After covering condensed milk, caramel and marzipan, the time has come for a health-related post. I admit that I have never been particularly health-concious: years ago at a group training when people were asked to list their values/priorities in life, I was the only one who had ‘health’ at the bottom.

I have, however, matured somewhat. While at the university I subsisted for months on alcohol, crispbread and cream cheese, I can now prepare almost all vegetables in a way that makes them acceptable for consumption. Unfortunately, my work has been so intense lately that I’m sliding back into bad habits. And it’s no use telling me that supplements are not a substitute for a wholesome diet or that I should revamp my eating entirely. This is not the time to do it, I need small, easy things that help make things less bad. Here they are:

1. Baobab powder. Yes, yes, it’s a fad, but everything that gets me to eat some breakfast is on the side of the angels. And unlike many other fads, this ‘superfood’ powder actually tastes good (intensely sour and sweet) – I add it to natural yoghurt in the morning and feel like I’ve done my body a favour.
2. Sunshine pills. Food supplements are a tricky subject, but vitamin D is probably among the least controversial. Especially if you happen to live in the north, basically in the shadow of Mordor, where you never see the sun. It’s difficult to get enough vitamin D from your food, so I take these pills by Strong Nutrients.
3. Herbal tea. I love both coffee and tea and I will never give up, don’t even start. If you do, I’ll arrange a meeting with you before I’ve had my coffee in the morning – that’ll teach you. But in the evenings, it’s absolutely OK to have a cup of herbal tea instead of a robust Yunnan. My favourites are mint, linden blossom and fennel.

4. Omega fatty acids. If there is one part of my diet that’s reasonably good, it’s my intake of omega fatty acids. I love fatty fish and avocado and they are both easy to incorporate into your diet. Avocado on toast is still the best combination of easy, tasty and healthy for breakfast (closely followed by salmon on toast. And then avocado AND salmon on toast). But to be on the safe side, I supplement with these capsules by Zelens.
5. A bottle. I don’t drink enough water and I’m not saying it because of some sort of 2.5 litre nonsense, but because I often feel thirsty. I don’t know, I just forget to drink. The only thing that helps is to have a water bottle on your desk at all times in a place where it’s impossible to miss. And to carry one with you at all times, too.
6. Gazpacho. You know how you order tomato juice on the plane, as it seems like the responsible choice? I have upgraded this behaviour by a degree and now we always have a good ready-made gazpacho in the fridge. When I haven’t eaten anything but sandwiches and biscuits the entire day, I’ll at least have a glass of this and I feel much better. Yes, I’m aware that this is not a valid long-term eating plan, but it’s a whole lot better than the sandwiches and biscuits without the gazpacho.
7. Flour alternatives. Let me make it very clear: I have absolutely no sensitivity to gluten and a slice of white bread with goat cheese and cloudberry jam is one of the best reasons to continue with living. But one doesn’t have to be a health nut to acknowledge that too much white flour is not in your best interest. When I have time to cook, I experiment with alternatives: my favourites are almond, coconut, chestnut and chickpea flour. I have bought mine at Sousechef, but there are other options, of course.

I can think of no attractive way to photograph chickpea flour, though…