Fact: we live in the developed western world. We have lifestyles to maintain, often very busy ones, kids to keep up with, money to make. We prioritise everything but our own health, mentally, physically and emotionally. While we know our lifestyle choices are creating substandard health, we often can't see how life could be fulfilling or rewarding if we did things diferently. People say "sure, I'd love to breathe clean air, eat clean food and drink clean water, but I don't want to move to the middle of nowhere to get it!"
Fair enough, neither do I. But I do want to show respect and care for my whole self. That's a priority for me, because I like to feel energetic, to think clearly, have balanced emotions and look my best, and I know my diet and lifestyle choices have the greatest impact on those factors. I don't always succeed, and sometimes I do fantasise about moving to the middle of nowhere to be rid of temptation, but I know that it's possible to be healthy in the midst of it all.
So here are some thoughts about living a normal life in a healthy way. Please email me any more you think of.
PS: Yes, the following can be used as a weight loss regimen. The healthy, maintainable way.
At home: This is where you have the greatest influence, make the most of it!
- Avoid the supermarket. Get your fruit and vegies organic from a specialist shop or delivered to your home. (Delivered feels like decadence, I promise! Plus the food is fresher that way.)Get organic meat too. Once you're eating predominantly organic you're most of the way there, since organic food has a higher nutritional profile, you don't require as much to satisfy, and your body won't keep asking for more nutrients.
- Filter your water. Heavy metals, flouride and chlorine are the enemy of health, especially of the thyroid
- Don't allow junk foods into your house, ensure your partner is on board with this. Keep nuts and fruit for snacks. Keep yourself satisfied using these foods and you won't miss a thing, especially when you see the effect.
Out for dinner: You'll find something healthy on most menus, as long as you know what you're looking for.
- Avoid wheat including bread and pasta. Empty, nutrition free calories will just get stored
- Opt for Asian if you can. Asian food is some of the healthiest around, which is why those cultures tend to look so good and have lower incidence of lifestyle diseases.
- Go for high vegetable content options like salads and soups, clean proteins like fish, chicken or tofu, or at least neutral dishes like risotto
- If you have to have an alcoholic drink with dinner choose red wine
- Don't do dessert
Friends over:
- Serve snacks like a bowl of roasted nuts, it's amazing how moreish these are, you won't miss the sugar. Other options include dips like mashed avo, hommus, or find a brand that doesn't contain E numbers, serve with carrot and celery sticks and rice crackers.
- Make sure you've eaten well (protein and veg) before people arrive so you're genuinely not hungry anyway.
- If they're over for dinner make something easy and healthy like risotto or a roast or some fish and veg. If they offer to bring something tell them salad, which means you have control over dessert, not them. See Baking section to sort this out.
- If others bring junk with them it can throw a spanner in the works, especially at the beginning of the regimen. If it's soft drink I find that easy to avoid, as I prefer sparkling mineral water anyway. If it's chocolate I may have a problem, in which case I try to ignore it and tell myself "it's not mine, they brought it for them". Always give any left over back to them before they go.
Out for coffee:
- Drink green or herbal tea. Coffee disrupts your Cortisol/DHEA cycle, inhibiting weight loss and depressing immunity by preventing deep sleep. It doesn't matter what time you drink it.
Movies:
- Popcorn and water, not lollies and soft drink
- Fizzy water if you must
Quick meals:
- Stir fries are super fast, fresh and loaded with nutrition
- Soup. So easy, so light, so what your body will love
- 4 bean mix salad with some rice or quinoa (see quinoa blog) and few chopped crunchy veg. Also kid friendly, but a nice dressing and some fresh herbs makes it adult friendly!
- Omelette, with just about any vegetable on hand. Great 'loose ends' meal
- Don't make the mistake of thinking that the expensive, packaged frozen 'diet meals' are going to help you. You might lose weight but you won't gain nutrition, therefore you won't gain health. Without health you won't maintain the weight.
Takeaway: You can't fault the diets of healthy races like the Thais!
- Thai - I don't think they make anything heavy. Coconut is a good fat
- Indian - here opt for dahls, vegie based dishes and avoid the heavy, meaty, creamy ones and the breads
- Malaysian - laksas and vegie dishes
Out for drinks:
- Stick to spirits like gin and vodka, mix with soda water and real lime, or grapefruit juice.
Brunch with the girls:
- Choose bircher muesli and yoghurt or a bowl of porridge, or fruit and yoghurt.
- Drink water or mineral water. So European. So chic
Baking:
- If this is a hobby of yours, buy some Xylitol. It's a natural sugar substitute made from a plant extract that doesn't move your blood sugars, therefore it won't disrupt your pancreas and, in turn, stuff up your whole hormonal system the way sugar does
- Buy some gluten free, or at least wheat free flour, because refined wheat is not much better than sugar
- Fruit based desserts are great when you have people over. Apple crumble with a topping made from oats and almond meal, poached pears, baked peaches etc can all be served with a little organic cream, which won't move your blood sugars. Much better for you than ice cream. Also much easier and quicker than cake baking
Tips that don't take much effort:
- Drink 2 big glasses of water on rising, before anything else goes in.
- Have a high protein breakfast to keep you going and reduce cravings for naughty foods (see blog 'What's for Breakfast' for ideas)
- Carry fruit and nuts with you at all times to ward off evil
- Drink 2+L water daily
- Eat grapefruits regularly. I have a great recipe somewhere for red grapefruit salad, I'll share it when I find it!
- Switch to a natural sea, rock or river salt. Processed, refined salt is bad news
- Take a probiotic and a good quality multi every morning with your first glasses of water.
- Do exercise you enjoy. If you don't enjoy something, do something else. I love to walk, swim, do yoga and go for PT sessions. I once loved to dance, that probably worked better than anything!
- Ignore calories, eat real foods - the ones nature made. Remember, it's the excess sugar in refined, processed foods that you're trying to avoid. Fats will not make you fat. In fact, not enough fat makes you fat, and makes your skin saggy. So eat plenty of avo and nuts and fish and tofu and eggs.
- Decide on a "worth it" food. What's the naughtiness that gives you the most indulgent pleasure? Make it something great, for example you may decide on fresh vanilla slice from the french patisserie. Mentally categorise all chocolate, lollies, pastries, chips, pies, pasta, boxed breaky etc as not worth it and ignore them. Give yourself vanilla slice very occasionally because it's 'worth it'.
For me, using these tips doesn't make life any harder. I can still do all the things I usually do, only the small, insignificant choices are altered. Sometimes some foreplanning is involved, but that's a matter of habit, which comes with determined persistence.
There are times when it's really hard. Especially in the first week when your blood sugars are out of balance (see blog Easter Special for info on blood sugar balancing). But as these tips become habit you'll most certainly notice the difference. I can promise that avoiding processed, sugary foods will work to create health. They're the sole problem with the western diet. It's just a matter of getting used to it.
Best of luck and give me feedback! I want to know what the hardest parts are for you.
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