I bet everyone reading this is flat out running around after your baby, your children, work or how you will manage to cook proper meals for the family. So often you will grab a quick sandwich or realise you haven’t even eaten lunch or breakfast that day. Wonder why you are tired!
STOP for one second and think about YOU!!
Foods to help your energy & health
Your kids and baby can not function without you, so you have to give yourself some goodness & nurture yourself. There are a few simple little steps you can try and put into practice to start helping keep you fit and healthy to continue being this amazing woman:
1. If you have breakfast aim to eat more protein based foods, avoiding cereals which are full of sugar. Your blood sugar levels have dropped over night so you need something to get you going and keep you going & to stop you from picking on rubbish all morning. Oats soaked in milk, with cinnamon, nuts, berries & natural yogurt won’t make your blood sugars spike so erratically. Or try porridge with seeds or eggs with mushrooms & spinach – honestly doesn’t take too long.
2. For energy try eating broccoli or kale every day whether in a salad, on its own or steamed with your lunch/evening meal.
3. Eat nuts & seeds and good quality olive oil. Save your good olive oils for your salads.
4. Take a tub of mixed natural nuts with you when you know you will be busy. So full of goodness. Small amounts of mixed nuts – almonds, cashews, brazils, pecans with some raisins are a great source of vitamins & essential fats – don’t be scared to eat them. Just avoid the salted & flavoured nuts!
5. Cook with turmeric as often as you can. It has anti inflammatory & anti oxidant benefits – use black pepper with it to help it work better!
6. Eggs – boil, scramble with a little milk or poach. Anyway you like it, eat a few of them. They are quick and will help fill you up for longer and have lots of nutritional benefits …. especially in the yolk.
7. Garlic – your breath may smell but boy it is worth it! Like turmeric it is an anti inflammatory & can ward off lots of illnesses.
8. Seeds – yep good old little chia seeds, linseeds, pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds. Add them to porridge, cereal, fruit & yoghurt, salads, stir-fries & even home made bread! You only need a teaspoon of them and will be giving your body such a boost.
9. Ok then there is Quinoa – pronounce Keen Whah!! With twice the protein content of rice or barley, quinoa is also a very good source of calcium, magnesium and manganese. It also possesses good levels of several B vitamins, vitamin E and dietary fibre. Doesn’t take long to cook & can be used instead of pasta, rice, potatoes or cold as a salad.
These are just a few of the foods you may want to try and add to your cooking, your daily eating habits and are great for you and the family. Most of them are quick and easy to put together or add to cooking, so just give it a go!
