As a nutrition consultant, one of the most frequent
questions I’m asked by clients, friends, and other curious people is, “So, what
do you eat?” That’s a fair question
right? You certainly want your nutrition
consultant to be eating healthy foods!
You wouldn’t want them eating donuts for breakfast and fast food burgers
and fries for lunch and dinner. Nothing
worse than the doctor who smokes cigarettes!
So, here’s a look at what I typically eat:
Breakfast: I’m a big
fan of a protein shake/smoothie in the morning.
I find them to be filling and satisfying and easily last me until lunch
time. My basic ingredients are 8 ounces
of water (or a special cranwater concoction), a high quality protein mix
(either whey, brown rice, pea, or some combination of these – never soy!), a cup
of berries (blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries or some combination of
them) either fresh or frozen, a handful of nuts and/or seeds (Brazil nuts,
almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds), some fresh greens or green powder,
flax seed oil or ground flax seeds or chia seeds, and on occasion some yogurt
and/or kefir. What does this provide? Plenty of protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and
omega 3 and 6 fats. On the days that I
don’t have a smoothie, I’ll have eggs on some steamed leafy greens, in an omelet
with a bunch of vegetables, or with some raw sauerkraut.
Lunch: Generally 2-3 days of the week it will be one of the
egg dishes that I describe above. Other
days it will be based on leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. There is usually some type of animal protein
involved, it can be grass fed beef, turkey, fish, chicken, and occasionally
lamb. During the warmer months I tend to
have more raw vegetables in some type of salad and during the cooler months more
cooked vegetables and soups. I use a homemade salad dressing from olive oil and
vinegar. On occasion there will be a sandwich on some form of gluten free or
sprouted grain, brown rice, lentils, or quinoa.
Dinner: Dinner is
similar to lunch on the days I don’t have eggs.
There will be an animal protein along with several types of vegetables
usually steamed, stir-fried in coconut oil, or baked. Once a week or so I’ll do
my baked sweet potato fries. On about 2-3 of the days I’ll also have a whole
grain side of brown rice, quinoa, or brown rice pasta.
I’m not a big snacker.
As I said, the smoothie usually lasts me until lunch. Sometimes between lunch and dinner I’ll get a
little hungry and I’ll have a hard-boiled egg, a protein bar, a piece of fruit,
a handful of nuts, or a bit of cheese.
What basic guidelines am I following? I don’t skip meals. I’m having protein at each meal. I’m eating lots of vegetables of all
different varieties and colors, both cooked and raw. I’m limiting my carbohydrates in the form of
grains, only doing whole grains, and not more than once per day. I make sure I get high quality fats from the
coconut oil, olive oil, flax seed oil, and organic butter or ghee. I eat real food, avoiding processed and
refined foods. I have an occasional
sweet, but of good quality. Nothing like a homemade organic chocolate chip
cookie! And, I have an occasional sweet
of not so good quality – yes you may run into me at Dairy Queen
occasionally! And I do still love my
pizza, but usually once a month at the most.
I try to limit eating out.
As I tell my clients, the most critical component is to
control your home environment. If it is
not in your house, you’re not going to eat it, and after a while a nightly trip
to go get ice cream will get tiring!
I do use some supplements for additional nutritional
support, but that will be the subject for next time!
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and
Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create
individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Mequon. To
learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call
(262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
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