The Australian personal trainer, who is credited with getting footballer David Beckham into yoga, has shared the five nutritional rules she swears by to look lean and toned – and why we all need to eat more fiber to be healthy and strong having a digestive system.
Shona Vertue, who is from Sydney but lives in London, said that weight loss isn’t about “what” you eat in a day, it’s about “how” you eat, which really affects your body.
Shona said you should stop focusing so heavily on your day on a plate and instead think about her five key “pillars of nutrition for better, longer-term results”.
The Australian personal trainer, who is credited with getting footballer David Beckham into yoga, has shared the five diet rules she swears by to look lean and toned (Shona Vertue pictured).
1. Consider your emotional state
While many of us think how we feel has little or no impact on what we eat, the opposite is true.
Shona said our emotional state has a “huge impact on our hunger levels” and you’ll see this when you eat to distract yourself from uncomfortable thoughts and feelings.
The PT explained that the key to eating well and feeling good about it is learning when to eat to take your mind off something and when to eat because you’re actually hungry.
“If you choose to eat, ask yourself will a snack really ‘fix’ your situation or if there is a better choice that’s consistent with a long-term solution,” Shona said.
Shona (pictured) said you need to make sure you’re calm before eating, as if you’re stressed, this has “negative effects on our digestive enzymes”.
2. Calm the nervous system before eating
Similar to Shona’s first tip, the PT said to make sure you’re calm before eating a meal or snack.
“Excessive stress has negative effects on our digestive enzymes, so we want to make sure we take some deep breaths before we eat to calm the nervous system,” Shona said.
You should also be “present” while chewing and chew each bite 5-10 times – this helps with satiety.
Shona agrees with other nutritionists who have said that when you sit in front of the TV to eat, you overeat and underchew.
Instead, she recommends sitting at a table and focusing on what you’re eating to make sure you’re satisfied.
Shona (pictured) said you shouldn’t think of food as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ like people who struggle with eating disorders and often end up putting on weight
3. Ban nothing
While you might expect a personal trainer to ban foods like sugar and alcohol, Shona actually said you shouldn’t ban food or drink and you shouldn’t think of things as inherently ‘good’ and ‘bad’.
“Food should be enjoyed and not used as a tool of punishment or reward,” she said.
In fact, those who view food as both good and bad often struggle with eating disorders and weight gain, she said.
4. Build each meal around protein
Shona said you should base all of your meals around protein, which is good for muscle repair and helps keep you feeling full.
“Protein intake isn’t just about maintaining muscle mass—although this is hugely important to all of us; It’s also necessary for many bodily processes, from making digestive enzymes to hormone production to immune and cognitive functions,” Shona said.
“Building meals around a protein source ensures we are getting the necessary amino acids our bodies need to function and thrive. We can store fat and we can store carbohydrates, but we cannot store protein.’
Shona said the best thing to do is take a palm-sized amount with every meal and it’s a good idea to add some to every snack.
5. Don’t forget fiber
While protein is very important in your meals, Shona said fiber is the “unsung hero of our digestive system.”
“Fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate that helps us maintain healthy gut and regularity, and supports the growth of beneficial bacteria in our gut,” Shona said.
She recommends aiming for between 25 and 30 grams per day.
To Shona, the 25-30 grams of fiber looks like two cups of spinach with her eggs for breakfast, two handfuls of blueberries mid-morning, and two cups of raw veggies in her lunch salad.
She’ll finally have a cup of broccoli with her dinner protein, as well as some sweet potato and some kind of cereal like basmati rice.
The personal trainer (pictured) explained that fiber is the digestive system’s “unsung hero” and should be included in every meal and snack to keep you full and regulate your gut
Previously, Shona revealed her top tips for having a good body – and it all starts with focusing on the things you’re not good at.
A lot of people fall into the trap of working on the things they are good at and neglecting the things their bodies really need,” she told FEMAIL.
“I’ve met a lot of people who can run marathons but can hardly survive a simple weightlifting session. Likewise, I’ve met bodybuilders who are strong but lack flexibility and can barely move.’
Shona recommends looking at “food as fuel” and thinking about what “best nourishes your body, mind and spirit for the day ahead”:
“Most of the time this could come from a huge plate of veggies with some protein — but other times — when the soul needs some nourishment — you might need a warm pain au chocolat or an Old Fashioned,” she said.
But we shouldn’t deny ourselves things when we need them, because “when we don’t allow ourselves those soul-nourishing moments, they build up and then end up in the binge-and-restrict cycle.”
Shona’s own fitness routine includes daily meditation before drinking coffee, weightlifting four times a week, high-intensity cardio twice a week, and a short series of yoga or gymnastics each night before bed.
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