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Eating Real Food (Lowering Supplement Needs)

When our hormones start going bonkers and then eventually head out the door, our body’s ability to absorb vitamins and minerals can change. So, even if your diet is exactly the same, you may still be deficient in certain vitamins and minerals.

When we are low in hormones we can feel these symptoms, but it also may mean you are low in nutrients:

  • Hot flashes and night sweats
  • Joint pain
  • Low bone density
  • Changes in hair (loss, texture or thickness)
  • Moodiness
  • Anxiety
  • Poor digestion
  • Increased UTIs
  • Hair loss

Too often I seen women who are relying too much on supplements in relation to food – Our bodies are really designed to get the most of what it needs from real food. If you don’t have your nutrition dialed in (eating too little, eliminating food groups like carbs) and expecting miracles from supplements, I am sorry but this isn’t likely going to cut it.

I get it. We hear it’s all about calories vs calories out, and although I agree with this to a point, too many of us are in a starvation mode and the body responds by slowing the metabolism. Sometimes it’s intentional and sometimes it’s just because we have busy lives, but if we are skipping meals, fasting too long (more than 12 – 14 hours), or simply under-eating (even if it’s healthy food) it’s really hard to cover the  full spectrum of all that we need.

I have been there myself cutting carbs too low, expecially wholegrains, fruit and legumes, which means we are jipping ourselves out of some big mineral sources. Of course, if your body is sending signals (bloating, gas, burping) then it’s a good idea to leave these out.

I also have been like many women out there trying to cut out all kinds of fat, including healthy fats. We need these to help absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). 

Like carbs, we fear fats because of the damage that was done in the 80s and 90s with the low fat trend.

How can we get enough micronutrients from food?

  1.  Eat ENOUGH – how much is enough depends on everyone. But if you’re stuck on the 1500 calorie day diet or less, it’s probably not enough. And if you are active, then it’s got to be much more. 
  2. Get DIVERSITY – Shoot for 30 different plants a week, which includes vegetables, fruit, herbs, nuts and seeds, beans, lentils and even wholegrains.

I know this can sound scary and too much, but just keep it as a target. If someone wants to lose 100 pounds, they have to start with the first pound. And that’s success.

This is a goal to help you do MORE, and it’s up to you to decide how much you can do realistically and consistently in YOUR life.

Does everyone get 30 completely different plants a week? Nope.

Most people, including me, repeat meals.

Most people’s can’t afford 30 different plants a week, especially if they’re shooting for organic

Most people batch cook and split it across the week.

We are just shooting for MORE, and what “more” is will be different for each woman.

We start with adding 3–4 new plants across the whole week and so on.

What we sometimes see is that women in this health oriented biohacking space may be eating a wide variety of foods, but it is in such small amounts that they’re still deficient and struggle with the symptoms mentioned above. 

Most people I have worked with may hit only 10 different plants a week, but because they were eating ENOUGH of them consistently, their reached their goals.

Here are 45 plant sources I eat on repeat that you can easily rotate throughout the week:

  1. Almonds
  2. Apples
  3. Avocado
  4. Bananas
  5. Beans (all kinds)
  6. Beets
  7. Berries (all kinds)
  8. Broccoli
  9. Brussels sprouts
  10. Carrots
  11. Celery
  12. Chia seeds
  13. Chickpeas
  14. Cucumber (peeled and deseeded)
  15. Eggplant
  16. Flaxseeds
  17. Garlic
  18. Herbs (parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, rosemary…)
  19. Kale
  20. Kiwi
  21. Lemons/limes
  22. Lentils
  23. Macadamia nuts
  24. Mushrooms (all kinds)
  25. Oats
  26. Onions
  27. Oranges
  28. Pears
  29. Peppers (All colors, peeled and deseeded)
  30. Pistachios
  31. Pumpkin
  32. Pumpkin seeds
  33. Quinoa
  34. Radishes
  35. Raspberries
  36. Rice
  37. Spinach
  38. Sprouts (all kinds)
  39. Strawberries
  40. Sweet potato
  41. Swiss chard
  42. Tomatoes
  43. Turmeric
  44. Walnuts
  45. Zucchini

Start today:

  1. Choose 3-4 foods you never tried before from the list and build them into your meals today.
  2. Comment below with your swaps and share your biggest takeaway from this week so far.

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