Make sure to include 1.5 to 2 litres of water (can include herbal tea in this mix). To make sure this happens, I would suggest investing in a 750ml water bottle, and carry it around with you at all times. You want to drink two full water bottles every day.
First thing in the morning, before eating or drinking anything else, have a dessertspoon of apple cider vinegar (organic, Melrose is a good brand) in 150ml of warm or cool water. Have another 150mls of plain water to wash it down straight afterwards. I also strongly advise to invest in a decent water filter, so chlorine & heavy metals are filtered out of your drinking water.
A couple of suggestions for breakfast:
Suggestion 1: 1 to 2 poached eggs or dry ‘fried’ or boiled, preferably with soft yolks as you absorb more antioxidants that way (mainly lutein), add a good handful of spinach (can be lightly cooked or raw), add some crushed raw almonds, balsamic vinegar & olive oil dressing. Can also add cooked tomatoes, capsicum, zucchini & cucumber slices if desired.
Suggestion 2: Whole rolled oats (preferably organic) & better if you have soaked these in water overnight, drain the water (if there is any left), then add berries (can be frozen mixed berries, left with the oats & water overnight), a mix of blueberries, strawberries, blackberries & raspberries is good, add some full fat milk, or almond or soy. You can make any of these milks a lower fat version by adding water, much better than the skimmed milk versions that use chemicals to separate the fat from the milk!
In terms of what your plate looks like, be sure to include half a plateful of vegetables for lunch and dinner, with 5 to 8 different varieties. A list of some suggested (but by by no means complete!) vegetables you may like to include are mentioned later in this handout. You want 25% of your plate (1/4) to be some form of protein. Protein can be plant based or grains, as well as meat/fish based. Only 12.5% of your plate should be carbohydrate based, and it is always whole grains, never a processed, white flour based product.
Here are some suggestions for vegetables:
(most can be eaten raw, steamed, baked or dry fried)
- Asparagus
- Spinach
- Zucchini
- Rocket leaves
- Radicchio
- Cucumber
- Bok Choy
- Chinese Cabbage
- Capsicum (red is best)
- Mushrooms
- Edamames
- Green beans
- Sweet potatoes
- Mung beans
- Tomatoes (best cooked)
- Carrots
Protein Sources
- Chicken
- Beef
- Turkey
- Fish (can purchase snap frozen, make sure it is wild caught)
- Tofu
- Nuts/seeds
- Beans
- Black eyed peas
- Bortolini beans
- Hard aged cheese such as parmeson
- Full fat plain yoghurt
- Chick peas
- Quinoa
- Chia
- Wild rice
- Brown rice
- Bulgar wheat
- Multi grains
- (these last few are carbohydrates but contain protein as well, all whole grains do)
Use as many herbs and spices as you like to enhance dishes. This can include garlic, ginger, basil, coriander, parsley, lemongrass, curry leaves, pepper etc. If using salt, make sure it is Himalayan, murray river, celtic sea salt or some form of naturally formed salt, & it is used sparingly, ie. No more than half a teaspoon or less!
Fruit
1-2 serves per day
Best in order (but again, not a complete list)
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Oranges
- Passionfruit
- Bananas – only to be eaten sparingly as they are high in carbohydrate content, & high fruit sugar (unless you are completing a long haul bike ride, marathon run, exercising @ high intensity for more than two hours – you get the picture!)
Aim for at least 3 palm sized amounts of protein per day & two half sized amounts. Notice how much more satiated you feel by increasing good protein & extra vegetables in your way of eating.
This is a snack idea for morning & afternoon tea you may like to try J.
- Goji berries for iron
- Cacao nibs for magnesium
- Walnuts for tryptophan
- Pecans for vitamin E
- Almonds for calcium
- Sunflower seeds for vitamin E
- Pepitas for zinc
You can make this up in bulk, but store in snap lock bags with about a palm sized amount in each bag. Store this in the fridge to keep it fresh. You can have equal amounts of each ingredient, or slightly less goji berries and cacoa nibs.
This is a list of suggested foods so if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me! I am very happy to provide you with a list of recipes as well. Let me know if there are any foods or condiments that don’t agree with you, or you would like to know if you can include them.
Here’s to happy, healthy eating!