No pills, no shakes, no supplements, just good food, in the right quantity, following a proven formula for success. I will tell you exactly what I did, step by step, ensuring control of your health is in your hands.
First up –
WHO AM I?
I am an avid researcher, foodie, mum, and wannabe inspirer of other mums who are sick of feeling less than fabulous. As an add-on to this, I am SUPER passionate about helping mums arm their gorgeous (occasionally feral) teenage daughters with a really strong foundation for health and happiness. HOW? Well, by pulling together my training in Naturopathy and Functional Nutrition and adding in a healthy dose of good old life experience.
My aim is to deliver to you my years of accumulated knowledge in a step by step, so easy you will think you are cheating formula, that once implemented and turned into habits you really can almost set and forget so you can simply get on with living.
The Abundant Nutrition Formula is based on some solid research that was done by a team of nutritionists way back in the 70s. It is actually what the food pyramid should have been based on, unfortunately, the powers that be from the board of Agriculture in America decided that industry was more important than people.
The heart of these guidelines is focused on ditching the man-made highly process ‘food-like' diet that is making us sick and fat and focusing in instead on a real food diet.
The aim is to take the confusion out of food choices and for you to gain confidence in choosing foods that serve you well and to arm you with recipes that make shopping and menu planning a breeze.
To lose weight, it is simply a matter of tweaking the Abundant Nutrition Formula.
Abundant Nutrition Formula
- 7-9 servings of fresh Vegetables and Fruit (made up of dark green leafy, deeply colored and sulphur rich vegetables). (A printable step by step Veggie Prescription can be found <<HERE>>)
- 4 Tbsp of cold pressed Fats in addition to naturally occurring fats in food
- 200-250 grams of Protein foods
- Fermented food
- Fresh Filtered Water – How much? Times your body weight by .03. (eg 60kg x .03 = 1.8L)
Optional: - 2-3 servings MAXIMUM of Grain in their whole form (equivalent to 2 slices of bread) and preferably gluten free
- 2-3 servings of good quality Dairy if tolerated
Note: - Sugar should be well below 10% of total calories
- Strictly limit refined carbohydrates
- Cut down heavily on empty calories and health depleting junk food.
Abundant Nutrition ‘Weight Loss' Formula
800 Abundant Nutrition Formula calories per day = fast weight loss.
(You will be amazed at how much food this is!)
See a Breakfast and Dinner recipe suggestions tab below.
- Note: I chose not to have any grain during the weight loss period and this allowed me to concentrate on getting maximum nutrition in via the vegetable options.
>> RECIPE SUGGESTIONS <<
* Vegetables will make up the largest portion of food in your day, but not just any veggies, iceberg lettuce, and potatoes are not going to cut it. I have laid out the details and included a printable guide here – non-negotiable-first-step-to-flourishing-health.
Here is what I did, with my tips, tricks, and tools to ensure your success.
Abundant Nutrition Weight Loss Formula: Choose only from foods in this formula
- Vegetables & Fruit (Dark Green Leafy, Deeply Coloured, & Sulphur Rich) *
- Protein – 200 – 250 grams per day (roughly the size of your palm per serve)
- Fat – 2-4 Tbsp. per day of cold pressed oil in addition to naturally occurring fats
- Fermented food – 1 serving with each meal
- Fresh Filtered Water – How much? Times your body weight by .03. (eg 60kg x .03 = 1.8L)
- Note: I chose not to have any grain during the weight loss period and this allowed me to concentrate on getting maximum nutrition in via the vegetable options.
Tip #1: Where ever possible choose biodynamic/organic vegetables and fruit. Organic/Free Range/Wild Caught meat. Use the acronym LETOS as a great reminder
– Foods that are Local, Ethical, Trusted, Organic and Sustainable
Tip #2: Shop at your local farmers market and look for local organic/biodynamic delivery services. If you have an ABN, you can also order/buy in bulk from companies such as Honest To Goodness.
Tip #3: Whilst your weight is predominantly determined by what you put in your mouth, there is no question that you must move your body to support healthy weight loss and health in general. I had no dramas with energy following this 800 Cal regime so at a minimum, I made sure I was walking at least 10,000 steps a day. This usually entailed doing a brisk hour of walking early, before the usual chaos in the morning robbed me of time or motivation. Then another walk in the afternoon to take the dog out. Did you know that a brisk half hour of walking can significantly lower your cortisol levels making this a perfect way to destress/unwind at the end of the day.
Tip #3: Early to bed and early to rise! Aim to be in bed by 9:30 pm and heading into dreamland by 10 pm. You should be then ready, after 7.5 hours of deep restorative sleep, to rise like a rocket at 5:30 am to head off for a precious hour to yourself, walking / running / exercising / mediation etc.
Tip #4: There is lots of evidence now that supports intermittent fasting such as stabilising blood glucose, reducing high insulin levels, weight loss, reduction in chronic inflammation and oxidative stress within the body that is linked to many chronic diseases. It has also been shown to boost growth hormone levels which increases metabolism, and cell repair. I have chosen to implement this into my daily routine by including a 14 hour fast in the evening, i.e. not eating between 6pm and 8am. I also have my biggest meal at the start of the day when we are needing the most fuel and a light dinner at the end of the day. In the 10-hour period between breakfast and dinner, I ensure I am primarily staying well hydrated and when needed I include a light snack i.e. blueberries.
Tools: I use the free version of the app MyFitnessPal to help with the calorie calculations.
Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, I would love to help in any way I can.
x Edwina