Watch 'The Game Changers' and Embrace Plant-Based Whole Foods

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Has ‘The Game Changers’ documentary opened your eyes to the power of plant-based whole foods? Check it out here.

After years of being bombarded about the Paleo and Keto diets, I’m excited that we are being reminded about nature’s nourishing foods.

Plant-based whole foods (PBWF) focuses on minimally processed foods, specifically plants, and reduces or eliminates animal products.

It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle that focuses on eating plant foods that haven’t had all the nutrition stripped away.

Plant foods are also where we get our FIBRE as long as they haven’t been processed beyond recognition!

Plant foods are:

• Fruit & vegetables

• Legumes (beans & lentils)

• Whole grains

• Whole fats

Fruits & vegetables are pretty self-explanatory, although there is a big difference between eating an orange and drinking orange juice.

Fruit juices, even freshly squeezed, have had the fiber removed AND the majority of nutrients, so except in specific situations, juices should be avoided.

Vegetables are also self-explanatory, but the same goes with vegetable juicing. I am not against vegetable juices BUT I like to assess my clients’ health status and goals before I would recommend they be included. A smoothie that includes the whole vegetable and all the fibre is perfect.

Beans & lentils are a great source of protein AND carbohydrate. Not just any old carbohydrate, but a type of complex carb called resistant starch.

Resistant starch is a type of fiber that resists being absorbed in the small intestine and makes its way down to the large intestine, where it feeds the good gut bacteria. So it helps boost your immunity!

Whole grains need clarification, because there’s a big difference between a whole grain and the flour that is derived from that whole-grain.

Similar to juicing, milling a grain into a flour removes ALL the fiber and the majority of nutrients.

Worse still, flour is now similar in structure to sugar, with all its addictive properties.

So feel free to eat rolled oats, brown rice or quinoa in their whole form, but avoid flour and foods made with flour as often as possible.

Many have been scared to eat grains and legumes because they contain lectins and phytates. However soaking, cooking, fermenting and sprouting are all ways to render them harmless.

Healthy fats are needed in a healthy diet, but once again the whole food is recommended. Once we process a healthy plant food like olives into olive oil, we have stripped away the fiber and nutrients.

Interested in exploring this further? Feel free to jump on a call and see if eating more plant-based whole foods is for you.

I believe this is why so many diets fail.

We commit to a 6 week challenge - pay for a coach or announce it to the world and off we go!

But then the coaching ends OR the 6 weeks are up!

When I work with clients at some point they’ll say...I almost ate XXX on the weekend, but I knew I had to tell you so I resisted.

I am acutely aware that I will not be in my clients' lives forever.

So I never pass quickly over these revelations because I want to make sure they have the tools to deal with these situations when I’m not around.