forever young naturally eating

Even if you don’t say grace at mealtimes, think about all the people who made it possible for the food to reach your plate: farmers, transport workers, energy suppliers. Appreciate the interdependence of lives across the globe.

Listen to your body as well as your lifestyle when planning what to eat. Some of us do better on three meals a day, others prefer smaller portions more often. Make sure you have enough time between meals to relish the feeling of hunger that accompanies an empty stomach. Routine and regularity are the key to good nutritional health.

Kickstart the day with a good portion of the nutrients your body needs — without fuel body and mind won’t cope with all your demands. Choose foods that offer a sustained energy boost: oatmeal, homemade muesli, wholemeal toast, eggs, yogurt with fruit, nuts, and seeds.

Squeeze it yourself and be sure that the fruit is organic, fairly traded, and not coated in petroleum waxes. Home-pressed orange juice with pulp is a good source of potassium, folate, vitamin C, and carotenoids shown to reduce risk of an inflammatory condition that leads to rheumatoid arthritis by as much as 40 percent.

This recipe is inspired by a breakfast served at a food stall in the healing field at the Glastonbury festival in England. Serves four.

large mug organic jumbo oats

2 mugs organic semiskimmed milk

generous handful unsulfured dried apricots

8 cardamoms

maple syrup, to serve
Put the oats and milk in a large pan. Wash and finely chop the apricots and add. Bash the cardamoms to split them, then add to the pan. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring with a wooden spoon. Allow to bubble for a few minutes, then turn off and leave to cool for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with maple syrup.

Eggs are always a good way to start the day for a high-quality protein hit, containing antioxidant selenium, choline for memory, and vitamin D, which helps calcium absorption and boosts immunity.

The best eggs are freshly gathered from your own chickens. Even a small urban garden can be home to a couple of hens. If you don’t want to construct your own coop and run, visit www.omlet.us for its awardwinning “eglu”—a small, podlike coop, delivered complete with two organic laying hens, a fox-proof run, and the lure of 12 eggs per week.

A post-workout nutrition bar or glucose drink may seem tempting, but don’t succumb if you want to keep trim. Go for green or camomile tea and an apple instead.

Buy a book about Indian cuisine, grind your own curry powders and garam masalas, and aim to cook your own once a week. India has the lowest incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in the world. Researchers attribute this to curry, which almost always contains turmeric, the main constituent of which, curcumin, seems to slow the progress of neurodegeneration. It is also a helpful anti-inflammatory for swollen joints and has been associated with healthy cells. Other fabulously antiaging ingredients in the curry mix include ginger, garlic, chillies, fenugreek seeds, tomatoes, and onions.

Making your own muesli allows you to pander to personal preference. You can include antiaging seeds and nuts and leave out the ingredients you dislike.

organic jumbo oats

walnuts

almonds

Brazil and cashew nuts

sunflower seeds

pumpkin seeds

pine nuts

sesame seeds
1. Into a large bowl empty a bag of jumbo oats. Stir in as many of the nuts and seeds listed above as you wish. Pour the muesli into a large jar and seal tightly. Store in a cool dark place.
2. Each morning spoon out a bowlful of muesli. Add chopped fresh or soaked dry fruit to taste kiwi for morning pep or traditional apple then top up with semiskimmed milk or yogurt.