What do I eat?

Food.

We spend so much time thinking about it, preparing it… resisting it. I think the goal is to relish it… and know that we’re being kind to our bodies at the same time!

My relationship food through the years has been one of stuggle and frustration. I’m a reformed stress eater that used to have habits of eating that included lots of guilt. You can read about how I coped with that here.  

Now, I have a relationship with food that makes me happy! I’m naturally curious about ingredients and digestion and following nutritionists, so I’ve tried different types of foods to see what works for me and how I feel the best. It’s so cool to be in tune with my body. I know if I have 3 cups of coffee (one of them decaf) that my appetite is increased or that if I don’t drink enough water I want something salty. I can usually deconstruct why I want to eat something pretty quickly. 

A lot of this is because I have my own “eating protocol.” This isn’t a diet, rather it’s a loose framework that you choose to follow that is based on what works or what you find isn’t beneficial for YOUR body.

What you settle on should be flexible and joyful, realizing that it’s something you need to experiment and play with as far as how your body responds. It can also change over time. 

I think that dieting is silly and restrictive and a PIA. I think of Special K and bad weightloss commercials. So with an eating protocol, this becomes a way of life, not just something that happens during a certain timeframe. Truthfully, you already have this in place. But, if you want to change anything with your body, then this is a great time to investigate other options.

You are what you eat. 

This phrase should really be expanded to “You are what you eat, digest and transfer throughout your body.”  Pay attention to this  — everything you eat is distributed throughout you body via your bloodstream. You cannot deny this and pretend like what we’re eating isn’t influencing things like getting a cold or how we’re sleeping. Nutrients (or lack of them) and stress are connected to our hormones and how our bodies function, which in turn impacts our phyical being.   

I’m gonna mic drop something on you now. Eat real food; take supplements; get sleep; have some physical activity in your life… that’s how you get and stay healthy. Simple, right?

Ok, we all know WHAT we should be doing, but sometimes it’s not that easy. First of all, there’s so much chemically happening in our body that when you want that cookie, it is not just about willpower ~ sugar is an addiction. That is a hard truth. There’s also something about crunchiness that encourages consumption (there’s a reason for the Lays “betcha can’t eat just one”). 

Really, it’s NOT about willpower.

Please stop beating yourself of for a lack of willpower or not being able to stop yourself. Changing your eating habits requires:

• having a positive mindset around food,
• the willingness to experiment and have some fun,
• and realizing that you may have chemical addictions in play.

Be an observer — without judgment — of your food choices. Then do something with that knowledge. If ice cream makes you feel yucky, then let your future self win the day and pass on the ice cream and find something else to satisfy that sweet tooth.

Don’t let “fear of missing out” keep you stuck in a loop of feeling like crap. 

Here’s what I eat:

• VEGGIES — Lots of veggies, with a big focus on anything green!! Every meal I eat is actually centered on the vegetable… they’re so versatile! I use spaghetti squash, zucchini or cabbage for noodles (forgoing traditional pasta noodles). I eat carrots for snack with avocado. I have kale with my eggs for breakfast. There are so many ways to prepare and spice up vegetables, and there are so many different kinds available. I grill asparagus with lemon and tabasco; rice my cauliflower with butter and garlic; mash butternut squash with cinnamon and chipotle.
• and don’t forget the fresh HERBS. There are many vitamins and nutrients in fresh herbs and spices, so always include parsley or dill or basil or thyme when grocery shopping. 
• I do typically buy organic because of the pesticides. If that’s not an option for you, then consider following the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen (here’s a neat article that explains more).
• PROTIEN — I’m not a vegetarian or vegan, although I have tremendous respect for that choice. I prefer to eat grass-fed and pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken, as well as sustainably caught seafood. Remember everything that those animals eat is also transferred throughout their bodies, so if an animal eats low quality feed, then the nutritional value is impacted in a negative way. Industrial processed meats are void in valuable omegas, too!
• For proteins, I love making beef taco salads or cajun-spiced fish! Eggs with bacon! I primarily use chicken thighs because they’re so much more flavorful and full of fat. I’m a big believer if flavoring and spicing my foods.
• FAT — What’s my favorite food group????? FAT!!!! Why? Because the point of eating ~ satiety!
• Sooooo, what provides that? How satisfied are you after a piece of bread? You’ve got a dopamine it from the carbs, so you probably feel pretty good, but then there’s the crash. What happens when you eat an egg? NO BLOOD SUGAR CRASH… that’s because of the fat. Yay, fat!!! 
• I cook with avocado oil (because of the smoke point); I use olive oil for dressings; I put butter and MCT oil in my coffee (it’s called Bulletproof). I have ghee (clarified butter) in my pantry, and have been known to use bacon grease to make my cabbage noodles… drool. I use coconut oil for my homemade chocolate. I make my own salad dressings, so I can enjoy a multitude of flavors. ****Sign up to get my emails and get an awesome freebie ~ Get your drizzle on! 
• I’m going to plead with you to throw away your vegetable, canola and seed oils. I could go on a total rant, but suffice to say, these are processed, bleached, rancid oils that create inflammation in the body. You can substitute coconut oil for ALL of your baking.
• If you come away with anything from reading this, try to be open minded to increasing the fat in your diet. In the late 70s and early 80s, there was a focus on low-fat (google the myth of the Ancil Keys)… ever since that transition came into being, the American population has been getting sicker and sicker instead of better!!!! Eating more fat, does not make you fat. Instead it makes you feel satiated and happy and lessens cravings. 

What I don’t eat:

• REFINED FLOUR — no ground up wheat; and typically I stay away from gluten-free flours, too. I don’t like the way they can spike the blood sugar, but that is something that matters to me personally. That’s a decision you have to make for yourself. I do eat Mikey’s English Muffins because they’re made with coconut flour or I’ll make a homemade almond flour muffin ever so often. 
• REFINED SUGAR — four years ago I worked with a nutritionist to change my eating habits and gave up sugar. I could care less about donuts and cookies or Halloween candy. I do make my own homemade chocolate using an alternative sweetener called Swerve. And my mom makes a delicious healthified chocolate chip cookie with almond flour. I still like to have something sweet every day… this isn’t about restriction or being a total purist. BUT the bottomline is that sugar definitely impacts the body in a negative way and once I broke the addiction, I can easily let it go.
• DAIRY — I eat dairy sparingly because it’s actually harmful to our gut lining because it destroys our brush border, but if I feel like I want some cheese, I eat it. But gone are the days when it was a staple of my diet. I used grass-fed butter for the omegas.
• OTHER GRAINS AND OATS — There’s other grains to choose from, but I typically watch my carbohydrate intake, although I don’t keep track. If you’re vegetarian you need those food sources for energy and sustenance and there is nothing wrong with that. Some people enjoy oats… that’s just something that doesn’t personally work for me.
• LEGUMES, BEANS AND NUTS — I also stay away from legumes and nuts because they have phytic acid and impact the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. But again, if I want almond butter or something with peanut butter, I’ll have it. But a typical meal in our house doesn’t includes beans.

This is what I’ve found works for me over the last four years, but I am not a proponent of saying everyone has to eat just like me. My philosophy is to focus on getting rid of food addictions and habits, healing the relationship with food and letting your body tell you what it wants. 

It’s all about you!  

Here’s the thing, the best protocol is the one works well with your body and helps you FEEL the way you want to feel. So, stop for a second right now and ask yourself, how do you feel after you eat? Good, crappy, bad energy? There are benefits and pros and cons of each style of eating, whether you decide to label it low carb or keto or whatever. It really depends on how your body responds, and what your ultimate goal is. This is called BIOINDIVIDUALITY!! It means that one person’s food treasure is another person’s poison. 

I like to listen to and read from multiple sources to learn more… feel free to ask me more questions… do some of your own research and try to dedicate some time to meal planning and prepping. I’m a huge fan of emeals… here’s my affiliate link.

Try something different! 

• Give it a month or two. You probably won’t notice much change in 2 weeks, necessarily. In fact you may even feel worse, as your body detoxes and gets rid of icky stuff.
• Journal your food or use My Fitness Pal. I know this is a pain, but data is power. If you’re adjusting your nutrients and tracking, then you can look back and have a more accurate picture of what it is you’re eating and how it made you feel. Otherwise, it’s purely anecdotal and humans are notoriously bad at accurately reflecting things.
• Recognize the difference between HABITS, nourishment (when actually hungry), and how you’re feeling. If you say “I never eat {blank} because {blank} and you don’t have a nutritional reason why, maybe reconsider. Do you eat avocados? Might be something that you do like now! If it’s a food habit, maybe that’s something to let go of, too, Like the 10pm snack… is that supporting your ultimate goal?
• Are you eating for nourishment? Start paying attention to when you’re eating and if you’re actually hungry. How many times when you sit down to eat is your tummy grumbling? If you eat for nourishment, instead of habit or boredom or emotional numbing, then you’ll be changing your relationship with food one one that is more appreciative, than combative. I have found that Plexis Slim has been really beneficial to help me know when I’m hungry or not.

I have a happy tummy.

I choose to focus on all of the wonderful, real food that I eat… never lamenting what I don’t eat (mostly because I know how horrible the ingredients are or else I would be eating them). But I still have red wine and vodka, as far as alcohol goes. If I’m at a Mexican restaurant, I’ll have some chips and salsa, but that’s not regular meal item in my house. Food is my friend… it’s here to help me feel good and keep my energy up!

You have the answer inside of you. 

I believe that we have the answer inside of us, but maybe we just need a little help breaking the cycle of addiction or assistance finding that answer. This isn’t about counting calories or restricting yourself. Increase your knowledge about ingredients and good fats, and crowd out some of the items that aren’t beneficial with more veggies! The way I eat might not be the best for you. I want people to see there are alternatives to noodles and garlic bread. 

If you would like to do a 1:1 consultation with me ~ here are my packages! I’m currently working on my health coaching certificate from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, which has been so exciting! I can help with so many things related to nutrition, from going to the grocery store with you (I’m an obsessive label reader), to doing mindset work, or to even help with meal planning! Sometimes it’s really beneficial to get an outside perspective and help to draw that answer out. Remember that I’m not a doctor and nothing in this post is meant to be taken as medical advice. : ) 

Being in tune with your body is simply amazing ~ you deserve to have that feeling and to think about your next meal with excitement

May your next meal be nourishing to your body and your soul!