5 most common questions about my diet

At the end of June 2015, I started on what some have labelled a radical diet plan. It’s not actually that radical; it’s simple, easy, healthy and fresh. It’s the way I believe we are meant to eat but never took the plunge to actually implement it 100%.

Two weeks after my breakdown of epic proportions (see previous blog posts) I got real about my life and what wasn’t working. My diet was most certainly not playing its part in supporting the peaceful and balanced life I desired.

That being said (I hear the ego say!) I still ate healthier than 90% of the population, which itself is a testament to how unhealthy we are as a nation, and as a planet rather than to my health or diet. I didn’t eat fast food, I never bought soft-drink and my fridge was always stocked with vegetables, quality meat and fruit. It was also, however, full of dairy, processed and packaged foods and my pantry was full of insta-microwaveable meals that would constitute as a cheap lunch option at work and I’d indulge in Migoreng way more often than I should.

I figured the broccolini for breakfast was making up for it… right?

When I think about all the poison I used to pump into my system, I am grateful that mother nature created our bodies to be resilient and adaptable. Our bodies work hard to keep us alive, despite all the measures we take to destroy ourselves. So really, give your body a pat on a back and a big thank you for getting you this far, despite your best efforts at sabotage.

My diet consists of vegetables and protein. That’s pretty much it. No sugar, no dairy, no wheat, no gluten, no grains, no nuts, no soy, no alcohol, very occasional fruit such as blueberries. I’m even off coffee and as a true Melbournite, with our cafe culture and coffee snobbery, this hurts. Deep in my heart.

Since starting this journey and documenting it across Facebook and Instagram, I have received a lot of questions from people wanting to know some basics about what I do.

Here are the top five!

1. Aren’t you hungry all the time?

This question mostly comes from people who literally snack on that which you will find in the confectionary aisle of your supermarket. I remember when I used to eat carbs, I could smash three pieces of vegemite on toast, 3 eggs, a yoghurt, a bowl of cornflakes for breakfast and be ravenous by the time I drove past the local cafe on my way to work and happily order a latte with two sugars and a Nutella donut. It’s wasn’t sustainable and your body adapts to feeling like crap and the low vibration becomes the norm. You forget how your body is supposed to feel naturally, without all that heaviness and toxicity.

I’m not sure if you’ve seen the amazing meals I cook for myself (peppered throughout this post – suss my Instagram for more), but to answer the above question – no I am most definitely not hungry all the time. I’m actually hardly ever hungry.

The feeling I experience the most is satisfied. I eat twice a day, once at 12 and at 6pm at least 5 hours apart and I don’t snack. On weekends I sometimes prepare three meals, depending on what my body is telling me. Sometimes if I feel hunger between meals, I grab a vegetable juice – beetroot, celery, carrot and lemon.

 It’s amazing how little the human body needs to function at an optimal level when you feed it delicious and nutritious food.

2. How hard was the sugar detox?

I quit alcohol, carbs, sugar, pot and some basic pain medication overnight. If I had to rate them by difficulty level sugar wins by a long shot but it wasn’t hard actually. Once you see the value in committing to yourself, everything just falls into place and becomes easy, natural and flows.

You do what must be done simply because it must be done and you silence the ego when it has a craving. Thank it for sharing and remember that nothing tastes as good as eating clean feels.

Seriously, just put down the chocolate bar and leave the supermarket right now. It’s easy to avoid the chocolate aisle.

3. What about cheat days?

My teacher likes to tease by saying “If I gave you a little bit of arsenic, would you have it?” or “Poke yourself in the eye, but just a little bit.” In the past, I used to, yes! I don’t do cheat days or cheat meals because they are simply NOT WORTH IT. In the first three months of following this lifestyle, I have broken my word to myself about this diet a few times.

Each time feels more catastrophic to my emotional and physical wellbeing than the last. I convinced myself that I was testing my reactions to forbidden fruit FOR SCIENCE! To see how I would feel if I ate a Magnum ice-cream, had chocolate, drank wine or indulged in a peanut butter donut.

After the donut incident, I entered my friends house, plonked myself down on his bed with a grunt. He took one look at me and said “Wow, what is wrong with you? You look so depressed.”

“I know, I just ate a donut.”

“Shouldn’t you be happy?”

“You’d think so, but no.”

The results are in, and they suck. Stay away from the donuts.

4. Don’t you think it’s time to start reintroducing things back into your diet?

The last person who said this to me, in the same breath tried to argue the benefits of processed sugar with me. What I should have done is lovingly taken their hand and led them to the bathroom to stand in front of the mirror for a reality check. A long hard look at themselves to ponder whether they are in any position to be giving advice to anyone about anything, let alone healthy optimal eating and living.

I would prefer to listen to my team of experts and my own body and get real about how good I feel. Why reintroduce poison back into my system?

5. Isn’t it expensive?

People go out and literally spend hundreds of dollars on getting drunk or otherwise impaired on weekends but they won’t spend the money on fuelling their body correctly. Your body is the only place you have to live. I spend an average on $70-120 dollars, but I like to splurge a bit on nice cuts of organic, free-range, grass-fed and grass-finished meat. I also haven’t mastered the art of eating everything in the fridge before shopping again so I am guilty of throwing some stuff out.

If you’re smart about your shopping and suss your closest markets, you can easily stock up on vegetables for as cheap as $10 a box. True story.

Not only is it cheaper, it cuts out my shopping trip in less than half as I don’t bother with 80% of the supermarket anymore and I’ve made friends with my butcher and my grocer.

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When you get serious about cutting out that which does not serve (eating out, boozing, snacks and confectionary) and simplify, you see how much money you’ve been wasting and suddenly you have extra cash.

Feeding yourself shouldn’t be seen as a chore – it’s something that forwards your life. If you want to know more about how to implement this lifestyle, check out the free guide on Iggy McGowen’s website.

It will transform your life.