The resolve to nourish your body all day starts with establishing healthy habits that begin right when we start our morning. I hope you discover even just one idea here that you enjoy MORE than your current routine, so you can add more health to your day :).
A couple of years ago I did something crazy - I decided to eat only plants for a whole month.
No animal food whatsoever… no eggs, no cheese (neither brie nor parmesan, awful!), no ground beef, no chicken sausage, and absolutely no bacon. I became a vegan for a month, and then to top it off, I cut out gluten and grains too.
I find that when my clients are ready to change their habits surrounding food, they jump to the extremes. Just like I did with my month-of-no-meat-or-grains. Many in-vogue nutrition plans right now that are extremes on either side of the diet spectrum. For example: Vegan and Paleo. Either of these can evolve into a lifestyle of eating that is beneficial - and I recommend them both, depending on the person that I am working with. (We talk through your family eating habits growing up, diagnose your cravings, and begin to discern the way your body was designed to be nourished and cared for. It's very fun :) View my programs here.)
What often happens when we begin an extreme diet is that we are greeted by a lot of “you can’t eat this. you can’t eat that.” - which can be discouraging… then we can start to fall off...
Instead, what if you approached a new nutritious lifestyle with the attitude of: I don’t know why I have been depriving myself all this time - THERE ARE SO MANY INCREDIBLE WHOLE FOODS THAT I CAN INDULGE IN!
This crazy cleanse (really it was a fast - find more benefits to fasting here!) made breakfast very difficult. The only mental constructs I had in place for a hearty breakfast included eggs, or oats, or yogurt. I had to get creative. And, I had to change my mind about what was a “breakfast food”. Could I eat zucchini for breakfast? I guess so, but it seemed weird… How about carrots? Now, that was just taking things too far…
As I continued on this challenge, I found that I really had been boxing myself with the foods that I was choosing throughout the day. My routines that were “normal” for me needed to be shaken up.
At the end of that month, my recipe repertoire was expanded exponentially, and my cravings had totally changed - I was craving green vegetables all the time! And I found that eating a half of a baguette with brie at night actually was not making me feel so great the next day… and that although pasta is a comfort food for me, there really is no need to eat so much of it. And, amazingly enough, I loved the way my body felt when it was fueled with plant protein instead of animal protein. I discovered the best way to eat for MY body: plant based, nutrient rich, whole grains, fruit as indulgence, fish FTW, and enjoying a wedge of brie on occasion :).
It has been amazing to me to find how many people don’t even know what “good” feels like, because “crappy” is their baseline, their normal.
I love spending time with clients to help them figure out the best way to eat for body they have, so they can achieve the lifestyle and weight they want. I have talked about this before, but I find it to be so life-changing for my clients to learn to listen to their bodies so they know when/why they feel GOOD and they know when/why they feel crappy.
Each of us are unique in our individual biology - obvi. If this is so clear to us, then why do we think that we all should eat the same? Or that one diet could possibly be universally prescribed? Part of your health journey to feeling amazing and confident is discovering the best foods for you to eat, that make you feel clean, satisfied, full of energy, and well.
Maybe you are thinking about doing a cleanse (maybe to kick off the fall), or maybe you are just wanting to be healthier and a plant-based or protein rich lifestyle sounds really appealing. That’s awesome :). Go for it. I would love to give you the support you need to embark on this new endeavor! It really will change your life for the better. It is possible that you will find that you should avoid certain foods altogether. But the majority of us can land on being more moderate - continuing to choose foods that are nutrient rich!
There really are so many amazing options - they just might not be what you are used to, so you don’t even think to choose them. Maybe you can try something new this week - something extreme, and delicious, and see how you feel!
Here is a vegan and plant-based option for you to check out - I hope you will enjoy them, and that you will see that a healthy lifestyle really does give you MORE, not less.
Check back tomorrow for some animal-protein rich, Paleo and Whole 30 approved breakfasts - because that may be what works for you :).
Vegan Breakfast Tacos (serves 1)
- 1/4 C black or pinto beans (whatever you have on hand)
- handful of arugula ("rocket lettuce" its spicy and fresh tasting)
- cherry or grape tomatoes (as many as you want)
- 1/2 avocado (or 1-2 tbsp guacamole)
- squeeze of lime juice
- salt and pepper
- corn tortilla or large, crunchy lettuce leaf (I like butter lettuce or romaine)
**This recipe is inspired by all my lovely Austin friends :)**
Pile veggies onto the tortilla or lettuce leaf, wrap it up and enjoy!! This should take you 5 min to make, max. If you are on the go - contain all this goodness in a tin foil wrap and peel the foil away as you eat.
Superfood Granola
- 1 1/2 C gluten free rolled oats
- 1/2 C unsweetened coconut shreds
- 1/2 C chopped pecans
- 1/2 C sliced almonds
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 tbsp ground flax
- 1/3 C pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
**This recipe takes a little longer than the ones I usually post here, but it is an investment in the rest of your week - and it is so delicious it is totally worth the time spent.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small pot on the stove, warm the coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients over the dry, and stir with a spatula until well mixed. Transfer onto a foil lined baking sheet and spread out into one even layer. Bake for 20 minutes, turning the pan around halfway through so it cooks evenly. Let the granola cool, and then store in a large tupperware or in individual mason jars to grab-and-go! I love eating this granola with almond milk, topped with bananas or berries!
**this recipe is inspired by and adapted from Minimalist Baker (she is one of my very favorites!!)
Enjoy, friends!