By Dr Dilis Clare

Good metabolic health is not about buying expensive organic superfoods, measuring microscopic grams of carbohydrates or following complicated diet trends. The Cut the Crap Health Plan is about keeping things practical, using what you already have and making simple choices that support your health over time.

Imagine taking the useful parts of everyday life in the mid-20th century and bringing them into the present. Family photographs often show people at a healthier weight. People moved more naturally, cooked with basic ingredients and had fewer ultra-processed foods constantly within reach. The past was not perfect, and this is not about nostalgia. It is about recovering the helpful structure and natural limits that modern life has quietly removed.

This practical approach may help protect the body from metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, while also supporting the management of chronic inflammation. It is not a replacement for individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Keep the house comfortably cooler

Turning the heating down slightly encourages the body to use energy to keep warm. Dr Dilis suggests aiming for comfortable rather than cold: add a jumper, warm socks or a hot-water bottle before automatically turning the thermostat up. You can also finish a shower with slightly cooler water, gradually reducing the temperature as your body becomes accustomed to it. Swimming in the sea, a lake or a cooler pool may suit some people, but it should always be approached safely and according to personal health and ability.

Use everyday movement

Mow the lawn, garden, clean the car, scrub the floor, walk where you can or park farther from the entrance. Moving through ordinary daily tasks helps muscles use glucose from meals. Exercise does not have to begin with an expensive gym membership. Chores, gardening and walking all count.

Turn off the screens

Less screen time can mean less passive, mindless eating, better sleep and less exposure to constant advertising for snacks and ultra-processed foods. Eat with other people when possible. When eating alone, try to eat without distraction and pay attention to the food, your appetite and the point at which you feel satisfied.

Shop for ingredients, not temptations

Avoid unnecessary stops at shops and petrol stations, and shop from a list. Choose basic ingredients such as potatoes, vegetables, grains, rice, butter and other dairy products, meat, chicken and fish according to your own diet and budget. Include roots and above-ground vegetables, with different colours, textures and varieties. Fresh and tinned foods can both have a place, depending on cost, convenience and nutritional value.

Buy less and waste less

Buy small amounts regularly, especially when cooking for one or two people. Use what remains before the next shop to make a Friday soup, stew or casserole. Consider all the hidden effort involved in convenience foods, including packaging, carrying, recycling and waste. When time is limited and finances allow, paying for help with batch cooking can sometimes save both money and energy.

Make thrift attractive

Thrift means managing money, food and resources carefully, without waste. It is not the same as deprivation or miserliness. Buy more nourishing food and fewer specialist cleaning products. Use simple cleaning methods and a little more elbow grease where practical. Keeping fewer snack foods in the cupboard also creates a useful natural limit. A sweet treat can still be enjoyed consciously, rather than appearing as hidden sugar in a heavily processed meal.

The herbal connection

Herbs and spices can enhance a good diet, add flavour and contribute useful plant compounds. Start with small amounts and build up gradually according to taste and tolerance.

Nigella seeds: Add to yoghurt, mashed banana, soft cheese, soups, stews, dhal and other one-pot meals. Dr Dilis discusses their traditional use and their content of essential fatty acids.

Thyme, garlic and sage: Use regularly in soups, stews and casseroles. They have a long culinary tradition, particularly in winter cooking. Thyme is also traditionally used in preparations for chesty coughs, while sage is traditionally associated with the throat and with clarity of mind.

Fenugreek seeds: These provide fibre and minerals and are traditionally used to support blood-sugar balance and hormonal transitions. Their flavour is strong, so begin with a small amount.

Cinnamon: Add to yoghurt, porridge, mashed banana, stewed apple or smoothies. It is widely used for flavour and is discussed in relation to digestion and metabolic health.

Seaweed: Dulse, carrageen and sloke, also called laver or nori, provide trace minerals and have a long history in Irish coastal food traditions. Historically, coastal communities gathered sleabhac or sleabhacán in spring, boiling it into a nutrient-rich jelly or cooking it with bacon in a dish known locally as slack.

Dr Dilis suggests using small culinary amounts of seaweed rather than large quantities. Anyone taking thyroid medication, anyone with a thyroid condition, or anyone who has been advised to limit iodine should speak with their GP, pharmacist or qualified healthcare professional before increasing seaweed intake. Follow-up blood tests may be appropriate when dietary iodine intake changes significantly.

If you do this, you have nailed it

The secret to modern health may not always lie in chasing the newest nutrition trend. It may begin with a sensible step back: more home cooking, more natural movement, fewer distractions, less waste, simple ingredients and a generous use of culinary herbs and spices.

Recommended reading

Medicinal Seasonings: The Healing Power of Spices by Dr Keith Scott explores the relationship between culinary tradition and modern medical science. Writing as a medical doctor and researcher, Dr Scott examines how familiar kitchen spices may contribute to preventive health.

The book focuses on commonly used seasonings and the plant compounds they contain. It discusses inflammation, antioxidant activity and metabolic health, with chapters on ingredients such as turmeric, garlic, onions, ginger, cinnamon and chilli peppers. Its central message is that supporting long-term health does not necessarily require exotic supplements. The deliberate and regular use of everyday culinary spices can be a practical place to begin.

Want to hear more? Tune in to this episode of The Herb Doctor Podcast, where Dr Dilis Clare and Catriona dive deeper into the "Cut the Crap" approach — from everyday herbs and spices to simple swaps for better metabolic health.

Health notice

This article is for general educational information only. It does not replace personalised medical advice. Speak with your GP, pharmacist or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional before changing medication, using herbs medicinally, increasing iodine intake or making significant dietary changes, particularly if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or living with a medical condition.