject, with plenty of time for guests to ask questions afterwards.

Skin Superfoods – learn how to boost collagen, banish wrinkles, and moisturise from within. This will be an exciting and informative talk about the cutting edge research that is the next step in 21st Century skin care. While skin care ranges have introduced vitamins and plant extracts to skin creams, new research shows that taking in special skin nutrients internally can make skin glow. Come and hear how special foods can improve texture, hydration, protect you from free radicals and address pigmentation.

Just £15 per person, to include a glass of wine and some tasty, healthy nibbles. Places are strictly limited, so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Booking: please call Nicola on 0845 458 0723

Location: Dermalogica, 8 Lancer Square, London W8 (just off the south end of Kensington Church Street)

Nearest tube: Kensington High Street

Click here to view map

Alli Godbold will be known to many of our in:spa guests as she has been a nutritionist on several of our retreats in recent years. What you might not know, however, is that she has just published a book of terrific healthy recipes called ‘Feed Your Health’.  We happily recommend it! To give you an idea of what it’s all about, here’s the helpful blurb on the back cover:

Known from her numerous appearances on TV and radio, Alli Godbold is a nutritionist who loves her food! Here is a collection of her favourite recipes, tried and tested at her popular cookery workshops. Alli believes healthy eating should be delicious – all about exciting flavours as well as maximum nutrients, and not about denial. You will be inspired to cook dishes that will not only delight your friends and family but also enrich their health!

Try a couple of these recipes and you will be hooked; never again will you reach for a ready meal! Easy to prepare, most of the dishes are ready in under 30 minutes and don’t require any fancy culinary skills Get chopping, invite your friends over, and feed your health …

A nutritionist regularly interviewed on TV and radio and quoted in the press, Alli began her career as an international model. Traveling the world gave her an opportunity to sample many local cuisines – including those of Japan, Italy and France – and presented her with a mission to combine exciting culinary experiences with optimum health. Alli currently provides services as a nutritional therapist for in:spa retreats and New You Boot Camps as well as managing her own practise, offering private consultations and cookery workshops from her home in London. She also works in the community, teaching healthy eating and cooking to people with disabilities through the Adventures in Eating project and with the Asian Centre in Wood Green, London.

Order: if you would like to order a copy of Alli’s book, at just £13.99, please click here

Who says sensible eating means boring? The nutrition experts at a in:spa introduce Elfreda Pownall to the joys of being good. The Sunday Telegraph magazine, 2 January 2011

No salt, sugar, wheat, dairy, alcohol, caffeine or red meat: the meals on in:spa holidays sound a bit hair-shirt. But when you see the huge spread at your first breakfast – oat crumble, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, tomatoes baked with garlic, spelt bread with tahini spread, fruit salad, smoothies, mint tea – you realise meals will be far from a penance.

Amelia Freer, the nutritionist on my recent in:spa holiday, says healthy eating is not about denying yourself. ‘We’re not saying these things are bad for you, just that most people’s diets are too high in them, and that it is good to spend a week without them – and to know that you can. It’s about retraining the taste buds. This week is a chance to introduce all sorts of alternatives; our diets should be about variety.’ The in:spa chef, Michael Arthur, who has devised these recipes for Stella (see below), agrees.  ‘If you use lots of herbs and spices – more than most recipes call for – you can make delicious dishes without needing to add sugar or salt,’ he says, though he sometimes uses Perfect Sweet (xylitol) instead of sugar and Braggs liquid aminos in place of salt.

‘Eating this way is about keeping your blood sugar in balance,’ says Freer, ‘and never feeling hungry. If you eat every three hours – three meals plus a snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon – and have protein with every carbohydrate, you keep your blood sugars stable, and avoid tiredness. Blood-sugar highs create fat, and lows bring cravings – you just have to eat that Twix because it’s too long since your last meal.’

With a very sweet drink, like the juice here, Freer serves eight almonds, enough protein to keep insulin levels from sky-rocketing. In the private consultations she gives during In Spa holidays she helps people put their own diets in order, teaching me that a mid-afternoon snack would help me avoid early-evening toast-and-Marmite binges, and helping a fellow guest kick a serious caffeine addiction. Freer is realistic and endlessly encouraging. ‘I would never say don’t go out for a celebration meal, or say no to a slice of birthday cake. Just get back on track the next day.’ Who says sensible means boring?

Healthy breakfast: Apple-soaked oats with plum compote - a delicious healthy breakfast recipe for apple-soaked oats with plum compote and yogurt, from in:spa

For the compote
150g (5½oz) plums or other stone fruit
150ml (5fl oz) orange juice
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half

For the oats
60g (2¼oz) whole rolled oats
150ml (5fl oz) apple juice
40g (1½oz) soya yogurt
15g (½oz) mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin and sesame)

- The night before, quarter the plums, discard the stones and put the fruit in a pan with the orange juice and cinnamon. Bring to the boil then simmer until really soft – 10 to 15 minutes.

- Put the oats and apple juice in an airtight container, put the lid on and refrigerate.

- Toast the seeds in a dry frying-pan and store in another airtight container (you can do a week’s worth in one go if you like, as they store well).

- In the morning drain off any excess liquid from the oats and stir in the yogurt. Spoon compote into a tumbler or small bowl, top with the soaked oats and sprinkle generously with seeds.

Health snack: Beetroot and apple juice - a delicious healthy recipe for a mid-morning snack of beetroot and apple juice, from in:spa

5 beetroots
1 apple

You will need a vegetable juicer for this.  Scrub and trim the beetroot but don’t peel them, as the real goodness is in the skin. Wash and quarter the apple. Make the juice, skim the froth off the top and serve with ice.  ‘Eat eight raw, unsalted nuts with this sweet juice to keep a good blood-sugar balance,’ says the in:spa nutritionist.

Healthy recipe: Quinoa tabbouleh - a delicious healthy lunch recipe of quinoa tabbouleh, from in:spa

‘Quinoa is one of the healthiest foods imaginable,’ says the in:spa nutritionist Amelia Freer. ‘It’s a vegetarian source of protein and contains every amino acid your brain needs to function. You could serve this salad with grilled chicken breast and the lentils with apple and shallot .’

Serves four

150g (5½oz) quinoa
1 orange
40g (1½oz) curly parsley
25g (1oz) coriander
25g (1oz) mint
10 pitted black olives
1 lemon
40g (1½oz) hazelnuts

- Cook the quinoa in 1 litre (1 pint 15fl oz) boiling water for 10 minutes (ignoring the instructions on the packet to cook it longer). Drain and run under cold water then leave to dry in the strainer. Squeeze the juice of the orange over the quinoa while it’s draining.

- Wash all the herbs and dry them very thoroughly. Chop coarsely, taking care not to overchop the coriander and mint in particular as these can quickly turn to mush.

- Cut each olive into eight pieces and finely grate the zest from the lemon. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying-pan until golden, then chop roughly.

- Put the quinoa, herbs and olives into a bowl and mix well. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over it, place in a serving bowl and scatter with the lemon zest and chopped hazelnuts.

Afternoon snack Oatcakes and hummus

‘Hummus, used as a dip for vegetable sticks or spread on a couple of oatcakes, makes a good afternoon snack,’ says Freer.

Healthy recipe: Oven-roasted salmon on spinach with tahini - a delicious healthy supper recipe for oven-roasted salmon on spinach with tahini sauce, from in:spa.

At in:spa, a vegetable soup or salad is served before the main course. Clearspring tamari is available from Sainsbury’s at £2.69 for 150ml. Braggs liquid aminos are available from bevital.co.uk at £2.95 for 180ml.

Serves four

For the sauce
100g (3½oz) tahini paste
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp tamari or liquid aminos
100-150ml (3½-5fl oz) water
2 cloves garlic, crushed

For the salmon
4 salmon fillets, each 175g (6oz), skin on
Olive oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
350g (12oz) spinach
2 red chillis, finely chopped

- Put the tahini, half the lemon juice and the tamari into a bowl and whisk with a bit of the water. Keep adding the water in small amounts until the sauce has the consistency of single cream. Add more lemon juice to taste. Whisk in the garlic.

- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 and line a baking-sheet with parchment.

- Score about five lines into the skin of each salmon fillet with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut too far into the flesh. Rub the skin with olive oil and sear skin-side down over a medium to high heat in a frying-pan, moving the fish about so it doesn’t stick. Cook for about five minutes or until the skin starts to brown and crisp. Remove the fish from the pan and place it skin-side up on the baking-parchment.

- Brush a big lidded frying-pan with olive oil and sauté the shallots until soft. Add the spinach and cook for one to two minutes with the lid on, just enough to wilt the leaves. Place in a colander to drain. Put the salmon in the oven for two minutes to finish cooking.

- Spoon a generous amount of tahini sauce in a circle around the edge of each plate. Place a quarter of the spinach just off centre, sprinkle the chilli over it, then sit the salmon on top of the spinach. Serve immediately.

Eat more frequently to lose weight and have bags of energy, says in:spa nutritionist Lorraine Perretta.

Many people believe that eating snacks will cause them to gain weight but in reality the opposite is true. It’s what you snack on that counts. Food contains a variety of nutrients that play specific roles in the body. For example protein foods like meat, fish, eggs and dairy products help the body to make strong muscles and smart brains. Fats (contrary to popular belief is not an ‘F’ word) are essential in small amounts and specific types, e.g. those fats found in nuts, seeds and oily fish like salmon and sardines.

Now here comes the tricky bit, carbohydrates. Carbohydrate foods provide the body with energy; energy to power muscles and the brain. Carbohydrates are found in starchy foods like bread, pasta, potatoes and rice as well as fruits and vegetables. These foods break down into glucose which is a fancy name for sugar. And it’s the sugar that provides the energy for the body.

The trick to having bags of energy and a slim figure is to eat the right amounts of protein, fats and carbohydrates – AND the right kind of carbohydrates. Some carbs like rice, bread, potatoes and pasta convert to sugar very quickly, hence they’re called fast releasing carbohydrates. While fruit and vegetables are slow releasing. The body likes the amount of glucose in the blood to be very constant; it doesn’t like it when sugar levels are too high or too low. So when carbohydrates release sugar faster than the body can use it, there’s a big spike of sugar in the blood. The body in an attempt to reduce the blood sugar level, converts the sugar to fat (that’s right fat!) and then there’s too little sugar in the body resulting in a dip in energy, often experienced as mid morning and mid afternoon slumps, and a craving for sweets, sugar and stimulants.

So the best way to control weight and maintain even energy levels is to eat slow releasing carbohydrates like fruit and vegetables. Combine these foods with some protein and a small amount of the important fats at regular intervals during the day and sugar levels will remain constant and the body won’t feel the need to store the excess sugar as fat.

Some top tips:

• Always eat breakfast

• Eat small frequent meals and snacks, aim for 6 a day: breakfast, mid morning, lunch, mid afternoon, evening meal and an evening snack

• Combine protein with carbohydrates to help stabilise blood sugar levels

• Reduce caffeine found in coffee, tea and cola drinks. These stimulants affect blood sugar levels.

• Reduce alcohol as this is similar to sugar and can upset blood sugar balance.

• Avoid adding sugar or honey to foods and drinks.

• Avoid or reduce cigarettes

• Eat fresh fruit rather than dried as dried fruit is very concentrated sugar

• Eat foods high in fibre including green leafy vegetables, beans, peas, and lentils

• Exercise! When there’s an elevated level of sugar in the blood, exercise to convert the sugar to energy, otherwise the body will be tempted to store the excess sugar as fat.

Sample meals and snacks

- smoothie with fresh fruit, fruit juice plus dairy or soya yoghurt

- an egg on whole meal toast

- a bowl of porridge with natural dairy or soya yoghurt

- grilled haddock or kipper on whole rye toast

- chicken, fish or cheese with salad sandwich on wholemeal bread

- tuna and brown rice salad

- wholemeal pasta with chicken or fish sauce

- crudités with houmous

- rye crispbread with chicken, tuna or tofu

- nuts (almonds, hazelnuts) and seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin) with a piece of fruit

Ideal plate: when having a meal aim for the following ratio of protein, starchy carbohydrates and vegetables. This helps to maintain even blood sugar levels and aids in weight control.

25% Protein: meat, fish, beans, nuts and dairy products
25% Starches: potato, bread, rice
50% Vegetables and Salads

For lots of nutritious, delicious in:spa ideas – see our healthy recipes

If you’ve spent a week away with us on an in:spa retreat you will have noticed the difference your diet has made to your vitality….

… in terms of both what you have consumed and what you haven’t. The more the routine differed from your usual dietary and exercise plan, the more difference you will have felt.

Most of our guests find that the dietary changes were remarkably easy and even pleasurable. It is however unrealistic, impractical and too daunting a prospect to think any of us can live according to these guidelines 100% of the time, but what in:spa nutritionists do suggest is that we all try to stick as close to the guidelines for 80% of the time. You won’t find a single person in the in:spa team who does much better than that!

We recommend eliminating certain key ingredients from your diet: sugar, salt, wheat, dairy, yeast, red meat, coffee, tea, alcohol, processed foods and fried foods (see chart below). The reason for this is that all of these (especially in some sensitive individuals) place demands on the body, in some cases, way beyond the benefits. In other words, avoiding them gives your organs a break, which is what is usually meant by ‘going on a detox’.

Lifting the load on your body means unburdening the major organs of detoxification i.e. the liver, bowels, lymphatic system, lungs and kidneys. The thing to remember with detoxing is that the body is doing it constantly, not just when we are ‘on a detox’ so we would do well to give it a hand all the time! Even if we are not particularly indulgent, our usual diet, the water we drink and our environment call upon our detoxification systems. Removing as many challenges as possible means the body gets a chance to recharge, which is why, when you follow these guidelines you feel so naturally energized.

Give ‘em a break!

liver
Role: Main detoxification & processing ‘factory’
Support: Diet rich in antioxidants; low in No! foods (see below)

bowels
Role: Major elimination route from the body
Support: Diet high in fibre & water; exercise

lymphatic system
Role: System of ‘waste disposal’ vessels throughout the body
Support: Diet low in unhealthy fats; exercise; skin brushing

lungs
Role: Respiratory organ also eliminates unwanted by-products of metabolism
Support: Exercise; breathing exercises

kidneys
Role: Filter waste from the blood & eliminate it; help fluid regulation
Support: Optimum water intake; minimum No! foods

Detoxing need not be a complicated process. The underlying concept is to reduce the amount of ‘toxins’ entering your body (via food, water, pollution, pesticides, insecticides, additives to food etc.) and helping your body to get rid of all the stored toxins – chemicals that the body has been unable to eliminate. The ‘cleaner’ you are the less chance you have of experiencing the symptoms of toxicity such as tiredness, bowel problems, sleep disorders, poor skin, weight gain and ultimately, more serious disease states.

‘By avoiding certain foods, eating plenty of others, exercising appropriately, resting sufficiently, relaxing deeply and being massaged, you allow the body to work in an optimum state.’

Introducing these changes can be a challenge within the hectic lifestyles we all have. Natalie has set some easy to follow strategies, which can help you to obtain and absorb optimum levels of nutrients, maintain your vitality, minimise your risk of illness and enhance the actions of food supplements. Choosing to eat organic produce as much as possible means you are exposed to fewer extra demands on the body.

Make sure you….

Drink at least 6 glasses of mineral or filtered water throughout the day. This can include herbal or fruit teas and hot water with lemon or ginger.

Have fresh, colourful vegetables, raw, lightly steamed or stir-fried twice a day.

Have at least two pieces of fresh fruit daily.

Choose quality proteins such as fish, yoghurt, eggs, poultry and lean meat.

Eat plenty of fibre-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables and whole grains e.g. oats, brown rice and whole grain cereals.

Use olive oil and other cold-pressed seed oils for dressings. Avoid margarine and other processed fats entirely. For cooking use olive oil, or even a little butter.

Have pumpkin and sunflower seeds, fresh almonds, hazelnuts & Brazils (not roasted or salted) as snacks or in yoghurt and salads.

Eat a variety of fresh foods.

Sit down and relax to eat your meals.

Pause between mouthfuls and chew very thoroughly.

limit your caffeine and alcohol intake…

Try to limit your intake of tea and coffee to no more than 2-3 cups (of both) a day. Alternatives are various herb/spice/fruit teas, redbush tea or ‘coffee substitutes’.

Try to limit your alcohol intake to no more than 3-4 drinks, three times a week.

and really focus on reducing or avoiding completely these No! foods…

Avoid sugar – added to foods and drinks and also those that are already sugary such as sweets, chocolate, biscuits, cakes, fizzy drinks, sweetened juices etc.

Avoid all processed, refined, pre-packaged foods and fast food, including ‘ready microwave meals’, and anything made with white flour.

Avoid fried foods – grill, bake, poach or steam instead.

Avoid fatty or processed meats.

Avoid foods with added salt (many packaged/pre-prepared foods contain salt).

If you would like a week of classic in:spa cleansing cuisine, combined with our fabulous blend of yoga, sunshine, hiking, massage and training, then why not book your next holiday now?

Natalie Savona, one of our leading nutritionists at in:spa, has some excellent advice about what to keep in your larder.

Most of us could probably do our regular food shopping blind-folded: the same old ingredients tossed into the basket; time pressure leading to less healthy choices. With some careful strategising, however, you can keep out of a rut and make even a quick meal healthy.

fresh shopping
Instead of the usual chicken breasts, courgettes and potatoes (or whatever your habitual basket-fillers are) – deliberately choose something unfamiliar.

Blueberries, strawberries and other berries
Broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower
Less common salad ingredients e.g. watercress, spinach, alfalfa
brussel sprouts
Yoghurt – natural, live, ideally organic
Sweet potatoes
Butternut squash
Fresh fish – try a new variety each time
Fresh herbs
Eggs

pantry essentials
Keeping a selection of dried and canned food in the cupboards means you’re never stuck for a meal, even if it’s a quick one involving opening a can. A wide selection of spices and other condiments means you can jazz up any meal.

Nuts – almonds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, walnuts, pecans
Dried fruit – raisins, dates, apricots, prunes
Seeds – sesame, sunflower, pumpkin
Brown rice
Quinoa
Oats
Lentils – Puy, orange or brown
Cans of beans, chickpeas
Cans of tomatoes
Canned fish – tuna, salmon, mackerel, sardines
Whole spices e.g. cumin, cardamon
Dried seaweed
Dried shiitake mushrooms
Green tea
Soya milk
Tamari or soy sauce

seasoning
Staying clear of added salt – as you did on your in:spa retreat – doesn’t mean your food should be bland; far from it, without salt you can really taste subtle flavours. Use salty alternatives such as tamari, soy sauce or fish sauce sparingly as they are still loaded with salt.

Make the most of fresh herbs, dried spices (ideally whole and freshly crushed before use), rehydrated seaweeds, chillies and other strong flavourings such as lemon or lime juice, capers, coconut or mustard.

For example…
- potatoes cut into wedges, tossed in smoked paprika powder or whole fennel seeds and roasted in the oven take on a different twist.
- a few capers tossed in with a rice salad make it salty.
- steamed vegetables drizzled with cold-pressed sunflower oil and torn basil leaves come alive.