Simple Salads

"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are," said the famed French epicurean Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. If you're ever feeling a little worse for wear, perhaps a tad run down or prone to illness, hit refresh on what you're eating and drinking and you may find it's the quick fix you need without even having to visit the pharmacy.

I'm a firm believer in holistic self improvement through positive and selective eating - and have even coined my own version of the 5:2 diet; eat like a saint for five days of the week, and indulge (moderately) for two. That's not to say that eating 'like a saint' means eating low calorie foods with minimal nutritional value! It means justifying every bite of food you eat by its health benefits. It's as easy a choice as swapping chips for a baked sweet potato, white bread for rye or - my favourite - a sugary dessert for a handful of Medjool dates. These small changes to your diet are the ones that give you consistent levels of energy, better skin, hair and weight management, make you feel happier and ultimately ward off illness. Of course, there's always a reason to indulge in cheesecake because life's too short...

Follow these simple salad recipes - none of which need more than five key ingredients - if you are looking for a wholesome yet delicious quick health fix.

Mixed beetroot salad - Beetroots are packed with vitamin A, iron, folic acid, potassium and magnesium and help to lower blood pressure. This is the recipe for you if you're feeling anaemic and tired.

Kale and cous cous salad - kale needs no introduction as the superstar of the superfood world. With more iron gram for gram than beef, it's also packed with antioxidants, fibre, vitamins C, A and K.

Cold soba noodle salad with veal - soba noodles provide the good kind of carb fix, since buckwheat has a low GI and will sustain you through the day. Ethical rose veal is a wonderful low fat, high protein alternative to beef.

Grilled radicchio, apricot and goat's cheese salad - apricots are high in fibre, and vitamins A and C, all of which are vital for a healthy heart. Radicchio meanwhile is high in vitamin K, great for protection against osteoporosis.