This way of eating chooses local, organic products for better health.

Your diet has an enormous impact on your well being. Good choices can prevent disease, control your weight and help you to feel good about yourself. If you eat well, you live better.

A few years ago, this was the inspiration behind Happy Food Motion, a way of eating focused on fruit, vegetables and pulses, with very little red meat, flour or refined sugar, that promotes consumption of local, organic, seasonal products and less animal protein (meat, fish, eggs, dairy).

There is evidence that this type of diet aids good digestion, reduces toxins, encourages long-term weight control, and balances iron, glucose, cholesterol and uric acid levels. It also improves restorative sleep and enhances mood.

This food therapy raises people’s awareness of the importance of diet and giving sufficient time and attention to what you put in your shopping cart and meals. It means learning to enjoy fresh, natural food to feel more energetic and balanced.

Its founder, Mareva Guilloz, a nutritional coach and dietician, compares food to an orchestra made up of different instruments. “If you play with good quality instruments, combining them properly and keeping the tempo right, the result is a beautiful melody”. In this case, our instruments are ingredients and we are composers.

Keys to therapeutic eating

This nutritional philosophy consists of following some simple, practical, flexible rules to improve quality of life and wellbeing.

1. Superfoods: these highly nutritious foods are packed with vitamins and minerals and have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. A real ally in your quest for health. In powder form, there is camu camu (the fruit with the most vitamin C), cumin (protects the liver) and bee pollen (energising, ideal for students). Raw superfoods include chia seeds (which contain omega-3 that helps with high blood pressure), almonds, avocado and beetroot (source of betalains, which improves the circulation).
2. Aromatic herbs: add a burst of flavour to your recipes and have some excellent effects on the body. To get the full benefit, they should be eaten fresh. Eat mint (good for congestion), oregano (antibacterial), basil (good for the digestion), laurel (diuretic) or coriander (helps in cases of insomnia).
3. Wholegrain cereals: are grains that have not been refined. The germ, which contains vitamins and minerals, and most of the fibre, stay in the grain. These help to prevent cholesterol and heart disease, protect the eyes and promote mental health. Include brown rice, oats, buckwheat and rye.
4. Animal proteins: select organic and/or high-quality fish and meat and fish, and eat in moderation. Try to eat equal amounts of animal and vegetable protein (pulses, soya, quinoa). If you have a chicken breast for lunch, choose vegetables for dinner.
5. Fermented foods: are processed to produce probiotics or good bacteria, which are good for gut flora. Among these foods are yoghurt, cheese, cured foods and saurkraut (white cabbage fermented with vinegar and spices).
6. Seasonal fruit and vegetables: seasonal produce tastes better, is more nutritious and more economical. October, for example, is the season for avocados, persimmons, pomegranates, kiwis, mangos, pears, bananas and grapes. The vegetables in season at the moment are chard, artichokes, aubergine, pumpkin, endive, tomato and curly cabbage.
7. Products with triptophan: this is an aminoacid we get from food. It is essential, because it synthesises seratonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for sleep, controlling the appetite and general wellbeing. Include oats and brown rice, fruit like banana and pineapple, vegetables like peppers, cress and spinach, and fresh oily fish like anchovies, sardines, mackerel and tuna.

Happy Food Motion suggests eating raw foods, which contain more nutrients, every day. This way of eating is designed to be flexible, so you can enjoy and appreciate what you eat and benefit at the same time.

Think of your body as a temple. You only get one.

This post is also available in: Italian