Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
The most common question I get by far is 'what do you eat?'
For some reason, people are interested to know what I eat. They probably think I eat strange things, or they think that if they copy what I eat then all their health problems will go away!
Well, neither is true!
What I eat works for me, but it's not the script that everyone should follow. As you know, people are very individual. We come in all shapes and sizes and what works for one person might not work for another. Having said that, we could of course benefit from mirroring the eating and lifestyle habits of someone healthy, as long as we don't get carried away with it.
So, I'm going to give you a sneak peak into a typical couple of days for me. It might help a few people.
But before I do that, I would like to bust some myths:
Eating healthy does not make you superman. People who eat healthy can still get sick and they can also have 'bad' days. I say that because many people gasp when I say that I'm not feeling well. When they see the nutritionist sick, they start doubting that a healthy diet works. What a healthy diet will give you is better recovery. So hopefully, if you do get sick, you'll be able to bounce back quicker and stronger than someone with an unhealthy diet.
Eating healthy is a marathon, not a sprint. You can't eat healthy for a short duration. You have to plan for it as if it's a whole lifestyle change that will last throughout your life. With that in mind, you have to allow for the occasional 'treat' if you feel that you are the type of person who needs it. And yes, I do have 'treats' sometimes, so don't panic when you see me eating cake at a party.
Eating healthy is actually very enjoyable! A lot of people think that when they're eating healthy they have to 'bear with it until it's over', but I beg to differ. It's true that you only live once, but if you're eating healthy, what a great life that would be! Nothing beats knowing what it's like to spring out of bed and pursue your dreams, and have a body to help you with all that!
Eating healthy is not only for weight loss. I get a lot of the 'why do you need to be on a diet, you're already slim' comment. First of all, eating healthy is not like going on a diet. It's a decision to change your eating routine and your lifestyle to move towards optimum health. But I know a lot of 'slim' people who are not healthy at all! Health is not measured by our weight. You could be at your ideal weight but still need to improve your health. Look at your energy levels, your heart, your skin, your mood, your bowel movements. These are all indications of health.
Healthy food will not keep you hungry. A lot of people equate being on a healthy routine with being on a 'diet'. They think they have to starve to be healthy. If you are eating the right foods that your body is happy with, it will be satisfied a lot sooner than usual. For example, when my eating was very unhealthy I remember being hungry all the time. Having soup or salad for dinner was not an option because I thought I would starve. But as I improved my diet and my body started getting the vitamins and minerals that it needed from food, I had less cravings and even my appetite got smaller. If you're constantly hungry, that means you're not giving your body what it needs in terms of nutrients, that's why it keeps telling you to eat more in the hope that you'll finally eat something that will help that deficiency!
So, with all these myths behind us, I will give you a sneak peak into my eating routine. As a general rule, I like to vary my meals so that I'm not repeating anything I eat. This helps prevent any food sensitivities that people develop when they repeat a certain food too often. Most people do that with breakfast; they eat the same thing every morning. If you are guilty of doing that, start rotating your breakfast options.
I also avoid all dairy products for reasons that I've talked about many times before, and I rarely have typical desserts or chocolates.
Here's an example of what I ate the past couple of days.
Day 1
Breakfast
Large salad with chickpeas and dressing
Snack
Carrot and cucumber sticks
Lunch
Mixed beans cooked with onion and tomatoes with oven-baked fish and green salad
Snack
Home-made almond brownies (see the recipe below)
Dinner
Home-made mixed vegetable soup
Day 2
Breakfast
Red apple slices drizzled with organic tahina sauce and carob molasses
Snack
Celery and green pepper sticks
Lunch
Lentil burgers with roasted vegetables and green salad
Snack
A handful of raw almonds with a couple of dates
Dinner
Large salad with okra, quinoa, and black-eyed peas
My Super-Easy Almond Brownies recipe:
2 tbsp tahina sauce
2.5 cups dry almonds
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
3 tbsp raw honey
20 dates (pitted)
1 tsp butter or coconut oil
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp water
Blend all the above ingredients in the food processor until soft and slightly moist. Spread over a square pyrex plate and press down firmly. Cut into squares or any shape you like. Sprinkle with desiccated coconut. And it's ready to eat!
For more information or to book a workshop for your organisation, contact me through my website at www.AliaAlmoayed.com
