Spreads and dips. The following are all suitable to use as alternatives to margarine or butter: avocado, hummus, baba ganoush, tahini, nut butter/spread (eg. peanut, almond, cashew, hazelnut or macadamia paste) and tomato paste.
Red wine. One glass daily with a meal for women and two glasses for men is an ideal quantity. It is best to have at least three alcohol free days per week.
Dark chocolate. A maximum of 100 grams per day is recommended. Look for chocolate that contains between 70 and 85 percent cocoa solids.
Green tea. Ideally you would drink three cups a day. If you do not like the taste of green tea, purchase a variety that has been flavoured with other herbs such as mint or lemon. Oolong tea is also highly beneficial.
Garlic and onion. These are best eaten raw, as cooking can damage some of the infection fighting properties they contain.
Spices. Ginger, turmeric, fenugreek, rosemary, cumin and others. Most spices have natural antibiotic actions and they are high in antioxidants, helping to reduce inflammation in your body. Many of them are helpful for stabilizing blood sugar levels, thus are good for people with Syndrome X and diabetes. Using spices in your cooking reduces the need for salt. Small amounts of sea salt can be used, unless you have high blood pressure and are sensitive to salt.
Grains. These are all fairly high in carbohydrate and should be limited.
Oats and barley are high in soluble fibre and have cholesterol lowering properties. Rolled oats are best used to make porridge; barley can be added to soups, and some bread contains added barley. Bread should be limited, and only that with a low GI or made of stone ground flour should be used.
Stevia. This can be obtained in powder, tablet and liquid form. Stevia is an ideal natural, non-calorie sweetener to use in place of sugar in tea, coffee and cooking.
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