Getting Started Pretty Pea Plan
The Pretty Pea Getting Started Plan is a great starting place for women looking to upgrade their diet, nutrition and body. This plan will get you into the routine of establishing the important key habits necessary for looking good and feeling great. Following these steps is a sure fire way of getting you on track to you feeling better with more energy and vitality, to feeling less bloated and feeling more in control of your eating habits and your lifestyle. Commit to the plan for the next 7 day and see where it takes you.
Please note, it’s always important to consult your GP before making changes to your diet & lifestyle and taking supplements.
KNOW YOUR MEASUREMEMENTS
If you are changing your diet because you want to change your body in some way then it’s important to take stock of where you are now so you can track your progress and results.
Take your measurements using bio-impedence body composition scales that monitor your body fat, muscle and water. What your body weighs in its entirety DOES NOT matter. What makes up your body weight does. By tracking only what matters your focus will be on only what matters.
It’s not all about the scales. Alongside physical measurements it’s equally important to record your daily nutrition, movement, energy levels, your mood, your stress levels and sleep quality. These are the pillars that act as the cornerstones of a healthy life and each needs to be in balance.
They each individually and cumulatively affect your body weight. They affect your food choices and also impact your entire day. They impact what you do with your day and how you perform – whether you are productive or not. They affect your family and your relationships and if you’re in business can impact you financially. If you’re not productive you’re not moving forward, either in business or life.
#HealthHack Measure what matters
Get the tape measure out and measure around your waist (narrowest part) and around your hips (widest part). These two measurements can be seen as an indicator of your health.
The waist to hip ratio is calculated by dividing your waist measurement by your hip measurement.
For example a waist at 30″ and hip at 38″ has a waist-hip ratio (WHR) of 0.78
Abdominal fat is an indicator of health as it’s associated with visceral fat, the internal fat that surrounds our vital organs and can lead to health issues such metabolic syndrome, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. In women it’s also associated with breast cancer. According to the WHO a healthy WHR for women is 0.85 or less with health risks calculated as follows:
Low risk 0.80 or less
Moderate risk 0.81-0.85
High risk 0.86 or higher
Are you happy with your measurement? Measure what matters.
THE PRETTY PEA
MORNING ROUTINE
Wake up at the same time even at the weekends. Your body clock loves routine. Did you know that lack of good sleep is linked to over-eating and weight gain.
Drink a large glass of water as soon as you wake, do this before doing anything else and make it your daily habit. Just as you wash your face to wake up, drink up to wake your body up.
Dehydration can often come disguised as hunger so commit to drinking a minimum of 2 litres of each day. Make this a non-negotiable and say goodbye to unscheduled snacking and feeling tired and sluggish.
Upgrade your water to add fresh lemon juice and/or a spoonful of apple cider vinegar to give your body an internal shower.
You’ll be fasting overnight and breaking-the-fast daily at 11am.
#BodyHack For a ‘De-Bloat Digestive Boost’ drink 1 cup of the following 20 minutes prior to mealtimes to promote optimum digestion and gut healing.
De-Bloat Recipe
- 2 Tbs organic raw Apple Cider Vinegar (or supplement with Pretty Pea’s ACV complex)
- 4 cups Water (filtered if possible)
- 1 Tbs Freshly Grated Ginger
- Optional add Liquid Stevia for sweeter taste
Shake the mixture and keep in the fridge. Store in a glass container.
#BloatingHack If bloating or other digestive complaints are an issue add Pretty Pea Bio+ Cultures and/or Pretty Pea’s Digestive Enzymes to your daily routine to help restore and bring balance to your gut flora.
It’s important we all look after our digestive health. The gut is our ‘second brain‘ and home to over 70% of our immune system and our happy hormone serotonin. We expect our body to perform and be at it’s best, so it’s important for us to feed our body with all that it needs to ensure it can do all we ask of it.
If you’ve been feeling off mentally or physically make checking your gut health as important as the other steps you’d take to get yourself back on track. Have a 2-way conversation with your body and ask if it has everything it needs to be at its best.
Probiotics are found in fermented foods, however, if fermented foods aren’t on your menu on a regular basis then you’d benefit from supplementing with Pretty Pea’s high strength Bio+ Cultures. Pretty much the equivalent to eating 40 live yoghurts.
CREATE THE FUTURE YOU WANT – TODAY
Both your brain and body loves routine with more than 95% of your daily thoughts and actions being on auto-pilot controlled by your subconscious.
So to change your habits you need to take conscious action. Adopting healthier habits are the ONLY way to sustainably having a happy healthy mind and body. Here at Pretty Pea we’re all about helping you adopt healthier habits in the easiest most convenient way – that way they’re more likely to stick. We help women like me, women like you, to tick these boxes with beautifully simple nutrition hacks because we know life is busy and we know it’s highly likely that you are at the bottom of your own to-do list.
#HealthHack Take your supplements
Establish this as a non-negotiable habit. Your supplements are no good to you or your health and wellbeing stuck in a cupboard. Luckily Pretty Pea are pretty enough to leave out somewhere prominent to serve as a reminder whilst your establish this daily routine on your autopilot.
Always read the supplement label to check what time of day you should take them and whether you need to take with food. This is important as some vitamins are fat soluble and need to be taken with food to be fully absorbed by your body.
#HabitHack Track your habits
You can’t change what you don’t know. A handy hack to help you create new daily habits is using a habit tracker – there’s something quite satisfying about being able to tick off your habits each day. Email hello@prettypeablog to receive your free daily habit tracker booklet and join our subscriber list at the bottom of the page to ensure you receive notification of all our other offers, promotions and health hacking tips.
TRY INTERMITTENT FASTING
Break your overnight fast at 11am with a Pretty Pea protein shake. Mix with your favourite milk and add ice if you enjoy a thicker consistency.
#NutritionHack Add in fresh or frozen fruit and veggies to make a delicious and nutritious smoothie. A quick and easy way for your body and health to benefit from added vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants.
If you are new to smoothies an easy recipe to start with is by adding:
- A handful of baby spinach (dark leafy greens)
- Frozen banana (full or half dependent on your daily calorie allowance)
- Handful of strawberries (or any berries of your choice)
See our blog page for the Pretty Pea smoothie formula and other smoothie ideas. Getting into the habit of a daily protein smoothie will serve you well in life and something the whole family can enjoy and benefit from too.
While some people may use shakes as part of a diet-plan, Pretty Pea is more of a lifestyle choice. Not a quick-fix’s where you simply put the weight back on when the diet ends. Pretty Pea isn’t a diet plan, it’s part of a sustainably healthy lifestyle.
Optional: Enjoy your smoothie with a handful of mixed nuts such as almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios or peanuts. (dependent on your daily calorie allowance)
There are several different types of intermittent fasting and you’re encouraged to try different variations to see what works best for you. But for now start with a standard 16 hour overnight fast where you’ll be fasting from 7pm until 11am the next morning.
You can tweak the times to suit your lifestyle so long as you stick to only eating in the 8 hour window.
Fasting has many benefits and you’re encouraged to do your research. If you’re a serial snacker this routine will help you break your snacking habits. It’s important not to over-eat by trying to cram in your usual 3 meals and snacks into this 8 hour eating window.
Remember your body is designed for ‘feast or famine’, not constant grazing.
#NutritionHack for a helping hand to halt hunger and help you stop snacking and over-eating add Pretty Pea Appetite Control to your daily routine and take control of your snacking habits and portion size once and for all.
NO MORE AFTERNOON SLUMP
Have lunch whenever you are hungry after 1pm. Don’t eat for the sake of eating – always wait until you’re hungry. Focus your meals on filling up on protein and fibrous veggies – this will keep you feeling full for hours. Ideas include:
- 2-3 Eggs (poached/scrambled/boiled/omelette) with 1/2 avocado, spinach and tomatoes
- Get creative with your omelettes and add in lots of veggies such as peppers, mushrooms, spinach, onion, broccoli etc
- Tuna/Mackerel/Chicken/Cheese with large mixed salad
- Add wholemeal or granary bread to make a sandwich (only if your evening meal isn’t carb heavy)
- Homemade Veggie soup & whole wheat or rye gluten free roll
- Egg and Tuna salad lettuce cups with whole wheat or gluten free crackers
- Eat as many veggies as you like in all of your meals
- Limit your daily fruit to 2 pieces with your Smoothie or lunch or you can end up mindlessly snacking. This is about creating habits.
#NutritionHack If your diet isn’t as varied as you’d like it to be and you’re not eating the rainbow – (getting real we all tend to eat the same limited foods because we enjoy them), then you can add more variety aka, more nutrients to your body by adding Super+Foods daily capsules to your daily routine. The easy way to eat the rainbow every single day and then some.
EVENING MEAL INSPIRATION
Your evening meal should consist of protein, veggies and healthful fats. Some ideas include:
- Baked Salmon & roasted veggies
- Grilled Shrimp salad
- Grilled fish with baked sweet potato & side salad
- Meat free burger with sweet potato fries & salad
- Fish, quinoa & broccoli & more veggies
- Veggie stir fry with brown rice
- Pan fried crab cakes with brown rice & veggies
#WeightLossHack Protein is the key food group you need to focus on to lose weight. Not only does it full you up, it’s the most thermogenic food group (it burns most calories during digestion) and importantly doesn’t spike blood glucose levels like carbohydrates do. As a general rule thumb consume at least your bodyweight in grams. For example, you weigh 75kg your minimum protein requirement is 75g per day. Much more when weight loss is your goal.
#NutritionHack Top up your protein the quick and easy way with Pretty Pea Protein. Free from artificial nasties, low calorie, low carbohydrate, high fibre and packed with energising nutrients, it’s a win win for you, your body and your weight loss goals.
HEALTHY CHOCOLATE DESSERT
Satisfy a sweet tooth and indulge in a delicious and nutritious high protein chocolate mousse with this quick and easy recipe:
- 1 small ripe avocado
- 1/2 cup blackberries (or berries of your choice)
- 1 scoop Pretty Pea Chocolate + Vitamins Protein
- 1 scoop unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 1/4 cup of your preferred milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional 1 tsp honey, stevia (natural sweetener) or sweetener of your choice
Blend the ingredients then cover and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight. You can also freeze the mixture to enjoy as an alternative to ice-cream.
#NutritionHack Don’t be afraid of eating fat
Avocado contains a good healthy amount of mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). Don’t be afraid of eating fat. Fat is essential for every single cell in your body, including having healthy glowing skin. These beneficial fats keep you feeling full and satiated. When you eat fat your brain receives a signal to turn off your appetite. Plus eating fat also slows the breakdown of carbohydrates which keeps blood sugar levels stable.
Pretty Pea Chocolate + Vitamins Protein is also low in carbohydrates, high in protein, high in fibre and packed with Vitamins A B C E and minerals Magnesium, Chloride, Zinc, Copper, Iron, Sodium, Phosphorus, Potassium. A vegan protein with no artificial nasties and also gluten free.
So absolutely enjoy this tasty chocolate treat guilt free. To make this recipe order your Chocolate + Vitamins treat below.
PRIORITSE YOUR SLEEP ROUTINE
Yes, mastering your sleep really is that important and impacts your body weight and stress levels. Sleep is more than you just resting. It’s when your body gets to work repairing and rejuvenating your mind and body.
We all have a circadian rhythm with a natural sleep-wake cycle as out body’s internal clock and we have natural dips in alertness and wakefulness at certain times. Once you get used to going to bed and waking up at the same time each day your brain too adapts to schedule.
It’s important to work with your circadian rhythm and your hormones. Hormone melatonin make you sleepy and your body releases more of it at night. Your cortisol hormone can make you more alert and your body produces more of it in the morning.
Body temperature and metabolism are also part of your circadian rhythm. Your temperature drops when you sleep and rises when you are awake with your metabolism working at different rates throughout the day.
#StressHack De-Stress to Lose Weight
Did you know that stress is linked to abdominal fat. Life is busy and we face the constant every day stresses of work, family, relationships, finances and now pandemics, which our body simply isn’t designed for.
Our body’s stress response is designed for fight or flight, not the constant and chronic pressures modern life can bring.
We all could probably benefit from having more Zen in our life and now you can with Pretty Pea’s adaptogen formula to help you mind, body & soul adapt to life’s everyday stresses, both big and small.
This popular herbal & vitamin supplement really is amazing at regulating your body up and down as needed.
TOP SLEEP TIPS
#SleepHacks To ensure the best possible sleep follow these steps:
- Be consistent on a set bedtime, remember your brain & body work best with a routine.
- Wind down in a relaxing bath with Himalayan salts. Avoid bright bathroom lights and add scented candles and essential oils such as calming lavender and cedarwood.
- Add these scents to your bedroom too by using diffusers containing essential oils or placing a few drops of oils on your pillow before bed.
- Ensure you’ve finished your evening meal a good 2-3 hours before bedtime. If your body is still busy digesting food it can make it harder for your body to go into rest and repair mode.
- No caffeine or stimulants such as alcohol and nicotine after 3pm.
- Get enough daily exercise – 20 minutes or more of aerobic exercise is recommended.
- Light exercise such as walking, stretching yoga can help you unwind in the evening. Just be sure to have completed this 60-90 minutes before bedtime.
- Keep high intensity workouts for the daytime. Vigorous exercise raises body temperature and heart rate making it more difficult to fall asleep.
- Keep your room at temperature at 65 degrees / 18 celcius
- A fan in the bedroom not only keeps you cool but adds white noise which blocks out other noises that can keep you awake.
- No blue lights/electricals 60 minutes before bed. Blue lights can confuse your brain as it links light to daytime and your brain won’t tell your body to produce melatonin, the hormone that helps prepare your body for sleep. Plus activities such as scrolling, watching TV keeps your brain active when you want it to be winding down.
- Read a good book or listen to a guided meditation.
- Soft soothing music (without lyrics) may help you fall asleep faster as it can trigger hormones that improve mood.
- If your thinking keeps you awake write a to-do list or journal each night and get your list/ thoughts out of your mind and onto paper.
- A regular meditation practice can also help to physically and mentally unwind and prepare for a good nights sleep.
- If you need support after trying all these tips then Pretty Pea’s Sleep supplement may be just what you need to help you get a good nights sleep and feel refreshed the next day, some support to help establish a good sleep routine again.