‘You risk falling for nutrition trends’: A holistic coach’s day on a plate

Rodrigo Perez is a holistic coach and business owner. The 47-year-old shares his day on a plate.

5.30am Four or five days of my week involve 12 to 16 hours of fasting. I start every day with a big cup of water, followed shortly by another glass of water with one teaspoon of Celtic sea salt and five grams of creatine.

7am My first coffee is a weak long black with a teaspoon of cream. I follow it with morning movement and meditation, and then five grams of EAA [essential amino acids] which contains 25 grams of protein and doesn’t break my fast.

8.30am A second long black.

10am I break my fast with a smoothie with mixed berries, coconut milk, vegan protein, quarter of an avocado and a teaspoon of almond butter.

12pm Scotch fillet with mixed green salad leaves, half an avocado, half a red papaya, a pear and a handful of blackberries.

3pm A snack of 250 grams of coconut yoghurt and some strawberries with a little almond butter on top.

5pm A cup of bone broth with herbs.

6pm Dinner is kale, broccoli, half a roasted sweet potato, grilled snapper and a slice of gluten-free bread with avocado and goat’s cheese. Dessert is raspberries with two spoons of coconut yoghurt on top.

7.30pm I wind down with a chamomile tea.

Dr Joanna McMillan says

Top marks for… Getting a nice mix of fruits and vegies into your day. These provide unique fibre types and bioactive compounds that have a plethora of health benefits. Your fasting window is not too long, which may help to reduce muscle loss that occurs with prolonged fasting.

If you keep eating like this you’ll… Risk falling for nutrition trends without scientific basis – there is very little evidence to support the claimed benefits of bone broth, for example. It is not possible to get 25 grams of protein from five grams of amino acids, the latter being the building blocks of protein. It is also incorrect to think that this doesn’t break your fast. Your total daily need for salt is less than a teaspoon, so taking this in one hit is not only unnecessary but potentially harmful.

Why don’t you try… Sticking to whole foods to meet your protein needs, for instance by swapping the coconut milk and yoghurt, which have very little protein, for dairy or soy milk and yoghurt. Use salt sparingly in your cooking and meals.

Rodrigo Perez is founder of Holistic Pro Health Performance and author of The Art of Longevity (Penguin).