I’ve worked in the fitness and health industry for over 15 years. I’ve seen lots of diets, some that work, Paleo, Keto, Wholefoods, Naturopathic, Sports Nutrition and some that are dangerous and not good for your health, Cabbage soup diet, lemon detox, potato diet, to name a few.

Working as both a Personal Trainer and a Naturopath, the single biggest thing that I have learnt is that your diet needs to be specifically matched with your exercise and/or lifestyle. I have seen Crossfitters try to do low calorie diets which leads to burn out, sleep issues, poor workout performance and often poor immune system, all because they aren’t fuelling their bodies for the demands that their exercise puts on them. Likewise, I’ve seen people copy meal plans from athletes online and gained weight. Yes, because the physical and nutritional demands are not the same as someone sitting on the couch doing no exercise, trying to lose weight. Similarly, shift workers trying to eat like normal 9-5pm workers, it doesn’t work, the requirements for the body are different.

The 1 Thing every Diet should have in common:

There is one thing that every diet should have in common. It’s a focus on wholefoods. Refined, processed and additive-packed junk foods don’t help anyone. But wholefoods that are unprocessed and as nature created them are full of nutrition and flavour.

Wholefoods include:

  • Fruit
  • Vegetables
  • Nuts
  • Seeds
  • Herbs
  • Spices
  • Grass-fed meat
  • Free-range/pasture raised poultry and eggs
  • Sustainably sourced fish and shellfish

Add more Plants

Almost everyone could benefit from adding more vegetables into their diet. They contain many essential nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Specifically, if you are trying to lose fat, plant based foods help give you energy, aid your body in detoxification and allow the body to function at its optimal state. Vegetables are also an excellent source of soluble and insoluble fibre, supporting your gut health.

But the best part is that there are vegetables to suit every diet approach out there. For a ketogenic diet for fat loss the leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli are fantastic. They are also great for hormone balancing because the greens help the liver detoxify excess hormones.

When it comes to plant foods, do what you can. In a perfect world we would be growing it in our own garden, (no chance in Sydney apartments). Buying organic directly from the farmers markets, is another fantastic option. (see my previous blog on seasonal eating) The advice I give my clinic clients is choose to buy organic foods from the dirty dozen list first. The Dirty Dozen is a list that is put out by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) every year that states the 12 most sprayed crops. So when trying to be more health conscious and/or switch the organic, starting with the dirty dozen is a great place to start.

Self-Monitor your Nutrition

Studies have shown that those who self-monitor their nutrition have a higher success rate to eating healthy or staying on track with health and nutrition. Self-monitoring could be keeping a paper food journal or using an app such as My Fitness Pal. Monitoring your food has a number of benefits:

  • It keeps you honest. Did you eat a block of chocolate……write it down. Did you drink a bottle of wine on your own on Tuesday night…..write it down. When people see it in clear writing, it can often be the catalyst for change that is needed to create new habits.
  • It makes you more self-aware. The other huge benefit of self-monitoring is that you become self-aware of your own food and emotional eating triggers. For example: You recorded for 2 weeks your food intake. When we discussed it in your clinic consultation what happened on the night you ate a whole pizza (Uber eats) and drank a bottle of wine. With a little more investigating we worked out that you had a stressful day at work and quote ‘you just wanted to hide away from the world’. By self-monitoring and becoming aware of these triggers together as a team, we can work out strategies to stop or reduce this from happening. Things like, have self-care strategies set in place (nice bath after a hard day at work, nice cup of Tea (Our Calming Blend) and also food ready to go in the freezer for days when it’s easier to use Uber Eats.
  • As part of your health care team, it gives me data to work with. The more data I have in the form of tracking food, emotional, triggers, symptoms etc., the better I can design a plan for you.

Prepare your Food

There is a reason why many ancient cultures have elaborate ways of preparing food. They knew that many foods can be prepped to maximise flavour AND nutrient absorption.

If you eat meat, marinate them before cooking. If you enjoy beans and legumes, you can soak and sprout them. Even nuts and seeds can be soaked and dried to ‘activate’ them. Ditch the packet mixes and sauces in a jar. Herbs and spices are the way to make meals taste delicious and avoid the processed and artificial additives. Fermenting and Pickling are also 2 other ways to make foods taste great without the processed flavours etc.

Tip: Local to the Inner west is the amazing Cornersmith, Marrickville. They have a picklery where you can purchase their own pickles, ferments etc and they run amazing workshops so you can learn to make your own. https://www.cornersmith.com.au/collections/workshops

Eat Mindfully

How you eat is just as important as what you eat. If you’re shovelling down a salad on the run, in the car or at your desk, you’re not going to get much out of it. In fact, you’re less likely to chew your food properly and feel satiated. Instead of making meal time stressful, take 20 minutes out to focus on your food.

Tip: Eat at the dining table with no TV or mobiles etc. When there are fewer distractions, you are more likely to eat mindfully.

Everyone has a different ‘perfect’ diet. That’s one of the huge benefits of working with a naturopath and personal trainer. (Me). All my plans take into account your health goals, nutritional needs matched to your exercise and lifestyle. To get a program tailored to your needs, preferences and more, book in an appointment today. Book Now 

I also offer a free E-book  ‘10 Thing you can do to feel Energised and on track with your Health’, when you sign up to our newsletter.

https://inspiredhealthbydee.activehosted.com/f/3

Dee x