Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much
Michael Pollan
I am inching up on my mid 40s now and as a wellness blogger I often get asked what I eat. I tried lots of different ways of eating in my 20s and 30s, not as a diet, but mostly because I wasn’t feeling well. My energy was always low. When I ate plant-based I went all in starting with a raw diet. I felt good for a bit and then I felt like I needed more. Here’s what I now know, eating well has to become a way of life. There is no substitute for nourishing your body from the inside out. I’ve now learned to trust what my body is telling me I need. I think for women a lot is based on our hormones and adrenals. But to make this the most useful for you, in simple terms, no packaged goods, lots of plant-based foods. As Michael Pollen said “Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants”. It’s so true and so simple. If everyone did this, we would be much healthier.
I also know that your diet reflects in your outer body, your skin especially. So save the cost of expensive creams, skin is a nutrition game and it starts with eating as naturally as possible. What you eat affects the health of your skin. Your epidermis, aka the top part of your skin, is your body’s largest and fastest-growing organ, and the food you eat breaks down to form the very cells of it. There is no one food that will “cure” all your skin problems. However, modifying your diet to regularly include some healthy skin foods will help nourish your skin and assist with reducing acne, inflammation, dry skin and aging.
My skin is more glowy and plump now at 44 than it was at 24 and I 100% attribute that to my diet- lots of greens and good fats.
Here are my tips for glowing from the inside out and read on for a typical day of meals!
I look after my body on the inside with what I eat, and it reflects in my external appearance. I choose to eat a primarily plant-based diet with small amounts of some animal products. I focus on lots of healthy vegetables, fruit, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, and some fish and eggs. I drink lots of water and choose to limit my intake of highly processed foods to very occasionally. I love eating this way; it makes me feel healthy, happy, energized and nourished. When I crave meat, I eat it…maybe 1 time a week. I know when I need it because I trust my intuition. Oftentimes it is when my iron stores are low.
My diet is based on natural, healthy, real foods. I eat intuitively, which means what I eat day to day can differ. I don’t count calories or macros. If I’m hungrier one day, I will eat more, and if I’m not as hungry on other days, I’ll eat less. I don’t have any “rules” when it comes to eating. What I eat is a choice and I listen to my body. I also eat seasonally, which means I try to eat foods that are currently in season. So what I eat in the summer will be different from what I eat in the winter. I enjoy all the foods I eat and I don’t eat any foods I don’t like and there aren’t any foods I want to eat that I don’t.
Foods to Eat for Glowing Skin
You need to nourish our skin from the inside out, so if you want glowing, radiant, healthy skin, include the following healthy skin foods in your daily eating: avocado, berries, fatty fish, lentils, beans, sweet potato, flaxseed, chia, walnuts, pumpkin, kiwi, mango, oranges and other vitamin c rich foods, leafy green veggies and water. I have a whole article about this here.
I also make sure I am getting a great fat source with each meal….this keeps you full and satiated- this can be nuts and seeds (hemp seeds included), avocado, olive oil (look for a quality source!) or lately, tahini which I love (my fav brand and all its amazing flavors linked here).
Typical Day of Eating
Before my morning workout:
Water and coffee with collagen, adaptogens and non-dairy milk. My favorite adaptogens are by the company Moon Juice. I have a discount code, it’s GLOW10, good on any product site wide!
Breakfast (post-workout):
Cooked veggies (e.g. baby spinach, tomato, broccolini, mushrooms and sweet potato), my cauli-oats (visit my instagram for the recipe) OR a Green Smoothie that includes fat and fiber made with almond milk, fiber (e.g. chia, flax) avocado, spinach, nut butter or tahini and other additions depending on how I am feeling. I love that in a smoothie anything goes! This one is my favorite. I like to eat seasonally, warmer foods in the winter, cooler in the summer. If I have fruit I always eat it separately, as it digests better that way. I like a bowl of mixed berries.
Lunch:
Here’s my easy formula- 1/2 plate of veg + 1/4 plate of protein + fat = feeling full and satiated. For the veggies it’s salad or cooked veggies. Protein I like is generally salmon, chicken and ocassionally red meat ( I prefer bison), lentils or tofu. Sometimes I add a carb source like sweet potato. But I always add a good healthy fat like avocado, almonds, hemp seeds, and a dressing of extra-virgin olive oil or one made with tahini.
Dinner:
Similiar to lunch.
Snacks:
Fresh fruit, leftover baked veggies, smoothie, non dairy yogurt, nuts and seeds.
Dessert (I have a sweet tooth and eat dessert daily!):
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