It took a combination of eating healthy food and doing vigorous exercise but he is now as fit as a fiddle, is much more amiable and uses the Fit word more frequently than the F-word.
He tells his inspirational life changing story in Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Fit Food and has filled it with 100 healthy recipes. His great hope is that it will inspire you to get cooking to improve your own health whatever your personal goal.
Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Fit Food is divided into three sections but there are no rigid rules. You can mix and match to suit whatever you feel your body needs to achieve the desired result.
Section One is for those who want to maintain a healthy body weight. Section Two is full of ‘lean ‘recipes for those keen to lose some. And if you plan to take part in Endurance sports there is excellent information in Section Three about the best kinds of food to eat to build strength beforehand and re-energise afterwards.
I don’t aspire to running fifteen marathons or take part in iron man race as Gordon has done. My hip replacement is a perfect excuse!
But the thought of losing a few kilos and feeling healthier and more energetic spurred me on to try out a bunch of his recipes on a rainy day when I was home alone.
My day in the kitchen with Gordon Ramsay
A wake-up drink: Apple, Mint, Spinach, Lime and Cucumber Juice.
Bleary eyed I forego my early morning cuppa and sip on an apple, mint, spinach, lime and cucumber juice. I can’t believe I’m about to imbibe a handful of raw spinach before breakfast! However this bright green juice tastes remarkably refreshing. Served over ice in a tall glass it could almost pass for a mocktail.
Breakfast: Gordon’s 2 egg omelette
After taking our Labrador for a walk along the beach I have worked up a healthy appetite.
I don’t have any tarragon to hand but a sprig of coriander does just as well. Courgettes can be bland so I add a light sprinkle of parmesan.
Research shows that those who eat two eggs for breakfast will eat fewer calories over the rest of the day. And it’s working. I last until lunchtime without snacking.
Lunch: Watermelon, Feta and Mint Salad
The pink watermelon, the red rimmed white radishes, and the green sugar snap peas look gorgeous arranged artistically on a white plate. Almost to pretty to eat! The feta, yoghurt and mint dressing is dribbled over it. A cooling summery salad, it is supposedly packed with vital energy.
Snacks: Banana Crisps
But the weather is hot and humid so by mid-afternoon lethargy sets in. I decide to bake some wafer thin slices of banana. They take longer than I had hoped, about two hours, but when they have crisped up they are a guiltless before dinner snack. My grandchildren would love these. You can do the same with apples.
A Three Course Dinner
This won’t be the kind of elegant complicated food served in his Michelin starred restaurants but the more casual kind of food Gordon makes for his family at home. It’s our kind of food too. We like relaxed dining.
Appetiser: Mexican Prawn Cocktail
Mexican food is available everywhere in Los Angeles where he and his family live for part of each year. Gordon is passionate about it.
So I make his Mexican prawn cocktail for the starter. Unlike its traditional British counterpart (a dinner party favourite in the sixties) this one is not smothered in mayonnaise so much healthier!
A dash of hot Mexican sauce is optional but I think it benefits from a little fire and it adds an authentic Mexican flavour.
The Main Course: Celebration Side of Salmon and Wasabi
This recipe can easily be scaled up to feed more or scaled down to feed one. It is really quick to put together, tastes delicious and is very versatile as it can be served hot, lukewarm or even cold.
Dessert: Chocolate and Avocado Mousse
Gordon promises this will be a knockout because an avocado’s silky creamy texture works really well with chocolate. I am a little dubious but give it a go. The mousse is served in little shot glasses. It is irresistible. I have two helpings so have probably blown my healthy diet for the day!
I really enjoyed trying these recipes and can’t wait to make them again for family and friends. Not only are they healthy but they were so flavoursome and easy to put together!
Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Fit Food by Gordon Ramsay is published by Hodder & Stoughton. RRP $39.99
Reviews by Lyn Potter
Parent and grandparent, Avid traveller, writer & passionate home cook