When I ask women how I can best help them, I usually get the same answer:
"Just tell me exactly what to do".
Meals plans and grocery lists are part of the packages I build for each client, but sometimes clients want even more.
"Like, what do you eat?"
And usually I will tell people that I practice what I preach 80% of the time. Ninety percent on good weeks. Seventy percent on PMS-y weeks. Show me a nutritionist that follows her own rules 100% of the time and I will show you a nutritionist who is completely full of crap.
I have four young children and so I am constantly looking for mommy hacks. While sometimes grocery shopping is fun for me, it is generally a pain to plan and execute. I have been loving Walmart's pickup service lately, and a girlfriend told me yesterday that Sprouts will deliver via Instacart now. Win!
But occasionally, I like to go to Sam's Club. We have such a big family that I buy whatever I can in bulk, and I have seen Sam's Club consistently add more natural and organic items to their offerings. The store is close to my house, and I use the "Scan and Go" app that lets me literally scan each item as I pick it up, and then pay on the go. I can be in and out in 10 minutes.
So, what do I buy when I go there?
Fresh fruits and vegetables
This family goes through a ton of produce. Right now, citrus is still in season, so I get a huge bag of mandarins each time I go to Sam's. These are easy to throw in a purse or the car for snacks. Eat two or three at a time. Delicious!
I also love baby cucumbers. We eat them sliced and salted. They are a nice light snack and an easy way to get another serving of veggies. I will slice a few up, salt them, and put them in a ziploc bag on the run.
Berries are an integral part of each client's nutritional plan. They are high in fiber, low on the glycemic index, full of antioxidants, and are a great way to get a sweet fix at the end of a meal.
Artichokes are a throwback from my childhood. My dad grew them in our backyard garden, and it was a perfect summer day when we girls would harvest the artichokes and my mom would steam them and serve them with mayonnaise relish sauce. If I see artichokes on a menu at a restaurant or see them at the store, I buy them. Boil for an hour and serve with my tarragon ghee sauce!
Onions are a staple in our house. I slice and saute them for almost every dinner. They are antibacterial and boost the immune system. Have you ever grilled an onion? Try it. Delicious!
Chase accompanied me to the store today, so he begged for nectarines and bananas. These are perfect kid foods. I tell my children that our kitchen closes after dinner, but they are always free to pluck a fruit or vegetable out of the refrigerator or fruit bowl.
After a few months of working together, I challenge my clients to pick a completely new fruit or vegetable. Will you try it this week? I've bought endives, radishes, leeks, papaya, and broccoli sprouts this way. Contemporary Americans eat very little produce, and not that extensive of a variety.
May I suggest artichokes?
Carnitas
Women need protein. Children need protein. I love buying this Del Real carnitas pack and throwing it in my crockpot. It only has 4 ingredients and is really, really good. Too much red meat aggravates my psoriasis, so I try to stick to chicken on the bone, fish, and pork. My whole family loves this stuff. I serve it with guacamole, cilantro, and shredded lettuce. The boys add in tortillas and chips. It's an easy dinner to throw together when you are out of the house all day, and also makes a great dish when you need to bring a meal to someone.
Grass Fed Organic Ground Beef
Grass fed ground beef is a staple at Reformed Metabolics. I have most of my clients batch cook our Favorite Meatballs and freeze them so there is never an excuse not to eat protein. Sam's Club is an affordable place to stock up on good quality clean beef.
Beef contains iron, Vitamin A, and all of the essential amino acids. It is a critical part of healing and rebuilding. If you have an autoimmune disease or a chronic illness, you need beef. Your body is working hard to repair itself and it needs every amino acid available to do that difficult job.
Bacon
Bacon! I adore bacon. Far from foe, saturated fat actually is the precursor for all of your steroid hormones. No period? Eat some bacon. Pregnenolone can't convert into estrogen or progesterone without enough dietary cholesterol. You need both of those hormones in concert in order to have a healthy period.
A side note- if you have high cholesterol, you should be alarmed. But not for the reason you think! Cholesterol is not the offender. Cholesterol actually works as an anti-inflammatory. Cholesterol goes to the site of inflammation to work to dampen the inflammatory response. Do you have high cholesterol? Then guaranteed- you are inflamed and need to take steps to reduce that. Ask me if you need help.
Rib Eye
Oh, dear Barbara. When I saw this rib eye, I had to get it. It is roughly the weight of my arm. And I work out a lot. They only sell it in a one-pack at a big box store, so you can imagine how huge it is. My husband has been in India for the last 5 days, and he was worried that he wouldn't get any meat while he was there. I bought this as a welcome home present for him. He will be so excited to throw it on the barbeque. Lightly grilled, of course.
So, this is pretty much my diet. I eat a lot of vegetables. I eat some fruit. I eat a moderate amount of meat and as much healthy fat as I want. My husband and kids add bread, tortillas, ice cream, and chocolate. I do sometimes, too. But this way of eating balances blood sugar, keeps hunger at bay, and reduces inflammation. Don't we all want more of these things in our lives? It works for me and it works for my clients.
(On another note, do you like my pictures? I'm practicing.) I spent a creative and inspiring weekend with the owners of Brandwell and some amazing women enterpreneuers. My favorite breakouts were the sessions on graphics and photography. Oleander and Palm is a Master Creative and I loved learning from her. If you are in need of creative services or lessons, get ahold of Purveyor House. People, we have these ladies in Bakersfield! They are a treasure trove. Check them out.
So, what do you like to buy at Sam's Club? Maybe you have no restrictions on diet and you love their giant boxes of Oreos. Hey, no judgement. Join us to discuss on Facebook.
Along the same lines, we launched a free Facebook Group for women who want to dig deeper into their health. We would love to have you join us! Come on over and join the discussion.
Yours in health,
Jennifer