HEALTHY
RECIPE IDEAS

Below are some recipe suggestions for you to enjoy.

The best advice we can give to you is to allocate time to preparing your food. 2 hours of food preparation on a Sunday can save you tremendous amounts of time and effort through the week ahead.

Remember, the results WILL be worth it!

Eating quality food, regularly, in the right quantity and ratios is key in having your body perform at its best and will dramatically improve your chance of reaching health goals.

This guideline will help get you started and help give you the confidence to make better nutritional choices for improved health.

Benefits include:

• Knowing what foods should make up your plate and the portions
• Leaning the right quantity of food at each meal
• Understanding why each food category is important and why they are being recommended
• Discover a few example meals to guide your food choices

We know how difficult it can be to start on your nutrition journey considering there’s a minefield of misinformation out there which makes navigating this really difficult.

The vast majority of people unknowingly have high levels of stress hormones, unbalanced blood sugar levels and have high levels of inflammation.

Learn to make better choices without giving up the foods you love.

It is common for people to want to categorise foods as “good” or “bad.” This type of approach can make the “right” choices seem clearer. Unfortunately, it also leads to feeling of deprivation, frequently followed by guilt (one you “cheat”). Because who can be perfect all the time?

We believe there’s both a more effective and more enjoyable way. Instead of “good” and “bad”, we find it helpful to think of foods on a continuum from “Eat less” to “Eat some” to “Eat more.” This better allows for sustainable long-term change and progress.

Think about it: With this approach, you can occasionally indulge in some of those “Eat less” foods without guilt, knowing that – in reasonable amounts – they’re not going to set you back or ruin the progress you’ve worked so hard to make.

Your goal is simple: Aim to progress up the continuum choosing more of the “Eat more” and “Eat some” options, and fewer of the “Eat less” options. Make better choices strategically and systematically, over time.

Every food category has been included, even one you might not eat. So you can use this resource if you’re preparing meals for people with different food preferences or restrictions.

Here’s what to do:

1. Look through the food list and refer back to the Recipe ideas
2. Pick options from each category that you like or want to try
3. Make a grocery list from those options
4. Plan meals based on your macros or portions, knowing you’ll have all you need

Prioritize fresh, lean, minimally processed sources of protein.

Focus on whole, minimally processed sources of carbohydrates that pack lots of nutrition and fiber, and include a mix of starches and colorful fruits.

Aim for a mix of whole-food fats (like nuts and seeds), blended whole foods (like nut butters), and pressed oils (like olive and avocado).

When eating vegetables (and fruits), try to “eat the rainbow.” Different colors imply different nutrients and health benefits.

You don’t need to count calories or macros to get the right portions for your goals. Instead, just use your hand to measure.

This approach will dramatically simplify the eating and tracking process, and it’s nearly as accurate as the calorie and macro approaches.

Here’s the general idea:

A portion of protein = 1 palm

A portion of vegetables = 1 fist

A portion of carbs = 1 cupped hand

A portion of fats = 1 thumb

This handy portion-measuring system works well for many reasons.

1. Hands are portable. They come with you to work lunches, restaurants, social gatherings, and even Grandma’s house.
2. Hands are a consistent size. This provides a consistent portion reference.
3. Hands are proportional to the individual. Bigger people generally need more food, and tent to have bigger hands, so therefore get larger portions. Smaller people generally need less food, and tend to have smaller hands, so therefore get smaller portions.

Plus, the hand portion-measuring system provides appropriate amounts of nutrient-dense foods and their specific macronutrients.

Not all food is created equal. Different foods have different ways in which they affect the body. The more processed the food, the more stress it gives the body, and the more your blood sugar goes out of balance. Being hangry or constantly reaching for coffee are general ways in which this plays out. Eating more unprocessed whole foods will give your body more nutrients, decrease stress hormones and balance out your blood sugar. This will help your body perform at its best and create an environment that’s beneficial to functioning better on all levels.

The majority of people over or under eat on a daily basis without even realizing it. Being conscious of what you are eating and in what quantities is crucial in your health and wellness journey. The steps below will give you a clear guideline for what your plate should look like.

The way in which we combine food categories has a drastic effect on how our body looks and feels. Incorrect amounts can lead to more stress, more inflammation and unbalanced blood sugar levels which can lead to aching muscles and joints or lack of focus and energy crashes.

When the correct ratios of the food categories are eaten together they actually slow down the absorption of nutrients, which leads to a slower release of energy. This keeps blood sugar stable, keeps stress hormones from elevating to high which keeps us focused for longer periods of time with less crashes.

Upon waking your blood sugar and stress hormones start to rise. Eating breakfast followed by a meal every 3-4 hours helps blood sugar remain stable and stops your stress hormones from being too elevated. This is important as the cascading effect of this has.