What's Your Diet?

So I have been asked recently by some students and some friends about my diet.  I have never really considered it until they all asked, and after I got done discussing with them I realized I did kind of do a lot of things to stay healthy.  But I haven’t considered or thought of myself as being on a “diet” in years.

Pretty much ever since I read this magnificent book, “When You Eat At The refrigerator, Pull Up A Chair”, I highly recommend it.  It basically is the starting point from years ago for my mindful approach to eating.  I guess in a way its where happy tummy’s philosophy got its roots.

I will write more on this great book later this week, but for now, per the suggestion of a new friend, I wanted to share with you a snapshot into my “diet”, minus of course the slices of pie or cupcakes I thoroughly let myself enjoy when I feel the need!

Here is a quick run down of my diet and or whats helped me:

Pescatarian – so the only meat I eat is Fish, I do eat Eggs and other dairy like yogurt though.  I found when I was a vegan my hair got brittle and skin was dry, even though I was supplementing with B12, our bodies need B12 from animal sources as well as the good fatty omegas from fish etc.
I do not drink any alcohol
I do not drink any caffeine of stimulants – I do think Green tea is good, but I personally do not take any caffeine, but I know many women who swear by its health benefits.
I stay away from cheese as best I can.  (Staying away from wine helps, because if I had wine, I had cheese!)
I do not eat any processed/refined sugars/carbs from white starches, so I pretty much stick to brown rice, whole grain bread etc. (that is the usual, it doesnt include the occasional cupcake, no i dont eat only whole grain cupcakes!)
I also eat the most carbs in the morning, then a few in the afternoon and basically none by dinner time so my body can burn them off throughout the day.
I try to drink 8 full glasses of water a day

I do a Isagenix 9 day cleanse every 6 months or so to help flush out toxins and waste and also lose extra pounds.  Then throughout the year I drink one shot of the Cleanse For Life drink, it tastes like fig juice, but I feel GREAT on it!  Here is information on Isagenix – http://www.isagenix.com/us/en/nineday.dhtml

Typical go to meals for me are:
Baked teriyaki tofu with brown rice (PS the BEST brown rice is at Costco, they have these individual packs that only take 90 seconds in the microwave and they are ready, they are serious deliciousness and SO fast)
Cold Grilled veggies like Eggplant, zucchini, squash – drizzled with olive oil.  I can eat these anytime and on the go as snack in zip lock bags
I eat an Apple everyday. Random its like that saying an apple a day keeps the doctor away! But great portable snack to keep with you in your purse or car, I always have them.
I either eat an orange or drink a small glass of not from concentrate high quality orange juice in the morning.  Great way to wake up without Coffee! Learned that tip from the book, “Skinny Bitch”, pretty much the only thing I took and kept with it.
I eat a bowl of oatmeal every morning for breakfast, helps with cholesterol and fills you up, I either put blueberries on it or use the Quaker weight control oatmeal packs, cinnamon flavor is my fav!
Dinner – usually Salmon, tilapia, any kind of white fish, or tofu, Couscous, Quinoa,and lots of grilled veggies.
occasionally I’ll have sweet potatoes, but always stay away from white potatoes. (Except when its my birthday and my Mom makes my favorite meal, homemade mashed potatoes and gravy!!)
Chobani greek yogurt non fat – I Love this stuff, best brand I think for fat free greek yogurt, fruit at the bottom, peach is delicious.  So much protein and very filling.  A little hard to eat on the go since it needs to be cold. Another thing I do is freeze it sometimes and eat as dessert when I come home from yoga, tastes sweet like Im eating ice cream and the protein is great after a work out.  Oh I also try not to eat anything after 8pm.
I also try to drink one glass of milk each day, sometimes its every other day, but I feel dairy does really help you lose weight and feel full, plus it helps your bones and skin and hair!

I typically eat about 1200-1400 cals per day but really try not to focus on the calories but on what I really feel like eating when I feel like eating it and listening to my body.  but for the most part my body craves the items I listed above because I want to be healthy.  Of course every now and then I have some peanut butter pie or something else amazing but I sit down, enjoy it and dont feel any regret or shame after.  here is the book I was talking about: http://www.amazon.com/When-You-Refrigerator-Pull-Chair/dp/0786885084 – Author Geneen Roth, she’s amazing!

Supplements I swear by!

#1 Colostrum!  This stuff is amazing, I used to get sick all the time very easily when people had colds, a healer in LA told me about this stuff and I didnt get sick for a year and a half.  I stopped taking it for 1 week when I moved here and got sick.  So I tested the placebo effect, this stuff really does work, but you have to take it everyday.  It also helps with your G.I. track and with tummy discomfort.
A whole food multivitamin.  I was taking multi vitamins like One a Day, etc and those are all mineral based, it makes a HUGE different to use a whole foods based vitamin, I got a good one at Ramona Family Naturals, but I also really like the Brand “Alive” which you can find at CVS.
Probiotics – I like the brand PB-8 – this helped me with all kinda of stomach issues and reduces bloating, love this stuff
Vitamin b12 – I have a spary for the tongue, but you can take in pill form too. Helps increase metabolism and deliver the B12 your body lacks when you cut out certain animal products.

That’s about it I think, oh and I do yoga 1 – 2 times a day, sometimes 3 if Im teaching so I think that definitely helps.

And that’s about it.  I hope it was helpful.  I find so many women, myself included, are always looking for the best way to look like someone else, so I find it funny now being a yoga instructor that people ask me about my diet and how I keep my body the way it is…I guess the grass is always greener. But yoga and lots of other Buddhist philosophies have helped me be content with what I have.

Do you have any favorite food secrets that help control your weight?  Any tips on mindful eating and how to stay healthy and happy without restricting yourself from everything?  Please share by commenting below!

Namaste,

Jessica