A healthy and balanced diet is one of the most important things we can do for our overall health. However, figuring out what our diet should consist of can be quite challenging as there are so many opposing viewpoints. We hear the words go vegan, eat carnivore, keto is best, no sugar, stay away from gluten, practice intermittent fasting, don’t skip a meal and so many more. In my opinion, many of the dietary fads out there can be extreme and polarizing.
I try my best to eat as balanced as possible, while also tweaking it for my current goals. We are all so different and there shouldn’t be a one size fits all approach to nutrition.
I challenge you to tune into your body to understand what kind of fuel it needs to run optimally. Think balanced diet first, then experiment for a period to learn more about what is best for you. Take note of how foods effect your mental, physical and emotional health as well as performance. Hopefully, you’ll find the foods that energize you and help you thrive.
There are some nutrition goals that I think each of us can benefit from. That goal is to prioritize protein. Regularly eating sources of complete protein will help build and maintain muscle mass, improve bone density, reduce cravings, increase satiety, promote healthier blood sugar levels, boost your metabolism, improve recovery and reduce muscular dystrophy as you age.I could go on and on about the benefits of protein!
A food is considered a complete protein when it contains all 9 essential amino acids. These are deemed “essential” because they are literally essential for optimal health and survival and are not produced in the body, so we need to intake them through our food. The crucial 9 are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
Most examples of complete protein sources are animal based. I suggest eating a variety of protein sources such as grass-fed beef, bison, lamb, wild caught fish, pasture raised eggs, chicken and turkey. There are a few plant-based sources as well. Tempeh for example has a full amino acid profile all from fermented soybeans.
At the minimum, I would shoot for 0.8 grams – 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you are trying to build muscle, I would get even more. Especially if you are strength training. Prioritizing protein in your diet is an absolute game changer!
Along with eating enough protein, I like to concentrate on nutrient dense foods and avoid heavily processed junk foods. I try to avoid polyunsaturated fats such as vegetable or seed oils, and instead focus on adding stable saturated fats such as grass-fed butter, ghee, tallow and coconut oil. Some examples of nutrient rich foods I eat are seasonal fruits, a variety of vegetables, dark leafy greens, gelatinous foods like bone broth and collagen and I also always making sure I’m staying super hydrated!
These are the main X’s and O’s that I live by, but don’t think I’m going to leave out dessert…I mean I have a sweet tooth and started a dessert company for a reason! My best advice when craving a treat is to look for something that is gluten, refined sugar and seed oil free. If you’re keeping it completely sugar-free, monkfruit is king! This is how I found Lakanto in the first place. All my sugar-free baked goods are made with organic Lakanto sweetener and if I need some sweetness in my coffee or protein shake its always monk fruit.
I’m going to hook you guys up with one of my favorite protein shake recipes that actually tastes like dessert. It’s my Peanut Butter Banana Post Workout Shake, and I use Lakanto’s delicious Peanut Butter Powder that is high in protein and only sweetened with monkfruit. Check it out below!
- 6 frozen milk cubes
- 1 frozen banana
- 5 scoops protein powder of choice
- 1 Tbsp collagen
- 1 scoop glutamine
- 2 Tbsp Lakanto Peanut Butter Powder
- 2 Tbsp Lakanto Chocolate Chips
- 6-8 oz of milk
- Pinch of salt
Blend up and enjoy!
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