10 Day Nutrition Challenge

Begin your day with writing a grocery list!
Below is a sample food list from Eat, Think & Live Rich: A Guide to Health & Happiness.

Sample Food List:

Grains:
High-fiber bread (minimum of 3 grams of fiber per serving), brown rice, quinoa, oats, (if you are inclined to bake, buy a kilo of whole grain flour such as spelt, kamut, oat, or gluten-free flour)

Vegetables:
Deep dark greens (either a prepackaged box of fresh salad greens or a head of romaine, spinach, kale, or chard), zucchini, onion, mushrooms, broccoli, green beans, beets, carrots

Fruits:
A bag of apples, pears, bananas, berries (regular or frozen; great for smoothies), limes, avocado, and any other fruit you love

Dairy:
Plain yoghurt (where ingredients are limited to milk products and bacterial cultures), reduced fat cheese, milk or milk alternative.

Poultry and Other Proteins:
Free-range eggs, tofu, tempeh, meat/poultry/fish (if you eat these)—remember to limit buying red meat, and choose free range and/or antibiotic/chemical-free to ensure you are making the best choices for your health. Since your diet does not need a lot of animal proteins, you are better off spending your money on good quality over large quantity.

Legumes:
Dried beans such as navy beans, black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas

Good Quality Fats:
Olive oil in a dark bottle, flax seed oil from the refrigerator section and in a dark bottle, natural peanut or almond butter (ingredients should only include nuts; added salt is fine), raw seeds and nuts (e.g., pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and almonds)

Spices:
Nutritional yeast, unrefined sea salt, pepper, basil, oregano, garlic, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon

Treats:
70% dark chocolate—to be enjoyed in moderation (55% is okay too, but the health benefits decrease as the pure cocoa percentage decreases), raw honey, agave

Eating Healthy Snacks - Ideas of Snacks (example - Apple, Almond Butter, hummus) 

Snacks can be simple, healthy and quick. 

First ask yourself: Are you really hungry? If you are here are a few quick nutritious snacks when you’re in a rush or on the go:

• A single fruit (Such as orange, apple, banana, pear, cup of berries)
• A single fruit with a tablespoon of nut butter or 7-14 nuts (Almond butter or pure peanut butter. Be sure to read the label and make sure your nut butter only contains nuts. Stay away from any nut butter that has hydrogenated oil as this is linked to illness and disease)
• 7 Crackers (Such as Mary’s Crackers) and Hummus
• Carrots and hummus

And a few more ideas if you’re feeling adventurous—Get Inspired by These Quick Tasty snack recipes:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B86lPsYnRb9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8uBRNUpsXX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6YL9mkns-h/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Today’s challenge is to practice with at least one meal or snack to eat mindfully by chewing your food slowly and savoring the taste, texture, and experience.

Digestion begins in the mouth, so simply taking the time to really savour and chew your food will help your digestion. It will also help you feel more calm and satisfied. It takes the brain 20-minutes to feel full, this is another good reason to slow down so that you can really feel if your body is full and nourished.

Getting enough greens in can be challenging. And we may not always want a salad everyday. However, greens (such as spinach, kale, lettuce) is full of vitamins and minerals and is very cleansing and gives a spurt of noticeable energy! Todays’ challenge is to find a fun way to actively get more greens into your day:

• An easy and Quick Green smoothie recipe is a handful of deep dark greens such as spinach or kale with a glass or two of water (blend to your chosen consistency. Start with one glass and add more as you choose. If that is too bitter for your tastebuds add a banana and you can use an alternative milk such as oat milk or almond or cashew milk to blend with for a sweeter more nourishing smoothie. Optional is to add a dash of cinnamon – this spice helps regulate blood sugar levels, and if you’re a fan of cinnamon it makes this smoothie that much more delicious!

Try a new Vegetable today! It’s easy to get in a rut and eat the same types of vegetables every day. Today’s challenge is to try something different. Check out the link below to get inspired and add more variety to your week—adding excitement and nourishment to your day.

https://www.wildseedholistichealth.com/blog/eating-the-rainbow

Focus on food for your mood! - What you eat can affect your mental-emotional state. There are two big things to keep in mind: Blood sugar crashes can lead to big mood swings, as well – a healthy gut is important to a happy mood since our gut has as many brain-chemicals as our brain! It’s even known as our “second brain”

Here are a few ways to support a healthy gut:

Here are some great articles on the mind-gut connection: 

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190218-how-the-bacteria-inside-you-could-affect-your-mental-health

https://www.psycom.net/the-gut-brain-connection