It’s so easy to start being healthy in just a few simple steps and it doesn’t have to cost the earth! A good starting point is to look through the recipes or shopping list and see what kinds of foods you like and then go about and start planning your weekly menu.

Next, you can organise your shopping list and work out a batch cooking day perhaps on a Sunday if you work full time or do not have the time to cook daily. If you are a busy mum ask dad or a friend to look after the children for a few hours or get the kids involved by helping out in the kitchen, invite some friends over too and make a day of it.

 

Step 1

Look through the recipes and choose your faves making sure that you include a variety of foods. Plan a weekly menu, here is my sample weekly menu for guidance. I have a blackboard up in the kitchen and write up my meals for the week at the bottom and my shopping list at the top.

It is also a good idea in the beginning stages to clear out your kitchen cupboards of any highly processed foods or products that contain additives, preservatives or food enhancers. Eating real food not numbers is the key to a healthy immune system.

 

Step 2

If you are time poor try ordering your weekly shopping online. For staples choose a major supermarket, they have great own brand organic ranges too at affordable prices. Organic food is no longer highly expensive and much more accessible to everyone and if you live in an area where organic food is plentiful and not too expensive then this would be your first choice. If not and you can only afford certain organic products the best items to buy are organic eggs and vegetables. If you do buy organic meat for example chicken you can make it go a long way buy making stock at the same time. Try growing your own mini herb garden. If you live in an apartment a windowsill is an excellent place to start. Household cleaning products can be inexpensive if you use natural products like white vinegar and baking soda for your cleaning needs. Check out the shopping list for more ideas. Buy organic meat from supermarkets at night during the week as it’s discounted by up to 50% if it’s near its use by date. The best place to buy fresh fruit and vegies is at your local Farmer's Market or any organic market nearby. If you like to cook seasonal recipes then buying your fresh food at the markets is perfect.

You can also make friends with your local green grocer and compile a list of foods for them to pick up from the markets early in the morning. Eating from local Farmer's Markets supports farmers and the organic produce is much healthier, too, because typically there are no pesticides, or preservatives so you are eating completely naturally... but if in doubt, ask the seller! If you are time poor you can have your produce delivered to your doorstep from one of the many organic grocers online. If you can't make it to a Farmer's Market then the best time to buy half price fruit and veg is at market chains like Harris Farm markets who every morning before ten discount the day before produce by 50% which makes it a great bargain. Check out our weekly shopping list for ideas.

 

Step 3

When it comes to preparing the yummy recipes after just a few weeks of eating wholesome meals you will be energised and feel so good that cooking will become fun, enjoyable and therapeutic. After a long day in the office or workplace or if you are a mum and have been running around after the children all day, escape to the kitchen and cook up a storm. Cooking is a great way to unwind and be creative- knowing you will be refuelled for whatever the next day brings.

Dinner is a great time to reconnect with the family too and share wonderful home cooked food together. If you are time poor then a batch cooking day is a great way to make your staples like spinach bread, sauces, bolognaise and soups which can be eaten throughout the week. Incorporating batch cooking into your weekly routine will make home management a lot easier as well as saving time and money as you won't be purchasing expensive convenience foods.

The key to batch cooking is to make a larger amount of dishes for freezing or stockpiling which can be used at a later date so if you are busy and have no time to prepare you can literally shop from your freezer. Great stockpile meals are stews, casseroles, soups and shepherd's pie. Just double the amounts in the recipes and you will have enough to last a fortnight or more. Remember to label and date each batch and all you need to do then is to take them out of the freezer, thaw and reheat in the oven or stove top.

 

Step 4

Now that you have been eating the recipes for a few weeks and have started to detox your body through the diet (by eliminating processed food and grains) and also by adding in principles from the detoxing process the next part to Supercharging your life is to re build the immune system.

In addition to the diet this can be achieved by consuming a nutritional shake and/or greenjuice daily. The shakes are perfect to have for breakfast, super convenient and easy to make as well as providing the correct amount of nutrients to build healthy cells and maintain and support a strong immune system.

I have found that it is better to make my own shake and have the right amount of quality synergistic ingredients rather than buy a nutrient drink or powder ready made, unless you are going to make an appointment with an integrative practitioner and have a compounding chemist make up the shake for you.

Adding the shake into your diet will take you from feeling 80% well to 100 % well again. All the ingredients in the shake have been thoroughly researched and created in association with integrative medical practitioners who specialise in nutritional medicine. If you buy an existing pre-prepared nutritional shake from health food store or pharmacy , you will find that many of them contain synthetic ingredients, fillers and artificial sugars which undo all the beneficial work you are putting in with the diet.

The supplements that I suggest are non-synthetic and easily absorbed into the body and work together synergystically in correct dosages to heal your body at cellular level. If you have digestive conditions, or malabsorbtion problems taking pills and synthetic nutraceuticals will only be a waste of time and money. Supplements can be ordered at the Supercharged Food Shop or you can find your own online at your local health food supplier, just remember to ensure that whatever supplements you purchase contain no synthetic ingredients.

Here is a list of nutritional supplements that go into the daily shake . If you prefer not to take supplements at all I recommend investing in a juicer and having a daily green juice consisting of any mixture of Spinach, Kale, Mint, Parsely, Cucumber, Lettuce, Celery and Ginger.