Food for Thought

Hello there,

September Newsletter

This month we’re looking at cheap food, and why it really doesn’t pay to skimp on quality.

Also included:

Link to my cookery videos
Workshops this Saturday 31^st August
No Nonsense Nutrition Course – outline and dates
Course Testimonials

Remember that you literally ARE what you eat, and out of all the things you spend your money on, food is the most important. Your body is constantly repairing, building and regenerating cells, and the raw materials for this building process come from what we eat. Much of the modern diet cannot truly be called food, as it usually has some natural stuff taken away and some synthetic stuff added, as well as having its chemical structure altered in some way – this is not what the body is designed to function on.

My theory – and it seems to work – is that if we feed ourselves properly, if we give our bodies what they actually NEED instead of just filling ourselves up, we save in the long run because:

We are more energetic, therefore more effective in our day to day life and work
We have less illness so lose less work hours
With less illness we spend less on over the counter remedies and prescriptions
We spend far less on ‘treats’ because we are satisfied by our food
Stress levels decrease so we feel less need for ‘rewards’
We enjoy our food and so again are less likely to top up with less healthful foods and drinks
We feel brighter, more energetic and more in control, and therefore make better food choices as a matter of course - we’re not bounced into grabbing something because our blood sugar is so low that we can’t think straight.
Feeling healthier usually prompts people to be more active, so leisure time could be spent walking, cycling and spending time outside, rather than paying for entertainment.

I think many people, looking at all the extras in the way of treats, takeaways and ready meals, would find there is room to change the focus of their food buying. We often only succumb to these ‘treats’ because we feel:

Unsatisfied by our food
Stressed and tired
A nagging ‘asking’ feeling
We don’t have time to prepare food

You can save money on food in many ways:

Buy seasonal and local wherever possible and look for veg and fruit on sale from allotments.
Make a list of what you need and don’t be tempted by offers unless it’s something you really want.
Get to know your butcher and find out which cuts of meat are cheaper – a beef bone, for example, often comes with a fair bit of meat, enough to make a nourishing casserole with loads of vegetables and some beans or lentils.
Try and grow some things – even a window box with herbs or salad leaves can save you money. Grow things like rocket and basil, which cost more in the shops but are quick and easy to grow at home.
Look into running a food co-op with friends – you can bulk buy food from Infinity Foods and share it out, to save a lot of money.

Learning how to cook and eat good, simple, healthy and TASTY food is the best way to eat for good health – for life.

I am working on a series of 15 minute videos which show different recipes using seasonal vegetables. The first two are available now and have recipes for an aubergine dish and a beetroot dish. There are more to follow, featuring vegetables in season at the moment. Follow this link to view the videos: https://plus.google.com/u/0/116608937990619927570/posts

2 WORKSHOPS COMING UP THIS WEEKEND
I am running 2 different workshops, each costing £20 including food and notes, this coming Saturday, 31^st August, in the kitchen at Christ Church, Prince Edwards Road, Lewes:

Morning, 10am-12pm – Off to Uni? The basics of eating well on a budget, and how to stay healthy while at uni (or leaving home). This is aimed at 18+ year olds.

Afternoon, 1pm-3pm – Packed Lunches for All – Ideas for packed lunches for both adults and children. One of the best ways of saving money and doing more for your health. It doesn’t have to be a chore, and this workshop aims to show you how.

Please phone me on 01273-483501 or email tinadeubert@gmail.com if you would like a place, but hurry!

NO NONSENSE NUTRITION COURSE

This course is suitable for anybody, and you might consider it if you are:

A parent
Low in energy
Feeling under par
Thinking of getting pregnant
Struggling with your weight
Interested in healthy food
Confused about the health messages in the media

What we cover

We spend the first 3 weeks putting a healthy diet in place, explaining the principles behind the recommendations I am making to help them make sense. For example, we all have heard that breakfast is the most important part of the day, but we look at just why this is, and what are the best things to be eating for breakfast to set you up for the rest of the day. We also look at how to maintain steady blood sugar levels for the whole day - something which makes a huge difference to the majority of people.

Week 1 - Blood Sugar Balancing is the cornerstone of healthy eating – once you have this principle firmly ingrained it is easy to build on it to steadily improve your diet and health.

Week 2 – Fat, the good, the bad and the ugly! Why it is actually important for health, which fats to include, which to exclude and avoid.

Week 3 – Nutrient Density, looking at just why it is important to eat plenty of vegetables and why food quality and variety is paramount.

Week 4 – Digestion – you are what you absorb, not just what you eat. We look at improving digestion to help you absorb better.

Week 5 – Putting it all together in a simple way, showing you how it is actually not at all complicated to eat well. We also look at other aspects of lifestyle which can make a big difference to health.

The format

Every week we prepare or cook something which relates to the topic, so you get to see, taste and experience how easy and quick it is to make really healthy, tasty meals and snacks.

I provide a folder with notes which are added to each week, along with recipes and meal suggestions.

I sell some foods which I recommend, so that people can begin using them straight away, if they like. There is no pressure, and it's not about selling 'products'.

My Approach

I believe most of us would benefit from a mixed diet (ie some meat and fish, eggs and pulses, nuts and seeds) along with lots of vegetables and the right kind of fats. The course can work for vegetarians, but is unlikely to be appropriate for vegans.

I do not judge anyone on what they are currently eating, and do my best to foster a relaxed, informal atmosphere throughout the course. My intention is to give people the confidence to enjoy their food and to begin to remove the guilt and negative feelings many of us have around eating. I really believe we don’t need to use words like ‘should’, ‘good’ and ‘bad’ around food, especially when what we eat is real food.

Timing, costs etc

The course runs for 5 weeks, 2 hours a week, and costs £100. A new course starts each half term.

Dates of next courses:

Wednesday mornings, 11-1am – Vegetarian course, 18^th September to 16^th October
Wednesday evenings, 7-9pm - 18^th September to 23rd October (excluding 9^th October)
Wednesday evenings, 7-9pm - 6^th November to 4^th December

Other dates become available as people offer to host courses. These are posted on the website.

Host a course!

If your kitchen is big enough to accommodate 6-8 people, and you’d like to host a course, you get it free if there are at least 5 other participants. The same applies to Workshops.

Group size

The maximum size is 10 people, and each group needs at least 5 to make it viable.

Interested?

You will find a registration form, health form, symptom tracker and food diary on my website www.foodworks4u.co.uk/courses. Alternatively, give me a ring on 01273-483501.

Complete the Registration form and health form and return to me with your cheque (payable to Tina Deubert) to 10 Highdown Road, Lewes BN7 1QB.
You can also pay by bank transfer (contact me for details).
Complete the food diary in the week before the course (roughly) - the important thing is that it represents a typical week's food and drink.
Complete the symptom tracker the week before the course and bring it with you on the first session along with your food diary. It is designed to highlight common symptoms you may have at the beginning of the course, and we revisit this form at the end so that hopefully you can see how the changes you make to your diet affect your health and wellbeing.

After the Course

I run regular cookery workshops designed to improve your repertoire and encourage you to keep on track.
I am introducing a follow up group designed to help you keep up with the recommendations, and introduce new topics and recipes.
Alternatively, you might like to book an individual Nutritional Therapy session. Having put all the foundations of a healthy diet in place, it is then much more straightforward to pinpoint any remaining issues and design a more targeted approach.

I hope you find the idea interesting and appealing. People seem to find it enjoyable (the word 'fun' has been used as well!), certainly interesting, inspirational and occasionally surprising. The practical element goes down particularly well, and more people go away and actually try the recipes as a result of the practical nature of the course.

Below are some comments from people who’ve taken the course:

“It's a great format of information and practical demos on how to implement it. Lovely atmosphere and great management of all the personalities. I shall miss it next week! I like the way in which you give information to which you are clearly committed without preaching.”
AW (June 2013)

“Helping hand with food, determination, helps when doing it in a group.” AJ

“I found this a wonderful course. I have talked to all my friends about you!” MB

“Very informative. Great advice to put into everyday practice.” IJ

“I’ve really enjoyed the course,Tina, thank you! The ‘shop’ was great, the cooking too.”

“Thoroughly enjoyed it & made great gains in knowledge and understanding.”

“This is a very informative and empowering course.”

“The course gave me a thorough understanding of how and why eating healthily can make such a difference to so many aspects of life.” CE

“I feel really positive about the changes I’ve made to the way I eat and the benefits, and feel like this is a change for life, not a diet!” CL

“I really like Tina’s enthusiasm and positive energy. I also appreciated the written information too. A well thought out course, which I am sure will grow…” FS

That’s it for this month – enjoy the rest of the summer!

Feel free to pass on this information to anyone else you think may be interested.

Tina Deubert
Nutritional Therapist, DipNT, mBANT
01273 483 501
tinadeubert@gmail.com
www.foodworks4u.co.uk