I want to start off by expressing my gratitude. THANK YOU. The positive feedback that I've been receiving is acting as encouragement and motivation to continue creating content and letting my brain run wild with new ideas.
I've had people reaching out to me ever since I posted my "How I Lost 50 Pounds" video. You all have such lovely questions, comments, and personal stories. I am beyond thrilled that so many of you are passionate about working on building healthier habits.
I'm so passionate about sharing ways that food and proper health can help the body heal itself. Our bodies are resilient machines and if you fuel them properly...amazing outcomes can happen.
The holiday weekend is upon us, so I'm opting for a simple post. Basically I thought it might be helpful to highlight the important points that were discussed in my video. That way everything is in one accessible location. You can pull up this post, bookmark it, refer back to it, or pull it up whenever you need a bit of inspiration.
These will be the basic guidelines that I've been following in regards to my nutrition.
- Avoid "simple" carbohydrate foods (ex. White bread, pasta, breaded/fried things, cupcakes).
- Avoid refined sugars. The obvious food to avoid is sweets. But remember to avoid juices like orange juice, apple juice, and "health juices." Read the sugar content on the label to understand why. Instead, opt for the actual fruit. To follow up with this, look at next point.
- make your own smoothies. It's difficult to be aware of everything in a premade smoothie at the store. Again, check out the sugar content on the label...it's crazy.
- Focus your meals around a main protein and add lots of healthy fats. Avocado, eggs, fish, butter, coconut oil; when I'm in a pinch, I sprinkle chia seeds or flaxseed over everything to help with that. (Side note: Aldi has chia AND flaxseed currently!)
- Bulk up meals with "complex" carbohydrates, a.k.a. Vegetables! Zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts. There are so many options and creative ways to cook and season vegetables.
- You don't have to follow a ketogenic lifestyle to implement these tips (everyone can benefit from consuming less sugar). But if you ARE following keto, avoid the starchy veggies like potatoes.
- Avoid dairy. I do this because I'm lactose intolerant; however, I would maybe give it a chance and see how you feel. My skin has cleared up, bloating is down, and inflammation is more manageable; other people that have quit dairy without suffering from an allergy have reaped the same benefits.
- Make drinking water a priority. Once you are properly hydrated, you'll notice how shitty you feel when you don't get enough water.
- practice eating slower. Just savor the flavor and really enjoy your meal. Your digestion will thank you, and you'll be able to tell when you're full.
- Eat when you're actually hungry, and stop eating when you're full. This takes a lot of practice and tough love with yourself. Food is a comfort thing for a lot of people; it's a habit that takes time to break. Just be mindful.
- have a fatty breakfast to fill you up and fuel you for the day. Maybe make an omelette with avocado, or fry some eggs in butter. If you crave a sweet breakfast, make these low-carb low-sugar pancakes: two eggs mixed with 2-3 oz of cream cheese (I buy the vegan option from Giant Eagle. Add cinnamon and whisk up. If you're pan is hot enough, they fry up like pancakes and taste so good. Giant Eagle also has a sugar-free syrup!
-Deconstruct everything. This is a huge life hack for me. If I'm craving tacos, I just make a taco bowl with lettuce as my base; I use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice. If I crave a burger, I wrap a patty in lettuce. There are alternatives to everything! Message me if you ever need more food inspiration, or maybe I'll do a "what I eat in a day" post.
Thank you for reading and continuously being so supportive. More content is coming and the creative juices are flowing.
Remember: eat to live, don't live to eat!