by Harry Normand, Spark Movement Studio

1. Chew your food – the more you chew, the less work your internal digestive processes have to do, leaving you with more energy for other things.· Chewing also gives your nervous system time to figure out roughly what’s in your mouth and tee-up the right enzymes for efficient digestion, and you realise earlier that you’re full, so you avoid overeating and stay light and energised.
2. Don’t drink any fluids with your meals – or in fact 30 minutes either side of a meal. Even water will dilute your stomach acid and reduce your digestive efficiency. Alcohol consumption will shut down your digestion while your body deals with the alcohol, and you may see undigested food in the toilet the next day, which means a lot of wasted energy (and money).
3. Eat plenty of healthy fats – a healthy cell membrane, which depends on fat, protein and cholesterol for its integrity, makes sure only the right stuff is allowed in or out, or is allowed to stay inside the cell, so that the correct chemical processes are happening inside.
4. Shift your perception from the calorie content – and more towards the biochemical content of food. I’d rather eat double the number of calories from a natural food source than a manufactured low-calorie substitute.· Your body will actually recognise it as FOOD rather than a food-like substance, and it will know what to do with it to better your health.
5. Don’t believe any nutrition advice until you’ve tested it on your own body – we’re all unique, and what works for one person and sells a million books may not be the right advice for you. Pay attention to how you react to meals and snacks. Do they actually improve energy, alertness, moods and productivity, or are they just filling your stomach?