
I’ve been a personal trainer in London for 13 years now, and I advise my clients that good nutrition is just as important as exercise if you’re serious about getting fit and healthy.
Here are some healthy foods to add to your eating plan:
Low salt baked beans
This is a great staple food to store in your cupboard. Why low salt? Because excessive amounts of salt in your diet raises your blood pressure, and depletes the ability of the cells of your body to absorb nutrients and expel waste.
Baked beans are a great source of fibre and slow-release carbs. They also contain some protein, but it’s not a complete protein, so have some eggs with those beans. As my personal training clients in London know all too well, I’m a big fan of eggs and beans.
Avocados
Rich in vitamins (particularly B6, an immune-booster) and minerals and soluble fibre, avocados are also a great source of good fats.
Apples
Lower in sugar than soft fruits, apples are a great fruit to have every day. One a day is sufficient, then have a couple of oranges a day for the vitamin C.
Apples are a chelating food, which means they help your body detoxify and expel toxic metals like lead, which accumulate in the body particularly if you live in a big city like London, with all the car-exhaust pollution. The biggest source of lead pollution is diesel, so keep clear of black cabs and other diesel vehicles.
Green tea
If my personal training clients in London are drinking too much coffee (keeps you awake at night and depletes your magnesium levels if you drink too much), I recommend they switch to green tea. It’s a powerful antioxidant and really cleanses your system.
Seaweed
Another great source of antioxidants, seaweed is found in sushi, available in Japanese restaurants, and also in health food stores like Holland & Barrett.
Broccoli
I had a personal training client in east London who refused to eat vegetables. When I suggested he used his Nutribullet to make broccoli soup he tried it and loved it. Broccoli makes fantastic soup, and it’s packed with goodness.
Dominic Londesborough is a personal trainer in London and an online nutrition coach