Happy Hemp Day!
How are you doing?
Living a healthy lifestyle is not about strict diet limitations, trying to be unrealistically thin or depriving yourself of the foods you love.
For me, it’s all about feeling great, having more energy, improving my outlook on life and stabilising my mood.
There is some very overwhelming and conflicting diet advice out there, don’t be discouraged, you’re not alone.
Let me help you cut thought all this confusion and learn how to create a healthier lifestyle that is good for mind and body.
Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain weight, build muscle, become fitter, feel better, feel stronger, have more energy, check out these tips to help achieve a healthier improved you.
When you are exercising regularly, you body’s needs can vary on a day to day basis.
This is why I don’t think it’s as important to calorie count or stick to certain plans on a daily basis.
It’s far more important to understand what you are putting into your body and why.
I like to think of foods as Proteins, Carbs, Fats and Greens, no one food is a single nutrient but tend to have a main nutrient.
I would like to give you a rough guide to follow to help you make better choices.
Hope you find helpful…
As always, any questions I am always here and happy to help, book a free chat below with myself and let’s get you started on your own healthy journey, so you can ditch the overwhelm and start living that healthy life you deserve.
Protein:
Protein is the foundation of every vital function in the body, so it must be included with every meal.
Eating protein isn’t going to bulk you out. Eating adequate amounts of protein will help shape and tone the muscle in your body, lower your body fat and support your metabolic system.
You should include:
- Lean, complete protein sources; eg, meat, beans, seafood, eggs, full fat dairy, hemp seeds, good quality protein powders.
When do you need?
- Should be eaten with every meal.
How much do I need at each meal?
- Women-1 x size of palm of hand.
- Men-2 x size of palm of hand.
You can supplement your protein needs if finding hard to get your intake with a good quality Protein Powder.
How much Protein does our body actually need?
Well it varies on individual but most active adults could do with consuming about 1 gram of protein per lb/2.2 grams per kg of bodyweight.
You want to be ensuring you getting enough protein in your diet to make sure you feel satiated and are allowing your body to repair. Sometimes getting protein in with just food alone can be hard, so I suggest supplementing with a good quality complete protein powder.
My favourite is by Raised Spirit and they do fan hemp protein powders in Plain and Cacao.
Save 10% using code: JEMLOCAL www.raisedspirit.com
I also like to use Good Hemp and Canah Hemp Milk, Oils and Seeds, which I buy on Amazon.
Carbohydrates /Carbs:
Carbohydrates (Carbs) are made up of sugars, starch and fibre. We need carbs for energy.
When you eat carbs, your body breaks them down, turns them into glucose, which is used for immediate energy or stored in your muscles as glycogen for use later.
When you are active and exercising regularly, means you will need more energy and will need to replenish regularly.
If you choose to overeat/choose the ‘wrong’ kind of carbs, your body will store the excess glycogen and convert it into fat, so will/can lead to weight gain.
You should include:
- Starchy vegetables like potatoes and sweet potato, squashes, and soaked/sprouted/fermented grains and produce, eg spelt pasta and rice. Also includes exercise recovery drinks, sugars, sweets, fizzy drinks, etc.
When should you eat them?
- Best time to get the best results is first meal of the day and post workout. (It’s all dependant on energy and goals. If you do your workout in the afternoon then please include carbs with your evening meal, this ensures your body can recover from the workout.)
How much do you need at each meal?
- Women- similar to size to palm of hand, (can have more if getting hungry or lacking energy, listen to that body.)
- Men-about double the size of palm of hand.(again as with woman can play with amounts.)
Don’t forget sugar is a carb, so try to minimise or cut back on this.
Things like a chocolate bar or bag of sweets, fizzy drinks all limit our progress so try to avoid.
Choosing between good and bad carbs:
You shouldn’t necessarily being asking if it’s a good or bad carb but has it been processed and if it has chances are it’s less nutritious for you than say the whole food would be.
If it comes in a box, packet, has ingredients in the list you can pronounce, or doesn’t look like its original state, then the nutrient density is defiantly going to be lower.
The fibre content also tends to be lower in such products. Which can irritate the gut, and of course the sugar content in product will be higher, which can therefore result in fat gain, so best avoided or kept to a minimum.
Whole food carbs will be much more nutrient dense and ensure you have a good slow release of energy, resulting in a healthier metabolism to help burn fat and support healthy muscle growth.
One of my favourite carbs is oats, I soak overnight to break down the starch and help my body digest it better. It provides a slow release of energy after eating them.
The best time to eat carbs for me personally, is first thing and post workout to replenish energy levels.
Let me know your thoughts on Carbs and please don’t cut them out of your diet as they are a vital nutrient the body needs to be healthy and strong.
Fats:
If you think you shouldn’t be eating fat to lose weight, then think again!
You must eat good fats to be lean.
Fat is the preferred fuel for muscle tissue at rest, so make sure you get plenty of sleep, to maximise this benefit.
Eating fats provides your body with means to absorb the micronutrients in fruits and vegetables so that your body can absorb the vitamins and minerals it needs for optimal health.
Balance is key, so think of the fats you are putting into your body.
What you should include?
- All natural, non hydrogenated or processed oils, nuts, nut butters, seeds, seed butters, and whole dairy products. Eg. Avocadoes , oils, cheese.
How much should you include at each meal?
- Varys dependant on person but only about 15-20% maximum of daily food intake.
When do you need Fats?
- To maximise fat burn, limit post workout.
Why Do you need Fats in your diet?
- Fat allows your body to absorb micronutrients, one of the most important nutrients that naturally balances your hormones.
- Fat is also excellent for cognitive brain function and health.
Greens / Vegetables:
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables contain many macronutrients, vitamins and minerals that your body needs to be healthy and strong.
Fruits and vegetables also help boost our immune system, boost our metabolism and help prevent disease.
You also get fibre from fruit and veg, which ensures a healthy digestive system and gut.
You should include:
- Raw or cooked veg, greens and non starchy vegetables. Eg, leafy greens, broccoli.
How much should I need at each meal?
- Aim for 7-10 portions of veg/fruit per day.
- One serving= 1 cup of leafy greens
- 1 med sized piece of fruit
- ½ cup chopped fruit/veg
• To optimise fat burn, try to limit yourself to 1-2 pieces of fruit per day, as it can be full of hidden sugars (carbs)
• To optimise muscle, gain try to eat fruit and veg on 1:3 ratio.
For further advice about anything health and/or nutrition related, please reach out to me by email: jem@flawsomejem.com and I’ll happily try and help.
** DISCLAIMER **
I am not a dietitian or a doctor.
The ideas suggested here, are intended to be used for educational purposes only based on my own personal experiences.
The author ‘Jemma Stevens’ ‘Flawsome Jem’, is not rendering medical advice, nor to diagnose, prescribe or treat, any disease, condition, injury or illness.
It is imperative before beginning any exercise or nutrition programme, that you receive full medical clearance from your GP (doctor/physician).
Flawsome Jem and Jemma Stevens, claim no responsibility for any person or entity, for any liability, loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused as a result of the use, application or interpretation of the materials presented here.
Please understand there are some links, that I may benefit from financially.
No part of this, or any publication, shall be reproduced, transmitted or sold, in whole, or in part, in any for, without prior written consent from the author.
All trademarks and registered trademarks appearing, are the property of their respective owners.
Flawsome Jem (c) 2020.
There are so many products hemp & CBD on the market these days, it can be a minefield.
Let me help you cut through the confusion. book a free chat with me below!
Hope you enjoyed reading and found helpful. If you would like to learn more about anything health, nutrition, mindset, hemp or CBD related, let’s chat!
You’re Flawsome!
Lots of love,
Jem xoxo
PLEASE NOTE: CBD is neither a medicine nor a cure for any illness and by no means do we make any medical claims. CBD can help to maintain and support your health and a healthy lifestyle.
I am not making any medical claims in this or any of my other publications. All content I produce, is purely for educational purposes and for sharing my own personal knowledge and experiences of CBD.
