Kerry McClure – Practical Wellness
May 22, 2015
I believe your Wellness, Workouts, and Waistline begin in the kitchen. Being a nutritionist, maybe I’m a bit biased. But I have to say, from my own life experience and journey, and experiencing the life journeys of my clients and observing others, I believe that nothing tastes better than feeling great from the inside out!!
Here are my practical and sustainable tips on living your most vibrant life. What works best for you?…
1. When thirsty, opt for water and other natural beverages
like green and herbal teas, coconut water, and enjoy water-rich produce like cucumbers, lettuce, celery and fruits
2. Limit or eliminate coffee with a green smoothie or veggie juice
3. Limit or eliminate sugars and sugary foods: Scan ingredients on packaged foods and choose those with little if any added sweeteners. Replace sugary breakfast cereals, flavored yogurts, and reduced-fat peanut butter with steel-cut oats, plain yogurt, and natural nut butter
4. Limit or eliminate your intake of refined grains. Switch to fiber-rich options such as wholegrain breads, quinoa, brown rice, and buckwheat noodles. Be mindful of gluten-containing grains: barley, rye, wheat, spelt and oats if not specified Gluten Free
5. Stock up on fruit and veggies and eat more raw. Choose organic as your budget allows.
Ideas: Include three or more colors in each meal and one or two colors in snacks.
Examples: Scramble eggs with spinach and red bell pepper. Add strawberries and apricots to green salads. Brighten up sandwiches with shredded carrot and arugula. Blend blueberries into smoothies.
Ideas for eating more raw: Top your (cooked) chicken or fish with a raw vegetable salsa. Replace flour tortillas with lettuce or collard greens. Snack on raw nuts and baby carrots. Top oatmeal and yogurt with berries. Cook pasta al dente and serve it with fresh tomato sauce with raw veggies like broccoli mixed in.
6. Eat seasonal superfoods. Mango, papaya, blueberries and cherries boast high levels of antioxidants, vitamin C and beta-carotene, which bolster our immune defenses and help prevent free-radical damage and diseases such as cancer. The enzymes in papaya improve protein digestion, mangoes can help alleviate inflammation and regulate blood sugar levels, and cherries possess powerful cancer- fighting agents.
7. Include fermented foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, pickles, kim chi, miso, tempeh, non-dairy yogurt such as coconut or almond
8. Eat lean meat from organic, free-range or grass-fed animals
9. Choose the good oils. Salmon, Tuna, Sardines, and Fish oil supplements, Flax, Chia and Pumpkin seeds, Walnuts, Avocado, Olive oil
10. Use only healthy oils for cooking – i.e. coconut oil, ghee
11. Identify and avoid food allergens.
Eight common foods account for 90% of food sensitivities: wheat, milk, eggs, corn, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish. Also could be problematic: citrus, chocolate, sugar
12. Consider reducing your intake of dairy foods
Eat well. Sleep well. Stress Well. Move Well.
Recent Comments