Everyday superfoods I aim to include…
- 1 tbsp kimchi (probiotics, gut health)
- 1-3 tbsp flax (omega 3, blood-sugar stabilising, fibre)
- 1 tsp dulse flakes or 2 sheets nori (iodine and trace minerals, thyroid and hormone health)
- 1-3 tbsp nutritional yeast (B-vitamins and amino acids, great for energy)
- 2-3 Brazil nuts (selenium, important for thyroid amongst many other functions)
- Greens, cruciferous vegetables, beans/legumes, lemons, parsley, coriander, turmeric, maca, goji berries (antioxidants, fibre, detoxifiers, mineral and vitamin-rich, anti-inflammatory, blood-sugar regulating foods!)
Liquids I choose…
- Lemon water (stimulates digestion, supports liver)
- Filtered water with a pinch of celtic/rock salt (enhances of absorption/hydration)
- ACV in water (improves stomach acid and gut health) – when I remember!
- Herbal teas- Dandelion, Tulsi, Women’s cycle, chai or soaked goji berries in hot water (stress, hormone and liver helpers)
- Glass of Kombucha / kefir (gut health) – every second day or so
- Celery & Beet juice – (liver and circulatory health)
- Miso soup
6:30am First thing in the morning I have ½ lemon juiced in warm water.
Breakfast
8-9am: Green Smoothie – find my everyday recipe here. Sometimes, particularly at the moment, I leave out the celery and lemon, and add 1 tbsp ground flax, 2-3 brazil nuts and 1 medjool date to it. It tastes so creamy! I make a herbal tea for right after this to tie me over – often we go back for more not because we need more but because we haven’t allowed our appetite to settle post meal.
Morning tea
10-11am: Because my breakfast is quite light, I often find I am hungry 1-2 hours later. I like it this way! I personally don’t do well on a heavy breakfast, I feel it slows me down and leaves me feeling less vital. Fruit is easy and quick to digest, so it makes sense I am hungry again. As such, if I am out and about I will bring this bircher muesli: 1/3 cup oats, 1 tbsp flax, 1 tbsp chia, 1 tbsp hemp/pumpkin/sunflower seeds, 3 crushed walnuts, 1 tbsp goji berries soaked in coconut water or nut milk/water + sprinkle cinnamon, and sometimes ¼ cup berries. Alternatively, at home I have 1 x sprouted gluten-free toast w smashed avo, a sprinkle of dulse and nutritional yeast and some sprouts or herbs. If I am not hungry, a herbal tea, nut milk turmeric latte, or glass of homemade coconut Kefir or Kombucha will do me fine!
Lunch
12:30-1:30pm: I try to have some apple cider vinegar and aloe vera juice in water before my lunch salad. This is consistent, I just rotate my choice of veg and pulses. My guide is: roughly 3 large handfuls of leafy veg (options include: rocket, cabbage, spinach, kale, cos) + sliced salad veggies of choice (tomato, cucumber, capsicum, onion, shallots, carrot, fennel, snow peas etc) + 1/2 cup beans/legumes + 1/2 cup starch (potato, pumpkin, beetroot) + handful cruciferous veg (if I have some roasted up, e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts), 1/4 of a ripe avocado, 1 tbsp fermented veg/kimchi. Herbs and sprouts are great additions if I have any on hand. I toss this all up with lemon juice and apple cider vinegar then sprinkle with 1 tsp dulse, 1-3 tbsp nut yeast, and a pinch of chili flakes and black pepper. Otherwise I use one of my dressings using a combo of lemon, lime, ACV, dijon, tahini, hummus, miso, tamari etc. See my blog! Note, if I have leftovers from dinner I might have this instead, but I do like to get my raw veg in this time of day 🙂
If I am on the run I might grab 2 x brown rice (if possible) avocado and cucumber sushi rolls and a serving of edamame, veg rice paper rolls, a cup of soup from a cafe,or a fresh DIY salad with beans or falafels…
Afternoon tea – note, I don’t always have this, I tune in to my hunger.
3-5pm: A few days a week, I have a “pick me up” smoothie… 1 banana or ½ banana + ½ c berries/unsweetened acai, handful of spinach + 1 tbsp ground flax, 1 tbsp glutamine, 1 tsp maca, 1 tsp bee pollen and sometimes cacao, cinnamon or tahini for flavour. If I am very hungry I will add a scoop of Nuzest vanilla clean lean (pea) protein, or 2 tbsp hemp seeds. Other options I like: carrot + hummus, nori veg rolls, homemade bliss balls, green juice, an apple, miso soup or I will simply choose one of the drinks I mentioned for morning tea if I haven’t already had one and am not too hungry.
Dinner
6:30-7:30pm: I like to keep it grounding and warming for dinner, even into the summer months. This usually means a cooked dinner, sometimes with a side salad. Good, complex carbohydrates don’t scare me at dinnertime like they used to. My days are designed so that I eat fresh, healthy, wholefoods that are easy to digest, so at night, my body can handle them. There is also research to suggest they help with sleep. Of course, as mentioned, it comes down to the quality i.e. unrefined, complex carbs, paired with plenty of veg. I choose: brown rice or noodle tempeh stir fries, lentil/chickpea curries, veggie-based soups with some grains or beans, split red lentil Dahl with rice, mung bean and brown rice kitchari, bean burger patties atop greens, zucchini or konjac/quinoa pasta with lentil bolognese and greens, mushroom, lentil and brown rice san choy bow… to name just a few of my staples! Basically, I always pair my beans and grains with lots of greens, especially cooked cruciferous veg, and sometimes I have a side salad too. I try to cook with: ginger, turmeric, coriander, parsley, miso, flax and lemon regularly, and use condiments like tahini, tamari/coconut aminos, vegetable broth and organic canned tomatoes or coconut milk. I use minimal oil in my cooking, just a little coconut oil to pan-fry where needed, or I “steam-fry” my veg with water/broth.
Dessert
8-9pm: Most nights 🙂 I try to keep this the latest I put anything in to my body, even herbal tea! I don’t want to be running to the bathroom in the middle of the night! My favourite choice is a warm milky drink, as this is both sweet and comforting, perfect for this time of day. Cacao, turmeric or a chai latte, made stove-top with almond milk and stevia are my choices. Alternatively, 1-2 dates with a few raw nuts, or a few squares of dairy-free dark chocolate (probably choose this twice a week, the rest I have my latte/tea). Weekends might be a trip to a vegan gelato bar or enjoying a vegan treat I have made or bought 🙂 Alcohol is not a big part of my life, but if I have a glass or two I avoid “binging” like I did in my early 20s, and enjoy it for special occasions. A dirty martini is my go-to, I promise you will drink it slow!!