People are often curious to know what I eat.

I want to tell you a little about what I eat and why.

The way I eat is not always what I recommend to my clients.  Everyone is unique.  Where you are in your health journey is probably different from where I am now.  Your body may have different needs and sensitivities.

Also the way I eat changes throughout the seasons.  What I am sharing today is what I am eating these days.  In the summer and winter I eat differently than I am eating now.

Here's a sampling of what I might eat on a daily basis (there are different options under each category, I don't eat them all at once):

Breakfast:

• Aloe vera with water or lemon with water
• Dandy Blend with coconut milk or Cacao Maca Latte.  I gave up coffee last year to support my adrenals. 
• Green smoothie. My favorite right now is  High Protein Strawberry Green Smoothie.  I like to the keep the smoothies low-glycemic by always using a 3 to 1 ratio: 3 parts veggies 1 part fruit and always include protein, fat and fiber.
• Omelet or Eggless Omelet (video and recipe below) with veggies usually left over from the night before, sometimes with wild salmon. I think organic eggs are a perfect food but they make me crave sweets indicating I have a sensitivity to them, so I don't eat them often.
• Left over soup

Mid-morning snack:

• Water
• Herbal tea
• Homemade energy bar (occasionally, but I am not really a snacker)

Lunch

• Water with lemon
• Salad with carrots, daikon, sauerkraut, sprouts, zucchini  and/or any other vegetables which may be in the refrigerator.  I always put avocado in the salad for good fat.  I like to use a seed dressing to provide more protein, fat and fiber. It gives the salad a rich flavor and is more filling.  You can try the Herb Garlic Sunflower Seed Dressing
• Sometimes I will add in chicken left over from the night before or beans, or canned wild sardines or salmon to the salad. If you like canned salmon or sardines you can order cases from www.vitalchoice.com.  They sell a very high quality product.
• Homemade soup with raw crackers.  There are soup recipes on my website. 

Mid-afternoon snack: (occasionally)

• Water
• A few almond or brazil nuts
• Celery  & carrots with hummus or seed dressing

Dinner:

• Water with lemon
• Roasted Sweet potatoes sprinkled with smoked paprika (my new favorite spice)
• 2 vegetable dishes at least one a green leafy vegetable for example; sautéed kale with carrots, sautéed spinach with garlic, steamed asparagus, roasted zucchini or roasted cauliflower, etc.
• Roasted chicken, grilled fish or other protein source like tempeh or beans.

Weekend Treats  I stick with the above meal plan even on the weekends with a few additions.

• A glass of red wine on Fri & Sat Night which I always have with some food.
• Sometimes I have some raw goat cheese with my wine, not every week but at least once a month.
• A healthy dessert on Fri & Sat.  I like chocolate.  I will either buy an 85% Green & Black Chocolate Bar or make one of my own treats like the Raw Chocolate Almond Mini Cups or the Chocolate Goji Berry Almond Candies

And the other important things:

• Getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night (this is important for your health)
• Some method to distress like EFT, meditation or deep breathing
•  Exercise/movement
•  Love, laughter and fun

If you're thinking to yourself:

Uh-Oh  I don't eat anything like that!

                OR

Wait - I eat a pretty healthy diet too... but I don't feel at my optimal best.

                 OR

Really, how am I supposed to follow those guidelines?

Read on... 

4 Steps Toward Your Own Optimal Health

1. There is no one perfect diet.  

What works for me may not work for you.  It is important to find out what your body needs to get into balance.  If you want to lose weight and heard that going raw is the best thing to do but have difficulty digesting raw veggies (it gives you gas, bloating, you don't enjoy it, etc.), going raw probably isn't where you should start.  Focus instead on digestive enhancing foods like raw sauerkraut and healing your gut, look at the bigger picture of what's going on with your health, and I'll bet that the weight will start to naturally fall off, too. Then you will not only feel better, but be more motivated to continue making changes to your healthy eating plan and lifestyle.

We often have these ideas of what is "good" or "bad" to eat.  Like I said raw foods is not for everyone, I can't eat that way.  At the same time neither is being vegan or eating like a cave man. Not everyone needs to be gluten free either but with the problems in our digestive system and the way they grow the wheat it may be a good place to start. 

You want to eat the optimal diet that's right for your unique body, at this particular point in your life.

 2. It's an ongoing process of trial and error.

If you've been trying different ways of eating and still feel like you haven't got it figured out you are not alone. It is a process of trial and error to find out what your body needs at any given time.

Even with doctor visits, lab tests, nutrition software, food journals, willpower - it still takes trial and error, and that process is always going to be ongoing.  If you find you have some food sensitivities it is not enough to remove those foods, you also want to bring in some healing elements to correct the problem.  Removing certain foods is a great place to being begin to relieve some digestive and hormonal problems but you may need more.  

Shameless plug :) ---> This is where it's helpful to work with a coach, someone who can help you to pinpoint where you may have deficiencies, what you can do to heal, and then how to make it all fit into the context of your busy lifestyle with a concrete, customized, step by step action plan.

3.  Stop Beating Yourself Up  

 Instead of beating yourself up about not losing weight or succumbing to your cravings, ask yourself, "How can I make this process more enjoyable? What am I really craving right now?"

Most cravings are not only emotional but have a physical element involved.  It is not your fault.  Be gentle to yourself. Listen to yourself, ask for guidance.   

4. Set Up Your Kitchen for Healthy Eating

Health begins in the kitchen.  In fact what is in your refrigerator and pantry has a direct link to your overall well-being.

When you have a well-stocked pantry making food for yourself is like water flowing down stream, it is easy. Whether you are following a recipe or just making something up, having lots of healthy ingredients at your disposal makes it easy to feed yourself with healthy food. You will at the very least be able to make a green smoothie or instant miso soup. 

Here is a video of what is in my pantry and refrigerator.

My Pantry and Refrigerator

Eggless Spinach & Scallion Omelet

This is a cross between an omelet and a crepe.  Garbanzo flour  (also called chick pea flour)  is low-glycemic and full of protein.  It is also gluten free and high in folate which helps our body produce and maintain new cells. This dish can be made with many different fillings.  It is a great option for people who may be sensitive to eggs or just want to try something different. 

2 servings

Sautéed Spinach

½ Tb olive oil
4 cups raw baby spinach 1 clove garlic minced Celtic sea salt and pepper

Omelet Batter

1 cup garbanzo bean flour
approximately 2/3 cup water
2 Tb olive oil

2 scallions thinly sliced

½ tsp dried thyme

Celtic sea salt, pinch
black pepper, pinch
1-2 tsp coconut oil to oil the pan

Prepare the spinach

• Heat the olive oil on medium low in a large sauté pan.
• Add the garlic sauté 1 minute. Add the spinach.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Sauté while stirring until wilted. 
• Set aside on a plate.

Prepare the batter

• Scoop the garbanzo bean flour into a bowl.
  Add water to the bowl and stir with a fork until well blended and all lumps are removed. The mixture should be the consistency of slightly thick crepe batter.
• Add olive oil, scallions, thyme, salt and pepper and mix again.
• Add enough coconut oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan on medium heat. 
• Pour half the batter into the heated pan. Tilt the pan to spread the batter into a thin circle.  It should be thinner than a pancake.
• Cover the pan with a lid and allow to cook over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Check after three minutes. Cook until it is  cooked enough that you can easily "flip" it, but not too brown. 
• Flip it over and brown the other side.
• Fill half of the circular shape with the spinach filling. Flip over the uncovered half. Cover the pan for a minute or two more. Cooking to desired crispness.
• Set aside on a plate and cover to keep warm while you prepare the second one.
• Serve topped with salsa.  Serve with sliced tomatoes and salad greens. 

A few more things...

You can make this with any combination of ingredients.  For example

• sautéed mushrooms
• roasted red peppers
• cooked onions
• salsa
• avocado
• asparagus
• tomatoes
• pesto
• roast veggies

 Be creative, let your imagination run wild, see what you have in your refrigerator