I have recently been asked if my yoga clients apply their knowledge of movement being a contributor to good health to the extent to incorporate food or rather their diet to overall wellness.

I could not really answer the question other than pointing out that it depends...

There is clear evidence that movement assists with wellbeing and there also is for diet being a vital part of overall health. Both of the statements only really seem to surprise us westerners in other cultures this simply is common sense.

So what about food?

It is surprisingly easy to get your hands on unhealthy, processed food whether that is your local take away or a visit to any supermarket, most of what you find is processed or at a minimum riped in a warehouse, which make fruits and vegetables not only pretty tasteless but they also loose the nutritional value.

The other reality which shocks me to the core is that the modern human cannot cook. I never had children but it mesmerises me how anyone could possibly raise children and not teach them how to cook, even the basics.

I am neither a vegetarian nor a vegan, though I see the merits of both to a certain extent, but I also see problems with it: If my jackfruit travels to me from the other side of the world or my vegan cheese originates from Greece. It somewhat defeats the point.

Regarding eating meat source it locally preferably from a farm where you know how the animals are treated and kill a chicken at least once in your life. It will change how you make sure you use all the goodness of the animal you have just killed.

My origins are German so I have been brought up with a lot of fish in my diet. North Germans are called fish heads by the rest of the country and this includes very odd dishes such as the original Labshkaus, containing Hering, corned beef, beetroot, potatoes, fried eggs and gherkins (if you must know):

Another well known fact apart from the intake of beer in Germany are sausages-> I still think we are in the middle of a recession if I enter a Scottish butcher:

Two other dishes I should mention are: "Grünkohl mit Kassler" (green cabbage with salted pork & sausages):

For the North of Germany we traditionally eat "Spargel mit Schinken" (Arparagus with smoked ham):

If none of this appears to be very healthy to you you are probably right. How did I survive my upbringing?

"Variety is the spice of life" and that also applies to meat obsessed Germans. I love to cook utilising recipes right across the world. It was my dad who taught me how to cook and he was a pharmacist so there was always a chemistry experiment element in the game of preparing food.

I love spices and with that borrowing from India is a good thing

During my quiet season I also prepare fresh food, milling my own flour to avoid loosing nutrients, adding fruit and vegetables and often cooking meat-free:

Living in Scotland you can easily rely on some standard, such as Porridge:

Or Overnight Oats:

I personally also adore Scottish Broth, self-made of course:

During the summer months I eat out a lot because I am away from home for much of the time and true to my origins seafood features and Scotland is good at this outdoors:

Or indoor in the gorgeous Taigh an Eilean:

My main advice on food is borrow from all cultures, prepare from scratch, even if you have never cooked in your life; recipes are readily available online, in books, ask friends etc, make it an experiment, make it fun, the cookieng as well as the eating and look out for the good things.

If you do not know what they are, seek help, do some online courses.