Be Whole

I stayed up late last night, thinking about food. You’d never believe how many free 30-day eating plans one can find online, for just about any diet.

I’m ovo-pescatarian which means that my major food sources are eggs, vegetables, beans, nuts, grains, and fish. I don’t eat meat, poultry, or dairy products since I discovered how dairy and meat contributes to my hormonal acne. Take a look at what Dr Hyman, a New York Times bestselling author, physician and leader in functional medicine, says about what cutting milk out of your diet can do for your body, click here to watch the video.

I miss milk and especially cheese but every time I sneak in a delicious slice of cheese, my face turns into a pine cone. That’s enough motivation for me to stay way. Almond milk is my staple for oats, creamy dishes, puddings, and shakes. Woolworths’ unsweetened Almond milk finds its way into my fridge regularly but when I do manage to get to a Pick ‘n Pay or Dischem Pharmacy, I love getting the Almond Breeze brand – it’s a lot cheaper.

My eating habits are mostly suited to improving my skin because I’m determined to treat my acne naturally – regardless of how long it takes. If you don’t have any skin concerns but you want to eat well, here are three things to think about that can guide you on your path:

Eat foods that benefit your body

A friend of mine, bless her, works out five days a week and has been training for quite a while but doesn’t see body progress. Her biggest setback is that she has a busy schedule and rarely has time to cook so sometimes finds herself in line at a drive-thru after a good work out. Some people would argue that you deserve to reward yourself for working hard but like the guy at my favourite spice shop said to me one day, “I never consume what doesn’t benefit my body.” Not even eat the very sweets he sells.

Plan what you’ll be eating

Decide what your goal is, whether to lose weight, gain weight, or simply live well. Planning your meals helps to avoid eating fast foods, overeating, and getting the right nutrients. How would you know what’s good for your body? Pay attention to the foods that upset your stomach, make you feel bloated or lethargic, those are usually warnings from your body to avoid those foods.

Keep it simple

If you’ve read 4 things I wish I’d known about moving out, you’ll know that I’m not fond of grocery shopping but that I generally eat well.

A colleague often jokes that whenever he spots me, I’m always eating something. It’s true, I absolutely love food and I do eat often. I’ll have breakfast and then a snack, lunch, followed by another snack, and then supper. It seems like a lot but I don’t have over sized portions and the quality of the meals in terms of how beneficial it will be to my body, are always high. On a weekday my breakfast would usually include a whole fruit (on an empty stomach), followed by overnight oats. For lunch, I would either have a tuna or alternative seafood sandwich, a vegan wrap or salad, or vegetarian curry if I was up to cooking it the night before.

I eat much less at supper than I would eat for lunch because by supper time I’ve already had lots of water during my workout and  don’t feel exceptionally hungry. Hake or an alternative seafood, sometimes mussels or calamari with a big portion of steamed country veg like broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and carrots, is what I would quickly cook for supper on any given weeknight.

Would you like to know more about my ovo-pescatarian diet or share some tips for eating well? I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment in the space below or connect with me on Instagram to view my favourite eats.