FOREWORD THINKING

OCTOBER 2016

I recently finished a challenge for which I ate only raw food for 10 days straight. I wish I could tell you it was the beginning of a beautiful journey, one from which I would emerge bright-eyed and dewy-skinned while birds sang and small lambs danced around my feet – and I no longer had the desire to eat those lambs alongside some crushed rosemary potatoes and a nice red wine jus. Alas, that didn’t happen. Instead, I spent a long time soaking nuts, questioned who has the time or foresight to use a dehydrator (four hours just to do some kale crisps) and fell asleep on the commute home every night presumably because my body wasn’t used to the sudden lack of protein and carbs. If you read all this as a criticism of a raw diet, that was not the intention. From both an ethical and nutritional standpoint, I absolutely see why eating raw (which, for the uninitiated, is generally a plant-based diet where nothing is heated beyond 48°) is a great way to live. Maximum goodness, minimum harm, etc. I can also see that no way is it the diet for me. Despite my multi-level virtuous intentions, I could never make it work. Not just because of the time or organisation such a regimented way of eating requires but because, for me, it lacked the one thing I believe should come with every meal – enjoyment. Don’t get me wrong, there were some delicious moments. I conjured up delightful, experimental salads (strawberry, fig and pistachio was my favourite) and knocked up more indulgent raw desserts than the world’s medjool date supplies could handle. And I’ll take those things and incorporate them into my now returned-to-normal eating patterns. Because they’ll be even more enjoyable when they’re part of a picture full of other foods I love – crispy roast chicken, hummus, baked sweet potato, deep comforting curries and quick, light stir-fries. All healthy and good in their own way but not permissible on a strict raw diet. And so I suppose my point is twofold. First, while most healthy diets require some modicum of restraint and a little self-awareness, adopting a way to eat healthily and that you also enjoy is key. It is like exercise; find what you love and you’re more likely to stick to it. Second, only you know what works for your body. Take gluten – benign to some, bloating nemesis to others. Dairy – proven foe for the acne prone, undeniable friend to the weak-boned. While this magazine can’t offer tailored advice for each and every one of you, it can give you the proven facts, the very latest science and the word of leading experts to help you make up your own mind about what is best for your body. Food can be a weirdly sensitive issue. It can be tribal and territorial – and, with each movement claiming their way is the best either morally or nutritionally, intimidating even. I never want Women’s Health to be any of those things. There may be recipes and advice about how to go vegan, raw, paleo, low-carb, sugar-free… the list goes on, but how you incorporate that into your life is up to you. We just want to give you the information so you can make the best choices for you. So on that note – let’s tuck in shall we…