Healthy Habit #2 KEEP IT REAL

When you buy an expensive new handbag or mobile phone, you want it to be the real deal. And you will insist on seeing the guarantee and proof of authenticity. Sure, you could buy a counterfeit at a tenth of the price, but then you expect it to be of far lesser quality. When it comes to food, however, many of us are complacent about its origin, the ingredients, the potential harmful effect on our bodies and the alternatives available to us.

I am all for having a treat or a pre-prepared meal every now and then. But when I do, I try to ensure that it is the authentic, guaranteed choice. In other words: no preservatives, no colourants, no chemicals, no artificial MSG, no trans-fats, no refined sugar, not too much salt, no flavour-enhancers and preferably organic (as this will ensure minimal exposure to pesticides, chemical fertilisers, hormones and other routine drugs given to animals). In order to pick the right product, you therefore have to read the labels and UNDERSTAND what they say. My rule of thumb is that food should have as few artificial ingredients as possible.



Thankfully, these days there are many products on sale that are "free-from" and make healthy food accessible. But do consider: home-made is usually still the best option. A store-bought smoothie, for example, may be a healthier breakfast than a croissant, but it will have been lightly pasteurised to prolong its shelf-life, robbing it of at least some of its nutrients. Rather take a few pieces of fruit, some natural probiotic yoghurt and a dollop of raw honey, whiz them together in your blender and enjoy the fact that you are having the real deal.