Note: This is Day 10 in the “Recharge Your Creative Batteries in 31 Days” Challenge. For the rest of July, we’ll be posting different ways for you to get yourself on the path to living in a creative flow and reaching your writing goals. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any.
Think about the last meal you ate … how long after you finished eating were you hungry again?
My guess would be not long after.
And that’s likely because you’re not building the right elements into your meals.
The Right Elements
The problem isn’t that you didn’t eat enough, it’s that you didn’t eat the right things.
If you want to ward off hunger and be able to get through a writing session with having to constantly snack, you need to get more of two things into your diet:
- Fiber
- Protein
And I’m not talking about eating a bunch of those shitty “Fiber One” bars that pretend to be food. I’m talking about a balanced diet that includes protein and fiber at every meal and snack.
Eating protein and fiber will keep your energy levels high and stable throughout the day.
Where To Find Protein and Fiber
You can find protein in a wide range of foods straight from nature, including:
- Meat—if you’re not a vegetarian/vegan, meat is a great source of protein, but it shouldn’t be your main source. There is way too much meat in the average American’s diet, and conventional meat is one of the biggest problems with the American food system (don’t even get me started!). I’m not saying meat is bad, I’m just saying it’s nice to eat meatless meals at least a few times a week for balance purposes.
- Seafood—fish, shellfish and other types of seafood have protein. Look for wild-caught, not farm-raised.
- Eggs—when eaten in moderation, eggs are a good source of protein. Just be sure to eat the yolk too, that’s where the protein is.
- Beans—although they might make you think back to that lovely grade school rhyme (‘beans, beans, the magical fruit…”), beans are a fantastic source of protein and they’re a double-whammy because they’re also an excellent source of fiber. They come in a huge variety so you can definitely find some that you enjoy.
- Peas—lentils and chickpeas are another way to get protein and fiber into your diet.
- Nuts—nuts get a bad rep for being “too high in fat.” They are high in fat, but it’s the good fat that your body needs. Plus nuts make great snacks because they have so much protein. Nut butters, like peanut butter, also count.
- Seeds—pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds all have protein.
- Dairy—although I don’t recommend eating too much dairy, if you’re not allergic to it, it can definitely be one of your protein sources. A few cubes of cheese or a cup of Greek yogurt is a protein-packed snack that will energize your writing session.
- Whole Grains—grains like quinoa and brown rice are packed with protein to help ward off hunger.
- Soy—edamame (soy bean pods) and tofu are good proteins every now and then, but don’t use them as a main source. Also, look for soy beans/tofu that’s marked “non-GMO,” which means it doesn’t come from genetically modified soy beans.
As for fiber, you can find that in:
- Fruits—even though fruit has sugar, it’s natural sugar, and fruit contains so much other good-for-you stuff like vitamins and minerals, that it’s perfectly OK to eat it a few times a day.
- Vegetables—fiber, fiber, fiber, any and all. Plus vitamins, minerals and nutrients too.
- Whole Grains—wheat, yes, but also buckwheat, millet, quinoa, brown rice, etc.
- Beans, Peas—as mentioned above, beans and peas are an excellent source of fiber.
- Nuts—these also contain fiber, which is another great reason to eat them.
There you have it. A whole list of ways to get fiber and protein into every meal and snack you consume.
Food is there to nourish your body, to give you energy and mental clarity, so you have the strength to make it through your day. Use it to your advantage.
Meals don’t have to be complicated to include the vital elements you need. Just keep this equation in mind when preparing your meals: Fiber + Protein = Energy
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How do you add fiber and protein into your meals?
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