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 or seeds
- 1 tbsp raw honey or stevia
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Desiccated coconut for rolling
- A couple of drops of filtered water
Method
- Place all the ingredients into your food processor and blend until well combined.
- Roll the mixture into bite-sized balls.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon or roll in desiccated coconut.
- Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to set.
- Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.
For more recipes and healthy eating tips, head over to Jessica's website.
