Forget about "what I eat in a day". This is how I eat in a day (and why that's way more important).
How I eat in a day for optimal digestion, boundless energy, and healthy weight management.
I know everyone loves an instagram reel where influencers share “what I eat in a day”. We like an inside look at the lives of the people we follow. I get it.
But if we’re looking for answers about an optimal way to eat to feel good, what we really want to know is how we should be eating day-to-day. Not just one day, but ideas and habits we should adopt daily, over the long-term.
I’ve transformed my physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health over the last decade. Though, the biggest changes were a result of the last two years, when I stopped focusing intensely on what I’m eating and started thinking about how I’m eating.
And I’m going to talk about exactly that in this post. Specifically, the habits and ideas I stick to that have transformed my physical health and also my relationship with food, which is more enjoyable and light than it’s ever been in my entire life.
Before I get into it, these kind of posts need a disclaimer:
I’m not a doctor, nutritionist or dietician.
I’m a recipe designer. I work privately with individuals to create dishes based on their goals, dietary needs, health issues they’re trying to solve, etc. but are at loss for how to do this themselves and I offer support through the process of getting well.
I’m also a girl who loves to indulge in plant-based whole foods and enjoys sharing recipes along with food and lifestyle advice online for anyone who wants to cook with me, improve their health or needs some direction in these areas but may not be able to work with me directly.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get on to the good stuff.
Specifically, how I eat in a day and why this approach to thinking about food changed the game for me.
Water, before anything
I look forward to coffee every single morning. It's the first thing I crave upon waking. But before I indulge in a single sip, I drink a tall glass of water as soon as I get up in the morning. Here’s why.
To start, coffee on an empty stomach is terrible for you. Upon waking, your body is dehydrated, so caffeine enters the blood stream much, much faster. This releases a slew of stress hormones and creates imbalances that can lead to higher levels of anxiety, irritability, and other negative emotional consequences. It’s not pretty.
Also, drinking water first, before anything else, helps the body do some pretty amazing things.
It removes toxic waste (through urination or a bowel movement), which the body has been working toward all night while you're sleeping. It also kickstarts your metabolism (some studies say it can increase your metabolic rate by as much as 30%), boosts immune function and improves cognitive function.
So, water before anything.
Because you know I can’t resist sharing a tip, here’s how I set myself up for success: I make a tall glass for myself before bed and place it on my nightstand. And I drink the entire thing the entire thing before planting my feet on the ground in the morning.
Could not be easier, am I right?
Slow mornings, with a hot drink
Productivity and finding ways to optimize my time light. me. up.
But for the first hour or so of my day, I basically don’t move.
I start every morning with a cup of coffee, and sit with it while I write my morning pages and then read a book until my son wakes up.
Slow mornings with a warm drink (coffee, matcha, warm water with lemon, herbal tea - what you prefer is entirely up to you) is an excellent practice that promotes elimination (and by that I mean, poop), reducing bloat and discomfort, and optimizing energy.
So I don’t rush to eat, exercise, clean, empty the dishwasher, work - nothing. I get up early on purpose, so I can take things slow.
And when it comes to elimination, feeling light and energized - this little habit works like a charm.
Fruit and only fruit for breakfast
The first thing I actually eat, is fruit and only fruit. And it’s usually around 7 or 8AM, depending on how hungry I am.
This habit (sorta) started with my introduction to Ayurveda, after I gave birth to my son three years ago and invested in a postpartum Ayurvedic doula. From that point on my diet and habits became heavily influenced by Ayurvedic wisdom, traditions and principles. And one practice I saw the benefits of immediately was eating a fruit-based breakfast (which is a fancy way of saying just fruit for breakfast).
Eating fruit in the morning hours, on its own on an empty stomach is the best way to maximize its benefits. And eating it only this way can help you avoid fermentation in your stomach that leads to digestive distress - acidity, gas, indigestion, bloat, etc. - which I’m very much not into.
Most days, it’s a bowl of seasonal fruit. In the winter, I often “stew it” in a bit of water with some spices. When I’m particularly hungry, I like to enjoy what I call a “combined” breakfast - a smoothie or juice of 1-2 fruits, a citrus, ginger and some greens.
I love fruit. It is by far my favorite food group. But when I would eat it in yogurt, or mid day, or after dinner for dessert, it would make me feel terrible. Eating it alone (or with spices or non-starchy vegetables and greens), first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, was a game changer for me. I thought it would be be limiting or feel restrictive, but it was actually incredibly freeing.
I love a late morning snack
At this point in the day, since I’m not quite ready for lunch yet, I keep it simple with a light snack. This usually looks like more fruit, usually a different kind or in a different way (a smoothie, for example).
Or if I’m over fruit for the day, I love my digestive latte - a delicious warm hug in a mug with a slew of benefits. I’m talking anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, and digestive supports - all of it.
Here are the details:
1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 pitted date
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp coconut oil (or ghee if you eat it)
Pinch of salt
I combine everything in a small saucepan, bring to a boil. Then, transfer to a blender and blend on high until completely smooth. I pour it in a big mug and enjoy it warm.
It’s the perfect late AM pick-me up - energizing, yet gentle and will hold you over until lunch.
Lunch is flexible
As I mentioned, Ayurvedic wisdom inspires most of my meal choices.
For lunch I enjoy colder foods and raw vegetables since these are harder to digest and our digestion is strongest during day time hours.
And to make them even easier to digest, I practice food combining principles - the idea that certain foods pair well together, while others do not. Properly paired foods optimize digestion and energy. Improperly combined foods often cause negative health effects and digestive distress, such as bloating, discomfort, gas, inflammation, lethargy and all that lovely stuff.
So for lunch and dinner, as my meals get more complex, here’s what I do:
I avoid combining starches and protein or acidic foods.
I eat higher protein foods with non-starchy vegetables.
And aim to eat healthy fats (avocado, nuts, seeds, small amounts of oil) with neutral vegetables (non-starchy) that are either cooked or raw vegetables.
I’m not gonna lie, food combining can feel like a tall order at times. It takes bit of practice, lots of commitment, and sometimes even creativity.
But if you struggle with digestive issues or a sensitive stomach, like I do, it is worth exploring. I aim to eat this way every day, and over time it has come naturally to me and I now I crave to eat this way.
When I don’t, it’s usually at a restaurant if a menu item really appeals to me and substitutions are not honored. Or if I’m just craving something very particular and I just want to go for it. Sometimes ya gotta live a little.
Dinner is light and hearty
Forever my favorite meal of the day.
At dinner, I usually stick to low carbohydrate, high protein meals with lots of vegetables and legumes that are also wet and warm.
Another Ayurvedic nugget of wisdom: wet, warm, slightly oily, well spiced meals are easier to digest and ideal for evenings when digestion begins to slow.
So , light, yet hearty meals are my jam this time of day.
Think: lots of daals, stews, soups, vegetable-loaded pastas, warm bowls and that sorta thing.
I cook with lots of digestive spices like cumin, fennel, coriander, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon.
I reduce salt intake, which increases water retention.
I aim for smaller servings (no more than what could fit in two cups or handfuls).
And I chew food thoroughly to help the body produce more digestive enzymes that help breakdown food and speed up digestion.
As you can see, though I give myself lots of options, I’m still quite mindful and intentional about how I eat this time of day - always aiming to support digestion and promote a restful sleep.
So these are the meals and habits I stick to.
I don’t snack between meals
Snacking is my Achilles heel. Always has been.
But learning about why not to has helped me veer away from it quite successfully over the past couple of years.
Proper digestion is fundamental (maybe the most important aspect) of good health. I’m sure there is a more scientific way to explain this, but I’m not a scientist so I’ll just put it simply: snacking between meals weakens digestion and prevents your digestive system from doing it’s job, which is to transform food into fuel and waste that can be efficiently eliminated. And this leads to a whole host of health problems (constipation, inflammation, discomfort illness, etc.).
The only exception I make is when I really feel hungry (and not just an itch to eat because I’m bored, or wanting to distract my mind or procrastinate). But this is rare, because I eat well.
If I feel the urge to snack, I usually go with one or two options:
A couple of dates, stuffed with a a tsp of raw tahini. Not only delicious, but high in fiber and great for digestion.
Or a few spoonfuls more of what I ate at the previous meal. Also optimal for digestion, since your body will recognize this food/is already working to break this food down. New foods = more work, which we’re trying to avoid.
But generally, I aim not to snack throughout the day. Never skipping meals, drinking lots of water, tea, spa water, etc. and not hanging around in the kitchen (stinks for me because that’s where I work) will help you avoid it.
I observe Ayurvedic time restricted eating
I believe in the benefits of intermittent fasting. I did the 16:8 method for a while and felt great.
But I enjoy Ayurvedic time restricted eating more.
They’re very similar, but with the latter I observe a 12-13 hour “fasting” window instead of 16 hours, and the suggested time is roughly 6-7PM until 6-7AM. A little bit more manageable and natural, if you ask me.
So I don’t eat anything after dinner until my fruit-based breakfast in the morning.
The only exception here is water and non-caffeinated teas such as CCF (cumin, coriander and fennel), lemon and ginger, and mint. Why these? All are great for promoting healthy, strong digestion.
And there you have it! Exactly how I eat in a day, every damn day.
Last thing I will say, is that eating this way did not happen all at once for me. It was a process of discovery and I started one habit at a time. Eventually, I built out an eating routine for myself that clicked.
I knew it was working, because there were specific “markers” I was looking for:
Feeling satiated after I ate.
No sense of deprivation or restriction.
Feelings of joy when I ate.
Strong digestion; I moved my bowels daily, rarely felt bloated or uncomfortable, and energy levels were consistently high throughout the day.
It worked with my plant-based whole foods diet.
I slept well.
And my relationship with food and my body has never been better (and it’s been fickle over the course of my life, to say the least). I feel light, I enjoy food, and cooking is something I truly enjoy.
If this is something you’d like to explore with a bit of support, click here.
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