Plants Verses Animals

PLANT BASED DIETS

To ingest all the right nutrients in the form of a balanced diet, it's suggested that we make up our food choices from the eatwell plate. This includes eating starchy foods like rice & potatoes, fresh vegetables, dairy produce, small amounts of sugary/fatty foods and some meat or fish.

We should all aim to eat a healthier diet more often and the key to doing this, is to retain a balanced diet. 

I'd traditionally thought we had to make up meals with some meat and fish thrown in the mix but there's lots of evidence out there to suggest we can still build muscle and live an active and healthy existence without any meat or fish. And these plant foods are apparently just as good high protein food alternatives as meat and fish. 

Preparing for the gluttony feast that is Christmas, I'm limiting my portions and meat consumption over the next few weeks - avoiding taking in too many stodgy foods and exchanging the winter warmers for raw vegetables and salads at lunch times. 

The plan is to see how this type of diet affects my overall energy levels, temperament, sleep etc. and see if this new year's diet could be more plant based to help get me the physique ready for Spring.

There's plenty of sound info/advice to be found on the Internet it seems from vegan advocates, including helpful advice for identifying the vegetables which are complete foods - ie. providing for all our nutritional needs.

Plant food nutrition expert, ultra marathon runner and triathlete champion, Brandon Blazier has s nice site, offering lots of good advice for free, offering helpful food tips and recipes on his website. 

Staple Foods And Tools

STAPLES

We are what we eat. And we perform best with the right foods taken on board. So, I've been taking a closer look at which foods I really enjoy to eat the most and am therefore happy to have on a regular basis. I've narrowed these ingredients down to just those that are healthy, nutritious, as unprocessed as possible, plus convenient/quick to prepare & cook in a multitude of different meals.

Creating a new mindset for how we view our food, will enable us to make better choices in what we take into the body. Food is fuel. Simple and true. Yet, food has come to mean so much more than merely energy for the body. Advertising messages bombard us with (often misleading) information about how tasty, nutritious and healthy certain foods are. Marketeers have become experts at branding their products with impactful packaging to catch our eyes and encourage us to select their brands. It's no wonder we fill our baskets with over-packaged, processed and often unhealthy choices.

Not only are we swayed by advertising, but we often choose the foods that we find the most tasty. These more often that not, tend to be the ones high in fat, sugar and salt. These foods not only contain high level of the ingredients that can cause us harm, but the bodies response to these ingredients, means we tend to over-eat higher quantities of them too.

Apart from athletes, body builders or the body conscious types, most of us don't give a second thought to what we put in our mouths other than focus on it's taste, convenience and one other factor - social implications. We centre a lot of our socialising around food too. So, we'll prepare tasty meals or visit restaurants, where we can eat tasty, highly calorific meals with our family and friends. A lot of restaurants are now under pressure to display the calorie content and breakdown of the main essential ingredients within it's meals. If we all become greater masters of our own palette and more closely in tune with managing our health, then knowing the protein, fat, carbohydrate percentages, plus how much sugar and salt is contained within our food, will help us to make the right decisions. Restaurants and a lot of those who enjoy eating - are reluctant to allow this to happen. Much better to hide it and deceive themselves that ruin the momentary enjoyment that a desert can bring. A moment on the lips - a lifetime on the hips!

Removing impulse decisions - ie. mastering the palette, can mean we consume a lot of the same food ingredients. This can get a bit boring after a while. But, having a combination of essentials in the cupboards, the tools and creative flair to concoct gastronomic delights from a multitude of essential ingredients, will help to keep meals interesting and enjoyable.

Moderation is the key as they say - so, a little of the things we call 'treats', can still be allowed in the diet, but we should try and keep them down to a minimum and factor in some regular exercise so we can earn them. We should im to follow a 'clean' diet for at least 5 days of the week. We can therefore have a greater choice for eating whatever we want for our meals on the other one or two days of the week. And following a better diet most of the time means the odd indulgent meal shouldn't impact on the waistline too much either.

There's a few key ingredients we should always keep in the cupboard for those easy meals. Fresh vegetables, herbs and fish/meat will have to be bought regularly but always having foods like eggs, tins/packets of tomato and tinned fish to hand, means we're never caught short for something easy and relatively healthy to make.

The Right Tools For The Job
Another element to ensuring we don't revert back to processed/convenience foods - is to have the right equipment in our reach to make quick and easy meals. These items can all be bought cheaply. I've chosen an expensive juicer because it's worth investing in one that retains as much of the live enzymes from the food and allows longer life for the juice, but there are cheaper ones on the market that still do a great job.

Tools
Wok
Steamer
Juicer
Blender
Slow cooker
Griddle pan

Essentials
Spray oil 1cal
Coconut oil
Ginger paste
Garlic paste
Lemongrass paste
Madras paste
Tomato paste
Fish sauce
Hot Sauce ie. Tabasco
Virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Chilli powder
Bouillon or veg stock cubes/powder

Supplements
Fish oil
Aloe Vera gel
Pea/hemp protein
Bee pollen

Food Regulars
Avocados
Spinach
Rocket/mixed leaves
Tomatoes
Almond milk (unsweetened)
Eggs
Small bananas
Dates
Garlic
Ginger
Coriander
Spring onions
Onions/shallots
Red onions
Lemons
Limes
Celery
Cucumber
Apples/Granny Smiths
Almonds
Sweet potatoes
Broccoli/tender-stem
Asparagus
Carrots
Tuna sachets/pots
Mushrooms

Foods Convenience
Soup bags
Stew bags
Stir fry bags
Tinned tomatoes/passata
Tinned tuna
Tinned salmon/Mackerel
Rice sachets

Good Proteins
Smoked salmon
Salmon flakes
Salmon fillets
Cod fillets
Haddock fillets
Mackerel fillets
Sea bream
Prawns (fresh)
Mixed seafood (available from major supermarket fish counter)
Roast chicken
Chicken breast
Chicken thighs
Chicken strips
Turkey Breast
Turkey Slices
Duck breast
Quorn mince

Cheat Foods & Snacks
Whole grain rice
Whole oats
Spelt Pasta
Rice cakes

Cream crackers
Cottage cheese
Low fat mayonnaise
Ham slices
New potatoes
Rye bread
Almond butter
Mixed nuts (no peanuts)
Dried fruit

Gentlemen's relish fish paste
Honey
Molasses
70% Dark chocolate
Coconut water
Humous

Note It Down
Essentially, what we take in for our fuel, needs to be of the best quality. So choose organic veg, non-farmed fish, grass-fed and free-range meats wherever possible, convenient and fairly priced.

It's amazing how much we trick ourselves, so, make up a list of all the foods you regularly eat, break them down into healthy and not so healthy categories. Then work out the healthy meals to be eaten in the week and provided you take in some regular exercise every day (at least 20 minutes of fast walking), give yourself a little daily treat for the first week. Avoid snacking and remember to jot down in a diary, everything you take into your mouth to eat/drink - including how much water. After a week, assess where you've been good or struggled, and repeat the following week but without daily treats - keeping just to weekends fro sweets etc. If you can keep this up for 30 days or more - there'll be a change in the mindset with a lot more consideration given for what you consume.

Having only the freshest, most nutritious ingredients in the cupboards, will stop those impulsive snack decisions and encourage you to be more creative with the ingredients for varied meal combinations. Having a break from the sweet treats will also curb the desire for snacking on them. Eventually, over time, the weekend treats will become smaller in volume and therefore much easier to control, plus the regular management of what is consumed will mean mindful decisions play a much greater role over the impulsive ones.

Supplements - Protein

MUSCLE ENHANCERS

Protein Powder
Naturally occurring protein derived from food sources like poultry, fish and beef is a key nutrient in promoting overall health and improving fitness. When we train, the components found in protein, like essential amino acids, help to repair the body and strengthen muscle. According to various sources, for a leaner and athletic body composition we should be taking in between 1.5-2x our body weight in kilograms in grams of protein per day. ie. I weigh 80kg and should be taking on between 120-160 grams of protein. If you consider the average sized chicken breast contains 25-31grams of protein - that's a lot of protein to make up in the diet. That's where the protein shakes come in handy.

Just as an example, here's what my diet is like on a day when I'm training:

Breakfast:
Smoked Salmon  – 16g
2x eggs – 14g
Avocado – 1g
Tomatoes handful – 2g
Slice rye bread – 2g
Total protein = 35g

Lunch:
Smoked Haddock – 30g
Brocoli – 4g
New Potatoes – 3g
Peas – 3g
Total protein = 40g

Dinner:
Chicken Breast – 30g
Mushrooms – 2g
Asparagus – 1.5g
Swede Mash – 1.5g
Total protein = 35g

So, if I wanted to top up on my protein intake for improving muscle mass/recovery, I should look at potentially taking on board a couple of protein shakes with 20g protein in each serving along with some semi-skimmed milk to add another total 40-50g of protein to my diet.

Understanding what the best protein types are and for what purpose will help to achieve the desired results in your training. Here's 5 good ways to pick the right protein powder. Generally, whey protein appears to have one of the highest protein contents per gram but other alternatives like pea and hemp can be just as good and may be easier on the digestion for some people. Yellow Pea Protein is also good for cooking with and adding to sauces, soups and smoothies - ideal for vegans & vegetarians.

Ultimately, eating well with a balanced and nutritious diet are going to be the best option for health and well-being. But adding a good quality source of protein powder to supplement the diet can be a convenient method for being sure of having enough protein every day.

Food As Fuel

KEEPING THE ENGINE RUNNING

Food is essential for our wellbeing. We know this is true. What & when we eat, can shape our day and ultimately bring success in what we're doing. Being mindful of these decisions will give us an advantage when doing physical or mental challenges.

We choose to eat certain types of food when we're tired and hungover that are high in fat, sugar and salt when what we really need are healthier options. There's a need for better understanding what our relationship is with food in order for us to better direct our decisions towards how we take on board the right food. Are we comfort eaters? Are we easily swayed by marketing? Do we chose certain foods for convenience over fresher options?

We Are What We Eat

I've made a pact with myself to avoid all 'mystery meat' - ie. nothing processed where the origins and content are not clear and avoid sauces unless made from fresh too. But on a down day, the brain dulled by alcohol, it's all too easy to make some poor choices and it's a shock to find the remnants of a kebab in the trash. When this happens, it's little surprise at how bad we feel after a night of putting the wrong fuel in...

True & False

TOO TRUE

Every day we learn something that we accepted was true yesterday, is now false. Especially when it comes to food.

Red wine. It was believed we should drink small amounts as it contains antioxidants and could actually be better for us drinking this particular kind of alcohol to prolong life as apposed to being a tee-totaller. It's popped up again recently and there's a reversal on this thinking suggesting it's now NOT something that's good for our health. The odd glass of wine can work wonders after a stressful day or enjoyed with friends.
Butter. Avoid it. Use spreads and olive oil. NOW it turns out - it's all based on flawed research.
Cereals. I grew up on Coco Pops, Shreddies, Corn Flakes, Sultana Bran...cereals oh yeah and white bread. I'm still alive and pretty well? Yet, there's now a real hate campaign on grains. AVOID! I have to say, I'm kinda taken to this one as there's so much negativity surrounding it and haven't touched cereal in a few years now. But, stick to the least processed variety and the ones lowest in sugar and pretty I'm sure it'll be fine.
Bread. Staple of the French, Italians and Europeans. AVOID. I'm only eating decent wholegrain or rye bread occasionally now but really, is it that bad?
Fruit juices. Get your five a day. WRONG. Low in fibre, high in sugars, acid, and calories. Just eat some fruit or make your own juice using fresh fruit and vegetables. Get a decent cold-press juicer.

And the list goes on - here's 7 more foods that have had a reversal.

Thing is - we're being constantly advertised to with deceptive marketing spiel and the media is full of fantastical rubbish designed to get us reading their papers etc. It's no wonder people are so confused what's good and bad for them - and this is just the food. Exercise is now being linked to shortening life and even taking health supplements could increase chances of cancer. What does it all mean? It means stop reading the papers (especially The Daily Mail!), question the information being fed to you via advertising and gossip, make your own investigations, do what you enjoy in moderation and if there's anything that you know makes you feel bad, keep a diary of what you do & eat and asses the results yourself. Over time you'll see/feel the results and know. We're all different and what works for some, doesn't always work for all.

Question 'truths'
I'm now half way through Counter clockwise: mindful health and the power of possibility, written by Ellen Langer. She encourages us to be more mindful and question science, research and results. We are all different and nothing is set in stone, yet, science bases it's results on facts - facts that can not be clear cut if you take into consideration there's so many factors not included in this research that affect everything and everyone, so we need to have 'shades of grey' answers. The consequence of this type of black & white reasoning is that we set our minds to 'facts' and it's this definite inflexible mindset that makes the result and consequently we become inflexible too. Telling ourselves something is bad, can and will end up becoming true if we allow our minds to tell us so.

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...