Ever wondered what a nutritionist eats on an average day? We caught up with Jessica Sepel, a health blogger, wellness coach and nutritionist from Sydney, to find out exactly what keeps her fuelled throughout the day. As a regular contributor to Vogue Australia, author to a new healthy eating book (The Healthy Life) and a recipe creator, we couldn't wait to hear what she said:
Jessica’s journey with food:
I’ve always been interested in nutrition, having come from a family that prioritises real, whole foods. In my teenage years and early 20s, however, I developed a negative body image and food was one way to control it. I tortured myself to the point that food was the enemy. It took time, but I realised that hating my body was impacting every aspect of my life. From that point on, I committed to understanding nutrition and how my body works. It shifted my mentality.
A day in the life of Jess
7am: I wake up to a warm lemon water to fire up digestion and detoxify my body after a good night’s sleep. Sometimes I’ll also take a shot of apple cider vinegar before my morning meditation, and then I’ll do a 30-45 minute yoga, HIIT or weights session.
8am: Breakfast is usually a power protein smoothie topped with mixed nuts and seeds, home-made granola with organic Greek yoghurt, gluten-free oats, or 2 eggs - boiled or scrambled with steamed greens and avocado. This keeps my blood sugar levels stable as I see clients, create blog content, or work on edits to my new book, The Healthy Life.
10:30am: Mid-morning is green juice time, typically kale, spinach, celery, cucumber, lemon and ginger. I often add a handful of raw walnuts or raw veggies with nut butter or hummus between clients and meetings.
1pm: I usually have a dark, leafy green salad (packed with broccoli, kale and spinach) with a portion of protein (fish, chicken, lean grass-fed meat or beans) with a complex gluten-free carbohydrate (quinoa, brown rice or sweet potato). I also include a good fat like avocado, hummus, or a sprinkle of mixed seeds. My favourite salad dressing is a combination of olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, miso paste and Dijon mustard - fats are important at lunchtime to keep you feeling satisfied. There are lots of simple, delicious dressing recipes in my eBook, The Clean Life.
4pm: It’s important for me to have a snack mid-afternoon to keep my blood sugar stable until dinner. I love a cup of herbal tea with a quarter cup of raw nuts, or perhaps 2 brown rice cakes with tahini or my Slim Down Smoothie. This is also an ideal time to take a 30-minute switch off – or, as I call it, go into The Stress Free Zone. I make this a priority every single day. Sometimes I’ll simply shut the door, put my legs up the wall and rest. I also love to read, meditate, practice yoga, go for a walk – whatever it is, it’s done with my phone turned off!
7pm: I try to have dinner as early as possible, so I typically eat at 7pm. One of my favourite dinners is herb and almond crusted snapper or salmon with cauliflower mash and steamed broccoli and green beans. My fiancé and I love cooking together – we just moved into our first home together and have been having so much fun breaking in the kitchen!
8pm: I always have a cup of chai tea, but if I feel like something sweet I’ll have dessert at about 8pm once I’ve switched off for the night. Enjoying a couple squares of quality dark chocolate, 2 dates with almond butter, or a homemade chocolate protein truffle (see below for recipe) is the perfect way to end the day – along with a relaxing bath!
Chocolate Protein Truffles:
1 serving chocolate protein powder
1 heaped tbsp. almond butter
¼ cup brazil nuts
¼ cup almond meal
1 tbsp Aduna Super Cacao Powder
2 tbsp. buckinis/seeds
1 tbsp. raw honey or stevia
1 tsp. cinnamon
Desiccated coconut for rolling
Couple drops of filtered water
Place the ingredients into your food processor. Roll into balls, sprinkle cinnamon on top or roll in desiccated coconut, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.
For more recipes and healthy eating tips head over to Jessica's website.
