Last month I attended a luncheon hosted by fashion designer, entrepreneur and healthy living enthusiast, Izzy Camilleri. As I listened to the mission and vision behind her eating plan, I couldn’t help but think how simple it is to incorporate into your daily life, especially with the bustling holiday season on our heels. The eating plan was inspired by Izzy’s own busy lifestyle and a realization that we often put ourselves second to everything else on our to-do lists.
From hosting and attending holiday parties, to gift shopping, gift wrapping, decorating and travelling, it’s easy to get rundown and burnt out over the holiday season. It’s more important than ever to make sure we’re taking care of our bodies and fuelling them with nutritious food. Izzy’s Eating Plan is all about eating the right foods together and giving your body what it needs to function properly and feel awesome after every meal. It’s not about starving or depriving yourself, it’s about eating with intention and purpose. Here’s how it works:
Food Groups
In Izzy’s Eating Plan, foods are divided into three food groups, group 0, 1 and 2. Each meal and snack you eat should not exceed a total of two. You can have as much of group 0 as you want, but if you eat something from group 2, you can only eat it with group 0 items, and you can eat two items from group 1 with as many items as you want from group 0.
Group 0
Group 0 includes a selection of meat, poultry and fish, along with shellfish, and an assortment of legumes and vegetables including broccoli and eggplant. Drinks included in group 0 are coffee (preferably organic), green and herbal tea, and water with lemon. You can also have liquids like chicken, vegetable and beef stock.
Group 1
Beef, lamb, tilapia and trout all fall into group 1. As do dairy products such as cottage, feta and goat cheese and veggies like beets and butternut squash. Fruits including apples and grapefruit are group 1, as are legumes such as chickpeas, kidney beans and black beans. Diluted fruit juices also fall into this group.
Group 2
Included in group 2 are meat and poultry like duck and pork, fish such as halibut and wild salmon, and dairy products including parmesan and brie cheese. Grains like brown rice and couscous are part of group 2, as are vegetables like corn and pumpkin. Fruits like avocado and coconut fall into this group, as well as desserts such as dark chocolate and fruit sorbets.
The details
Since the goal of this eating plan is staying healthy and losing weight, keep your portion sizes reasonable. Protein serving sizes should be the size of your palm, and a handful or two of the other foods are usually enough.
Sample meals
The more you use the eating plan, the more it becomes second nature, and you get used to the foods you can and can’t eat together. Here are some sample meals and snacks you can eat on Izzy’s Eating Plan.
Breakfast: 2 eggs (group 1) + ricotta cheese (group 1) + spinach and bell peppers (group 0) = 2
Snack: Banana (group 2) and green tea (group 0) = 2
Lunch: Salad with chicken, arugula, artichokes, mushrooms and cucumbers (all group 0) + chickpeas (group 1) + goat cheese (group 1) = 2
Snack: Plain Greek yogurt (group 1) + peaches (group 1) = 2
Dinner: Haddock (group 0) + asparagus (group 0) + brown rice (group 2) = 2
See how easy it is! If you’re looking to eat healthy over the holidays, try out Izzy’s Eating Plan! You can get the book and full details here!
Will you try Izzy’s Eating Plan? Share with us in the comments section.
Featured Images: Instagram/@izzyseatingplan
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