The GLOW Method of Healthy Eating
By Erin Deborah Waks
I’d like to start this off by saying I am not, and will never be, a food, healthy-eating or nutrition expert. I have no expertise in the matter beyond my lived experience with eating disorders, and a basic understanding that eating well can help you to feel good from the inside out. That’s all.
But I’m also someone who, when faced with a commitment to a diet of sorts, will take it to the extreme. If I start calorie counting, I can’t stop; if I decide to cut out carbs, I won’t so much as touch a single spaghetto (grammatically accurate, I promise - Google it); and if I decide to cut out sweet treats, you won’t even catch me having cake on my birthday. So the only ‘rule’ I follow when it comes to my diet is ‘there are no rules’. It’s the only way that works for me.
That said, I always want to look after my health. So when I read SkinFood: Your 4-Step Solution to Healthy, Happy Skin by Dr Thivi Maruthappu, I was delighted to read her method. Yes, it’s aim is to help you create beautiful skin, but her simple approach to a balanced diet is a great baseline to ensure a healthy intake of food groups without being restrictive.
In her book, she suggests the use of the acronym GLOW.
G is for ‘green’ - fruits and vegetables. The more variety and colour, the better.
L is for ‘lean protein’, such as tofu, salmon and chickpeas.
O is for ‘oils’ - those healthy fats we’re encouraged to eat, including nuts and seeds.
W is for ‘wholegrains’, which provide fibre and promote a healthy gut environment.
While it would be very difficult to ensure every meal encompasses all of the above - sometimes we all just want a slice of pizza for breakfast - this is a real baseline for planning meals that both taste good and make you feel good. While I’ll leave the science to the experts - I’d really recommend reading this book - I’ll share some of my creative go-to recipes that sneak in the whole GLOW system…
Breakfast
Greek yoghurt (with added protein powder, if you like), granola with nuts and seeds, a spoon of peanut butter and mixed berries - use frozen for a budget-friendly take
Sourdough toast with avocado, smoked salmon and seeds on top - I like to add a side of Sriracha sauce
@White Mulberries, Marylebone
@Cleo, Belgravia
Lunch
Kale caesar salad with grilled chicken, croutons and (copious amounts of) dressing
Tahini and sundried tomato pasta with added spinach and chickpeas (this is my favourite recipe ever - Sun-dried Tomato Tahini Pasta - Eat With Clarity)
Greek salad with added chickpeas and mixed seeds for crunch
A salad made up of whatever’s in my fridge - greens of sorts (such as kale and beetroot), a protein (chickpeas, eggs or chicken), healthy fats (a French dressing) and grains (such as lentils, quinoa or seeds)
Dinner
Salmon and broccoli grilled with sesame oil, ginger, garlic, honey and soy sauce served with wholegrain rice
Pesto on wholegrain pasta with tomatoes and chickpeas
Stir fry noodles with mixed vegetables, tempeh (or any protein!) with a sauce made of equal parts of the following: nut butter, lemon juice, sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil and a dash of garlic and ginger)
Steak with roasted kale and/or broccoli and rice
Ramen with rice noodles, veg and eggs, topped with sesame oil
And then, of course, cinnamon buns for dessert…
