Maintaining a healthy diet can be a challenging task for many especially if your kitchen and pantry aren't well stocked with the right items. We sourced help from Certified Integrative Nutrition Coach Gillian Krejcir of The Nourished Soul who shared with us which essential healthy items you should be adding to your grocery list.
FIBRE
Chia seeds, Flax seeds, and Hemp seeds
These are great sources of fibre as well as magnesium, omega-3 and many other nutrients. Fibre is essential in regulating our blood sugar and keeping our digestion regular. Our good gut bacteria thrive on a high fibre diet! Fruits and vegetables naturally have a lot of fibre in them as well so be sure to stalk up on whole, nourishing foods like spinach, berries, sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower.
SNACK TIP: I love recommending to clients to cut up some veggie sticks on a Sunday evening and place them in containers with some hummus for a simple and easy snack to grab on the go during the week.
FERMENTED FOODS
Kimchi, Sauerkraut, and Pickles
Fermented foods are considered 'probiotic foods' that help to nourish and feed our good gut bacteria. It is said that 3-4 lbs of bacteria reside in our gut along with 70% of our immune system. Crazy right! Many health conditions and problems stem from gut imbalances for this reason so it’s important to be feeding our good gut bacteria with probiotics, prebiotics and nutrient dense foods. Sugar is what bad bacteria typically feed off of so try to stay away from foods that have a high sugar content such as packages goods, juices and candy. Stick to natural sugars in fruit!
HEALTHY FATS
Avocado, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Coconut oil and Wild Salmon
Many of us have been so scared of any type of fat due to the low-fat diet fads, but I’m here to tell you that healthy fat is good! It is essential for brain health, reducing inflammation, helps to regulate our hormones and so much more. Fat also helps us feel full or satiated after each meal which means we are less likely to reach for that bag of chips at 8pm (guilty!). Stick to high quality oils like extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil and coconut oil when cooking.
ANCIENT GRAINS AND HEALTHY CARBS
Quinoa, Brown rice, Farro and Buckwheat
Try to stay away from simple carbs like white bread, baked goods and frozen foods. Often times these are empty calorie foods that deliver little to no nutritional value. They can also spike our blood sugar leading to insulin resistance, low energy, cravings, poor sleep and more. Opt for adding in more whole grains or gluten free options like buckwheat, quinoa (high in protein) and brown rice into your diet instead.
Gillian Krejcir is a Certified Integrative Nutrition Coach, Yoga Teacher and Reiki Practitioner. She focuses on helping busy women find balance and create a healthy lifestyle through nutrition and movement.