A Day In The Life...Fit Food.

Health, fitness and nutrition and extremely important to me and are part of my daily life, pretty much every day. Although, I haven't always made the right choices when it comes to food and I spent my teen years and early twenties eating terribly. But, for years now I have been making the right choices when it comes to eating and not only do I feel better, I look better too. I HATE to quote Gillian Mckeith but, you really are what you eat. 

I am going to take you through an example of what I eat on an average day, so let's get started!

Breakfast is my absolute favourite meal of the day. It sets you up for the whole day and kick starts your metabolism in the morning. Before I eat anything, I drink a large glass of water (it's important to rehydrate after the overnight fasting period). 

Breakfast for me consists mostly of protein and good fats with carbs coming from fruit, chia seeds or oats.  Today I had fat free Greek yogurt, blueberries, strawberries, chia seeds and raw cacao nibs - bursting with antioxidants and providing the energy I need to get me going. On the side, I had my regular cup of black coffee with organic virgin coconut oil stirred in. This pretty much covers all the macro nutrients needed for a workout or the day ahead.

I eat approximately every 3 hours so the next meal will be post workout around 11:30am.

After working out, it's important to take in some carbohydrates (preferably simple carbohydrates) to replace the glycogen lost during exercise. Today I had a nectarine but I vary this on a day to day basis. I also keep the majority or my carbs and sugars pre and post workout, tailing carbs off as the day goes on.

Also after exercising, it's really important to take in protein. This should be within 30 minutes of completing your workout - especially if you have done any type of strength training or weights. Taking protein in a powder form allows for quicker digestion than protein from meat or eggs so, it gets to work quicker! I supplement my whey protein with Spirulina. Spirulina is a super food.There is no doubt about it. It tastes absolutely awful but I just gulp it down as quickly as possible! It's worth it knowing that it contains 54% protein and is extremely rich in chlorophyll and a host of other vitamins and minerals.

Eating within two hours of exercise is highly recommended. So for me, lunch is concentrated around taking in more protein and good fats. Today I had an egg white omelette with chopped turkey breast, avocado, cherry tomatoes and raw spinach. Egg whites are super low in calories so I have five in order to get the amount of protein I need whilst not taking in too many calories. Avocado tastes delicious and provides more potassium than a banana, and is a fantastic source of good fats. The tomatoes and spinach are also superb for restoration after exercise.

My late afternoon snack is...wait for it...more protein and good fats! Cottage cheese is really high in casein protein which gets digested at a slower rate than other types of protein. The almonds are a great source of minerals, fat and give an energy boost which is much needed by late afternoon! There are many health benefits to cinnamon but I use it mainly to add more flavour to the cheese.

Finally... Dinner. Today I had two grilled salmon fillets marinated in a red thai sauce and herbs. Served with steamed mixed vegetables with black pepper on the side. I usually have asparagus with salmon but I forgot to buy some :-/ I keep my dinner quite low calorie after consuming most of my calories and macronutrients during my four previous meals. This salmon tastes so good cooked on my George Forman grill, much tastier than steaming!

So that's it. My first daily food diary. You may be thinking that these meals are low in carbs and they are. This is for the purpose of me wanting to shed some body fat. I try to keep my carb intake as low as possible. When following a low carb diet, your fuel will be coming from fats so I consume more fats than I ever have and look and feel so much better.

The key to feeling good and shedding pounds, I believe definitely lies in cutting down on sugar, processed foods and carbohydrates. Eating regularly too is a must! If you'd had told me years ago I could lose weight eating avocado, coconut oil, nuts, peanut butter and oily fish, I would never have believed you. The truth is, good fats can be used directly as fuel and do not cause weight gain. They will however give you great skin, hair and help with joint mobility.

I should also add that I drink water before each meal too and regularly throughout the day. Drinking water frequently has so many benefits and it can help you make better choices when it comes to eating too.

What are your favourite healthy foods?

Have you tried any of the foods I mentioned?

Please leave me a comment in the comment box and let me know.

Thanks for stopping by!