Eat well with the help of Chewton Glen

If you are still feeling bloated and overweight from the holidays, chances are you are thinking about heading to a spa or changing your eating habits.

My favourite UK spa is Chewton Glen on the edge of the New Forest in Hampshire. It has recently joined forces with nutritionist Amanda Griggs, based at the Balance Clinic in Chelsea, London to create two cleansing programmes. If you can’t get on one of those, a day trip to the spa or, better still a weekend, is a wonderfully, indulgent treat.

Chewton Glen Spa

The spa “lunch” menu has been geared more towards an alkaline diet, with the help of Amanda.   

I’m sure you have all heard about this diet as it was one of the most talked about last year. Gwyneth Paltrow was reportedly a fan. But, just in case you haven’t, the theory is that eating certain foods can help maintain the body’s pH balance and alkaline fanatics claim that it helps to give you more energy and is protective of bone health.

“The ideal alkaline diet would heavily feature antioxidant-rich vegetables, fruits and salts with a mineral content that neutralises excess acid,” says Kerry Hudson, Chewton Glen’s spa manager.

In short, on this diet you eat mostly vegetarian foods, choosing wholegrains over processed foods and cutting back on acid-forming foods such as meat and dairy.

Kerry told me that Amanda suggests that 70 per cent of what you eat should be alkaline foods and 30 per cent acid, so you can still eat your oily fish and meat. The spa’s mouth-watering buffet has dishes such as cottage cheese or salmon, so you don’t have to be an alkaline aficionado to enjoy it. 

Here is a delicious recipe from Chewton Glen’s executive head chef, Luke Matthews to bring a touch of the exotic to your lunch table whether you follow the diet or not.

Morrocan spiced courgettes

1kg courgettes, sliced lengthways
2 lemons, juiced and zested
6 tbspn spice mix
1 bunch  chopped coriander
Drizzle olive oil

Morrocan spice
 

1 orange zested,
½ cup  ground cumin
½ cup ground coriander
½ cup ground ginger
¼ cup hot chilli powder
¼ cup cracked black pepper
1/8 cup turmeric
1/8 cup ground cinnamon
1/8 cup salt,
1/8 cup sugar
¼ tspn ground cloves

Mix all ingredients. Weigh total amount then mix in the same of raz el hanout.

Method

Marinate the courgettes over night with the lemon juice, spice mix and a little olive oil. Next day, roast courgettes in the oven for 12 minutes basting throughout. Finish with the coriander and more olive oil.

By Daralyn Danns

For more information about the spa and treatments visit www.chewtonglen.com