MY Healthy Choices

We are frequently asked for meal plans but we do not create meal plans for anyone except ourselves. We live by the principles that we teach. Sometimes people are curious about how we live the lives of much younger people. I can tell you the truth. You ARE what you eat. I did not create that saying but I do live by it. 99% of my diet is insanely healthy. If I find myself hungry, and for whatever reason I have allowed myself to get in a situation without my regular food, I will find something to eat. My one cardinal rule is NO ADDED SUGAR. I prefer whole foods and always look for a protein source first.

I Break the Fast!

I begin my first meal of the day with an apple because apples are a great source of complex carbs and quick energy. They have enough fiber to bind with the protein that’s soon to follow and that keeps me full for a long time. An apple is such a quick and easy way to begin fueling up for the day. I follow the apple as quickly as possible with oats loaded with flax, chia and hemp seeds. I also add almond meal for extra protein. Brown Swerve and cinnamon make it sweet for 0 calories! I cook my oats with two beaten eggs stirred in for even more protein. Do you see a pattern here?

Oats are a superfood. They contain a rich assortment of nutrients that strengthen and protect the body in multiple ways. They even contain antioxidants known as avenanthramides that increase nitric oxide, which promotes good blood flow. They also have anti-inflammatory properties which are beneficial because most disease originates in the inflammatory process, so when your mom was giving you oatmeal every morning, she was onto something!

Some days I will add in a protein shake in the morning for, guess what, EXTRA PROTEIN! I make my shakes with soy milk, soy protein, egg white protein, powdered peanut butter, Splenda and cinnamon. Note that if you have any ideas about making a protein shake, that egg white protein is not for the weak of heart. It has an unusual odor and flavor. I use it for a purpose, not because I particularly like it. I like to get about 145 grams of protein every day and a protein shake is a quick and easy addition to my morning meal. If I get a ton of protein first thing, I’m off to a good start and rarely get hungry later in the day. Soy has phytoestrogens and helps me to maintain my feminine curves while keeping my body fat low.

Grazing Meals

Some people might call this snacking, but these highly nutritious foods are so much more than snacks! They are a significant portion of my calorie budget and very important to my nutrition profile. I eat Plain, Full-Fat, Greek Yogurt every day. I add different toppings depending on my taste. Greek yogurt is higher in protein than other yogurt and is also much thicker and richer. I add water enhancers for whatever flavor profile I like and almost always berries. I particularly like blueberries for their exceptional antioxidants. They are believed to possibly ward off diseases of all kinds, including cancer. They improve mental function, help prevent heart disease, urinary tract infections and possibly even diabetes. Need I say more?

If I feel like I need more energy or actually get hungry before another meal, I will add in some pepitas, a pumpkin seed that doesn’t have a husk and some shelled sunflower seeds. I ALWAYS measure ALL of my food! While seeds are one of the most densely nutritious foods on Earth, they are high in calories. One serving, 2 Tablespoons, is enough to satisfy me for a couple of hours, especially if I mix together a serving of each. I DO NOT eat nuts except on rare occasion. They are very healthy but seeds are even better and I don’t have to be on guard about overeating the seeds. Nuts can be a trigger food for me so I tend to avoid them.

Midday Meal

Most of the time I have a huge protein-filled salad for lunch. Sometimes I do have a sandwich brought from home or a restaurant offering, but most days it’s a chicken salad made with as many vegetables as I can fit in the container! I always have 4 ounces of protein and measure any dressing that I may carry. BEWARE dressings if you eat them. While the No Sugar Added Ray’s Barbecue Sauce that I dress a salad with occasionally, only has 15 calories, their No Sugar Added Honey Mustard packs a whopping 130!!! That’s a HUGE difference for no better taste. I have chosen to abandon the honey mustard for the smoky flavor of their low calorie barbecue sauce. Those calories are better spent somewhere else!

I also carry a baked sweet potato to work almost every day. They are a rich source of healthy, complex carbs that fuel a workout better than anything else I’ve ever found. I even carry them to my workout room frequently, especially on “Squat Day”!

Last Full Meal

I am a meat-eater. I feel my best when I eat meat, fish or poultry at least 2 times a day. I also build the most muscle that way by adding in other protein sources along with the meats. When I first began strength training, I ate almost exclusively meat, eggs and just enough carbs, usually in the form of beans or potatoes to meet my caloric needs. I have changed that however because multi-colored vegetables are a nutrition goldmine and are very good for my skin. Although I tend to be somewhat of a badass, I am still very much a girl. I want to look as good as I can and vegetables can help me do that. They give skin a glow and help to keep it tight. They also provide chemicals that unlock the energy in other foods, so I have energy to burn when I’m working out. A better workout always produces better health and a better body. Romaine lettuce is a staple at my house because we like it, but it is also a great source of folate, a B vitamin that helps to unlock the energy in the other foods that I am eating. Every dinner and most lunches involve a big romaine salad. Romaine is so powerful, I can feel the benefits when I lift weights after eating it.

I also have treats made from our healthy recipes here on the website whenever I want to fit them into my calorie budget. Since I don’t crave sweets because I don’t eat sugar, I don’t eat them very often, but I always know that they are there if I want them so I never feel deprived.

Sugar Free Pecan Snowball Cookies

Again, we don’t create meal plans for others but we live David’s Way. At 65 I find that I have energy to work full-time, work out hard and care for my family. My doctor congratulates me on my lab results every time he sees me. I am not typical for my age and my diet is not the typical SAD (Standard American Diet) either. I believe there’s a connection.

Eat Your Vegetables!