Today is one of those days where I did so much better than normal in the eating department. I wanted to share with you what a day looks like in my world when I’m truly on top of things with what I eat during the day. This is an example of what works for my body, lifestyle, and preferences. I’ve been vegetarian since 2002 and have had many experiences finding what worked best for me during this time. Believe me, I have tried many things!
I get asked so many times where I get my protein from eating when this way. Thank God for CRON-O-Meter for helping me answer this question in great detail, which you will see below. I also hear other dancers say that they are advised not to eat fruit at all, which is crazy with the amount of energy we exert in classes, rehearsals, and performances.
Eating high amounts of fruit has been the BEST decision that I have ever made. At least that has been my experience as someone who was extremely addicted to refined sugar in the past. Fruit is high in calories which is needed for energy for a dancer or anyone who is very active. I am never depleted during the day eating like this.
It is nearly impossible to crave unhealthy sweets or junk food when you are eating nature’s highly energizing vitamin, mineral, and fiber rich “dessert” for a majority of the day.
Breakfast
It’s citrus season in Los Angeles and I love mandarin oranges. Usually one of my meals during the day is a mono-meal. It is a super easy way to approach eating and also very easy to digest.
After Dance Class Snack
I always have fruit in my dance bag if I don’t have a smoothie pre-made and packed for an after class mini snack/meal.
Lunch
For this smoothie I blended four large bananas, seven medjool dates, one tablespoon of chia seeds, and 1 1/2 cups of frozen raspberries with water in my Vitamix. The entire smoothie equals about two of these jars.
Dinner
For dinner I made a salad with romaine, carrots, red cabbage, sunflower seeds, and Italian dressing plus delicious mashed potatoes. I cooked the potatoes in organic low sodium vegetable broth before mashing with a hand held blender, and added spices, Himalayan pink sea salt, and butter.
Nutritional Breakdown with CRON-O-Meter
Below you will see that I made 90% of my nutritional goals with just this food alone. I did not add any supplements to the chart because I wanted the focus of this article to be about nutrition through whole organic food. I will say that once I added my supplements I reached 99% of my nutritional goals for the day.
I will definitely get more into supplements in another article. For starters I will say that a good multi-vitamin, vitamin B-12 and vitamin D3 can be helpful especially for vegetarians. Taking supplements is a personal preference which works for me. Do what works for you.
Every day doesn’t look exactly like this for me although it is motivation for me to see this. If I miss getting my box of organic fruit from the farmer’s market on the weekend, things are thrown off tremendously. It is challenging to get enough nutrition into my diet if I don’t have an abundance of what I like to eat at home waiting for me. Other days I may have lunch or dinner out, and I can’t calculate how everything nutritionally breaks down for the day because of it. I also don’t use CRON-O-Meter daily anymore, but it has been an amazing tool for becoming more aware of what works for my body and why.
Please don’t get caught up in the amount of calories that I ate this day alone. You honestly cannot compare raw food calories with cooked fried food or processed food calories. I was a bit surprised myself when I entered everything, but this is what felt right for this day. I also didn’t include the mile walk I took with my dog this day for exercise. I honestly didn’t think it would make a tremendous difference compared to my dance class.
If you are desiring a way to feel phenomenal, have radiantly clear skin, abundant hair growth, and just be healthier in general, please focus on nutrition first.
“Beauty-out-of-the-box” as I like to call it is amazing too, but nothing compares to having a great foundation first. Your “healthy” will look different from mine as we are all unique, yet take the time to figure it out. CRON-O-Meter as well as trial and error is what helped me create my ideal health inside and out.
One Love!
(Images by Dawn Michelle)
Aynica says
So it’s still a work in progress but I have changed what I eat, and have seen amazing changes in my skin! Still having some breakouts but if I eat right, none of the usual inflamed painful acne. Mainly I cut out ALL grain, not just wheat but rice, corn, quinoa, etc. And I’m not craving anything! Breakfast is two organic honey crisp apples and about 3 tablespoons of organic peanut butter, lunch is an organic banana with a goat cheese/raw local honey/cinnamon spread and a 6 oz. jar of mixed nuts. Dinner is typically 4-6 oz. lamb or steak with an organic sweet potato and a few dark chocolate chips for dessert. I sometimes have goat yogurt and goat cheese (lactose intolerant) too for snacking. This is what is working best for my body, I have plenty of energy and feel great! When I DO eat grains, the inflamed acne comes back within 24 hours. And eating this way has definitely helped me shed a few pounds! (total 28 lbs. over about 15 months, but there were other factors in the weight loss too.) Also I noticed your portions are very large, and I think this is key to eating this way, don’t eat one oranges, eat 12!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Aynica,
Thanks so much for stopping by and for your comment! Me sharing the incredible benefits of eating healthy is one thing, but it says a lot when someone else chimes in with their own personal experience and how this has benefited them too. It wasn’t until I started using CRON-O-Meter that I learned that I wasn’t eating enough food. I think this is very common when anyone tries to eat a healthier diet. The word “diet” in general is often associated with counting calories for calorie restriction and not the other way around.
It can take awhile to increase the amount of raw foods that your body is willing to process especially if you are transitioning from a less healthy diet. There is often a natural detoxing process that goes along with it. Regardless I am thrilled that you are also on this journey and I wish you the best with it.
ninaframbuesa says
I’ve not been doing well in this department for the last few weeks. I find it so easy to lose focus after going on vacation or something like that where I am a bit more relaxed about food. But your post served as a good reminder. Thank you dear! 🙂
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Ninaframbuesa,
I hope that you truly enjoyed your vacation! I love traveling. I’m also glad this article was a reminder. Be well!
Shanthi says
Are you not vegan anymore?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Shanthi,
When I joined the online world, I stopped referring to my lifestyle as vegan because I use raw honey as a face wash and I wear leather (predominately secondhand leather). I shared an article on leather versus PVC here. I also sometimes eat real butter versus extremely processed alternatives which would make me vegetarian not vegan. I will most likely get more into those details in a later article.
Hamida says
It looks delicious.:) but i just wonder it doesnt look like it keeps your stomach feeling full for a very long time? I also loose weight very easily so i just wonder.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Hamida,
I think when you are eating mostly high raw, you actually need higher amounts of food to feel full as well as receive abundant calories and nutrition. I personally feel very satisfied eating this way, yet it is all about finding what works best for you.
Laura says
Hi Dawn! I love your dietary approach even though I am not a full raw vegetarian (I eat fish and some organic chicken, but no dairy), but that aside I also include plenty of raw veggies and fruits in my diet plus some whole grains.
However, its been about 2 months of this and I’m having trouble getting a regular period, I do make sure I get enough protein and calories by using Cronometer. Have you had this problem before? Do you have any suggestions or solutions? Thank you so much for your wisdom!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Laura,
I haven’t had this experience myself yet hormones are complex. I would make an appointment with my doctor if this was this case for me. I do believe diet plays a HUGE role with our health, yet when I don’t have a clear intuitive feeling, I check with a professional who can give me guidance. I hope this helps and have an amazing holiday!