Hey Gorgeous, I’m so happy you’re here! I had this fabulous idea last night – so great I nearly jumped out of bed to write it then! – to create a post for you that covers off what to eat for the best day ever. By best day I mean: eating for energy, feeling great digestive-wise, feeling light and not weighed down, and fuelling your mind for focus and productivity.
Not sure that’s all possible in one day? I dare you to eat this way for one whole day, start to finish, and come back to let me know how you felt.
Here is exactly what to eat for the best day ever:
Wake Up and Hydrate!
First thing’s first. Wake up and hydrate your body.
Grab a glass of water, ideally filtered to avoid chlorine, fluoride and heavy metals. And for added mental happiness, throw in a lemon slice.
Drink it back and congratulate yourself. Step one, complete.
Fresh, Raw Fruits
Next up, grab yourself a bowl of your favourite – preferably organic to avoid chemical pestisides and residues – fruits.
Honestly. No holds back. Whatever YOU like fruit-wise, eat them!
If you only like oranges, eat a bowl of oranges. If raspberries first thing hurt your stomach, don’t go for them.
If you love grapes, treat yourself to them.
Just grab yourself a bowl and enjoy the gifts from trees and bushes: fruits!
About Half an Hour Later…
Now’s the time for real breakfast. You started light and gave your body a chance to digest something really easy, diverting energy to you and your energy levels.
Now it’s time for some longer-lasting fuel. Here are some fabulous breakfast options to eat for the best day ever.
Choose one of these ideas:
- Gluten-free toast with an avocado sliced up, salt and pepper (I like Little Northern Bakehouse for great-tasting, wholesome gluten-free bread)
- A smoothie made with banana, frozen berries, almond milk (or another non-dairy milk), a tbsp. of cold-pressed flaxseed oil, an easily digestible protein powder (I like Sun Warrior in Warrior Blend chocolate), and some spinach (you can hide a fair amount in a smoothie! Try a ratio of 2/3 fruit to 1/3 spinach for a spinach-free taste in your smoothie).
- A chocolate chia seed pudding with fruits you like and cinnamon. This recipe here is very similar to one I make!
- Or this beautiful-looking oatmeal. Who doesn’t like peanut butter and banana, right?
Don’t go crazy over-thinking this one. Just choose any of the breakfast options and rock it. You can always come back and re-do this day with another option, okay? So no stressing.
Overachiever tip: Make extra and keep it as a snack for later.
But what about coffee?
If you LOVE your morning cuppa, here’s where to have it. After you’ve filled your tummy with food.
Add a tablespoon or so of coconut oil to your coffee or dairy-free latte to slow down the caffeine absorption for longer-lasting energy that’s less hard on your nerves. (Blend it up or whisk with a fork for a minute to make sure it’s mixed in)
Either have a coffee with a single espresso, or grab the smallest size of drip coffee you can get your hands on (read: not those 20 million ounce Starbucks nerve-crushing specials, got it?).
Keep Hydrating!
A couple more great-quality glasses of water will keep up your energy levels and help your digestion. So during this after-breakfast, pre-lunch time, make sure to drink some water!
Treat yourself by making a big jug of water with cut citrus fruits and frozen berries in it. Every time I do this it feels very spa-like. 🙂
Iiiiiiiiiit’s lunch time!
Time for veggies and easily-digestible protein.
Try this minestrone soup, omitting the bacon, adding a dash of smoked paprika near the end, skipping the white potato and using quinoa pasta. I like to blend up a portion of the soup pre-pasta adding so that the broth is creamier and more hearty instead of clear. And you don’t need the parm, either 😉
Making those changes keeps it really digestible so that your bod is loving life.
PS – a courgette is a zucchini.
Have it with a toasted slice of your gluten-free bread with tahini and sea salt on it, or a flax oil + coconut oil mixture (half-half) and some sea salt.
Perfection.
Feeling great on this day and want to vary lunch when you keep going? Here are some more lunches you can eat for the best day ever.
Try this chili or another soup like this one. You’re looking for lots of veggies and a great source of protein from lentils or beans, ideally mixed with some kind of a gluten-free grain.
Leave out dairy for easy digestion and leave out meat for higher energy levels through the afternoon. You may find you’ll need to snack more without either, but that is a GREAT sign: you SHOULD want to eat more often (it’s FAB for your metabolism, too) and it means you’re not weighed down with food that takes a LONG time to break down.
All that means more energy for YOU!
Hydration Station
Noticing a trend?
Between meals, make sure you’re drinking more water!
Hello, snacks!
Now’s the time to keep those energy levels UP!
Don’t skip out on snacking.
A great snack should have some complex carbs to break down, some really high quality fats to keep you fuelled, and some protein. So, what snacks should you eat for the best day ever?
Some extra smoothie from this AM would work perfectly here, otherwise a few other ideas are:
- These no-bake granola bars as a treat! (Try to use less sweetener to your tastes)
- A little bean or quinoa salad with veggies (in a rush? Most grocery store deli’s now have some kind of bean or quinoa salad that’s dairy-free. And some of them are really awesome-tasting, I must admit!)
- A red lentil patty like this one that I can’t seem to stop eating ever… Literally had one for breakfast today.
Dinner Time!
Don’t collapse your energy levels now with a steak and potatoes, ok?
You’ve done super-well, and your evenings can be just as high energy as your days. In fact, how awesome would it be for your family, your spouse and YOU if you felt as energized in the evenings as your highest-energy point during the day otherwise?
It would be amazing, that’s what. I know for sure. 🙂
So, here are some dinner ideas to eat for the best day ever:
- A big loaded salad: either one like my four corner salad here, or a big plate filled with your greens of choice (I love Boston lettuce or arugula) with sauerkraut, kimchi (both naturally fermented and unpasteurized), cooked chickpeas (I like Eden Organic for their BPA-free can lining and for cooking them with seaweed for bloat-free eating), diced avocado and a healthy dose of olive oil (read: not skimpy). I love this salad because it’s crunchy, satiating and sour-spicy, it’s super tummy-flattening because of all the natural probiotics and I don’t have to make a dressing because the sauerkraut and olive oil takes care of that for me – win!
- One of the other lunch ideas or leftover lunch
- A quinoa burger (this one is my fave) or a black bean burger (join my group to grab the one I make) with slices of tomato (salt and peppered!), avocado slices, some veganaise, maybe a delish vegan cheese like an Earth Island slice, and a mini salad
Get satiated and love up this meal.
Over-achiever tips: De-stress before eating and don’t eat in front of the TV.
When your mind is engrossed in a show or movie – no matter how seemingly boring – you’ll WAY overeat leading to low energy levels and feeling SUPER heavy and uncomfortable.
Take a few, fully-focused, deep breaths before eating to calm your nerves if you’ve had a long day, and embrace and enjoy the meal in front of you.
A glass or two more of water!
Get these in a while before bed so you don’t have to pee in the middle of the night!
A relaxing Passionflower-Valerian Tea
If it’s safe for you, enjoy a beautiful cup of tea that’s relaxing before bed. It’s best to do this by candle-light, not only so you relax emotionally, but also because lower light helps your hormones set up for a fabulous sleep. My favourite is Organic Nighty Night by Traditional Medicinals. Always read and follow the label.
Over-achiever tip: keep your bedroom as dark as possible. If you co-sleep with little ones and they need a nightlight, get a red one, which is easier on your eyes and theirs (leading both of you to better sleeps and easier and faster back-to-sleeps).
Pat yourself on the back and sleep tight!
Aim to get into bed by a great hour. You’ll know in your heart when your ideal bedtime is (mine is between 9 and 10, and honestly, it’s closer to 9 for the best next day ever).
Congratulate yourself on a great day of eating as you crawl in, and have sweet dreams.
Sending love to you!
Nathalie
Holistic Nutritionist
New Podcast Host of A Dose of Sunshine
PS – in bed having finished the day? Try this guided meditation of mine to cool out and surrender to peace.
PPS – really, congratulations on making the commitment to eat for the best day ever. You’re amazing!
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