Natasha Corrett - Honestly Healthy for Life : Eating the Alkaline Way Every Day

Healthy alternatives for everyday eating

Natasha Corrett & Vicki Edgson

Photography by Lisa Linder

When following the recipes, stick to one set of measurements (metric, imperial or cups). Measurements used in the recipes are based on the following conversions:

25g = 1oz

30ml = 1fl oz

240ml = 8fl oz = 1 cup (for both liquid and dry volume ingredients). Note that the weight of dry ingredients varies according to the volume so 1 cup of flour weighs less than 1 cup of sugar.

Key to symbols for alkaline ratings

Really really alkaline recipe

Really alkaline recipe

Alkaline recipe

Vegan

From Tash

To the most inspirational woman in my life, my amazing grandmother, Stephanie, who is a true friend and a sensational support.

From Vix

To all my thousands of clients, who have inspired me with their learning and findings just as much as my knowledge of nutrition. We are on this journey together.

Since the first Honestly Healthy book Honestly Healthy: Eat with your body in mind, the alkaline way was published in 2012, eating alkaline has gained huge momentum as an ideal way to eat for energy, health and wellbeing, using delicious organic ingredients, and has been embraced by the media as a popular way to manage what you eat.

We were totally delighted and, it has to be said, utterly surprised by the huge success of the first book along with the thousands of enquiries we had about the principles behind alkaline eating and a desire for more recipes. So, we turned our attention and energies to answer the demand. The result? This book Honestly Healthy For Life embraces how the alkaline way of eating can fit into your everyday life. Whether its lazy weekends and breakfast in bed, snacks to take while travelling with work, weekday suppers, delicious cakes and treats, crowd-pleasing dishes for celebratory meals or great nights in with friends, youll find we have inspirational and accessible recipes to fit any occasion.

In its simplest form, eating alkaline means that you adopt a predominantly vegetarian approach. To ensure you eat the best combinations of nutrients, we recommend a variety of vegetables along with pulses, nuts and seeds, sprouted and living foods from the land and sea (which supply the body-building and repairing proteins). In this book, we clearly explain what is an alkaline food (and whats an acid-forming food) as well as present an at-a-glance chart of the alkaline ratings of commonly eaten foods, see .

Soon after the publication of the first book, Tashs Fridge Fill service (that delivers Honestly Healthy daily meals to your door) started to grow rapidly, as a result of those clients, friends and general enquiries that came from the success of the book. Soon Tash was to be found bound to her kitchen to supply the ever-growing demand, but we were delighted that so many people were responding so positively to the information and recipes in the book. Fridge Fill has now become a full-time business in its own right, with Tash steering weekly menus that are delivered all over the UK. Its simply wonderful for us to see the message of the positive benefits of alkaline eating reaching an ever-wider audience.

As readers of the first book will attest, eating nutritious meals doesnt mean depriving yourself of anything. Home-made treats are thankfully never off the menu and are far better taste-wise and nutrient-wise as our recipes use natural sweeteners (fruits and spices or naturally sourced sugars, for instance), rather than those commercially produced items that are laden with refined sugars (among the most acid-forming of all foods). And if you feel that you cant live without animal protein of some kind, you will find an abundance of recipes that can have a small amount of such added; that said, we like to encourage all of our readers to try taking the vegetarian route for just three weeks to see how much better they feel.

Gatherings of friends and family are a big part of our lives, so cooking dishes that suit everyone is high up on our agenda. Tash has created lots of recipes that are easy to scale up for birthday celebrations or parties in the garden that cater for all tastes and all ages. Lets face it, whos ever too old for a gingerbread man, fruit ice lolly or a slice of birthday cake? And its great to know that all members of a family can eat the alkaline way; our recipes supply all the vital nutrients for growing children and adults of all ages. And why would you eat ready-made sandwiches or pasta dinners when you could be tucking into Mini Sushi Rolls, Roasted Tomato and Spinach Tart or Raw Green Curry with Courgette Noodles? When eating the Honestly Healthy way, no one goes hungry as youre fully nourished by natures nutrient-dense foods.

As more research is highlighting the potentially damaging and life-suppressing effects of mass-produced food, much of which we would be hard-pressed to find in nature, we are now encouraging all our readers (new as well as devoted), to get back into the kitchen, to select their own raw ingredients and be aware of what they are putting into their mouths. It is no coincidence that obesity and diabetes are on the rise, skin problems are everywhere, chaotic hormone-related diseases are now pandemic and cancers affect more than one in three adults and children worldwide. We have to ask the obvious question why is this happening in a world where medical research has never been as advanced as it is now? One of those answers must be because of the foods we are eating.

But sourcing organic and wholesome ingredients doesnt have to mean sky-high shopping bills. Share in the joys of nature by growing your own ingredients herbs and small vegetables whether in boxes on windowsills or in gardens. The taste of home-grown produce really is hard to beat. As well as supplying a regular source of ingredients, growing your own is easy and low cost; plus it offers everyone a way to connect with nature and to understand where food comes from.

Whether weight is an issue for you or not, we know that following the alkaline eating way is simply the safest, longest-lasting method for permanent weight loss it allows your body to find its perfect size. Alkaline eating helps your body to get what it needs from good-quality food, resulting in the right body for you, with a lower body mass index and a trimmer figure.