WHAT WOULD AN EXTRA 5-10 YEARS OF LIFE MEAN TO YOU?
The research pretty conclusively suggests that a healthy diet and lifestyle are the key to longevity. Maintaining a healthy weight can significantly reduce your risk of developing disease so that you have more time on this earth to spend with your precious loved ones.
There is, however, no denying that the Western diet is becoming increasingly worrying with many people replacing fresh, nutritious food with heavily processed, convenience foods. As a result, obesity levels and their associated diseases are steadily increasing. This undermines and challenges many of us wishing to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
For this reason, I am often asked for a nutrition plan by my clients who feel lost and confused. Whilst I do initially provide them with some personalised sample days , I explain how strict meal plans very rarely work and are not the answer. They are not sustainable and do not offer the flexibility that I believe is at the core of any nutritious eating regime. Instead, I educate and coach my clients to eat the foods they enjoy whilst staying on track to achieve their goals. I help them to live their life without the stress of ‘off limit’ foods so that they have the life-long tools necessary to maintain weight at a comfortable, healthy point.
With that said, I think it is useful for those beginning their healthy eating journey to see what a weeks healthy eating could look like. I have therefore put together a 7 day meal plan that is typical of what I eat. Whilst you will see some common themes such as plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein, you will see that I do allow myself to enjoy the foods I love. It is a nutritionally balanced regime that ensures I get all the vitamins and minerals that I need whilst also making sure that I have enough energy to run around after my young boys! For me, it is a maintenance plan but for others it could lead to weight loss especially if they follow portion control guidance and exercise.
I hope that you will see that healthy eating is a way of life, not a short-term fad! Many of the meals I describe I eat with my young family, so they have to be super tasty as well as simple and convenient! I hope you get some great ideas from it!
DAY 1
Breakfast
Greek yogurt with 10g vanilla whey powder with sliced banana and raspberries
AM Snack
25g Almonds
Lunch
PM Snack
Chicken breast strips, carrot sticks and hummus
Dinner
Homemade lasagne served with mixed salad
Dessert
Baked pear with cinnamon, spoon of crème fraiche
Preparation
Overnight oats – 80g oats, 250 ml milk, 200g Greek yogurt, 2 scoops protein powder. Mix together and chill. This makes 2 portions.
DAY 2
Breakfast
Overnight oats topped with grated apple, cinnamon ans a sprinkle of linseeds
AM Snack
Lunch
2 Aldi Artisan crisbreads with cottage cheese and beetroot salad
PM Snack
Dinner
Grilled salmon fillet with stir fried vegetables and soy sauce
Dessert
Homemade banana Ice-cream (freeze banana slices beforehand and blend) drizzled with honey
DAY 3
Breakfast
Overnight oats with berries and raspberry drizzled with Flavourdrops
AM Snack
Apple slices with almond butter
Lunch
Mackerel pate with oat cakes and dressed salad
PM Snack – Aldi raw fruit and nut bar
Dinner
Roast chicken breasts with paprika with Mediterranean vegetables roasted in olive oil
Dessert
DAY 4
Breakfast
Protein shake (1 scoop chocolate whey powder with 250ml almond milk) and banana
AM Snack
Beef jerky
Lunch
Left over roasted vegetables and chicken
PM Snack
Rice cakes with cottage cheese and cucumber
Dinner
Homemade turkey mince chilli with rice and spinach and some avocado
Dessert
2 squares of dark chocolate and 20g cashew nuts
DAY 5
Breakfast
Greek yogurt with whey protein, homemade granola and fruit
AM Snack
Lunch
Left over chilli with small jacket potato and salad
PM Snack
Oat cakes with almond butter
Dinner
Lean pork loin with microwave lentils and steamed veg
Dessert
Fibre One Brownie Bar
DAY 6
Brunch
2 poached eggs and smoked salmon with wholemeal toast and wilted spinach
Snack
Arla yogurt
Dinner
Homemade prawn curry, microwave poppadoms, cauliflower rice
Dessert
Halo Top ice cream with raspberries
DAY 7
Breakfast
3 egg omelette fried in a little olive oil with mushroom, spinach and ricotta
Lunch
Roast beef, roast potatoes, mixed fresh veg and a small Yorkshire pudding
Dessert
Halo Top ice cream with banana
Dinner
Chicken and bean salad
In addition to this, I drink 2 cups of coffee a day and drink at least 2 litres of water. I sometimes add sugar free squash or fruit to encourage me to keep on top of my fluid intake.
I also supplement with Omega 3. This is an essential fatty acid that is important to optimal health and whilst I do include oily fish in my diet, I don’t always meet the recommended nutrient intake.
I also supplement with Vitamin D during the winter months. This is very hard to obtain through diet alone as we synthesize it from the sun. During the summer, I tend to go abroad and spend a lot of time outdoors so I probably meet the recommended requirements. This isn’t the case in the darker months.
I hope this has provided you with some nutritional motivation but please remember that this is just an example of how I eat. It is not a prescribed plan and should not replace any advice you may have received from a medical professional.