Preparation Is Key

STAYING AHEAD OF THE GAME

I'm getting on track. I've got my early morning routine down. My diary has been updated with my exercise routine and my partner and I now also have a calendar with all our shared social events in, so we can plan the rest of our free time accordingly. I'm starting to run more on auto-pilot in the mornings. So this week I'm looking more closely at my financial situation. Not going out much at the moment or drinking alcohol, are definitely helping, but I've eaten out a few times last week and there were a couple of meals that could have been better for budget and performance. I had a fairly late night last week (10.30) and grabbed a subway for dinner. It was a tuna 6" with low cal mayo, so not really that unhealthy, but bread late isn't good for me plus it wasn't really enough food. If I'd just prepared a salad in my canteen at lunchtime for take away, I could have had a really healthy, light meal before going out, or eaten a portion of it earlier and finished the rest later on. The following night I ate a bigger plate of food, but again not ideal as it was a lot of food after 7pm, spicy and contained quite a bit of protein which takes more energy to digest. Both nights were consequently later because it took longer to get off to sleep and it wasn't the best quality rest needed to stay on top of things.

The Right Food For The Job
I live an active lifestyle. I'm up early, bed early and doing physical activity regularly throughout the day and I need to get the right foods in at the right times and best nutrition for the jobs in hand. I'll definitely come back to writing a more detailed food page at some point, but for now, here's a few pointers for the types of food I should have on-hand for nutrition, value and convenience.

My ethos, is to eat pretty much everything in moderation but I tend to avoid processed food, ready-meals and keep to eating a balance of simple and natural foods – fruit, veg and meat. Kind of like the cave man or Paleo diet.
Here's a few of the staple foods I've found to work for me and at certain times of the day:


Mornings
Aloe Vera – 5am
I always start my day with a 60ml shot of Aloe Vera, which helps to regulate my digestive system.

Lemon juice - 5.30am
Drink some hot water with squeeze lemon juice and honey for Vitamin C and good for keeping neutral Ph balance.

Banana - 5.30-7.30am
Great source of potassium - the riper ones will have more sugars and this is great if I need a bit of energy to get me in to work on the bike in the mornings.

Avocado - 6.30-7.30am & 6.30-730pm
These are a great food source that contain good fats and are pretty much a meal all in themselves. They are easy on the digestive system, so great first thing or before bed. Cut them in half, score crossways and diagonally. Add a little (quality) balsamic vinegar and eat straight out of the skin.

Eggs - 6.30-730am
I'll eat a bit more food in the morning if I'm training. Either I'll make scrambled eggs; - usually with a combination of tomatoes, spinach, broccoli and/or avocado. If I want to make the best use of time, I have two boiled eggs and eat an avocado straight out of the skin (see above). I bought a really nifty little device called the Princess egg timer and steamer - really great for making the perfect eggs and steaming fish or vegetables while you can get on with your work!

Fish - 6.30-7.30am & 6.30-7.30pm
Steamed fish goes well with eggs - I usually have this meal in the mornings if my dinner the night before has been quite light, or enjoy on weekends for brunch. Really sets me up if I've got a big day ahead. I'll also eat steamed fish with new potatoes and steamed broccoli/asparagus for dinner because I can have it ready within 20 minutes.


These are the foods I also eat - but not so much and only at certain times

Bread - 6.30am - 2.30pm
I usually go for one piece of toast with breakfast eggs a few times a week or I'll sometimes have bread with my larger breakfast on the weekends. Bread is a slow release energy source and so I try and keep it early in the day. It's also a carbohydrate and processed wheat so I only eat when I need it and stick to quality grains to avoid any stomach issues. My partner likely has a wheat or gluten intolerance because she suffers with discomfort when eating bread or pasta.

Pasta - 12.30 - 7.30
I don't have a problem with eating bread or pasta but it can bloat me or make me feel tired. Pasta is another good energy source but I tend to eat only in moderation and have more green vegetables instead as a source for my carbs.

Spicy meals - lunchtimes or Saturday early evening only
Spicy meals taste great but for me they can create acid and heat in the body. So provided I can drink lots of water and I'm not trying to sleep straight after, I'll eat curries and richly seasoned meals.

Sweets - lunchtimes or Saturday early evening only
I like chocolate occasionally and the odd sweets. I'll tend to have a couple of mouthfuls of a desert and that's enough. Having too much sugar makes me 'jittery' and I definitely avoid before bedtime.

Caffeine
Coffee and tea - 6am-3pm
I like the odd tea and coffee throughout the week - usually with a bit of milk, and half a sugar in coffee. I'll have a mocha on a Saturday morning to keep me going before a hearty brunch but try not to drink on an empty stomach or after lunchtime (unless it's decaf).

Cheese - 10.30am-7.30pm
Cheese is my chocolate. Cheese also goes well with my other favourite indulgence - biscuits!

Lunch & Evenings
Salad
I usually have a light but filling lunch most days to keep my energy levels up throughout the afternoon. Eating salads are a great way to stay lean. I'll have some protein with it like tuna, chicken or salmon.
The rest of the salad consists of:
– Leaf = spinach/rocket
– Tomatoes
– Potato salad
– Rice
– Peppers
– Cucumber
– Carrot
– Pulses and chickpeas
– Vegetables ie. green beans & broccoli


Meat - 12.30-3pm & 6.30-7.30
I'll stick to grilled or roast chicken (especially in the evenings) if I can but the occasional lamb, or quality cut of beef (good source of iron) won't hurt. I'll also have a beef stew as it's easier to digest when the meat's been tenderised. Stews are a great way to get a meal easily prepared that contains meat and vegetables. We make our own stews in the winter months - often weekly on a Sunday and it takes no more than 15 minutes to prepare. We have a slow cooker that cooks the stew throughout the night while you sleep, so ready when you wake. It makes 4 large meals plus a soup each for about £6-7. This means we have 3 meals for the week in the fridge - ready to heat up in the evening or take as a lunch to work.

Keeping It Light
It's winter - I believe it's not such a bad thing having a few extra pounds at this time of year - I call it my winter coat. It gets cold on the bike and, like on a sea lion - blubber can help keep out the cold and used for some energy reserves too. So I'm not going militant on my diet but I will say it's better to cut out where you can. I don't have any butter or spread on my toast any more but I will use butter for my scrambled eggs. I don't fry much food but when I do have a bit of pan-fry fish etc. I use minimum oil - the oil sprays are good. I avoid sauces and salad dressings except a little olive oil and balsamic. And I skip the gravy or avoid adding fat (melted butter etc.) to my carbs. If I want to add flavour, I'll sparingly add a little balsamic, piri-piri/tabasco (not in the evenings), sweet chilli or HP/ketchup sauce.

That's it for now - I'll add a page on food, their benefits etc. and some easy, nutritious recipes for the slow cooker to try at some point down the line. Tomorrow, I'll be looking at a couple of other things I'm also trying this week...