Let’s talk about diet: My weekly go-to meals and grocery list

Seeing as diet is the factor that I believe has had the most significant effect on my skin – I thought it only right to do an entire blog post on this. I could literally talk for hours on the subject of nutrition as food is SUCH a passion of mine. And it really was not at all until I started learning about the right kinds of foods to eat for my skin, so thanks acne for that :) Every cloud has a silver lining, remember that!

 Honestly, I don’t even know where to start with food. What you eat really depends on your own personal goals, and what works for you, as we are all so different. My diet also really varies every day depending on where I am, what I am doing, how much exercise I am doing etc. So, I think the best approach for this post will be to outline my current goals and explain why certain foods are right for those goals. I have to point out that I am not a nutritionist (yet (future goals hehe)), and I am only going off what I know works best for me and my body, through my own extensive research and working with my personal trainer, it may work for you/it may not. If anyone needs any extra help, please get in contact with me, I am happy to offer you guidance and give you advice more tailored to your needs, but it is just advice. Please consult a certified nutritionist if you are struggling on a deeper level with a relationship with food.

Okay, so let me jump in. My current goals are as follows:

I am eating to -

1.     feel happy

2.     maintain healthy skin/improve skin

3.     shed a few extra lbs (because let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to look leaner)

4.     eat enough to progress my weights in the gym every single session

Originally when I changed my diet for my skin, my trainer put me on a 2-week detox where I ate nothing but green vegetables, protein and healthy fats. I ended up doing this twice as I felt so lean after the first time but then I went skiing and everything went a bit pear shaped, literally. But this worked so well for me in terms of an initial clearing out of my gut. Following this, I went onto carb cycling, where I would eat carbohydrates every 5 days for dinner, but not any carbs, only things like sweet potato, pumpkin, buckwheat pasta etc, followed by a sweet treat like vegan dark chocolate or a raw vegan dessert. This worked for a while but it wasn’t sustainable for me at all. I found myself lacking in energy, which made me short tempered, and when I did allow myself time off as such, I would go crazy and eat literally everything in sight – I believe this was my body’s way of telling me it needed more.  

Following this, I spent two weeks away from London, and just spending time with my family. I didn’t restrict any food groups, I just ate intuitively and tried to focus on building my relationship with food, as my control was lacking a bit. I did a lot of cardio in this time, stayed away from processed food, and my energy levels were fantastic. I still felt lean, but I was definitely allowing myself one too many glasses of wine, and one too many sweet treats (all be it healthy and homemade). I had a lovely time however, and I really needed the reset.

I then came back to London, went to Ascot and boozed a little too hard, which obviously leads to bad food decisions. I was eating crisps, processed dips, naughty brownies. I literally woke up the next day and my skin was crazy, I had about 4 cystic acne spots which I actually don’t really get anymore, so a change needed to happen.

I went on project shred July prepping for my trip away in August where I needed to be seen in a bikini omg. I didn’t go as intense as before and restrict carbohydrates as I feel that this did not work for me, and personally, my mental state comes before how I look aesthetically. But I do recommend doing a no carb detox for a couple of weeks if you are looking to shed weight fast, it really does work! But keep in mind, this is not sustainable, and should only be used as a short term solution for a quick change. 

After consulting with my trainer, we decided that for me, the best thing to do would be to have carbs every day, but just at dinner – as they help you sleep and store energy. I will track my weight for the next few weeks and see how this works for me in terms of shedding some body fat (fingers crossed it does because my life & training schedule are too hectic to not have carbs as an energy source)

So, an average food day for me will look like this:

Breakfast: this always stays the same to be honest, my body craves it now. I find it really balances my hormones, helps my skin, suppresses my hunger and I rarely ever feel bloated. It took me a while to get used to, but I will never go back to anything else.

-       Wild salmon fillet or a white fish fillet with sautéed (in coconut oil) mushrooms, asparagus, garlic, ginger on a bed of raw spinach with either a half or quarter of an avocado. If I am feeling extra hungry, I’ll add a fried egg.

Lunch: if it isn’t what I mentioned above (sometimes I will fast until lunch time), I will usually make myself an easy chicken or tuna and avocado salad.

-       Poached shredded chicken or minced turkey (you can prep this in bulk and store in the fridge for a quick time saving protein source).

-       Tinned tuna (if I am short for time and on a budget, I try not to have it too often as obviously its out of a can and goes against my philosophy.

-       Then I will put around a cup of spinach or kale into a bowl, top with things like zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, coriander, basil, carrots, chillies, green beans (maybe not all of these things together it may taste strange…but pick your faves), plus half an avocado and maybe some hemp oil or apple cider vinegar drizzled on top.

-       And lots of salt #saltaddict

Dinner: this is usually something very similar to lunch, just a reduced portion of healthy fats, and I’ll include some starchy veggies to get in my carbs, like sweet potato or pumpkin. to be honest, I usually double up my lunch or breakfast portion so I can eat it for my dinner, and vice versa. It is just easy and saves time.

Protein snack: the time of day I have this really varies, depending on whether I feel like I need more food after a meal, or I’ve just trained, or I feel like I need a sweet treat after dinner. Thank me later for this invention, it is honestly the best part of my day (wow you know you need to get a life when this is the case – I’m sort of joking and sort of not). But I am low-key the biggest sweet tooth and I need a fix, this is it for me.

-       1 serving of protein powder (try and use something vegan, like Tropeaka Lean Protein https://tropeaka.co.uk/collections/protein they are all natural – so many proteins are filled with junk)

-       Literally just mix in small amounts of water until it forms a mousse like consistency, top with some salt and cinnamon and enjoy – your very own protein pudding.

-       Sometimes if I am still feeling very peckish after a meal, I will add in a bit of coconut or greek yoghurt to this too, as the high fat content keeps me full for a long time.

Thank me later for this life changing invention

I do love cooking, and when I do have the time I really enjoy making up new recipes and trying out new combos, and I will have a blog post dedicated to some of my favourite recipes coming soon. But an average food day will look like the above for me.

For those days when the sweet tooth really can’t be satisfied - I like to bake healthy treats or whip up some raw desserts like my Raw Vegan Salted Caramel Squares, or my Coconut Banana Slice recipe that you can find on my instagram through the link. I advise enjoying these things in moderation however, I am still working on this lol.

Here is a general grocery list that I would recommend to someone not restricting any of the main three food groups. If you would like a more personalised list tailored to your goals – please do not hesitate to get in touch with me <3

Protein:

-       Chicken breast

-       Salmon

-       Tuna in Springwater (great if you are on a budget, or short of time)

-       Cod

-       Turkey

-       Grass fed minced beef

-       A good quality vegan protein powder (I am currently using Tropeaka, but Free Soul is also a good one for those living in the UK)

Fats

-       Hemp oil (for dressing)

-       Avocado oil (for cooking)

-       Coconut oil (for cooking)

-       Ghee (for cooking)

-       Avocados

-       Almond meal (good for sauces)

-       Cashews

-       Chia seeds

-       Hemp seeds

-       Coconut yoghurt

Carbohydrates

-       Sweet potato

-       Pumpkin

-       Buckwheat pasta

-       Buckwheat granules (I use as an oat or granola substitute)

-       Wild rice

-       Bananas

-       Berries

Micronutrients

-       Bell peppers

-       Spinach

-       Asparagus

-       Broccolini

-       Green beans

-       Mushrooms

-       Basil leaves

-       Rocket

-       Garlic

-       Ginger

-       Onions

-       Kale

-       Beetroot

-       Zucchini

-       Spring onion

-       Lemon

-       Lime

-       Carrots

Others

-       Unsweetened almond milk

-       Organic ground coffee

-       Coconut flour

-       Coconut sugar

-       Cacao powder

-       Maca powder

-       Cacao butter

-       MCT oil

-       Cinnamon

-       Spurlina powder

-       Pink Himalayan salt

If you would like a more personalised list tailored to your goals – please do not hesitate to get in touch with me I am here to help! <3

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