Whole foods for energy and beauty
There are a lot of words that buzz around diet, food and healthy eating at present…gluten free, wholefoods, sugar free, paleo, vegan, pescetarian, the list goes on. Admittedly, when you are looking at reshaping your health, sometimes it can be hard to decide what direction is the ‘right’ one to take.
With that in mind, remember, you must always do what is best suited to you. What a friend, partner, sister or colleague might be practicing in their diet and lifestyle may not suit your individual needs. Keep in mind that you are unique and must respond to your body accordingly.
So you may be sitting here and thinking, well what next? Well, broadly speaking it is simply moving back to basics in food and learning how to keep it clean, natural and wholesome. The more you scratch things back the better you feel. From there you tweak to make it right for you.
Eating ‘clean’ means you enrich your life with beautiful nourishing whole foods, with the aim to eliminate those foods that are processed, refined, high in sugar, sodium, preservatives and additives. In another column I speak of how to build a wholefoods pantry and lay the foundations for health with your food. About clearing out some of the clutter in your diet and lifestyle so you have room for the new.
Let’s take an average day on a plate and transform it a little so you can see the difference. This is often the type of eating I might see when I ask clients to describe their diet for me. Below you’ll see some examples of what is happening and then I’ll provide some nourishing alternatives.
BREAKFAST
The Norm:
Instant coffee with skim and a sugar, glass of juice, bowl of commercial cereal with skim milk and banana or piece of toast with butter and jam/honey.
The Nourishing:
Warm cup of water with a squeeze of lemon (to start), cup of green or regular tea (no sugar), bowl of whole oats as a bircher or porridge with fresh berries/grated apple/banana or piece of toast with avocado and lemon/boiled egg/tomato, herbs and tahini
MID MORNING
The Norm:
Coffee with a sugar, packaged biscuit, muesli bar or piece of banana bread
The Nourishing:
Coffee no sugar or better yet herbal tea, small handful of raw almonds or a Citrus Bliss Ball you’ve brought from home
LUNCH
The Norm:
Chicken wrap, store purchased or a sandwich with deli meats and vegetables or nothing at all
The Nourishing:
A bowl made to nourish including quinoa, avocado, tomatoes, carrot, sauerkraut, zucchini, seeds, kale, spinach, capsicum, poached chicken/fish/boiled egg/legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans) and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice
MID AFTERNOON
The Norm:
Chocolate bar, sometimes a coffee or soft drink
The Nourishing:
Apple with some almond butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon or vege sticks with hummus
DINNER
The Norm:
Stir fry, grilled steak, bbq chicken with vegetables/salad or take away
The Nourishing:
Stir fry, steak or chicken above are good, adding grilled fish (salmon/trout) or some purely meat free meals are wonderful to include in the repertoire
DESSERT
The Norm:
Ice cream or milk chocolate
The Nourishing:
Piece of raw choc mint bark
Can you spot the difference? There’s nothing overly complex about The Nourishing, simply you’ve scratched away the elements that don’t fuel your body in the way it yearns to be, you’re giving it the pure unadulterated nutrition it loves for good energy and glowing skin. There’s alternatives in there that are quicker and easier than the norm and will nourish you so well that you’ll crave more of it.
Fun isn’t it? That is precisely what good health can do for you. It can enrich your life and make it even more fun because you have the energy to bound through it. Ready to make some changes just for you?
There are a lot of words that buzz around diet, food and healthy eating at present…gluten free, wholefoods, sugar free, paleo, vegan, pescetarian, the list goes on. Admittedly, when you are looking at reshaping your health, sometimes it can be hard to decide what direction is the ‘right’ one to take.
With that in mind, remember, you must always do what is best suited to you. What a friend, partner, sister or colleague might be practicing in their diet and lifestyle may not suit your individual needs. Keep in mind that you are unique and must respond to your body accordingly.
So you may be sitting here and thinking, well what next? Well, broadly speaking it is simply moving back to basics in food and learning how to keep it clean, natural and wholesome. The more you scratch things back the better you feel. From there you tweak to make it right for you.
Eating ‘clean’ means you enrich your life with beautiful nourishing whole foods, with the aim to eliminate those foods that are processed, refined, high in sugar, sodium, preservatives and additives. In another column I speak of how to build a wholefoods pantry and lay the foundations for health with your food. About clearing out some of the clutter in your diet and lifestyle so you have room for the new.
Let’s take an average day on a plate and transform it a little so you can see the difference. This is often the type of eating I might see when I ask clients to describe their diet for me. Below you’ll see some examples of what is happening and then I’ll provide some nourishing alternatives.
BREAKFAST
The Norm:
Instant coffee with skim and a sugar, glass of juice, bowl of commercial cereal with skim milk and banana or piece of toast with butter and jam/honey.
The Nourishing:
Warm cup of water with a squeeze of lemon (to start), cup of green or regular tea (no sugar), bowl of whole oats as a bircher or porridge with fresh berries/grated apple/banana or piece of toast with avocado and lemon/boiled egg/tomato, herbs and tahini
MID MORNING
The Norm:
Coffee with a sugar, packaged biscuit, muesli bar or piece of banana bread
The Nourishing:
Coffee no sugar or better yet herbal tea, small handful of raw almonds or a Citrus Bliss Ball you’ve brought from home
LUNCH
The Norm:
Chicken wrap, store purchased or a sandwich with deli meats and vegetables or nothing at all
The Nourishing:
A bowl made to nourish including quinoa, avocado, tomatoes, carrot, sauerkraut, zucchini, seeds, kale, spinach, capsicum, poached chicken/fish/boiled egg/legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans) and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice
MID AFTERNOON
The Norm:
Chocolate bar, sometimes a coffee or soft drink
The Nourishing:
Apple with some almond butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon or vege sticks with hummus
DINNER
The Norm:
Stir fry, grilled steak, bbq chicken with vegetables/salad or take away
The Nourishing:
Stir fry, steak or chicken above are good, adding grilled fish (salmon/trout) or some purely meat free meals are wonderful to include in the repertoire
DESSERT
The Norm:
Ice cream or milk chocolate
The Nourishing:
Piece of raw choc mint bark
Can you spot the difference? There’s nothing overly complex about The Nourishing, simply you’ve scratched away the elements that don’t fuel your body in the way it yearns to be, you’re giving it the pure unadulterated nutrition it loves for good energy and glowing skin. There’s alternatives in there that are quicker and easier than the norm and will nourish you so well that you’ll crave more of it.
Fun isn’t it? That is precisely what good health can do for you. It can enrich your life and make it even more fun because you have the energy to bound through it. Ready to make some changes just for you?
