Thrive in 12 Week 3: Nutrition 101: more answers to your questions

Hello dear ladies 💛

I am so grateful to have been with you all today, you are all so wonderful, thank you for your presence and enthusiasm!

 

Also, thank you for your thoughtful questions about nutrition both last and this week — they reflect real-life challenges in midlife: lack of time, evening hunger, family meals, protein, fiber, and fasting.

Below are some additional clear, practical guidelines to support you — always with the focus on sustainable health.

 

(Our goal is progress, individual adherence, and making sure you only do what works for your unique circumstances.

This is not a “one size fits all” approach full of rigidity, fear, control, or perfection.)

Ok, to your questions!

 

➡️ Fast, Simple, Protein-Rich Meals

When time or energy is limited, think simple + nourishing.

Easy ideas

• Greek yogurt (15–20 g protein) + berries /veggie sticks
  
  
• Eggs (scrambled, omelet, hard-boiled) + vegetables
  
  
• Canned fish (tuna, salmon, sardines) + salad
  
  
• Rotisserie chicken + steamed vegetables
  
  
• Cottage cheese + fruit/veggies
  
  
• Protein smoothie (protein + fruit/berries - optional)
  
  

👉 We’ll go deeper into meal planning and on-the-go snacks in Week 6.

Getting More Fiber (Without Overthinking It)

Fiber supports:

• satiety
  
  
• blood sugar balance
  
  
• digestion
  
  
• hormonal health
  
  

Simple ways to add it

• Vegetables at every meal (cooked or raw)
  
  
• Whole fruits (1–2/day)
  
  
• Seeds (chia, flax, hemp)
  
  
• Legumes (if tolerated)
  
  
• Whole grains (as tolerated)
  
  

👉 Protein + fiber = steadier energy and fewer cravings, especially at night.

➡️ How to Reduce Night-Time Snacking

Evening snacking is often linked to:

• not enough protein/fiber earlier in the day
  
  
• stress
  
  
• blood sugar swings
  
  
• lack of sleep
  
  
• overtraining
  
  

What helps

• Dinner anchored in protein + fiber (vegetables)
  
  
• Finish dinner with something bitter, not sweet
  
  
• A planned evening snack if needed
  
  
• A warm herbal tea after dinner
  👉 Tip: adding 1 tsp pectin fiber (if tolerated) can help increase fullness
  
  
• A calming evening routine to settle the nervous system
  
  

Healthy Evening Snack Ideas

If you’re truly hungry:

• Cottage cheese + berries
  
  
• Plain Greek yogurt with cinnamon
  
  
• Protein shake (with berries)
  
  
• Chicken or fish + vegetables
  
  
• Egg whites + vegetables
  
  
• Egg + vegetables
  
  
• Boiled or steamed edamame (ideally organic)
  
  
• Tofu + vegetables
  
  

The goal is blood sugar stability, not restriction.

👨‍👩‍👧 Eating Well as a Family (Without “Dieting”)

Such an important question 💛

Best approach

• Serve the same meals for everyone
  
  
• See it as a teaching moment, not virtue signaling
  
  
• Focus on food quality, not restriction
  
  
• Include protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates for everyone
  (There are no “bad foods” — just more optimal and less so)
  
  
• Let each person adjust portions
  
  

For yourself

• Model a healthy eating pattern using the Harvard plate
  
  
• The added volume of greens and protein will never look restrictive
  
  
• Start with protein and fiber, finish with carbohydrates
  
  
• Quantity matters: enjoy dessert intentionally, in small portions
  
  
• Explain why you prioritize nourishment — caring for your “Ferrari” (your body) with quality fuel
  
  

You’re modeling a healthy relationship with food, not dieting — and helping your daughter understand food as nourishment, not punishment.

➡️ Fasting: What I Recommend

For most women, I recommend gentle, circadian-friendly fasting.

 Ideal daily approach

• 12-hour overnight fast
  
  
• Example: finish eating at 7 pm → eat again at 7 am
  
  
• Eat breakfast within 60–90 minutes of waking
  
  

This supports the daily hormonal cascade, sleep, energy, and metabolism.

⚠️ When fasting can be problematic

• Prolonged, regular fasts (>14 hours), especially skipping breakfast
  
  
• Replacing food with coffee
  
  
• High stress or fragile sleep
  
  

(Reference: Dr. Stacy Sims and her work on how female physiology responds best to safety signals, not added stress.)

Training & Fasting

• Gentle fasted walking: okay
  
  
• Always eat before:
  
  
• strength training
  
  
• HIIT
  
  
• intense morning workouts
  
  

Even a small intake helps:

• ~15 g protein
  
  
• ~15–20 g carbohydrates
  
  

Benefits

• better recovery
  
  
• lower cortisol
  
  
• muscle preservation and building
  
  
• improved sleep
  
  

⚠️ About the Fasting Mimicking Diet

Important clarity here:

• It’s a very low-calorie diet
  
  
• Designed to preserve some muscle via protein
  
  
• Not recommended for most people
  
  
• Not necessary — and often not safe long-term
  
  

👉 If ever considered:

• Only under expert (ideally clinical/medical) supervision
  
  
• Short duration
  
  
• With careful attention to supplements, hydration, sleep, and movement
  
  

For most women, a sustainable, progressive fat-loss approach with habit-building works far better.

➡️ How to Curb Hunger (Without Fighting It)

Best natural appetite regulators:

• lean protein
  
  
• fiber
  
  
• food volume
  
  
• warm foods (soups, stews)
  
  

Examples

• Chicken or fish + steamed vegetables
  
  
• Big green salad + Greek yogurt-based dressing + fish/chicken/tofu
  
  
• Cottage cheese + berries
  
  
• Steamed or boiled edamame
  
  
• Unsweetened vegan yogurt
  
  
• Herbal tea after dinner
  
  

👉 Avoid keeping hyper-palatable foods easily accessible (even “healthy” processed snacks like granola bars or trail mix).

 

➡️ Some nutritional needs calculators you can play with to assess your individual nutrient/calorie needs (always take with a grain of salt:)

• https://www.precisionnutrition.com/nutrition-calculator  
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/calorie-calculator/itt-20402304
• https://www.nasm.org/resources/calorie-calculator?srsltid=AfmBOooruQQsQwbb9ILBgA-KiVlSxYA_RoGnhdG37JtDu6Vhkz3QNRa-

 

➡️ A quick hack/ simple way to tell if you are actually hungry to add to what I shared on the call:)

When unsure about cravings vs hunger, a good way you can tell if you truly need food, is to imagine you were given a can of plain tuna/plain chicken breast/sardines/tofu (no oil/salt/sauces/ or added fat) to eat in that moment, and that was the only option, would you eat it?

If yes, you might need food:)

If not, your brain might just want a quick dopamine high or to distract you from what you are feeling/fill a void.

 

➡️ A Quick Note on Protein Powders (We can revisit in week 6))

Since protein came up a few times, I want to gently clarify something important:

Protein powders are not “unhealthy.”
They are simply a convenient tool — especially in midlife, when protein needs are higher and time is limited.

🐄 Whey Protein

Whey is one of the most bioavailable and easily digestible proteins we have.

✔️ Benefits:

• Complete amino acid profile
• Rich in leucine (important for muscle maintenance and metabolism)
• Easily absorbed
• Very helpful if you struggle to hit protein needs through food alone

Forms you may see:

• Whey isolate – very low lactose, often best tolerated
• Whey concentrate – slightly more lactose, still excellent
• Casein – slower-digesting, can be helpful for satiety and overnight repair

Whey is absolutely fine (according to most recent research,) unless it comes from “bulk bins, or questionable/cheap manufacturers- quality is KEY, or if you have a dairy intolerance or react poorly to it. 

What to watch for:

• Added sugars
• Artificial sweeteners you don’t tolerate, or want to avoid.)
• Long ingredient lists with fillers/sweeteners 

When adding shakes, what key is making sure you also get a good amount of protein from properly prepared, bioavailable whole foods (animal protein is highest on that list if you eat animal products)

Then, you can be more flexible with adding protein powders in, especially if they are vegan, to make sure your body absorbs most, if not all, of the protein you give it.

Non-Dairy & Alternative Options

However, that being said, I hear you:

If dairy doesn’t work for you, here are strong plant-based alternatives:

Egg white protein

• Extremely bioavailable
• Complete amino acid profile
• One of the closest matches to whey in quality

Beef protein

• Great option if you eat meat
• Highly bioavailable
• Usually very low allergen

Vegan protein options
Vegetable proteins can work very well — but blends matter.

Best choices:

• Soy protein (non-GMO) – strongest amino acid profile and bioavailability among plant proteins
• Blends that combine multiple sources to cover all amino acids, such as:
• soy
• quinoa
• buckwheat
• teff
• oat
• hemp
• rice

A blend is key, not one single plant source on its own.

What to check:

• No added sugars
• Minimal fillers
• Reputable brand with transparent sourcing
• Complete amino acid profile

Some good brands include both when and plant-based options are LeanFit (you can get it at Costco), ATP Labs, Progressive, etc.)

Bottom line:
Protein powders are good tools, not requirements.
If they help you eat consistently, support muscle, regulate hunger, and reduce stress around food, they can be very supportive.

We’ll go deeper into meal planning when we revisit nutrition next.

Thank you all for your presence today and your participation, support, and feedback.

I hope this is helpful:)

We’re building this together, one habit at a time 🤍
See you next week for Optimizing your health through intelligent Movement.

I believe in you- let's goooo!

Coach Sasha