The age old saying goes, you are what you eat. And this rings true to this very day. It puzzles me how we today, in Ireland in 2024, have more access to healthy, nourishing food than we had at any time before, yet sadly our popular food culture leaves us feeling bloated, heavy and undernourished. Overfed and undernourished, is the phrase often used.
We have all sorts of excuses for not paying more attention to how we feed ourselves, busy lives, demanding jobs, a family and aging parents to take care of. You name it. The truth is that we can feed ourselves well while living our busy lives.
The food industry, which is busy creating always new food ideas and meals to keep us away from preparing our own meals sadly doesn’t look after our health first and foremost. Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs) sneak their way into our daily lives way too readily. As these meals are high in salt, sugar and fat and tend to be low in nutrition including vitamins, minerals and fibre, we really should not rely on them.
How can us women eat to live a longer, healthier and happier life?
Here are my top hacks for eating well in a busy day.
Eat breakfast like a queen, lunch like a princess and dinner like a pauper. We are often out during lunchtime, and rely on a larger dinner to feed us well. It’s ok to eat a larger dinner and a lighter lunch. But my real take-away point here is: eat breakfast. Do not skip breakfast. It is scientifically proven that eating breakfast reduces weight, balances blood sugars and reduces cravings. This is probably more important for women as it is for men as we have a wonderful concert of hormones to balance throughout the day. Hormones require healthy blood sugar levels amongst other factors, and eating breakfast is the first step in ensuring this.
Eat wholefoods, fruit and vegetables. Back to my point above on UPFs which are void of good nutrition, I recommend that you make an effort to have at least 2 types of above-ground growing vegetables with your main meal – root vegetables are not counted here. Also, allow yourself to eat at least 2 types of fruit every day, ideally seasonal or local fruit. Also make sure to eat wholemeal bread (remember “100% wholemeal” is the phrase you want to read on your loaf of bread). Wholemeal bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour, which is ground from the intact grain and still containing all the valuable fibre, vitamins and minerals contained therein.
Learn to cook a handful of basic, wholefood meals that you enjoy eating. I have learned that it is important to know just a few handy meals in order to keep a healthy diet going. If you are able to cook these handily and know the ingredients off by heart, you will never be caught off guard in the supermarket. These could include salmon with green vegetables and rice; spaghetti Bolognese with lots of vegetables; pork fillet with onions, apples, broccoli and potatoes; oven baked hake with fresh vegetables and potatoes; etc. Search your cookbooks, your local library cookbooks and online for healthy recipes you enjoy and know how to cook.
Be prepared for snack attacks. Don’t rely on UPFs such a protein bars, muffins, etc to give you energy when you need some between meals. Instead, try to make some healthy flapjacks or eggy muffins ahead of time to keep you prepared. A small handful of nuts with a piece of fruit, some rice cakes and hummus, or a small side salad are all healthy choices for snacking. You can also opt for a healthy smoothie as a post-workout snack. Check out the healthy recipes on the GymPlus website.
Drink lots of water. Dehydration is so common, especially as we age or when we’re busy running around. Instead of finding yourself tired, worn out and feeling sluggish half way through the day, aim to drink at least 500-750ml by lunchtime, and the same again in the afternoon. This will benefit your concentration, energy levels, weight loss, reduce bloating and even give you clearer skin in no time.
