06/11/2022
DAY 8
Powering Up!
Basic Nutritional Guideline
Hey, they look like they’re ‘enjoying life’ is a term for over-eating, too much social drinking, café visits or sitting … not so much exercising, health-checking and refraining. But, here we are for 21 days, no excuses, testing your mentally tenacity, shaping your discipline, because a healthy challenge feels blimmin’ great!
Helpful habits:
Workout fuel
• Eat 2 hours before exercise, 30 mins before an easily digestible, low fibre/digestible carb snack like a banana, cracker/bread – will help with your energy and outcomes during class. Hold off from breakfast till after an early morning class.
• Eat protein 30 min/45mins after class. Nothing is better than this for gaining metabolism building muscle and avoiding injury.
Health Challenges
• HYDRATE: Your challenge is to bottle up 2- 3 times and sip water through the day. If your p*e is almost clear, you’re winning. Drink a large glass of water when you first wake-up. Have a herbal tea or glass of water during work breaks.
• CAFFEINE: Caffeine is to slow-breakdown, it stays in our system for up to 10-12 hours, so drink it in the early morning rather than the avo’ to sleep better. Suggested intake is 400mg per day (or ideally less). Ease off gradually, going cold turkey often means monster headaches!
• Chew more, think of obtaining every piece of nutritional value from your food, as if your small meal has to fuel you for the day. Mindful eating, means trying not to be distracted by screen or phone.
• Take it to the next level. Record your weekly eating. Reflect on your motivations, where you eating because you’re hungry, tired, thirsty, emotional? This could be a hugely valuable accountability exercise.
Manage your healthy home
Access is everything.
• Hide unhealthy snacks in non-transparent containers, up high or in out of reach places. Or, don’t have them in the house at all.
• Make chilled sparkling or still water and your favourite healthy snacks readily available.
• Put alcohol in hard to get places, in garage etc.
• Chop vegetables in advance, put in transparent container in fridge for snacking, dinners, taking to work. Extra challenge eat 5 – 6 servings a day (not including starchy ones like potato, kumara)!
• Easy ways to eat more veggies – make veggie soup, add to smoothies, make a veggie snack box, add veggies/spinach etc to eggs or omelette for brekkie, add to mince, blend a veggie loaded tomato sauce, add to baking.
Weight-loss
To lose weight, your body needs to be in a catabolic (breaking down) state, meaning you must be in a calorie deficit.
• Swap out calorie dense foods for more nutrient dense options.
• MORE ENERGY/QUALITY, LESS QUANTITY. Maximise the energy on your plate. Consume a wide range of macro (carbs, fats, protein and water) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) to maintain optimum organ health and efficient metabolism.
• Try not to eat after 8pm. Regeneration of bodily cells happens at night, fantastically without digestion taking place.
• Portions size, how big? Did you know the average dinner plate is 25% bigger than in the 1960s? Use smaller plates or bowls and remember it takes 20 minutes to register when we are full, take your time. As a guideline, complex carbs 40-50% of plate, clean protein 20-30% of plate, healthy fats 20% of your plate.
• Alcohol has is calorie dense and nutrient poor. Alcohol-free drink ideas include, hot and cold brew teas, ¾ sparkling water and ¼ pure juice, spicy tomato juice, kombucha, fresh lime/mint/cucumber still or sparkling water, non-alcoholic wines and spirits. Obviously refrain from sugar loaded products.
• Change your taste-buds progressively. Small changes to reduce salt and sugar will make for massive progress and retrain your palette. Less sugar in tea, unsalted options.
• Find other ways of celebrating your success or comforting yourself than ‘treats’.
• Vegetarian and Vegan diets and protein – in order to meet all the amino acid requirements, you should aim to consume proteins from as many different sources as you can.
Side notes:
If you are worried about your health, there are other factors that can cause additional weight gain. You can ask your GP to do the following medical tests to measure your health and track improvements.
• Fasting blood glucose: measures the body’s ability to regulate glucose levels.
• Cholesterol profile: testing overall cholesterol can give a snapshot of your risk of heart disease.
• Triglyceride levels: if these are elevated, it can show a risk of developing atherosclerosis.
• Thyroid-stimulating hormone: this can determine an overactive or underactive thyroid.
• C reactive protein test: this can help determine the risk of developing heart disease.
For specific meal plans or dietary information, please see a qualified health professional such as a dietitian or nutritionist.
