I get this question a lot. “What do you eat?” or “Should I buy this or that, what to order at a restaurant?” There are so many questions related to food, fad diets and nutrition in general. I will start off by letting you know I am NOT a registered dietician, I am a fitness trainer with certifications in nutrition and a lover of food, here to share what I EAT and feel free to get inspired and hopefully create a healthy relationship to our greatest source of nutrition.
“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” -Hippocrates
A bit of my back story for you. I grew up in a big Greek/Irish family where Food has always been at the forefront of our life. As a child, I suffered from terrible acne, got my first period at age 9 and my insomnia and depression seemed to be incurable. After asking doctors and my skin specialists about my food but back then they didn’t see it as a direct correlation, yet things have changed. I can stand here boldly and say that was BULLSH*T.
Sugar addiction is REAL and sugar has 61 names
Full transparency, I consumed a pound of bacon daily, tub of ice cream nightly and fast food regularly. Sugar addiction is REAL. My personal experience from childhood was REALLY hard to break. Once I did though, my skin cleared, my sleep got better and I haven’t experienced depression symptoms in over 10 years.
Fast forward to today- many of my family members, friends, clients have reached out to me loads of time to help them either lose weight or get healthier. That is my GOAL. I want to inspire and support as many people as possible on their wellness journey.
My father died of chronic disease, addiction and both of those are preventable. Heart disease, diabetes, weight issues and high blood pressure run rampant in my own family. The biggest correlation here is around FOOD and how we use it. Unfortunately, food gets a bad wrap. Food is incredible in so many ways. The tough part is navigating your food relationship in a world where we are inundated with ads, marketing and a ton of crap that can be incredibly confusing. There is no PERFECT solution. The reality is we need to be better about becoming our own advocate for our health. To find what works for YOU.
Intermittent fasting, what is it?
This brings me to something I love about food. I could geek out like I am right now on Easter Sunday writing about this because I love it so much. Our body is like a machine. In order for it to function well it needs a few basic things: sleep, food, hydration and movement. Of course there are other factors like social, environmental and stress levels but for the sake of this post I am going to keep things simple.
I have been asked many times what I eat so I decided to just share it all with you. The good, bad and ugly. All of it. And for the simple truth that we can do the best we can until we know better. To figure out what works for you, in your life. It’s not about me telling you what to do. It’s about you embracing your own journey starting wherever you are RIGHT NOW.
There is a ton of shame and guilt I hear surrounding weight, food and all things in between. I want to remind you to take a breathe and give yourself a big hug. You are here and this is exactly where you are supposed to be right now.
Find what works for you
Intermittent fasting is a concept where you fast for a period of time thought out your day. I personally love the 16/8 method, because of how simple it is. You pick a 8 hour window where you will eat and 16 hours where you won’t.
For me this works incredibly well and I notice how great my mind + body feels inside and out. I usually get up around 5 or 6am and drink a lot of water. I LOVEEEE water. Then I have a cup of coffee (yes this is ok when you fast) and don’t eat my first meal until around 11/12pm. Then I have until 7/8pm to finish my day of food. The 16 hour window of fasting seemed long for the first week and then my body easily adapted.
One of the reasons so many people LOVE this way of eating is because one of the “side effects” is weight loss. I personally do not do it to lose weight I just do it to feel great and it works for me. Side note: you have to make sure you eat ENOUGH. I also have experienced with myself and clients that when we don’t eat enough, our body will store fat and more issues can arise. If you choose to try intermittent fasting, make sure you are getting enough to eat in your 8 hour window.
Intermittent fasting is a pattern that reduces the window of time you have to consume food to allow your body time to repair+ rejuvenate so it can function at its optimal level. Ideally, you eat a healthy diet and have an overall healthy lifestyle and this way of eating can really help with many things like: weight loss, manage blood sugars, support brain health and guess what?! It is sustainable!! YAHOOOO
WHY DOES THIS WORK?
The premise of intermittent fasting is to extend the period of time when we are in rest and repair mode. When you do this your insulin levels decrease and body can use more stored energy supplies to burn fat, When we eat our blood sugar rises. The insulin helps to unlock our cells to receive the energy we just ate. however, any excess energy will be stored in our fat cells for later use. For those of us who love to “graze’ and snack all day, it is challenging for our body to ever reach its optimal rest zone. When our body has enough time to rest, it can have a beautiful cellular repair process.
Whenever you are making adjustments to your lifestyle, start small. BABY steps. What is ONE small simple thing you can do today to be a BIT healthier? Even if intermittent fasting is NOT for you and it is definitely NOT for everyone, just choose something you can commit to starting today to give your body, mind + spirit a little boost!
Sample food guide
One of my besties has an incredible food blog and new website https://bowlsarethenewplates.com
You can find some delicious, nutritious recipes and she is just a beautiful person to follow!
Stay tuned for my sample meal guide. I will share what I eat in a day, simple recipes and other tips I use to enjoy eating out as well. Please be sure to reach out if you have any questions and share your journey with me! Let’s be healthier together!
For now, take a look at my typical grocery list. I eat mostly plant based but also am not vegan and I do enjoy animal products and basically all things in moderation for me right now. This list below gives you a list that I use. I try to eat as much organic and non GMO products as possible. It may cost more now, but I believe in how much it will save me later. We all have the power to choose 🙂