No single food is the elixir of a long and healthy life. But foods do work together in a big chemical reaction to give your body the energy it needs to get by, the materials to repair and replace the worn out cells, and the minerals and vitamins that make our organs function correctly.

So it does make sense that eating the right foods (in the right amounts!) can make a real difference to how we feel, and how quickly our bodies age.

A new book by Robyn Martin not only tells us which foods will help our heart, boost our brain power, keep our joints working smoothly, reduce our cholesterol and keep our skin in tip top nick. She also puts them into delicious recipes.

And no, it’s not all about eating lentils and tofu - delicious as they are. The 70 recipes in here are designed to appeal to your palate as well as keep your body feeling good.

There’s Salmon Puffs with Chopped Egg and Avocado - great tasting and helpful for those of us feeling the pinch in our joints.

Toasted breakfast muffins with fresh fruit is in here to keep our ticker ticking, together with sweet potato and watercress vichyssoise.

And it’s a long way from being expensive cuisine too. Above is Robyn’s treatment of one of my favourite lunches:  sardines on toast. The difference is in the little extras!

Published by Ebury Press priced £9.99, and available from all good bookshops.

Sample recipe

Sardine Lunch Toasties

(Serves three)

3 slices wholegrain bread    

106 g can of sardines in tomato sauce

1 egg white

1 carrot

1 large handful baby spinach leaves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

freshly ground black pepper

Toast bread on one side. Mash sardines. Beat egg white until soft peaks form. Fold sardine mixture into egg white. Divide mixture among bread slices, spreading on the untoasted side. Grill until puffed and lightly golden. Scrub carrot and grate. Remove toast from oven. Place each slice on a serving plate. Top with baby spinach then grated carrot. Drizzle lemon juice over and grind black pepper over. Serve immediately.