My Stages of Dieting

1. Regular Dieting 

Winter/Spring of college freshman year 2013

2. Eat Clean 

Summer and Fall 2013

3. IIFYM 

Winter, Spring, and Summer 2014

4. Strict Paleo 

Summer and fall of 2014  

5. All Real Foods and Quit Sugar 

Fall 2014 through December 2014

6. ME (Mindfulness)

December 2014 through now

For me, dieting came in stages. Some of these lasted months, while some lasted less. It was all on my path to figuring out what worked and what didn't work for my body.

Remember: change is possible and the path to a healthy lifestyle is not always consistent. 

Making Nutrition Easily Accessible

Everyone has the intention to eat better, exercise more, and all together live a healthier lifestyle. Unfortunately, we do not always take the necessary steps to make this happen. But that's okay! Here are some things I do to make eating healthier a little easier.

My favorite tips:

1. Create a balance of flavors:
• sweet, creamy, salty, savory, spicy, etc.
2. Use multiple textures in your dishes:
• ex: add a crunchy topping by toasting nuts, seeds, lentils, or quinoa 
3. Eat all the vegetables:
• and not just salads!
4. Learn new skills:
• How to properly use your knife
• Cooking temperatures and times
• Techniques to prepare specific ingredients
• Martha Stewart has great tutorials here that are only a minute or two each!

Ideas for cooking food that is nutritious and delicious:

1. Integrate more vegetables into the meals you already like!

• Swap zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, sweet potato noodles, or rice noodles in exchange for your regular pasta: recipe
• Make a zucchini or cauliflower pizza crust with coconut flour instead of regular pizza dough: recipe
• Make paleo (grain-free) tortillas instead of traditional four tortillas
• Sub cauliflower rice for traditional rice
• Sub cauliflower mash for mashed potatoes: recipe 
• Try a bun-less burger ~ or stick a patty between portobello mushrooms tops, between sweet potato slices, or on top of a bed of veggies: recipe

2. Make more sauces to diversify your meals!

• Try making a pan sauce with butter and wine from the pan you used to sear your meat 
• Whip up your own home made dressings for both hot and cold salads (you can use nut or seed butters, oils, vinegars, citrus, herbs, spices, etc. to create something delicious)
• To switch it up, try making more soup-like dishes (comforting dishes like chilis, stews, and coconut milk curries are great in colder months)

3. Change the way you think about typical ingredients!

• Instead of simply steaming your vegetables, try them roasted, bake them into a tasty dish, or puree them in a sauce
• Did you know you can toast or "pop" more than popcorn? Lentils and quinoa can be thrown into a pan with oil and toasted for a nice crunchy topping on salads!
• Toast nuts and seeds to add a new layer to dishes
• Simply change the way you cut your vegetables! (thin noodles, purée, julienne, chop, slice, dice, cube)

4. Spice it up!

• Don't forget about your spice cabinet! There are so many great things you can make yourself to spice up proteins, roasted vegetables, and marinades
• Check out some DIY spice blends on Women's Health Online Magazine here

Happy Cooking :)Most importantly, just enjoy your food!

****** I am not certified in any health-related field. I am not giving medical advice, I am only sharing what worked for me!***********

My Eating Guide

Note: this is how I eat.

I have had success with eating by these guidelines, but everyone is different. Make sure you choose what works for you and listen to your body.

For more specific information on what I eat, check on my "Optimal Food Choices" post here.

But if you're curious... this is what I do:

• In my diet I emphasize the best sources of protein, carbs, and fats from the "best sources" list below - along with vegetables, probiotics, fruits, nuts, and seeds
• I watch my intake of the foods in the "be mindful" list below
• In my diet I de-emphasize: grains, legumes, soy, sweeteners, most dairy, and baked goods
• Dairy and gluten can be a big problem for a lot of people! I choose not to eat gluten unless it is from sprouted bread, and I mainly only eat diary from organic plain greek yogurt and kefir. But listen to your body and do what works for you personally.

Best sources of:

protein: lean meats, eggs, seafood, greek yogurt, tempeh

fat: olives, egg yolks, avocados, coconuts, ghee (clarified butter), fats from grass-fed animals and wild-caught fish, nuts and seeds

carbs: vegetables like winter squashes and potatoes, fruits like apples and bananas, white or wild rice, quinoa, lentils, buckwheat groats

Be Mindful of:

grains and legumes: they do contain nutrition, but can easily lead to a diet high in carbohydrates, which is not optimal. They also tend to replace better sources of calories and nutrients.

soy: it is only fine fermented, organic, and in very small doses. Processed soy like tofu and soy protein is not my idea of a healthy food, so it is not in my diet.

nuts and seeds: these are a very high calorie food, so I keep it to about a 1/4 cup of nuts or nut flour, or about 2 tbs of nut butter (note: peanuts are a legume not a nut!)

oils: I do not eat any highly refined industrial seed oils because they are very inflammatory and contain high levels of Omega-6 fatty acids (ex: canola, corn, peanut, safflower, etc.)

condiments: make sure they have no industrial seed oils or added sugars snuck in! good news: it's usually fairly easy to make your own version ;)

baked goods: even "healthy" baked goods should not be a staple food in your diet (even if they are grain-free, gluten-free, etc.)

sweeteners: I use glucose over fructose - which is why I choose to avoid agave, fruit juices, and sodas. all sugar is basically empty calories (although there seems to be some benefits in consuming raw honey) - if i need a sweetener I stick with raw honey and real maple syrup

chemicals: try to avoid pesticides by choosing organic foods (especially the dirty dozen) Also, when buying cans be careful of BPA! (to be safer make your own or choose a product that comes in glass or another type of container)

******* I am not certified in any health-related field. I am not giving medical advice, I am only sharing what worked for me!***********

Optimal Food Choices

It's simple: Eat Real Food. 

I'm all about local, sustainable, organic, and highly nutritious foods. It's no secret that eating this way will make you feel great on the inside, and thus you may end up looking pretty good on the outside too!

Here is my list of optimal food choices: 

meat: lean, grass-fed otherwise organic (all parts, muscle meat, fat, organ meats, bone broths, and gelatin)

seafood: wild caught and sustainably fished, (fish, shellfish, and yes seaweed!)

dairy: organic, grass-fed, not fat-free, raw or lowest pasteurization possible (milk can even come un-homogenized too, meaning the fat will separate)

eggs: organic if not pasture-raised

oils: non-industrial, low omega-6 oils (avocado, coconut, sesame, and olive are good choices)

nuts and seeds: usually soaked and/or sprouted is best, otherwise raw - dry-roasted is fine, organic if possible (note: peanuts are a legume, not a nut!)

grains: soaked and/or sprouted if possible, organic if possible

legumes: soaked and/or sprouted if possible, organic if possible

vegetables: all - organic if possible (especially the dirty dozen), more non-starchy than starchy vegetables, especially a lot of dark and leafy greens

fruits: all - organic if possible (especially the dirty dozen), more low sugar like berries, kiwi, grapefruit, etc. than high sugar like pineapples, bananas, apples, and mangos, etc.

probiotics: kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, and other good quality fermented foods - must contain live and active cultures (found homemade or only in the refrigerator section of grocery stores)

sweeteners: local if possible raw honey, pure maple syrup, fruit (if dried or prepared - no added sugar)

soy: only only only organic and fermented soy products (ex: miso and tempeh)

extras: reliably sourced coffee, tea, spices, herbs, low sugar vinegars (apple cider, balsamic, white), bee pollen, 70%+ cacao products, raw cacao, sauces, condiments

flours: coconut flour, almond flour, arrowroot flour, and tapioca starch

fats: both coconut and avocado kind of fall into their own category - I eat both for good quality fat sources

******* I am not certified in any health-related field. I am not giving medical advice, I am only sharing what worked for me!***********

The Bee Food Philosophy

Start looking at the things you are putting in your mouth and ask yourself, "What is this doing for me?"

For a more specific list of "real foods" check out my posts here and here.

Just Eat Real Food

• What you eat should actually BEE food. It shouldn't resemble food, it shouldn't take the place of food, and surely shouldn't be a mystery as to what it is. 

• Stop looking at food as part of a "diet" and start looking at it as nutrition. As soon as you change the perspective of your dinner plate, the idea around your what you eat starts to change with it. 

• Food is fuel for your body (and I don't mean just by calorie). It's the vitamins and minerals - all the good micronutrients - along with the macronutrients you need to be strong and healthy. It's your life source. 

1. Eat the right amount of carbohydrates for your goals, activity level, and body type - 

• This does NOT imply you have to eat a low carb diet (although lowering your daily intake of  carbohydrates may result in weight loss)

• Replace as much of the refined carbohydrates in your diet as possible with better choices - Most refined carbohydrates like pastas, breads, and baked desserts are usually highly processed and/or contain added sugars

• My main sources of carbohydrate are starches, vegetables, fruit, and some sprouted breads and gluten free grains like quinoa

2. Eat your vegetables - 

• Vegetables fall into two primary categories: starchy and non-starchy 

• Eat as many leafy greens as you like, and be sure to add in plenty of other non-starchy veggies too! These are high in vitamins and add bulk to your diet. They help keep you full and add flavor, volume, and variety to your meals.

• Steam, sauté, bake or roast them - the options are endless!

3. Get enough protein - 

• Lean meat is a very important part of your diet. Chicken breast, turkey, lean beef, and seafood are great sources of protein. 

• Eggs and plain greek yogurt are also good sources of protein.

4. Load up on healthy fats - 

• Olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, nuts, egg yolks, grass-fed butter, avocado, and fats from wild-caught fatty fish and grass-fed animals

• This is not including fatty meats from grain fed animals, trans fats, and high omega 6 industrial oils (like canola, peanut, corn, etc.)

• Fat is important for the absorption of vitamins and minerals. 

• Fat is crucial in satiety (the things that makes you feel full). It keeps you satisfied and adds flavor to food.

• Remember: fat is important!! It is high in calories, but don't be  afraid of healthy fats because they are crucial to a healthy diet. 

5. Sugars - LIMIT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. This is key. 

• Sugar messes with weight loss and provides empty calories.

• It is highly inflammatory to the body.

• Alternatives for me are using ripened bananas to sweeten foods or to consume whole fruit since it has fiber along with its high fructose content. 

• Small amounts of raw honey or puremaple syrup are also good alternatives, but this should be as a treat.

• I do not drink soda.

6. Season your food - 

• Spices, vinegars, and herbs are always welcomed to add flavor! 

• Avoid condiments and sauces with added sugars and refined vegetable oils (find a better brand instead, or make you own!)

7. What I do NOT eat - 

• Highly processed cereal grains (white flours, whole wheat flour, boxed cereals, & most packaged breads, cookies, etc.)

• Processed soy (tofu, soy protein, etc.)

• Refined and high-fructose sugar (white sugar, agave, etc.)

• Industrial seed oils (canola, corn, safflower, peanut, etc.)

Reference: Check out an article written by Chris Kresser, a highly recognized and established functional medicine practitioner here called "Beyond Paleo: Don't Eat Toxins". 

Simply just eat real foods!

****** I am not certified in any health-related field. I am not giving medical advice, I am only sharing what worked for me!***********