What you 'should' be eating!

When I started my journey many years ago....I never knew where life would take me.  I have made many mistakes but I have also had many successes.  When I coach people about holistic nutrition and they ask about my food and what I eat,  I always tell them to start where they are comfortable!  Do not try and do what I do!  If drinking water and switching to organic food(even if processed) is what you can do-GREAT,  DO THAT!

The Average American eat only 15 foods!  HOW BORING!!!!  You should have variety in your diet and rotate your food.  This will help you to see any food intolerance or allergies and help you get more vitamins, minerals and enzymes into your diet.  Don't be afraid of CALORIES!!!!  Calories give you energy-they come from REAL FOOD not CRAP!

I wanted to do a picture blog because I recently read an article about a 'nutritionist' who took pictures of all the foods she ate in a day.  I was astounded and shocked at the crap she put in her body and what she is 'teaching' others.   To me she had body image issues and was not getting what she needed.  Her skin did not look healthy and she wore LOTS of makeup, she didn't not hardly any water, and is addicted to sugar!  Plus her food was lacking color...the only thing that was not brown was a small handful carrots and M&M's(and I am not kidding)...everything else was brown.   It really is SAD!!

Holistic nutrition is my passion.  I am not perfect nor do I want to be.  I eat stuff that I shouldn't, and I drink the occasional beer or cocktail.  I can't make people change, I can only inspire them to want to make a step in the right direction.   If you don't want to eat what I eat, I don't judge...trust me!

I am doing this to show you what you can eat and how you can add variety to your diet.  I don't eat the same 'meals' everyday.  I try to follow the seasons when I cook and get a lot of color and variety

I get asked a lot....so what do you eat?  I always tell them, I eat FOOD, REAL FOOD. Most everything I put in my body is organic, grain free(with the exception of white rice), raw, fermented and living.  It is food that our ancestors ate, harvested, grew or hunted! There are few exceptions. These are just a few days of what I typically eat, it will give you and idea of the variety and show you options.

Day 1

Morning herbal coffee mixture plus a splash of real coffee(4:45 am)

My one cup of herbal coffee mixture plus water(4:45am)

              I always start out my day with a good 6-8 oz of filtered water with celtic sea salt!  Then I usually have 1-2 cups of my herbal coffee concoction while I am making lunches and breakfast.

My breakfast-usually I have leftovers from the night before

My breakfast varies day to day, as I rotate my foods often.  We eat breakfast as a family at 6:30am.   I usually have leftovers from dinner for breakfast.  This morning was sauteed kale in coconut oil with lemon butter cod.  I do have typical breakfast foods, like eggs, but usually when I don't have enough leftovers from dinner(or it is part of my rotation of foods)

Snack at work around 10 am.

If I eat a big enough breakfast that is protein rich, I can last a good few hours between meals...Today was a good day as I didn't need a snack until 10am.  This is a mixed raw veggie salad with balsamic and olive oil and 3 paleo pumpkin chocolate chip cookies....(most everything I eat is grain free and organic)

Lunch-1pm

Today I didn't have enough leftovers for lunch so it was purple grapes, plantain chips and canned sardines-which are great healthy fats and a wonderful protein.  I grew up eating sardines with my grandfather.  We would eat them on 'Trisquits'.  To this day I have fond memories of sardines and crackers.  I don't eat those crackers anymore so I found the alternative....organic plantain chips!  YUMMO. 

Leftovers from kids lunches

After I pick the kids up from school, I usually nibble on what is left from their lunches...Today was a combination of grapes, more plantain chips and organic salsa and left over paleo pizza(coconut flour crust).  I normally don't eat cheese, but I hate wasting food-like, it really bothers me.  I save every little bit of food if I can and figure out a way to re-use, cook or compost it.    This was at 3 pm.

And as always, I drink at least 80-100 oz of filtered water with celtic sea salt a day!

Dinner this night was hamburger salad with butternut squash.  The picture doesn't do it justice.

 I had pastured ground beef on a bed of greens with tomatoes, cultured pickles and the dressing is ketchup and mustard.  I usually have grilled onions on top, but forgot to make them.  Water with dinner as well.   I also had a small gluten free brownie after dinner, but forgot to take a picture.



Day 2.  Started with the same coffee mixture.  Today is Saturday and that means soccer and football.  I coach 2 teams and then we watch football and clean house.  I have a little more time to cook breakfast today and need it to be stick to your ribs kinda breakfast. 

Day 2 breakfast-Gluten and Grain Free Cinnamon rolls with pastured Bacon.

Drank 40 oz of water at the soccer field during the 2 games.  I also had 2 small clementines and a banana(a lot of fruit, but it was hot outside and the fruit was refreshing)

Lunch after the soccer games....Paleo wraps, and melon.

 The paleo wraps were coconut wraps real mayo, an entire avocado, sliced turkey and lettuce.  Dinner that night was out with friends at an upscale tapas bar.  I did not take pictures of our food because I don't do that when we eat out.  However I will tell you what I had....Duck salad on a bed of micro greens with apple rings, pan seared ahi tuna with grits and greens, bacon wrapped lobster tail and real fried potatoes with homemade ketchup.  That is not a typical night out-we were celebrating a birthday party.  So we indulged a little bit and that is OK!!!!



Day 3....Herbal coffee and water. 

chicken sausage and scrambled eggs with veggies

Breakfast is chicken sausage, with sauteed veggies(zuchinni and peppers) mixed with scrambled eggs.

Lunch wrap and grapes with a few plantain chips(not pictured)

 My lunch was a wrap made a raw 'wrawp' with real mayo, roasted chicken, lettuce and tomatoes and I had water to drink as well.

My FAVORITE kombcha.

So as I was prepping for dinner....I wanted a fizzy drink.  This is my favorite flavor of kombucha-it has a slight hint of 'soda' flavor but it is full of probiotics and really good for your belly!

Elk wakiki meatballs with rice and raw salad

Dinner this night was elk wakiki meatballs (sweet and sour) with pineapple and green peppers, served with rice and a raw mixed veggie salad(green papaya, purple cabbage, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cilantro and lime vinaigrette)   The only 'grain' I eat is white rice, I soak it in water with a little ACV and cook it in homemade chicken or beef broth and butter.  Soaking cuts down the phytic acid which makes all grains indigestible and does not allow you body to use the vitamins that are attached to the grain.



A very wise man once told me to ask the 'professionals' who are giving advice on nutrition, exercise or other health tips, to please take off their clothes so that I can see what they really look like.   If you like what you see, ask them what they do, and do that.  If you don't like it, then DON'T TAKE THEIR ADVICE!!! Take a look at their skin, muscle tone, eyes, hair and nails etc...healthy individuals have great muscle tone, no skin issues, good hair texture, strong nails and they don't have to cover up with makeup or clothes.  Now I have no problem showing any of my clients, friends, family or anyone else what I look like.  I practice what I preach and can show you how eating real food, practicing movement and tai chi, getting adequate sleep and drinking 1/2 your body weight in oz of water a day can make a HUGE difference in a body.  Although I don't have a naked picture....These 2 pictures are close;)...

Pool party with my daughter......

hiking to the  'I love you tree'

PS.  I move my body EVERY DAY, all day long.  I practice tai chi and love myself.  I want you to do the same..  Loving yourself is the first step in making a change!


Peace, Love and Chi

Emily