You are what you eat
The foods you put into your body are what makes up your body as the nutrients from the foods we eat provide the foundation of the structure, function and wholeness of every little cell – from the skin and hair to the muscles, bones, digestive and immune systems.
Born and raised in Windhoek, Julinchia Suzainley McNab always had a fascination with food.“It has always been a passion of mine. Even as a young girl, it fascinated me. To me food was and will always be art.”
As she grew older, she would immerse herself in cooking shows, trying to replicate the dishes to put her skills to the test. To further advance her skills, Julinchia enrolled at the NICE Academy in 2017 to successfully completing her food and beverage training in 2018.
In the fast paced world of today, we tend to forget the important role food and especially healthy food plays in our daily lives, says Julinchia.
“Healthy food keeps our bodies nourished with the right amount of nutrients. We need to ensure we maintain a well-balanced diet keeping as fit and healthy.”
Apart from extensive research on the impact of food on our daily lives, it was the age old saying of ‘you are what you eat’ that led to the birth of The Health Lab.
“Food is such a major contributing factor in our lives and impacts the total function of our being. I kept returning to the question ‘do we really know what we are putting into our bodies and how it affects our health?’”
With the idea to create food full of flavor that nourishes and totally benefits the body, Julinchia spent hours on research on creating meals that will be to the benefit of her customers.
Finally launching The Health Lab on social media, she describes the response as “impressive”, with people immediately requesting her well put together menus.
She didn’t really experience any challenges, apart from tweaking her menus to accommodate all clients and especially those that have certain food allergies.
The Health Lab is a home-based business, with Julinchia preparing fresh, daily meals in her “wonderful” kitchen. Currently it has three employees, two assistants and a driver that does the daily deliveries, but expanding in the long term is definitely part of her future plans.
According to Julinchia a healthy diet incorporates vegetables, fruits, whole grains and fat free or low fat dairy products. It includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts, but limits saturated and trans fats, sodium and added sugars. Portion control is also important.
The Health Lab offers a variety of meal packages, including weekly as well as monthly packages.
“Depending on the meal package chosen, certain packages have a set menu. I also do food preparation for specific or special diets depending on the client’s needs and goals.”
This can include losing or gaining weight, to build muscle or packages for clients who simply want to maintain a healthy and well balanced lifestyle.
Based on the extensive research Julinchia did before starting The Health Lab, she says food sources such as meat or potatoes and pasta should not be excluded from your diet.
“Meat is a protein that forms part of a well-balanced diet. Potatoes and pasta can be included in smaller portions or use whole wheat pasta or brown rice.”
Her advice and simple rules to ensure a healthy, balanced meal include making sure half your plate consists of either vegetables and or fruits.
“This should always make up the largest proportion of the foods you eat throughout your day.”
For the rest make sure one quarter of your plate consists of whole grains, with the rest filled with protein.
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