Hey Babes ! Lots of us WANT to be healthier , we see that it feels good , healthy people seem happier , more fit and active . But seriously WHERE DO WE START ? Food. We know it can change our life….but living in a society that teaches us to eat for comfort is not very helpful , enter Maria ! Maria from Vitalia Nutrition gives us the healthy scoop on what you can eat in a day to stay on the right track , the best part ? There are a MILLION variations on building these meals so you can make them your own.
Maria what does a day in your life [food wise] look like??
I love this question Sam! A normal day in my life usually includes nutrient dense foods aka superfoods and tons of veggies in order to try to get all my antioxidants the natural way, if you know what I mean. So as an example, a meal plan I repeat A LOT because I am always on the run is:
BREAKFAST
Most days [4 – 5 days/ week], after my morning elixir, I eat a fruit bowl or a smoothie! I have a super sweet tooth, so starting my day with a boost of natural sugars [that are also packed with antioxidants] just makes my day!
People often ask me if I get full with just fruit…. And my question is YES! But it is because I add way more things that keep me satisfied for a longer period of time.
For example, this is how my current BF bowl obsession looks like:
- Around 3 Tbsp. of organic Greek yogurt or natural Kefir [yes, I eat some dairy]
- ½ tsp matcha
- 1 tsp organic chia seeds
- 2 tsp organic flax seeds
- 3 Tbsp. Hydrolyzed collagen [collagen besides making your skin glow, it also helps you to feel full for longer periods of time🤩]
- 1 tsp organic honey [optional]
- ½ banana
- ½ mango
- 2 – 3 strawberries
- ½ kiwi
- ¼ cup granola
So the trick in here is: to add nutrient dense foods aka superfoods in order to give the body the nutrients it needs to function correctly just from eating properly.
- If you are super hungry I would eat the bowl [chewing slowly gives you the sensation of eating more and gets you full for longer]; but if you are on a hurry and maybe not so hungry, then I suggest adding all the ingredients [just not the granola] into your blender and making a smoothie to go!!
PSS. If you are vegan, vegetarian or dairy free then you can switch the yogurt for chia pudding or coconut kefir. Also you can skip the honey!
I LOVE smoothie bowls ! Recently I have heard a lot of buzz about the sugar content in things like homemade smoothies and smoothie bowls . Is the sugar content in a smoothie something we should be concerned about ?
Yes! We should always be careful on our sugar intake! You see, when we eat more sugar that what our body needs, it gets stored as fat [whether it’s natural or processed].
So here the smart thing to do is to pick your battles. If your sugar intake during the day only comes from the fruit in you smoothie, then that’s ok! You need it to fuel up your body and what better than with natural sugars! PLUSS fruit contains antioxidants that fight inflammation.
However if you start your day with a coffee with 5 TBSP of sugar, desserts and sweets… then you’re completely overdoing it girl! These type of sugars are processed, and the only thing they contribute to is inflammation and gain weight!
LUNCH
A buddha bowl this is something I have been eating often! There’s tons of things to add to a Buddha bowl but technically it gets narrowed down to: 1 protein, whether it is animal or plant based [I usually choose plant base]; 1 whole grain like quinoa, spelt, brown or wild rice; unlimited amounts of veggies; healthy fats like avocado, nuts and seeds; you can add fruit to it too, just be careful because as mentioned above fruit has natural sugars that may get stored as fat if your body doesn’t use them for energy, so if you had it for breakfast then I suggest skipping it at lunch; and a dressing of your choice.
One of my favourite bowls consists on:
- ½ cup pinto or black beans [protein]
- ⅓ cup quinoa
- ½ avocado + 1 tsp hemp seeds
- Veggies: a mix of spinach, kale and lettuce; broccoli sprouts; chopped carrots, broccoli, zucchini and beats.
- Zesty lime dressing
I hear a lot of people get concerned when they hear avocado is added to something ! But in your bowls you saw you can add as much healthy fat as you want ! Can you explain why more of this healthy fat is ok to help ease some of those fears ?
Healthy fats, like avocado, are essential for the correct functioning of our body. Fats are precursors for hormones, they act as fuel if our body runs out of sugar, they keep our skin healthy, and most importantly they nurture our brain! In MODERATE amounts they are not only going to make you feel amazing, but they are also not going to make you gain weight! The opposite, they’ll keep you satisfied for longer, helping decrease cravings and sugar spikes.
The fats you should be concerned about are the fats that come from processed and junk food. These are the fats that cause inflammation [leading to chronic disease] and gain weight.
DINNER
One of my favourite dinners include salmon or tuna, steamed or raw veggies [a variety of them thinking about the rainbow colours] and baked sweet potatoes or wild rice. As dessert I get a piece of dark chocolate and a cup of chai tea [my fave] or sometimes a cappuccino with almond milk.
Do you make your cappuccino decaf ?
No , I don’t do it decaf 😉
SNACKS
I usually don’t snack during the day, but when I’m PMSing I get extremely hungry all day long, soooo I eat apple, pineapple, almonds, walnuts or jicama.
Another useful tip to enjoy food and feel full for longer is by eating mindfully!!