CLEAN EATING TIPS: GUEST BLOG FROM ROOTED LONDON

With wellness on our mind for 2016, we asked the healthy eating experts at ROOTED London to give us some tips on how to eat cleaner.  Here's what they told us...  

The start of a new year is the perfect time for change and that's why many of us treat January as a chance to kick bad eating habits. However, as we head into the second month, you may have already stumbled on resolutions that may have been a little optimistic or out of reach. We say don't panic. Every day is a new day and a new opportunity for change. If your 2016 healthy eating resolutions have wobbled a bit, there's still a way to make change happen. The key is to take a balanced approach, full of self-love and self-respect.

Rest up and get rooted...

Fad diets, super foods, and health scares - there is a huge amount of information about health, diet and nutrition that sometimes it can be hard to cut through the noise to the facts. When it comes to health there are simple food changes you can make to increase your nutrient intake, which in turn can give you a heightened sense of wellbeing, including better sleep.   Here are ROOTED London’s top tips for a dietary reset that can be used all year round to make you feel tip-top, every day:  

Find Your Roots

• There’s a big emphasis on ‘clean’ living, which implies that eating anything other than kale and greens is dirty, which is far from the truth. Instead, find balance in your eating approach. Don’t give yourself a hard time if you fancy a burger or a pizza with friends on a Friday night but recognise that it isn't something that should be eaten every day.
• ROOTED promotes seasonal food and a predominantly plant based diet, nothing packaged. Choose 'real and rooted' food whenever you can.
• We also encourage you to be conscious as to where food is from. Whether you buy from your local independent retailer or direct from a local supplier - we encourage you to support British produce as much as you can.

The most important thing is to find your own healthy relationship with food – a lifestyle that fits the way you live. Find your roots.    

Three 'ROOTED' good food habits to start now  

1. Eat the Rainbow We’ve heard it time and time again but eating a colourful palette of fruits and vegetables means a wider range of nutrients for your body. Try and base every meal on two-three plants, some healthy fats (nuts, seeds, oils) and some protein to help keep you fuller for longer. Aim to have one of the vegetables denser in texture, such as a sweet potato. Grilled, baked, mashed, these are a great staple to accompany any dish. Plus, they include potassium, which helps to relax muscles and help to send you into a more rested sleep. Keep the skin on for maximum sleep benefits. Try this colourful ROOTED recipe: Blackberry Blast Buckwheat Bircher  

2. Go Raw Natural raw foods contain enzymes that your cells love. Try to incorporate a small raw side dish with every meal. It can be as simple as some leafs with olive oil and Himalayan salt. Your body will love you for it. Try these: Lavender and Cacao Sweet & Salty Raw Balls  

3. Make Tahini your Best Friend Sesame seeds are rich in trytophan but they're also high in carbohydrates with a medium protein content. In a nutshell - excuse the pun – they make any dish taste moorishly sweet. They are especially perfect before bedtime. For an easy dressing, mix olive or flax oil, orange zest and juice, Himalayan salt, one clove of garlic and two tablespoons of tahini. Here at ROOTED we drizzle it on everything. Here's another lovely recipe to try out: Raw Sprouted Turmeric Humous

Find out more about ROOTED

ROOTED LONDON is a lifestyle brand offering food coaching, yoga and recipes and content on healthy living for the modern woman. Our mantra is: Listen to your Body, Feed your Soul. Our food is ‘ healthy' but we aim to keep it real. Let’s face it…a burger won't kill you and a green smoothie won’t heal you. Life is about balance, not jumping on the next kale bandwagon. ROOTED promotes a positive mindset when it comes to food, being conscious as to where it’s from and listening to your body and what it needs. We want to cut the crap, ditch the fads and make good food a part of daily life, not just on Monday’s. We source our food locally from local suppliers offering food coaching, catering and recipes for seriously, sexy feasts. No fads, just feeding. ROOTED Yoga has a home at a luxury hotel, Town Hall Hotel and brings a modern mind and body connection to the mat. Using Vinyasa Flow Yoga we help to recognise your body, listen and tune in and feed your yogic soul. The brand also offers personal, group and corporate sessions. www.rootedlondon.com