Tag Archives: common sense

Transitioning to whole foods – September 2012

The month I turned 16, and I can categorically say that this was the month where I had my final ‘it’s not worth it moments’. I’d say that 90% of my diet was totally clean; wheat-free wholegrains, lots of veggies, fresh fruit, natural dairy (I’d switched to 100% organic milk), nuts, seeds, quality fish and meat and small amounts of things like honey and cacao. However there was still that 10% that I needed to improve on – for the sake of my physical and mental health.

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Transitioning to whole foods – August 2012

August. Bingo month. This was the month where I finally started to develop my own philosophy around food and nutrition. The month where I wasn’t as easily lead by what magazines or ‘experts’ were saying and learned to start trusting myself. I decided that it made no sense to me to use margarine, when butter is a natural alternative and a brilliant source of fat-soluble vitamins. I can’t remember exactly when or why I had this revolation, but it was well overdue.

My diet continued to evolve and eating 100% whole foods had virtually become second nature. I had my moments, where I would question myself or lose sight of what my real food philosophy was and get sucked into the ‘it’s not that bad’ approach (sunflower oil on dried fruit … I let it slide, pure icing sugar on a cake every once in a while … I figured it was a tiny potion of my diet and way better than an artificial sweetener alternative).

For the most part, I continued to learn and evolve, adding more and more nutrent density as I went. Here is an idea of a typcial day for me in terms of food in August 2012 …

Breakfast: Oats, cooked in water in the microwave, with acai berry powder, cinnamon and chia seeds stirred in after cooking. I’d usually sip on a herbal or green tea, sometimes (as a treat) with a bit of honey or organic stevia

Comments: Apart from the fact that I was cooking my oats in a plastic container in the microwave (double cringe), the breakfast itself; fibre-rich oats, antioxidant-rich acai berries, protein and beneficial fats in the chia and blood-sugar balancing cinnamon was pretty nutrient-dense and the herbal or green tea aided in digestion and balanced my energy quite nicely.

Morning snack: Organic Fuji Apple

Comments: So delicious and fresh from the markets that week. I can’t fault this snack at all. Hydrating, rich in fibre, vitamin C and antioxidants.

Lunch: Chia Spelt Bread with mashed avocado and a small container (a few generous handfuls) of tamari almonds

Comments: Sure the spelt bread still had gluten, but at this time, my body was responding really well to just being wheat free and I was glad to eat bread without feeling sick afterwards. Avocado is nutrient-density itself and the tamari almonds were a great source of protein and vitamin E, whilst also being salty and satisfying.

Afternoon tea: natural cheddar cheese and sultanas or raisins

Comments: The cheese wasn’t organic, or even local, and the dried fruit may have had preservative 220 in it (I can’t quite remember .. let’s just assume that it did). However, at this time, it was a sweet and salty snack that was both satisfying and delicious (and far more nutritious than the snacks of yesteryear; chips, sweet biscuits and chicken crimpies).

Dinner: Lamb, vegetable and cashew nut stir-fry with steamed Jasmine Rice

Comments: again, dinner varied every night, but most evening meals were either meat, veg and spuds or meat, veg and rice. I probably didn’t need the rice or spuds and would’ve felt better on just adding more non-starchy veggies, however for where I was at this time, just the fact that it was gluten free and mostly all from-scratch whole foods (mum may have used some questionable sauces … I hadn’t done a cupboard “clean up” at this stage) was good enough and made me feel pretty clean.

Dessert: I actually can’t remember for sure, I think I might have started doing fresh apple with natural peanut butter at this point or having some more tamari almonds with sultanas. Whatever I had, it was usually based around fresh or dried fruit and nuts. If we ate soup for dinner I’d usually have some Chia spelt toast with avo for ‘supper’ rather than dessert, or perhaps a toasted carrot and natural cheddar cheese sandwich.

Comments: Never perfect, but always whole food and nutrient-dense compared to what I used to consider dessert (I was once an absolute chocolate pudding, ice-cream or frozen yoghurt fiend … or homemade treats, like mum’s homemade caramel, banana or apricot slices … that woman has a gift for baking!)

Tip #8 for transitioning to a whole foods diet …

Enjoy the new philosophy that you’re settling into, there’s no need to rush or ‘over-educate’ yourself. Keep moving forward and making small changes, knowing that you needn’t change everything at once. By this stage your diet will be mostly whole foods and this is a huge accomplishment! In the months and years to come, you’ll probably eliminate the last few niggling things (a sauce with added sugar, a few preservatives here and there etc.), but for now, relax, smile and be proud of the changes you’ve made.

Transitioning to whole foods – June 2012

June wasn’t all that different to May.

I continued to take things day by day, and learned to become more aware of my energy, clarity and contentment (or lack thereof) after a meal. One thing that did occur though, that stood out significantly, was my next run-in with chocolate mudcake.

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Transitioning to whole foods – May 2012

In my last post, I shared how I came up with the idea of a ‘wheat allowance’ where I knew I could only handle so much before I’d start to feel ill. By keeping tabs on things and making sure that I never exceeded two slices of bread every other day, I was still able to enjoy some of my faves such as avo toast, cheese toasties, and peanut butter sandwiches, without painful or embarassing consaquences.

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Transitioning to wholefoods – March 2012

In my last post I talked about how in February 2012 I started making tiny changes to my diet – barely even noticable. I did this becuase I wanted to and was eager to nourish myself. There were no expectations or ‘rules’ as such that I lived up to. It was just shifting and changing as I went, the ultimate goal to feel thriving and happy.

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Transitioning to wholefoods – February 2012

My last post was all about tip #1 for transitioning to a whole foods diet; just changing the way you think about food. The questions you ask, the ingredients you challenge and the advice you think twice about. This was the lesson I learned in January 2012.

Continue reading Transitioning to wholefoods – February 2012

Transitioning to whole foods – January 2012

If you’re reading this blog, I’m assuming that you’ve had your ‘penny drop’ moment. That moment where you realise that what is considered commonplace these days isn’t actually normal. Our lack of movement, the number of chemicals we are inundated with each day, the packaged pseudofoods we consume, our irregular sleep patterns and the status quo of negative self-talk and limiting beliefs. For the sake of keeping this post as brief as possible, let’s just focus on the pseudo-food side of things for now. If you haven’t already had an a-ha about what real food actually is, then perhaps this post might just open your mind up a little.

Continue reading Transitioning to whole foods – January 2012