Now then. This has been a bit of a challenge. Whittling-down my favourite foods from (approx) 6 million (slight exaggeration) to my all-time top ten has proven trickier than I initially expected it to be.

I love food, in all of its guises. My nearest and dearest say that I must have hollow legs as meals in my house are quite an event.

I always start the day with a good, hearty breakfast. I wake-up feeling quite hungry therefore I like to keep a container of pre-prepared fruit in the fridge ready for action!

It’s good for the body to take-on nourishment first thing. After all, it’s been without sustenance for 8 (ish/or so) hours. Did you know that the average person uses-up roughly 500 whilst asleep?

Most of the toxins within our body are expelled during the night which is why it’s so important to re-fuel with a balanced breakfast.

Lunch is key, too. I like to have something already prepped for lunch, as with breakfast. If I know that my meals for the day are in-place, I don’t go in to panic mode! It sounds silly but I feel more relaxed when I know what’s on the menu throughout the day.

I try to eat dinner before 6pm so that I don’t go to bed on a full stomach. The body has lots of other tasks to perform during sleep so I like to take the pressure off a bit.

Snacks are also important. A container of nuts, seeds and some peelable fruit are the best form of on-the-go nourishment.I try to eat something every hour between meals. By keeping the body ticking-over with healthy bites little and often, it doesn’t get stressed and store calories in leiu of perhaps not getting fed!

Here are my top ten (favourite) foods of all-time; the ones that make me feel nourished on the inside and glowing on the outside.

1) Oranges – No word of a lie, I eat between 4 and 6 oranges a day and at the moment, they are so juicy and ripe. I feel that I’m eating a little bit of sunshine and they are crazy-good for the liver! A healthy liver is paramount for skin health and oranges are key to assisting with the filtering of toxins from the body. 

2) Cavelo Nero – Oh my days! What can I say! This is my favourite vegetable in the whole wide world and some days, my body actually craves it. This is normally during the build-up to my monthly cycle when typically, us girls need extra iron which Cavelo Nero has in abundance. I usually steam 6-8 leaves (chopped) for 2/3 minutes and scoff! I can feel the goodness, it’s insane!

3) Cantaloupe Melon – This wonder fruit is quite literally the most genius fruit that ever existed! Well, all melon varieties can have a dramatic impact on health. Melon is pre-digested meaning that it requires no digestion. It passes straight to the gut and works its magic. Watermelon is also at the top of my melon-loving stakes.

4) Papaya – This fruit is completely wonderful for skin health. Jam-packed full of beta carotene which will assist the free-radical-zapping process (free-radicals cause aging of the skin). Papaya salad is so simple to make and it’s oh-so tasty. Just add some fresh mint sprigs, a squeeze of fresh lime and some cubed cucumber. Hey presto! 

5) Figs – Food of the Gods! The appearance of the humble fig belies its health-giving and restoring abilities. It’s a powerhouse of a fruit and so versatile. It’s sweet, juicy flesh is a great source of fibre which can bolster digestion therefore enabling the gut to flush toxins more effectively from the body. Baked or raw, these jewels are simply divine for health.

6) Avocados – This all-time banger is a nutrilicious marvel. Versatile, nutritionally-balanced and sooo tasty, the avocado has got it all going on. I like to make raw, chocolate mousse with my very ripe ones – it’s totally delicious and they are bursting with good fats to keep skin glowing, the brain’s synapses and our joints well-oiled! 

7) Celery – Well. When I say celery, I’m actually referring to celery juice. It’s basically scours the gut of toxins and filters the liver. It gets in to every nook and cranny, all the thousands of folds in the colon and gets out all the nasties. It’s amazing. If I’m really organised, I’ll have one juice every morning. I feel full of energy, revived and resorted! 

8) Red Peppers – Full of vitamins and beautiful, petrochemicals that can reduce cholesterol. I eat 1 raw red pepper a day, sometimes with some homemade hummus. 

9) Black Grapes – There’s a triple-whammy going on here! Great for heart health, eye function and brain health, the grape is the oldest cultivated fruit. All that wisdom in a juicy berry! The skin is where it’s really at. A sheath of nutritional abundance, it’s so good for us so don’t go peeling yours!

10) Mangoes – Last but by no means least is the star of the show! Mangoes have it all. I love them and I eat 1 a day. They are beaut in my Totally Tropical Teaser smoothie (or cubed and devoured as they are). Actually, frozen mango is good for smoothies – the freezing process locks-in all the lovely nutrients that burst-out once consumed. The anti-oxidants contained within mangoes are super-charged and research has shown that they can help to fight against some cancers. Get some juicy mangoes in your life (if you haven’t already). You’ll feel amazing!

So. That’s my round-up of my all-time fave foods. There are many, many more fruits and vegetables that I adore and by creating variety in your diet, you will get all the nourishment you need for your body and mind to feel balanced, alive and restored. 

Peace and love,

Holly xxx