My January Kick-start

I’m a Personal Trainer and Nutritional Coach with a passion for food and fitness. However, I am also ‘normal’ although I know many of my friends and clients would strongly disagree. What I mean is, I like to consume sugar, enjoy alcohol and delight in chocolate. I secretly justify this because I am fit and slim and train hard but I know I am not doing myself any favours so have decided to kick-start my eating.

My January Kick-Start involves eliminating alcohol, caffeine, sugar, grains and dairy from my diet. Basically anything that is a stimulant or potentially inflammatory. Admittedly it is fairly extreme and unsustainable in the long term but I know that if I told myself just to ‘cut-down’ on these foods and drinks, then I most probably would not. I’m an all-or-nothing kinda girl. It’s only for one month after all! The plan is to then reintroduce these foods gradually but not to the extent that I have been eating them. Voila! I will then be enjoying an 80/20 diet and all the benefits that this brings as well as being a realistic way of eating.

For now, a week into my cunning plan, I feel great. I’m not hungry, the cravings are only occasional and I feel virtuous. I’m eating meat and fish and poultry with tons of veggies. Vegetables are prebiotics which means that they contain dietary fiber that cannot be digested and travels to the colon to be used as a food source for the billions of bacteria residing in our gut. A healthy gut equals a healthy body. Eggs feature heavily in my breakfasts and fruit substitutes sugar cravings. Avocados and nuts are also a staple. These foods are high in protein and fats, which take longer to digest than carbohydrates, and consequently I feel full. I am also forced to get experimental in the kitchen and try new recipes. This is a good thing! So far, so good.

With only three more weeks to go I am determined not to surrender. I recommend anyone to give it a try and I’d be happy to coach you through it. Its not a detox but is actually a very nutritious way of eating. The way we should be eating and with any luck, I might shed a kilo or two. Watch this space…