Rules of Thumb For Everyday Eating
1. Drink 1 liter of water in the morning…before you have breakfast, coffee/tea. The water will help to hydrate your body after sleeping + help to flush toxins from your system.
2. Have 1 serving of whole grains with protein in the morning. I eat Bob’s Mill Steel Cut Oats with a handful of raw unsalted almonds and walnuts + a teaspoon of ground flax seed. I top it with a drop of local honey and almond milk.
3. Make lunch your biggest meal of the day. This will give your body time to properly digest + burn off excess calories from lunch
4. As part of your lunch, eat a large leafy green salad (kale, spinach, romaine lettuce…no iceberg lettuce) dressed with EVOO and fresh lemon juice
5. Keep dinner light and before 7:30pm. For dinner, I typically eat a generous helping of roasted/steamed seasonal vegetables (I roast the veggies in coconut oil, then top with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper when serving), a small portion of grains and proteins (like: quinoa, whole grain pasta, brown rice, beans, chicken, fish).
6. Snacks should be limited to fresh SEASONAL fruit and/or raw, unsalted nuts (almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, hazelnuts)
7. Aim to drink 8 glasses, 10oz each, of fresh water each day
8. If you must drink coffee, limit yourself to 1 12oz cup of coffee per day. Also, try to use Stevia instead of refined sugar in your coffee.
9. When sitting down for a meal, always eat the vegetables first, THEN eat the meats/grains/legumes. Reason being, vegetables digest faster than meats/grains/legumes…this order will allow your body to digest and extract the full nutrient value from each vegetable. Eating meats/grains/legumes first, followed by the vegetables will cause slower digestion and discomfort.
10. Always eat fruits by themselves, not mixed in with meals or other foods. Fruits digest faster than any other food which is why they should always be consumed alone and are considered THE perfect snack…quick digestion means a quick shot of nutrients and burst of energy.
11. Remember to properly chew your food. Sit down to each meal, relax and enjoy your food…taking small bites, chewing each bite about 25 – 30 times. Chewing is the body’s first form of digestion. It breaks down the food, making it easier for your body to digest and extract nutrients.
12. Do NOT eat out of boredom. Have a cup of hibiscus or green tea instead 🙂