Dr Gillain's 20 Super Quick Tips

1. Drink warm water in the morning
   A warm cup of water first thing in the morning (and even better with a squeeze of lemon) goes right through the bowels and cleans the mucus out from the day before.
   
2. Lubricate, don't flood
   Your stomach needs to be lubricated, not flooded. Therefore, drink fluids, juices, perferably water, 30 min away from meals, before or after.
   
3. Chew slowly
   Chewing slowly untill food becomes liquefied is very important. The chewed food will then pass easily through your digestive system with maximum nutrient uptake.
   
4. Eat when calm
   It's difficult to digest food properly if you are upset or have just had an argument.
   
5. Not too hot, not too cold
   Ice-cold drinks weaken the organs. Eating piping hot-foods that burn your palate injure moth membranes, damage gastric stomach lining and degrate taste buds.
   
6. Decorate your plate
   Attractive food will stimulate your digestive juices!
   
7. Rotate foods
   Eating the same thing over and over again can lead to food allergies, sensitivities and intolerances. Eating a variety of food will nourish your body with a broader array of varied nutrients.
   
8. Listen to your body
   Take note of the foods you crave. Walk down the vegetables and fruits aisle and identify what smells good to you. What looks refreshing? What looks healthy?
   
9. Enzymes, enzymes, enzymes!
   Sprouted seeds, raw vegetables, raw fruits, nuts and seeds are loaded with live enzymes, the key to nutrient absorption and vibrant health.
   
10. Break the fast
    Always eat something substantial and healthy for breakfast. This is the time period when your stomach energies are at their strongest, and your digestive enzyme juices are ready to go- fresh fruit, oatmeal, millet or quinoa porridge are all good morning choices.
    
11. Nimble @ night
    Eat your last meal of the day at least couple of hours before bedtime. When you eat too late, you stress and wear out your body. A meal is not digested effectively when you go to sleep on a full stomach.
    
12. Choose cruciferous veggies
    Eat a lot of cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts or cauliflower. These will help you detox and energise your blood.
    
13. Drink your greens
    Once a week, make yourself a green juice- That's right, with vegetables. Here's one option, you can experiment with others: 1 carrot, 1 cucumber, 4 celery sticks, 1 fennel stalk, some spinach leaves, a tiny piece of root ginger, a parsley sprig and a handful of alfalfa sprouts (optional).
    
14. Food combine
    Fruit + Meat/Fish = Gas
    Fruit by itself = No gas
    In other words, eat foods together that don't compete.
    
15. Kidney massage
    Kidneys are the most important organs for overall vitality. At the end of each day, treat yourself to a kidney rub. Before retiring to bed, find your kidneys by placing your hands on your back below the waiste, but above your hips. Visualise a warm white light coursing through your body to your hands. Your hands will begin to feel warm as you transfer that heat and light into the kidneys. Massage the kidney region. Then lie down atop a ready-prepared hot water bottle.
    
16. Light exercise
    Any form of regular moderate exercise, stretching, walking, cycling, swimming tai chi- even dancing- will help move lymph, expel toxins, motivate teh blood and revitalise the body.
    
17. Rub a dub
    Before you get into the shower, take a body cloth, soak it into hot water and rub it all over your body, starting with the feet, and working all the way up.
    
18. Skin brush
    Brush your skin with a dry skin brush once a week to get your lymph moving.
    
19. Early to bed!
    The earlier you go to bed, the better you'll feel. The liver and gallblader conduct their detox work generally between 11pm and 2am. If you're not in bed by then, you disturb the natural cleansing process, and as a result, you'll feel sluggish. Follow the sunnah people!
    
20. Just be.
    Take 5 min of your time to "just be". Stop and reflect, before you start rushing for the day. These valuable moments will help to balance your biochemistry for the rest of the day.

Dr Gillian McKeith is the author of You are What You Eat.