2 Easy Ways to Get the Fruits and Vegetables You NEED!
None of us are perfect and I don’t claim to be. I’ve spent a lot of time optimizing various aspects of my body and healthspan. One of the things that has been extremely impactful is altering the way I view my fuel.
When I tell someone I aim for 8–10 servings of fruit and veggies a day, I’m not sure they believe me. After all, it does seem pretty hard to do. My informal polls say most people are lucky if they get 2–3, but here’s the thing, for maximal healthspan and longevity, that’s simply not enough.
Working from home was a game changer for me. No more limited access to fresh food, ample opportunity to take 5–15 minutes to prep meals and the ability to snack healthy. But here’s the thing, now that I have these habits, I can make them work anywhere.
I adhere to most of my eating and fitness protocols about 90% of the time. I’ve built in opportunities to relax those to maximize consistency. Having an off day here and there doesn’t derail the train. Here is my protocol that I hope will inspire you to try upping your own food game.
My protocol is a pulsed fasting/vegetarian schedule with breaks on the weekend. I fast M-F on a 16:8 schedule, eating only fish, plant based protein and veggies during the week. The weekends I open up to chicken (and the occasional beef/pork) as well as allow myself meals or snacks outside of my regular fasting window. There’s evidence that this feast/famine approach allows our cells to thrive.
Breaking The Fast
I start each day with a loaded smoothie:
- 1 Banana
- 1 Orange
- 1/2 C Oat Milk
- 1C baby carrots
- 1/2 Zucchini
- 2C Baby Spinach
- 1C Grapes
- 1 Scoop Collagen Powder
- 2TBS Peanut Butter
- 1C mixed berries
- Ginger and Cinnamon to taste
This gives me 7 servings, barely trying, and tastes amazing. Some days I add whey protein and chia seeds.
Later in the day I snack on broccoli and have an apple with peanut butter. Boom, 9 servings. I have dinner as normal.
Now I know you’re saying, “I don’t always want a smoothie!”. Correct, neither do I. On the days I’m not feeling it, I call it my deconstructed smoothie. Here is an alternate day.
- I break my fast by eating that banana and orange on their own. 2 servings
- Chop zucchini, tomatoes, onions and broccoli. Sautee with olive oil, butter, turmeric and curry. Scramble with 2–3 eggs and a sprinkling of cheese. 3 servings
- Put scramble over a bed of baby lettuce. That’s 6 servings.
- Snack of carrots and hummus, grapes and an apple before dinner. 3 servings
5. I always include some vegetable with dinner. There’s 10 servings.
They key to this, and I’m not being facetious, is that the more you eat these whole fruits and veggies, the more your body will crave them and the longer you do this, the more natural it becomes to grab one when you’re munchy. I am a snacker and always have been. While I still have a sweet tooth that needs to be satisfied, I feel 0% bad about it with the way I eat the rest of the time.
Putting a focus on eating whole foods like this will keep your blood sugar, triglycerides and cholesterol all in check. You will feel fabulous and you will fuel your body for whatever you need. This diet supports my 25–35 miles I run each week and 45 minutes of lifting every other day. I’m not going to be in any body building competitions, but I feel hella strong and this is the path that will get me to 120 years!
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