Natural, unrefined whole grain foods - brown rice, whole wheat, barley, millet, maize, etc. Any foods made from these are good, e.g., bread, cereals, cakes, whole wheat pasta.

Most vegetables apart from those mentioned in the list below. Try and find locally grown organic vegetables where possible, and vegetables that are in season (e.g. root vegetables in winter and leafy ones in summer).

White meat, such as chicken, turkey, and wild birds like pheasant or pigeon (preferably organic and free-range). White seafood such as plaice, haddock, shrimp or prawns.

Vegetable oils and margarine such as sunflower or sesame.

Beans, pulses, nuts, and seeds. This includes tofu and bean sprouts. Nuts and seeds should be roasted where possible, rather than raw.

Fruit and berries in moderation, preferably local. Dried fruits such as raisins and cherries are better as they are less acidic.

Soya milk and soya yoghurt or rice milk are best, but otherwise low fat milk, yoghurts and cheese are better than full fat.

Herb teas and china tea.

Honey is better than sugar for cooking or in tea, but should be used sparingly.

Scrambled eggs and omelettes.

Natural sea salt (in moderation). Soya sauce is better.

Processed foods. Any food with preservatives, flavourings, colourings, or other chemicals in it. The more processed food is, the less natural it is, so fast foods and ready meals are generally not good for you.

Processed grains, such as white flour, white bread, white pasta.

Deep fried foods. Roasting or stir-frying is better.

Tobacco, alcohol, drugs, coffee, chocolate, sugar and sweets.

Spices, rock salt, pepper, vinegar, pickles.

Red meat such as beef, pork, lamb. Also any food containing gelatin and other processed animal products, such as meat stock cubes.

Red and blue fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines. Also avoid crab and other seafood that tend to feed on waste matter.

Potatoes, tomatoes, aubergines, spinach and rhubarb. These contain substances such as oxalic acid which over time can build up and cause ill health. The first three are members of the deadly nightshade family.

Animal fats such as lard. Also any bird or fish that is fatty.

Full fat milk, yoghurts, cheese, cream, icecream and dairy products. Boiled or fried eggs.

Acidic fruits like bitter apples, and exotic fruits like pineapples, mangoes, etc.

If you have any medical problems or concerns you should check with your doctor before changing your diet.

Avoid cold and raw food. Cooking helps the body digest food.

Only eat when hungry, not out of habit. Overeating puts a strain on the digestion.

It is important that diet is balanced. When changing diet it is easy to forget that we need to have enough variety to ensure that we get all the proteins, vitamins and other nutrients that we need. When reducing the intake of some foods, it is often necessary to make sure that other foods are eaten to replace what is missing. For example if you stop eating meat, then other foods like tofu, beans and seeds are needed to ensure there is enough protein in the diet. It is worth checking which foods contain which vitamins and other nutrients to make sure that the right balance is achieved.