nutrition
Food is fuel and medicine. It has the potential to cause disease as well as to strengthen the body’s immune system. I have come to realize the foods one chooses to consume regularly have a massive impact on the quality of overall health and performance.
Learning about nutrition, becoming more interested in it, and trying to make better choices when it comes to my eating routine has been a huge eye-opening experience. It brought immense value to my life and led me to gain more awareness about the importance of food quality - product sources and ingredients. This was key for me to significantly change the way I eat and nourish my body.
Early in 2019 I came across the practice of intermittent fasting (or time restricted eating), researched its potential benefits, and decided to test it for myself. I was fascinated by the improvements I felt as a result, and this opened the door of discovery for me in the world of nutrition. Since then, I have become more open minded about food, gained greater awareness about the power of it, and experimented extensively with different diets.
The pursuit of refining my nutritional choices over the years has been deeply transformative and ultimately facilitated forming habits that are simple, enjoyable, and sustainable for me. The eating pattern I have followed for a few years now is rather intuitive. It consists of - unprocessed, raw, natural - “real” foods (red meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains) two to three times a day in portions that allow me to feel satiated.
Refined/processed sugars, seed oils, gluten, additives and preservatives found in ultra-processed foods, as well as alcohol are items that I completely avoid. I have learned that these are the most harmful to the body, as they weaken the immune system and contribute to the development of chronic disease.
WHAT I EAT
RED MEAT
Beef, bison, venison (Grass fed and finished, organic*).
Pork (Organic, no antibiotics ever*).
Organ meats:
Beef liver, kidney, heart. (Grass fed and finished, organic*).
POULTRY
Chicken (Pasture raised, organic, no antibiotics ever*).
Eggs (Pasture raised, organic*).
SEAFOOD
Salmon, sardines, cod, shrimp. (Wild caught*).
DAIRY
Greek yogurt. (Organic, plain*).
Butter. (Grass-fed*).
Cow cheese. (Aged, organic*).
Goat cheese. (Organic*).
FRUITS
Avocados, bananas, berries, cherries, pineapple, mango, kiwi, dates, figs. (Organic*).
VEGETABLES
Sweet potatoes, onions, greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, cabbage - sauerkraut.
(Organic*).
NUTS, SEEDS & legumes
Walnuts, almonds, pecans, macadamia. (Raw, organic*).
Pumpkin seeds. (Raw, organic, sprouted*).
Almond butter. (Organic, natura*).
Peanut butter. (Organic, natural*).
Black and kidney beans. (Organic*).
WHOLE GRAINS
Brown rice, quinoa. (Organic*).
Steel cut or rolled oats. (Organic, sprouted*).
CONDIMETS
Sea salt or Himalayan pink salt.
Extra virgin olive oil.
Apple cider vinegar. (Raw, organic*).
Raw honey.
Maple syrup. (Organic*).
DRINKS
Water, black coffee, tea.
* These terms indicate the cleanest and purest form of the food item. In other words, the food has not been genetically modified, comes from environmentally sustainable sources, and/or has not been exposed to synthetic chemicals. In some but not all cases, the food may also contain a higher nutritional profile.
I have come to understand that obtaining the highest quality food is not always realistic or practical considering one’s resources and food availability (given certain regions and seasons). Therefore, it’s important to remain flexible and realize that opting for better food options is not exclusive to only the best quality. For instance, grass fed and finished (best quality) meat could be costly and less available; alternatively, getting conventional (more affordable) meat would still be a more optimal substitute than any highly processed food.