What Does Sarah Eat? Healthy Food Tips

The supermarket is a minefield, it’s so hard to know what to buy and what is good for you when a lot of foods are cleverly manufactured to ‘look’ healthy with ‘light, fat free, 5* health rating’ written on them. They seem good, right?

Sadly, a lot of things are packaged to trick us into buying them, and are often full of sugar, artificial colours & flavourings which are detrimental to your health and waistline.

Here are a few tips, trolley staples and things I’ve learnt along the way that may help you.

GO FRESH - LESS PROCESSED THE BETTER

Fresh fruit and vegetables! Think colour, ‘eating the rainbow’, as the brightly coloured fruits & veges are full of nutrients and minerals that our body needs.  Proteins like eggs, fish (salmon is especially good), lean red meats, protein shakes (I use Nuzest protein powder, you can buy it with a members discount code, yay!), natural high protein yoghurt or coconut yoghurt. Protein helps to keep you full throughout the day. Good carbs like brown rice, quinoa, wholegrain/seed breads to give your body the energy it needs to function at it’s best. Healthy Snacks like hummus, nuts & seeds (roasted unsalted almonds I love!), peanut butter (with no added sugar or salt, brands like Pic’s are good), dark chocolate (the higher the cocoa content, the better. I buy Whittaker's 72% and have 2 pieces at night as a treat). Everything in moderation ladies, but we want to be fueling our bodies with fresh foods MOST of the time, and allowing treats SOME of the time. Remember our 80/20 rule.

WATER, WATER, WATER!

Your go to drink should be water. Your body is made up of about 60% water, your brain and muscles need it to function. Aim for at least 2 litres of water a day. Another great option is coconut water, it’s full of electrolytes (and better than energy drinks like Powerade). When you wake up in the morning, reach for a glass of water before the coffee, as your body is dehydrated from sleep and is craving water.

FOODS TO LIMIT

High sugar foods like milk chocolate, lollies & ice cream (when buying packaged foods read the label, aim for under 10g sugar per 100g, less if you can), fizzy drinks (soda water with a twist of lemon is a much healthier alternative to Coke, fruit juice and energy drinks).  Packaged foods are high in sugar or fat e.g. potato chips, muesli bars, biscuits. Bakery items e.g. white bread, doughnuts, pastries, slices. White carbs like bread, white rice & pastas (aim for brown bread and rice instead) as they spike your blood sugars, and just leave you craving more. Caffeine. We all have our vices, like coffee, even me! But not too many! Same goes for black tea (herbal teas are best). All of these food are TREAT / LIMIT foods.

No matter how much exercise you do, if your diet isn’t on track you still won’t feel your best, you’ll struggle to lose weight, get sick more often and won’t be able to function at your best! Good nutrition is the key to a healthy life!

You’ve got this!

X
Sarah

Sarah Martelli