CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT TO EAT?

There are so many mixed messages about avoiding the bad stuff and eating good fats, good sugars and avoiding sugar and wheat based products. We thought we would do a clear run down on what we eat at A Nourished Life.

We recommend a balanced eating regime with regular nutritional cleansing. No calorie counting, small portions but frequent meals, avoiding coffee (organic coffee is a yes.. but not everyday). Limit alcohol to a couple of glasses at the weekends and in moderation. Drink a 1.9 litres of water a day.

When turning to a clean eating diet.. you may get some cravings as the body adjusts. Glutamine can help, which is found in proteins like meat, eggs, cottage cheese, fish or chicken. See below.

WHAT TO EAT...?

ENJOY GOOD FATS

Your meals should be high in quality fat. Consume some saturated fats like coconut oil and organic butter or clarified butter. Avocado and macadamia oil are also excellent fats for salads and are wonderful drizzle over food. Olive oil is ok but not for cooking as they become oxidized which increases the ageing process. Beef and duck fat are ok in moderation if they come from organic sources.

AVOID BAD FATS

Cut out all vegetable, hydrogenated oils including margarines, soybean oil, corn oil, peanut oil, canola oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil. No margarines or packaged spreads.

ENJOY PROTEIN

Eat quality animal proteins like red meat, kangaroo is very digestible as is venison, all poultry, pork, eggs, organs (liver, kidney, heart), and wild caught fish and shellfish. Choose pasture- raised, grass-fed meat coming from a local, environmentally aware farm. The omega profile coming from this type of red meat may be greater than the omega profile that is coming from farmed fish.

AVOID STARCHY VEGETABLES

When eaten in large amounts, starchy vegetables can contribute to weight gain, because the stored energy, which is not burned through exercise, will be converted or transformed into fat, another form of stored energy. Eating a lot of starchy vegetables can also lead to increased levels of blood glucose, which can increase one's risk for diabetes. Starchy vegetables are not necessarily bad foods, because they are filling, nutritious and healthy when consumed in proper amounts 1/2 cup per portion is enough. Starchy vegetables include; Sweet potatoes, yams, Beans, Peas, Parsnips, Plantain, white potatoes, winter squash or butternut squash.

ENJOY GREEN VEGETABLES

Eat unlimited amounts of non-starchy green vegetables especially either raw or cooked. Broccoli, kale, spinach, courgettes, broccoli, capsicum, Chinese spinach Artichoke, Artichoke hearts, Asparagus, Baby corn, Bamboo shoots. Beans (green, wax, Italian), Bean sprouts, Beets, Brussels sprouts, Broccoli, Cabbage (green, bok choy, Chinese), Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumber, Daikon, aubergine, Greens (collard, kale, mustard, turnip) Kohlrabi, Leeks, Mushrooms, Okra, Onions, Pea pods, Mange Tout, Peppers, Radishes, Salad greens (chicory, endive, escarole, lettuce, romaine, spinach, arugula, radicchio, watercress), Sprouts Squash (cushaw, summer, crookneck, spaghetti), herbs.

FRUIT, NUTS & SEEDS - ENJOY!

Enjoy low to moderate amounts of fruit and nuts. Activating Almonds allows them to become more digestible. Berries, apples and pears will be low sugar fruits compared to mango and tropical fruits. Berries are antioxidant rich and nuts are essentially fatty acid rich. If buying frozen choose the organic variety. Seeds are a fantastic alternative to nuts.. pumpkin, sunflower, chia.

AVOID CEREALS AND WHEAT FLOURS

If you want to be very strict and give your gut a rest, avoid white flour in bread and pasta. Avoid wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, and brown rice. If you need to got for grains choose quinoa, millet, buckwheat and amaranth.

ENJOY GLUTEN FREE FOOD

But make it yourself. So many gluten free manufactured products have fillers and preservaties. This bread was made in the thermomix with Chia and MIllet. When making bread, choose ancient wheat such as spelt. It's easier to digest. Note that the word gluten, here's a clue. It's like GLUE in your gut. So give it a rest for 6 weeks and then reintroduce gradually if you can't do without your bread or pasta. If you are craving carbs.. you might be void of nitrogen.. you will find nitrogen in all your complete proteins (eggs, fish, chickdn, nuts and seeds).

AVOID BEANS

YOU CAN eat in moderation if soaked and sprouted to make them more nutritious and easily digestible. But eat in small quantities soy, kidney beans, pinto beans, and black-eyed peas. Listen to your body.. if you can take them that's great. If not.. avoid!

SUGAR

Eliminate sugar, soft drinks, and fruit juices. Going without sugar for 1 week can kick the habit, also doing a 30-day Nutritional Cleanse curbs your cravings as it contains chronium. Choose better alternatives when baking for your sweet tooth, which includes coconut sugar, stevia, rice bran syrup. We need a certain amount of sugar to take nutrients to the brain. However, at the moment, sugar is in too many products and we need to make a concious choice to remove it. If you are craving chocolate then up your magnesium intake, dark leafy veg, raw nuts and seeds.

DAIRY

Eat a small amount of dairy and alternate your milks try almond and organic rice. Avoid Soy milk. Soy is not good for us as it effects our hormones. Try thick organic cream and consider raw, full fat and or fermented dairy. When choosing cheese go for the hard variety as it has less lactose.

FERMENTED FOODS

To help cultivate the gut with good bacteria. Try adding fermented foods to your diet like Keffir, Saukraut or Kombucha. It's easy to ferment yourself.

If you want a sensible guide to go by then look no further than the latest food Pyramid from Nutrition Australia. We think that the grains section should be minimised. We prefer to fill up on veggies, sustainable meats and good quality fats first and foremost. And the soy products should be removed. But apart from that it's a winner!