Good afternoon beautiful people,
Chronic stress and depleted lifestyle? Did you know we can lower our stress and balance our adrenals with our diet? If not, we can end up with constant fatigue, depression, pain, severe inflammation and hormonal imbalances.
Furthermore good food supports good sleep which in turn gives us energy for exercise and a positive outlook.
So for breakfast I recommend a super smoothie that will keep you going until lunch time. Containing protein, omega 3, fibre, fruit and fats with vegetables such as half an avocado and watercress, it is balanced to meet your cellular needs.
Most importantly I recommend time restricted eating.
Time restricted eating that is healthy and safe for all means finishing the last meal early in the evening and having a complete overnight fast for 14 hours.
By lunchtime I want to focus on mineral-rich starchy carbohydrates such as baked sweet potato, squash, yams, and potatoes, combined with a big salad filled with as many different types of organic leaves as possible like baby chard, watercress, rocket, mixed lettuces, and herbs. Those on a keto version for their diet avoid these.
Add some healthy fat such as half an avocado and some clean protein to the plate. Vegans and vegetarians may want to use a half cup of organic rinsed black beans, or chickpeas or hummus, and a tbsp of hemp seeds or a cup of cooked quinoa. If you eat animal proteins, choose anything from 80 to 140 grams of grass-fed, pastured meat,*
Grass and pasture raised meat is not as inflammatory as grain fed meat.
wild salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring or mackerel or a little sheep or goats cheese.
*It is not possible to get grass fed pork or chicken so we try and avoid them.
So lunch looks like :
- A big salad with mixed baby greens baby chard, rocket, water cress and mixed lettuces topped with half an avocado, sliced red onion, tomato, cucumber.
- 1 cup baked sweet potatoes or squash seasoned with a little himalayan salt, cumin, and paprika.
- 1 cup steam fried mushrooms
- 1 Tbsp hummus
- 1 cup organic asparagus steamed and seasoned with garlic and black pepper, or cooked in a little oil and a tbsp of water.
- 1 tbsp hemp seeds or, eggs, wild salmon, anchovies or sardines
- 2tbsp kimchi or sauerkraut
- a little chopped red onion
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon, fresh garlic and herb-infused salt and olive oil.
The goal is to eat as many vegetables as possible, a low-moderate amount of fats coming from either avocado, nuts, seeds, avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil, or ghee and at least 15 – 20g of protein.
A bit more on carbs
Create your meals with fibrous carbs as the base then use starchy carbs in moderation (m=no more than a cup).
Fibrous carbs ; broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, asparagus, zucchini, spinach, salad greens, collard greens, micro-greens, all bell peppers, raw carrots, celery, cucumber, cabbage, cilantro, tomatoes, beet tops, onions, garlic, zucchini.
Natural starchy carbs; sweet potatoes, cooked carrots, all potato varieties, jerusalem artichoke, squash, beets, oatmeal, wild rice, quinoa, and all fruits. Starchy carbs that come from fruits and vegetables, rather than grains are more alkalising, hydrating, nutrient-dense, and great for weight loss, healing and mood-balancing.
Vegetarians and vegans remember that beans are a starchy carb and protein combined, so pair beans with either some hemp seeds or quinoa for a complete protein.
The best fats to consume would be from raw avocado as it soothes the intestinal lining. Coconut oil or avocado oil for cooking as it doesn’t covert to a harmful fat on heating, and extra virgin olive oil in small amounts on salad only (don’t cook with this oil).
Minimise animal fats as much as possible. In fact no more than 5 portions a week of any animal foods has shown to be protective against cancer. A week make include for example 1 fillet salmon, 1/2 cup cheese, 2 eggs, a small fillet of beef or calves liver and some sardines. All other meals being purely plant based.
Avoiding frying fish. Instead steam or bake your fish with a little water.
Activated nuts are best and easier to digest however nuts can add to constipation, peanuts being the worst culprits as they slow up the muscles that move everything through the gut so be mindful and keep quantities small. 10 unsalted nuts a day is enough, opt instead for omega rich seeds which you can dry toast in a pan for added flavour.
Prepare ahead
Try and be prepped for a few days at least at any time, to make it easy for yourself to succeed.
- Slice up a big tray of root veggies including yams, sweet potatoes, squash, beets, onions, garlic, peppers, courgette, and asparagus and oven bake a big sheet of these on 160 deg C for about 45 minutes.
- Add some of the veggies to any salad leaves for the next few days.
- Slice up a medley of raw veggies and store to add to salads including cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, peppers.
- Make a batch of hummus or pesto.
A few tips for easier digestionKeep meals 3-4 hours apart: This will ensure your digestion can rest after digesting food and having more time to use nutrients. It also stops food fermenting and causing gas. Your gut will love you if you keep your meals spaced out this way.
Keep liquids away from meals: Drinking liquids with meals dilutes stomach acids leading to bloating, belching, heartburn and poor nutrient absorption. Keep liquids away about 15 minutes before and 1 hour after meals.
Turn food to liquid by chewing: Slow down, get present with your bites and the process, switch off the mind and getting in your body, focus on chewing that bite into a liquid, your tummy will love you for it!
Eat with a grateful heart: Stay in your body, in your heart, out of your mind and all the stories and concerns you have. The more you can hold gratitude in your heart and stay in your grateful heart while eating, the more your body and soul will heal, be nourished, and finally feel satiated.
Fill up on fibrous carbs: (as much as you want), then healthy natural starchy carbs (about 1 cup) then add 20 g of protein and 1 tbsp of fats.
Eat until you’re satisfied: It is important to use your body wisdom to gauge how much food your body needs when first starting out. If your blood sugar is really out of control you may need more food at first and that is okay. Listen to your body, allowing your body to guide you with how much food you need at each meal. Try and eat until you’re satisfied but not stuffed. Once your blood and lymph start becoming more alkaline your cells will get more pliable with nutrient exchange and you will need less and less. When this happens, weight loss and body balancing naturally occurs, and you can achieve this with this way of eating.
Evening meals can be light, using some protein and steamed vegetables or soup.
This lovely and easy soup recipe below allows you to substitute the broccoli for any other vegetable and still taste great.
Cream of Broccoli Soup: 3 cups broccoli (florets), 1 cup broccoli (stems, chopped, thick skins removed), 1 1/2 cups water or veggie broth, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 cup cashews (raw), 1/2 cup celery (sliced), 1/4 cup onion (chopped yellow or red), 1 clove garlic, 1 tbsp dill (fresh or 1 tsp dried dill), 1 tsp rosemary (fresh or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary), 1 tbsp parsley (fresh or 1 tsp dried parsley), 1 tsp thyme (fresh or 1/2 tsp dried thyme), 1 tbsp nama shoyu or tamari ( gluten free raw say sauce) 1/4 tsp salt , 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper or cayenne, 1/2 tsp celery seed, 3 tbsp liquid aminos blend well in a food processor or blender until creamy and enjoy!
credit: recipe Jannine Murray
