What I learnt from eating healthy for one year
"The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition” - Thomas Edison, Inventor
Since my earlier career as a personal trainer and fitness expert in London City I have always been fascinated by peak performance. How diet and your fitness play a fundamental roll in your day to day performance and mindset.
The link could not be clearer to the benefits of having your diet in check and your overall health and yet so many of us struggle with getting that right.
The vast majority of people, myself has been included, switch back and forth between bouts of eating well and then not or drinking and then not with an inconsistent routine around the food that they eat and their relationship with it.
In my younger years I would say that I had a pretty negative view on eating and body image which was made worst by a parent without the tools to know how to support this or educate otherwise which is so often unfortunately the case.
As someone who focusses on continuously improving, I had been thinking for some time about the fact that I was in this silly dance with myself around food.
The peaks and troughs of feeling, good or bad surely impact the decisions we make and as such the life we create around us and the level we are able to get to?
The eat well and then feel good, eat that pizza or something sweet and then feel bad. Standard habits for a high % of us but what does that do to your mindset? How you seize opportunities that day? Your focus and mood? Your health?
Making a change
It was last year 27th Feb 2022 just after the Ukrainian Russia war kicked off. At the time I was shocked and moved as many, many others were too and still are. It made me reflect on where my life was and what I saw as a fair few first world issues floating about.
Compared to what those poor people were experiencing, there I was with the issue of not being able to get it together to eat consistently well. Poor western woman with first world problems.
Something switched in me. It made me see the issue for what it was. Rubbish and completely pointless.
So I decided there and then: “I eat healthily”
A complete and utter about turn and acceptance of the fact that this is who I now was. I was someone who eats healthily..
It’s now been 378 days and I am still firmly in that zone.
I always eat healthy and enjoy doing so, a change that happened and that I am completely committed to as part of my lifestyle and would say I don’t even think about it.
So what made this possible?
The main thing that I did was be aware every time that I was taking an action or making a decision about food and made sure that I took the right one.
I had linked my driver (in this instance others situation) to my commitment and feelings about doing this.
Thinking about it logically, the initial momentum created by my commitment I would image took me to month 3 and by which time it was a habit and I no longer craved anything else.
The benefits had started taking shape by that time too with improved focus, energy, mood and weight loss which again motivated me to continue. Less time was spent thinking about food and my relationship with food actually improved as I looked forward to what I could eat due to never feeling bad afterwards.
I just kept noticing every now and again time passing and feeling remotivated. For example when it had been 5 months, what will I feel like at 8 months? How will this impact my performance? How will I feel then if I feel this great now?
The astounding piece which was a revelation was the lack of any type of mental battle at all, no peaks or troughs or feeling bad. I had completely reframed my relationship with food and the space that this used to take up mentally or emotionally. I now seemed to have more time and head space.
The consistency that this gave my moods and subsequently my decision making and confidence was again unexpected. I had more confidence, mind space and energy having completely removed the unwanted internal battles so many of us associate with good / bad eating peaks and troughs.
Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in day out - Robert Collier
Other Improvements have included:
Excellent focus, rarely get mentally tired
No energy slumps
No cravings for sweet or bad food
Consistent moods
Calmer and more relaxed generally
Improved sleep
Better skin
Improved gut health
Improved body composition
Weight loss (7 inches off waist)
Feeling and looking younger
Money saved not buying rubbish food
Improved sense of taste
Increased ability to deal with stressful situations
More confidence physically and mentally
Better workouts / quicker recovery time
My diet
Anything healthy. I chose to avoid meat and go vegetarian, however whether you do this with or without meet would be up to you but I believe that the mindset shift would be the same.
Healthy just means anything natural, no processed foods, takeaways , sweets, cakes, crisps, fizzy drinks or general rubbish.
I also removed dairy from my diet for the first ¾ of the year and then brought Halloumi back and I think the break was beneficial.
I ate as much fruit and vegetables and healthy snacks as I l wanted and I did occasionally drink a cocktail or two which didn't;t do any harm at all.
The key I believe was consistency and the compound effect of absolutely sticking to this over the year leading to a complete habit change and change on a cellular level.
Foods I ate
Now there are numerous benefits to eating healthy and I am not trying to be a dietitian here, however if you eat the right things and steer away from unnatural, additive packed or sugar loaded foods you will feel the benefit it doesn’t have to be at the level that I decided to take.
Fruit (any / limitless)
Vegetables (any / limitless)
Rice, potato, wheat free pasta
Pulses / beans / grains
Pitta bread / flat bread
Rice cakes
Humous / dips
Fish (any)
Halloumi / grilling cheese
Porridge / honey
Nuts
Chicken (sometimes)
Meals ranged from Thai curry to vegetarian shepherds pie, there wasn't any meal that I wasn’t able to have I just replaced meat and made sure that if I ate out or had a takeaway that it was great quality food. I also had fresh juices / smoothies as many as I wanted both fruit and vegetable as long as the ingredients were natural.
Foods I didn’t eat
I focussed on ensuring that I was full from my main meal and healthy snacks or smoothies, I then basically I didn’t need to eat any rubbish at all. Once you do this for a while the cravings do completely stop. I would very happily would snack on fruit, nuts, rice cakes and honey.
Crisps
cake
biscuits
fizzy drinks
pastries
ice cream
Chocolate
Sweets
Chewing gum
Dairy
Bread (flat bread was allowed)
Takeaway Tips & Tools:
Define what a healthy diet is for you (ensuring that it is ) and make it a lifestyle change
Find your reason why and commit to it
Reframe how you talk to yourself for me “I eat healthily’ was a solid way to frame what I wanted to do
Think before you act, you always have time to make the right choice
Plan ahead, buy plenty of the foods you need
Making bad choices while out is no longer a good enough excuse, there are plenty of places to buy healthy food
Stick to eating well or healthy for 2-3 months and it will then become a habit
Reward yourself, take note when you are doing well
If you have a meal or snack when it hasn’t gone to plan. So what? Just continue as you were before and don’t beat yourself up about it. It is about % of time eating well.
Be motivated by the prospect of being a better version of yourself. What could you achieve if you didn’t waste time or mood on food? What if you raised your day to day performance because of it – what could you be achieving then?
Books to Read:
Brain food: how to eat smart and sharpen your mind by Dr Lisa Mosconi
The diet myth: the real science behind what we eat, by Tim Spector
The Energy plan, eat smart, feel strong, perform at your peak by James Collins
Food for Life by Tim Spector
Summary
With healthy eating now a way of life, I am fascinated by what the outcome will be in the next year or even two. What willI I have accomplished with the improved mindset versus if I hadn't done this? A hard one to compare.
My next project?
Since Jan 1st I decided that I will be in control of what is allowed in to my head. It is a known fact that your subconscious mind doesn't know the difference between what you are doing and thinking, so what if everything or at least the vast majority was motivational, educational or challenged my thinking? Removing ‘checking gum for the eyes’ level watching or anything that doesn’t serve me.
Also included in this is thinking that isn’t in line with where I want to be, replaced by affirmations or intentional thought rather than mind wondering worrying.
So… as you may have noticed when I commit to something it is fully, so watch this space as will be sharing the outcomes no doubt!
"Exercise is king. Nutrition is Queen. Put them together and you have a kingdom”
- Jack Lalanne
About Sian Winfield
Sian has spent the last two and a half decades working with those that have made the choice to take action. From the fitness industry as a fitness professional to NLP coach and trainer working with Traders to attain peak performance in London City. Moving on to start her own company 7 years ago within which she has had the fortune of being involved with the successful growth and scaling of over 200 start-ups.
Empowering hundreds of entrepreneurs internationally coaching individually and through group programmes most recently including programmes such as Foundervine & Barclays Black Founder Accelerator Programme and mentoring for The Peter Jones Foundation.
Her experience has provided her with a huge wealth of experience in how others have attained their success and she is hungry to share her learning with as many people as possible.
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