GQ South Africa — May 2017

ody HEALTH

MAY 2017 GQ.CO.ZA 109

WORDS BY RYAN FERNANDO AND STAFF. ILLUSTRATION BY KEENAN JEPPE

HOW TO

EAT RIGHT

The quickest way to optimal health

is to eat balanced, nutrient-dense,

whole foods. And to keep exercising.

Here’s what should be on your plate

COLLAGEN

Great for muscles,

bones, skin and

tendons, it is the glue

that holds your body

together. Your diet

should have plenty of

collagen-rich foods,

including fish (salmon

and tuna), dark

green and orange

vegetables, as well

as strawberries

and raspberries.

NATURAL

SUPPLEMENTS

Shift from chemical

protein supplements

(such as whey) to

more natural ones:

organic brown rice

protein powder,

vegan pea protein,

soya supplements.

SOUPS

Switch from detoxing

with store-bought fruit

juices (many of which

have added sugar) to

home-cooked soups.

Soups have nutrients

from veggies and tons

of fibre, so you’ll be

fuller for longer and

take in fewer calories.

GOOD HABITS

TO KEEP UP

Swap processed

sugar for natural

sweeteners like honey.

Favour coconut oil for

healthy fats. Include

a shot of apple cider

vinegar to boost

weight loss and lower

blood sugar levels. Up

your number of daily

steps to 15 000.

CUT THAT OUT!

Sugar, obviously. We

trust you know enough

by now to want to avoid

diabetes, heart disease

and an ever expanding

waistline. Look out for

added sugar in snacks.

Eat a piece of fruit

instead.

Sweetened beverages,

especially soft drinks.

Even those with a health

halo around them, such

as veggie juices and

smoothies can be

problematic. The calories

add up quickly, and they

may cause spikes to

blood sugar levels. And

they can’t take the place

of chomping down on

a healthy meal.

Processed foods

are often full of added

sugars, flavourants and

chemicals which can’t be

good for you no matter

how convenient.

Red meat, while not

bad for you in limited

amounts, has been

classified by the WHO as

a probable carcinogen.

High intake is linked to

chronic diseases like

diabetes, cardiovascular

disease and cancer. Red

meat and dairy are the

most environmentally-

disastrous foods around.

Enjoy a few meat-free

days in your week.

FERMENTED

FOODS

A healthy gut (we’re

talking about the

good bacteria that

reside in your gut

here) means a

healthy you. Eat

probiotic-rich foods

such as sauerkraut,

kimchi, kefir and

kombucha daily.

TURMERIC

This wonder spice

contains curcumin,

a super-healthy

compound that has

anti-inflammatory

and pain reducing

properties. It’s best

consumed with

black pepper to aid

its absorption into

the body.

NUTRIGENOMIC

MEALS

This is a precise technique to

figure out what foods will keep

you feeling light. Nutrigenomics

(gene testing for nutrition)

identifies food groups that work

best for you depending on what

your body processes most easily.

There are four genes that

govern the absorption, digestion

and processing of food in the

human body, says nutritionist

Ryan Fernando. ‘If someone

can’t absorb gluten properly,

for example, the result can be

a cascade effect of gluten

intolerance, which could lead to

an auto-immune disorder, bad

skin, acne, dandruff, irritable

bowel syndrome, thyroid issues.

It’s simple: eating according to

your genetic composition will give

you optimum results, as your

brain will function better, too.’