What does your daily diet consist of?

I find this question to be challenging to answer. Every day is genuinely different. I do cook and eat at home the majority of the time. I understand that having the time to cook consistently is a luxury, and I am beyond grateful that I can do this. Some days, cooking looks like holding my daughter in one hand and a spatula in the other, throwing together an assortment of ingredients that I can whip up in the amount of time it takes for Donya to start to lose interest in what I am doing. I want to say this is usually 20 minutes tops. It is not pretty, but I get the job done most of the time.

Here is my truth:
I keep it as colorful and straightforward as possible. When I go grocery shopping,  I include a few staples in every grocery run that are non-negotiable for my family’s meals. Many of these meals are as no fuss, no muss as it gets.

I would love to provide you with resources that empower you to cook at home in what limited time you have, whether it be 10 minutes or 30 minutes. My goal is to show you that a little goes a long way. We are all busy women with responsibilities, and I can only imagine how many responsibilities each of you has in the course of your day. We all want efficiency, simplicity, and accessibility in our nutritional path. I get it, and I am here for it! 

Now, I will not pretend that I have a clean diet every day. Instead, I try to maintain a consistent, conscious approach while not punishing myself when I indulge in french fries with my little one. There is a balancing stick between indulgence and discipline these days. Becoming a mom presents this challenge in particular. Before Donya, I had all the time and discipline in the world regarding my diet. Motherhood takes a lot of that time and freedom to design meals strictly for your needs away. Gone are the days I spend 90 minutes at the grocery store, inspecting every aisle for new products, reading all the labels, and researching to find the perfect ingredients for every meal for the week. I miss those days, but life happens, and 90-minute grocery runs are not realistic for anyone, let alone me. I love that I now have a max of 15-20 minutes in the grocery store before Donya starts to complain that it is time to leave. She keeps me on my toes and more efficient every day. I now see this as a blessing because I have learned to be much more respectful and appreciative of time.

I hope that my blog this week will give you some insight into ways to add simple items to your routine that can make a lot of impact over time on your health. I believe that we have a ton of science-backed research and resources available to help us navigate our daily nutrition and food choices in a mindful and informed way. All we need is accessibility and simplicity when it comes to ideas. Right?

This week, I want to share my life hacks for maintaining a consistently nutrient-dense lifestyle. I hope that some of these resonate with you. Let’s begin!

1). START WITH SIMPLE CHANGES
Begin adding here and there instead of focusing on a brand new grocery list. Go easy on yourself. Try taking a recipe and seeing if you can swap out or add items that make it more nutrient-dense.

For example, how can you make pasta more nutritious?

Can you check your pasta sauce and see what ingredients it includes? Maybe go for something that does not contain added sugar? Or, perhaps check to see if there is a sauce with less sodium than the rest?

Another way of adding simple changes is incorporating some of your favorite vegetables in your sauce. For example, I always add organic mushrooms, and sometimes, I roast eggplant and zucchini and add it in. These vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and fiber, and they help satiate me, so I stick with a good size portion and do not overeat.

I also love replacing beef with bison. Bison has more protein and less fat than beef. In addition, bison are free-range in the United States due to government regulations. Bison are protected and allowed to roam freely. They graze and roam a wide range of areas, where they fertilize the soil with their dung, contributing positively to the ecosystem.

There are gluten-free pasta options, sweet potato pasta, cauliflower pasta, and the list goes on. So have fun and try something new!

2). START ON THE OUTER AISLES AND WORK YOUR WAY TOWARDS THE MIDDLE
Because fresh produce is essential, and crop provides fiber, rich nutrients, taste, and lots of color in easy, low maintenance ways to your meals. I like to load up on my fresh produce in the beginning before either Donya or I lose patience. Fresh anything is better than processed anything. The middle aisles tend to lay out the processed food because they are also the more accessible and easier reached areas. You'll find more gems on the outer perimeters, I promise you. Just make it a mission to work around the perimeters first. Get your produce and meats out of the way before you start shopping for the other stuff. You will notice it becomes much easier to map out healthy, nutrient-dense meals when you get the main things in your cart first.

Low on time but want that colorful addition to your dish?

Go to the freezer aisle and grab organic, frozen vegetables and fruits. They are just as nutritious as the fresh produce and are already cut and prepared. Sometimes this is the smarter option since frozen produce is picked at its ripest state and can be tastier and more readily available because of the time of the season. Also, steer clear of the bags that include added oils or sauces. Instead, keep it plain and add your own seasoning and oils. This ensures you are not taking in unnecessary sodium or preservatives.

3). BALANCE IT CRITICAL: INCLUDE PROTEIN AND FATS IN EACH MEAL
Clean protein and healthy fats are essential building blocks for your health. They keep you satiated and are incredible for your brain and muscles. 

Combining healthy fats and clean protein contributes to:
- weight loss
- brain health
- reducing the risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases
- maintaining energy levels
- balancing glucose levels
- muscle repair
- feeling fuller longer. 

Whether you eat meat or are plant-based, there are ways to include both clean proteins and healthy fats consistently in your diet to maintain a nutritious lifestyle.

What foods are considered healthy fats?
- olive oil
- avocado
- nuts
- nut butter like peanut and almond
- hemp seeds
- chia seeds
- sardines
- fresh tuna
- cage-free organic eggs
- tofu

What foods are considered clean protein?
- chia seeds
- almonds
- tempeh
- wild-caught fish
- quinoa
- lentils
- grass-fed beef
- bison
- greek yogurt
- cage-free organic eggs
- spirulina
- flaxseed
- tofu

4). PAY ATTENTION TO SUGAR
Sugar affects our health tremendously. Studies show that high glucose levels contribute to many cardiovascular diseases like diabetes while also contributing to a higher risk of heart attacks, obesity, blood clots, weakened immune system, and the list goes on.

What if you do not add sugar to your food?

That does not mean that sugar is absent from your diet. Anything processed includes ingredients that can raise your glucose levels. My simple word of thumb is to buy items you understand the ingredient content and skip what you do not.

Create your dish by adding your own ingredients and including healthy fats and clean proteins to help balance out the carbs in your meal.

Steer clear of prepared foods. They have to add stuff to it to maintain the shelf life, right? But unfortunately, that stuff can do a number on our insides.

Remember, it is all about balance. When our blood sugar levels spike, we feel the same effects as if we were on a drug. There is a high and then a comedown. Who wants to experience the extremes when we can prevent them?

5). SIMPLE ADDITIONS MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE
All you need is a why and an excellent recipe, and that is a way to make simple, healthy additions much more enjoyable.
- Add chia seeds and avocados to your toast in the morning (grass-fed butter and/or an egg).

Do not eat animal products?

No problem! 
- Add sauteed spinach, plain cashew, or coconut yogurt, or 4-5 pistachios, walnuts, or brazil nuts to the equation.
- Juice or slightly cook your leafy greens. You can digest them better this way and absorb the nutrients faster.
- Add an avocado to your leafy greens. 

Due to avocados’ high-fat content, they can help you absorb fat-soluble vitamins. So you will absorb the nutrients of your meals that much better. 

Fat-soluble vitamins are K, E, D, and A. These vitamins are responsible for our blood health, strong bones, immune health, vision, teeth, skin, and so much more. 

So next time you eat: a salad, roasted Brussel sprouts, carrots, sweet potatoes, eggs, mangos, beef, fish, spinach, kale, nuts, or olive oil, add avocado to it!

6). GUT HEALTH IS WEALTH
Hippocrates stated that “all disease begins in the gut,” and this phrase has become a significant player in today’s scientific research. In order to reach optimal health, our gut must be healthy. Our gut is responsible for more than half of our immune system; it is the home to trillions of bacteria and organisms in the body; contributes to our metabolism and energy balance.

An unhealthy gut can contribute to constipation, inflammation, bloating, diarrhea, other gastrointestinal diseases, skin problems, autoimmune diseases, anxiety, depression, memory loss, and blood sugar regulation. Although lifestyle has a significant impact on gut health, so does nutrition. Processed foods can have adverse effects on gut health.

So, what should we be eating to improve our gut health?

Stay away from highly processed foods and eat more fermented and fibrous foods.

Foods like cultured dairy or fermented vegetables are a fantastic way to contribute to the good bacteria in our gut.

Polyphenols are excellent for our microbiome as well. 

Polyphenols are in:
- green tea
- blueberries
- seeds
- cacao
- red wine

7). WALK IT OUT
Research shows that walking for 30 minutes after a meal helps lower our blood glucose levels and aids in weight loss. If the weather permits, this is an excellent opportunity to connect with family members, significant others, friends, and/or neighbors.