Food Diaries: Local blogger Allie Ilagan of Navel Gazing

Three years ago, Allie Ilagan was admittedly unhealthy.

Stuck in a job that made her miserable, Ilagan had gained a lot of weight and was looking for an outlet to explore a healthier lifestyle. That's where her blog, Navel Gazing, came into play.

The blog became a place where she could experiment with exercising and document her journey to finish her first 5K. In doing so, Ilagan quickly realized how much diet and exercise go hand in hand.

"It's really fun to look back now," said Ilagan. "I have accomplished a lot of fitness goals that I never thought would be possible and a lot of that had to do with nutrition."

"I realized that the more I exercised, the less likely I would be to put garbage into my mouth."

In describing her diet today, Ilagan says it's balanced and above all, colorful.

"Colorful is how I cook. Does this dish have enough color? If not, throw in more vegetables or a handful of fresh herbs," said Ilagan. "An all green plate is fine but if you're also incorporating red peppers and purple cabbage, then you're automatically going to get more nutrients on your plate and have a more well-rounded meal."

While Ilagan always tries to make mindful choices about the food she eats, this month's meals are guided by a more strict set of rules — she's about two weeks into the Whole30 program. Whole30 is a strict clean eating program based on the New York Times' best-selling book "It Starts with Food."

"A group of friends talked about doing to together so we could support each other and also complain to each other," Ilagan joked. "While I'm only halfway through the month, I feel like I have a lot more energy in the morning now."

To follow a diet like Whole30 takes a certain amount of planning... in the form of lots and lots of Tupperware.

"On Sundays, I'll have something cooking on the stove, in the oven, and in the Crockpot all at the same time and then I portion those out to last me though the week," said Ilagan. "Then, every day I trek on the subway with a canvas bag full of three to four plastic containers (and maybe my running shoes if I'm feeling lucky)."

Below, in her own words, Ilagan shares her typical day of healthy eating:

9 a.m.: Fruit & vegetable smoothie or prosciutto-wrapped egg muffin.

"I'm rarely hungry first thing in the morning, so I wait until I get to work to eat. Most days, breakfast alternates between a fruit and vegetable smoothie (like this mixture of blueberries, carrot, pineapple, almond butter and organic coconut milk), or prosciutto-wrapped egg muffin — it's like a mini quiche baked in a muffin tin, loaded with vegetables. Breakfast is always accompanied by a cup of coffee with organic almond milk – or a café au lait from Hub Bub coffee if I feel like a treat. When not in the throes of Whole 30, my breakfasts also frequently include variations on avocado toast."

11 a.m.: Tea and a handful of nuts or berries.

"Just like Hobbits, elevenses is totally a thing. Usually a cup of English breakfast tea and a handful of nuts or fresh berries. I like roasting my own spiced nuts with rosemary, olive oil and sea salt, or a sweeter version with pumpkin pie spice and vanilla."

1 p.m.: Grilled chicken and garlicky green beans.

"For lunch, I love making big hearty salads with plenty of color. But in the winter, warmth is key! Lately, that means incorporating hot leftovers from the previous night's meal. This week's dinner of grilled chicken (lightly breaded in coconut flour) and garlicky green beans was perfect on a bed of raw baby spinach as lunch the next day; I even drizzled it with leftover lavender-tinged balsamic reduction as an alternative to dressing. Might seem fussy for an at-work lunch, but I love that this saves me from buying a $12 salad and provides enough protein to get through the rest of the day."

4 p.m.: Tea and fruit.

"More tea or water, and a piece of fruit or sliced bell peppers if I'm still hungry. If I'm going to work out after work, I might have a LÄRABAR instead for extra energy."

7:30 p.m.: Crispy carnitas.

"This meal is an improvisation on a paleo crispy carnitas recipe; my first attempt came out dry, but I managed to salvage the leftovers by simmering the meat in a little fresh squeezed orange juice and broth, sautéing with strips of red and orange bell peppers, garlic, radishes and fresh cilantro. That's all served over a hot bowl of cauliflower rice, a recent revelation that's oh-so-satisfying. I season mine with cumin and olive oil."

9 p.m.: Tea, tea, and more tea!

"I drink five cups a day – fruity loose leaf varieties, fancy boxes with names like Soothing Caramel Bedtime and Muscle Recovery, or just plain old English Breakfast. If I'm in the mood for something sweet, I have more fruit or a few pitted dates stuffed with homemade almond butter."

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