Sunshine Coast mum Reesha Lewis has revealed the diet secrets that helped her chisel off 75kg while still giving her the energy to win sporting gold.
As reported by sunshinecoastnews.com.au, the Beerwah mother-of-two lost half her weight to unleash her inner athlete and reach the summit of three sports.
She is now outclassing elite athletes – including beating all the men – in ultramarathon endurance races and has won major titles in mountain running and boxing.
Reesha said the key to slashing the unwanted pounds initially was exercise but over time she modified what she was eating to complement her fitness.
Today, she consumes a mainly vegan diet which means eating no animal products such as meat, cheese, seafood and eggs.
Having previously experimented with the keto diet – a low-carb, high fat regime with lots of meat – Reesha said going vegan gave her more energy, stopped her from getting sick and helped with recovery and injury prevention.
Unlike many long distance and endurance athletes who thrive on pasta and potatoes, Reesha prefers to avoid processed carbohydrates like rice and pasta.
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But her extreme training regimen of up to four hours a day – whether running, climbing, cycling or rowing – does require a lot of energy.
So Reesha fuels her strenuous physical activity with massive quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables, protein shakes and natural fats like avocado.
Her fridge is brimming with her favourite vegetable, broccoli, and every colour of the rainbow as she consumes bags of carrots and sweet potatoes, whole pawpaws, melons and pineapples.
Since ditching hash browns, wedges and KFC for healthy options, Reesha rarely succumbs to sinful cravings, preferring to snack on raw broccoli and vegie sticks tucked away in her handbag.
Her favourite cooking style is Thai, using spices and hot pastes to bring her colourful array of vegetables to life.
“I love a Thai curry loaded with vegies and I’ll make a huge batch with carrots, cauliflower, broccoli zucchini and have it for a few days,” she said.
“It’s so easy to make and it’s a huge dish ready to go with low calories and low fat, no carbs, no sugar and you’re going to feel good.
“Then I’ll make a curry pie with the leftover curry.”
Breakfasts include porridge oats or dairy-free yoghurt with berries, muesli and large quantities of fresh fruit, such as half a pineapple.
Lunch could be gluten free bread with avocado and vegemite or salad.
Her once-a-year treat is a ham and cheese croissant at Christmas time, and the occasional ice cream.
Reesha sometimes consumes animal products like salmon or chicken but mostly she substitutes vegetables for meat, making a pasta bolognese with lentils instead of mince.
On an extremely hot day after sweating buckets while climbing mountains in the baking sun, Reesha will cool off with a brand of frozen fruit iceblocks that has only seven calories.
Her go-to feed for the night before a big race is often sweet potato and broccoli.
Reesha has shared her Thai vegie curry recipe which is a go-to weekly dinner eaten like a stew without rice.
Reesha’s Thai Vegetable Curry
Reesha’s vegetable curry makes a large quantity that should last a few meals.
- Pour two cans of coconut milk into a wok or pot (Reesha likes a saucy curry)
- Add a couple of large tablespoons of your favourite red curry paste
- Add extra chilli for those who like it hot
- Add heaps of your favourite vegetables in order of how long they take to cook, starting with carrots, cauliflower, onion, broccoli, zucchini (eg. Reesha likes a lot of vegetables so will add two heads of broccoli
- Cook until the vegetables are your desired texture
Reesha enjoys her vegetable Thai curry without any rice, potato or bread.
