I fuel my body with what it needs, what I need, to get me through the day, my workouts and keep me feeling balanced. Overall I have a very good relationship with food and eating, I put good, nutritious things into my body and my body responds well, giving me good energy, helping with my mood and sleeping patterns. It has taken me a long time to find a balance with food and lately I have been very happy with my eating habits. I do still struggle from time to time with guilty thoughts after eating but it is no where near compared to how I was even just two years ago. I am sharing this with honesty, to help others realize that while we can appear to be very strong on the outside, we are all fighting our own battles and should do our best to be supportive of each other. Now, if I do have guilty thoughts after eating something a little unhealthy, I take a mental note of how I feel in that moment and remind myself the next time I'm about to eat something unhealthy of how I felt. Each time gets easier. Thankfully, I no longer have these thoughts very often, because I eat a balanced diet that makes me feel good. However, when I do have these guilty thoughts, I get past it, and do not revert to my old ED habits. I have grown up and away from those bad habits, have done a lot of research of the consequences and will NEVER put my body though that again! I remind myself everyday that overall I eat very healthy, nourishing foods and that I workout regularly, so a couple unhealthy meals here or there is not going to kill me or hurt my progress. I remind myself that Food is Fuel.
Everyone has different goals and a different way of living. My goals and my daily routine require something different than the next person. I have tried a variety of different eating styles, Vegan, Paleo, No Carbs, etc. but I have found that for my body a balanced diet of healthy carbs, protein, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats, including dairy and some meat, works best for Me. I have some pretty unfortunate food allergies and so have to be very careful to read the ingredients of products before purchasing them, and in restaurants I am the annoying guest that has to ask if the food has 'this or that' in it and having the waiters ask the kitchen staff. It makes it challenging to eat out, but it also forces me to cook more at home, which I have really been loving lately! I have found so many amazing recipes through Instagram and different blogs and have been experimenting a lot in the kitchen. (Recipe page coming soon!)
Just a side note, for those that don't already know, I recently moved from Oregon, USA (where I grew up) to Germany, to work and live closer to my boyfriend. It has been a huge change and I am still adjusting. The first few weeks I was living with his parents while I was apartment searching, and so I was eating a little differently than normal (more bread, cheese, etc). But, overall it really didn't ruin my progress and now I am living with some young Germans in an apartment with a full kitchen and I am able to do a lot of cooking on my own and experiement with healthy new recipes.
I usually don't keep track of what I'm eating. However, I've had quite a few girls on Instagram ask me about my eating habits and so I thought I would try and keep track for a week. It's actually a great way to keep yourself on track, as it makes you accountable to yourself and others if you choose to share it on social media. So here is my food diary from this past week, list of staple food items and my food allergies, so you know why I don't eat certain things. Please feel free to comment any questions you might have below.
Staple Food Items (Must have around at all times) Eggs, Avocado, Yogurt, Bananas
Food Allergies (Can Not Eat): Corn, Peas, Soy, Beef
Food Sensitivities (Eat in Moderation): Gluten, Onions, Cashews
Food will be listed as B: Breakfast, S: Snack, L: Lunch, D: Dinner, SS:Sweet Snack aka Dessert. I also typically drink 2-3 small cups of Coffee with rice milk, whole milk and stevia drops throughout the day, and Lots of Water! I typically eat every 3 hours or so, depends on the day. Some days may only have 3 meals, because when I have a big meal I tend to save half and finish it later as a mini meal/snack.
Day 1: Tuesday
B: Coffee,2 eggs on 2 pieces of whole grain toast with chèvre, stone-ground mustard and sliced Chicken.
L: Smoothie (fresh banana, frozen berries and spinach, yogurt and peanut butter)
D:Vegetable Soup (Potatoes, Carrots, Onions)
Day 2: Wednesday
B: Coffee, Small bowl of Oatmeal with organic jam and peanut butter, 1 Rice cake with Banana, peanut butter.
L: Coffee, 6 Whole Wheat Crackers with Avocado and Chicken, 1 Rice cake with Banana, Peanut Butter and a little Nutella (very small amount).
D: (Early) Salad with Beets and plain Balsamic dressing, Brown Rice with Vegetable Soup.
SS: Berry Nice Cream (Frozen Raspberries, Strawberries, 1/2 Banana and Rice Milk)
Day 3: Thursday
B: Coffee, 1.5 pieces of Protein Bread with Chèvre Cheese, Mustard, sliced Chicken and Avocado.
S: 1 Rice Cake with 1 Banana and Peanut Butter
L: Smoothie (Fresh Banana, Frozen Strawberries, Raspberries and Spinach, Yogurt)
D: Spelt Pasta and Zucchini/Carrot Noodles (half-half ratio) with Pesto and Cottage Cheese.
Day 4: Friday
B: Coffee, 1 piece Protein Bread, slice of Chicken, Avocado and Cheese.
S: 1 Rice cake with Banana, peanut butter and a little Nutella.
L: Protein Mug Cake with Fresh Fruit and Yogurt (recipe coming soon)
D: Small Bowl of Rice with Cottage Cheese.
SS: Rice Cake with Chocolate ~Halloween, had 2.5 drinks~
Day 5: Saturday
B: Coffee, 1.5 peices of Protein Bread with 1 Egg, Chèvre Cheese, Mustard, sliced Chicken and Avocado.
S: 1 Rice Cake with 1 Banana and Peanut Butter and a little Nutella.
L: 1/2 Protein Mug Cake with Fresh Fruit and Yogurt.
D: Potato, Vegetable and Egg Scramble.
SS: Apple, Rice Cake and Chocolate
Day 6: Sunday
B: Coffee, 1.5 Whole Grain Bread Rolls (Brotchen) with 2 Eggs, Chèvre Cheese, Mustard, sliced Chicken, Sliced Cheese and Avocado.
L: Smoothie (Fresh Banana, Frozen Strawberries, Raspberries, Yogurt)
D: Rice with leftover Potato, Vegetable and Egg Scramble.
Day 7: Monday
B: Coffee, Protein Pancakes (recipe coming soon) topped with Banana, Berries, Yogurt and Peanut Butter. (So filling!)
L: Coffee, 6 Whole Grain Crackers with spread Cheese, sliced Chicken and Avocado.
S: Quest Bar and a Banana
D: Large Salad with Red Peppers, Mushroom, Carrot and Cottage Cheese, topped with homemade Mustard/Balsamic dressing.
D2: Homemade potato wedges and a few Chicken Wings with Yogurt Sauce ( Made by the roommates).
SS: Apple
Don't be afraid to experiment in the kitchen, but also find yummy, healthy meals that work for You and Your Goals that you can eat regularly.
Please leave any questions below in the comments or email me at [email protected]
Love, Alena