5 Day Fitness & Meal Plan
We all know that when we exercise and eat well, we feel well. But with today's jam-packed schedules, work, family & daily chores, it's not always that simple. We've put together five day's worth of meals & movement—tailor-made for those of us with a fast-paced lifestyle who still want to make feeling great our main priority. Better Belly Nutrition is proud to collaborate with Santa Barbara’s most motivating fitness coach, Evolution Faith & inspiring munchie blog, Mindful Munchies in handpicking nutrient dense meals plus 30-minute micro-workouts to incorporate into your busy weekly routine. All YOU have to do is commit to the challenge.
Are you up for it?
Start here with grocery list & mindfulness exercises:
Grocery List
Meal planning & making a grocery shopping list (like the one we've provided) will help you to avoid purchasing unhealthy, processed items. Plus knowing what you’re going to be cooking in advance will prevent you from bingeing on whatever’s in the pantry when hunger strikes.
See the list below for items that you will need to make the Meal Plan recipes. Head to the store on Sunday and stock up with these groceries so that you can power through your week with nutrient dense meals. By always keeping a variety of fresh veggies, fruit, protein & fats on hand, it will be easy to whip up healthy meals, as needed.
Quality Control
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Organic & local, whenever possible
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Pasture-raised poultry & eggs
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Pasture-raised & grass-fed meat or wild caught game
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Pasture raised & grass-fed dairy butter & ghee
*Raw is ideal, sheep & goat dairy is easier to digest
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Wild-caught fish & seafood
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Organic, cold pressed & unfiltered oils
Refridgerated
Grass-fed butter
Dozen eggs
Rotisserie chicken
Ground turkey or beef, 1 lb
Halibut (or similar white fish)
Wild salmon, 1 lb
Feta cheese
Almond butter
Coconut water (unsweetened)
Hummus
Dijon mustard
Pesto
Frozen
Cauliflower rice
Berries
Produce
Lemon, 2
Avocado, 3
Banana, 4
Broccoli, 3 heads
Butter lettuce, 1 head
Cucumber, 1
Carrots, 1 lb
Spinach, bunch
Salad Greens, 1 lb
Bell pepper, 1
Cherry tomatoes
Radish, 1 bunch
Heirloom or vine ripened tomatoes, 2
Spaghetti squash, 1
Zucchini, 2
Red onion, 1
Yellow onion, 2
Garlic, 1-2
Ginger, 1 knob
Fresh herbs: basil, parsley, dill
Seasonings, Spices
Cinnamon
Cumin
Smoked paprika
Cayenne powder
Red chili flakes
Yellow curry powder
Sea salt
Pepper
Mindfulness
Focus your attention on being present and listen to the cues that your body is sending you. This is a vital part of learning how to optimizing and support your body throughout your health journey. By being more mindful of how you are feeling and moving throughout your day, you can more effectively manage stress, increase the quality of your sleep and boost your overall sense of well-being.
Here are a few mindfulness exercises to incorporate into your daily routine:
Deep Breathing
The simple act of pausing to take a series of deep breaths is an effective way to ease tension, let go of negativity and help your body to flush out toxins. Set a reminder on your phone, three times a day to stop what your are doing to take 5 deep breaths. Make this a part of your daily routine and you'll absolutely love the way you feel.
7-4-7
Mindful Breathing Exercise
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Take a deep belly breath in for 7 seconds.
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Hold for 4 seconds.
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Exhale completely for 7 seconds.
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Repeat 5 times.
Rest to Digest
Digestion only functions properly when you are relaxed and paying attention to what you are eating.
Here’s how our brain controls our body:
There’s a part of the nervous system called the “autonomic nervous system” (the part that works without us thinking about it, like our heart beating). The autonomic nervous system has two main parts – the “sympathetic” part, which we think of as our “fight or flight” response and the “parasympathetic” part, which is responsible for “resting and digesting.” When we take time to anticipate what we’re going to eat and use all of our senses to notice the texture, taste and smell of our food, our digestive function is turbocharged and able to digest and absorb our food for optimal health. When we mindlessly pig-out or multi-task while watching Netflix, this doesn’t happen so much—resulting in digestive dysfunction. So, chop those veggies, cook with a smile, decorate your plate, sit somewhere nice and enjoy the ritual of nourishing your body.
Mindful Exercises
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Create a peaceful morning tea or coffee routine.
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Wake up early to go for a walk or meditate.
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Set a daily intention.
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Eat your food slowly and with gratitude.
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Tune into your moods. If you feel a strong emotion or sensation look deeper to determine why.
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Stand, stretch & move.
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Take a digital break.
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Take a laughter recess.
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Mindfully review your day.
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Write in a gratitude journal.
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Practice guided sleep meditation.
About Us
Jaime Heer, FNTP
Jaime Heer is a certified Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner based in Santa Barbara, CA. She loves empowering people to improve their lives through holistic nutrition & lifestyle modifications.
As your FNTP she'll work with you to help address the root causes of your health concerns. Using a holistic approach, she'll determine an individualized whole foods diet & lifestyle protocol that will allow your body to activate it's innate healing abilities in order to achieve optimal health. Jaime would love to connect and help you to properly nourish your belly to fuel your life!
Evolution Faith
Faith Mickler is a certified Personal Trainer and Mindset Coach based in Santa Barbara, CA. She understands the importance of having a positive attitude in order to successfully achieve personal goals and works closely with clients to develop a physical fitness routine that they enjoy while also experiencing measurable results.
Faith is enthusiastic about helping her clients reach their nutritional, mindset and fitness goals via one-on-one training at Evolution Fitness, online via Skype or at the client's home.