Smart Carbs

Luke Hines. Photo / Supplied

By Rachel Grunwell

Are you looking to achieve weight loss and optimal health? Well, you need the right synergy between your meals, movement and mindset.

So says Luke Hines, author of the new book Smart Carbs. You may remember Luke as a finalist on the show My Kitchen Rules. He has an holistic approach that is all about eating nourishing whole foods.

In the book, Luke educates on how to be smart around the way you eat certain carbs. His 270-page book is packed full of mouth-watering recipes. These can boost your energy, help you lose weight and feel healthier, he says.

• Make sure you enter the draw to win a copy of Smart Carbs via the InspiredHealthNZ Facebook or Instagram.

The recipes are in three categories: keto, low-carb and sustainable carbs. There are even chocolate treats like fudge, cakes and brownies! I like the section where he gives the low-down on all the different kinds of sugars. He also gives advice about how to eat the right meals for "you".

I met Luke at a café to chat about the book. He's as bubbly in person as his picture suggests. Pictures don't lie!

I ask him about how he moves and eats in a typical day. He tells me he rises at 5am to exercise with his dog on the beach at his home in New South Wales. He has a cooked breakfast like eggs, chili, avocado — and maybe some carbs if he has trained that morning.

The MKR finalist has written a new book. Photo / Supplied

A few hours later he'll have a "power-up coffee". This is a double shot long black with grass-fed butter and coconut oil which keeps him "full for a long time". He'll typically have an early dinner like a lamb curry.

This is full of coconut cream, peanut butter and chilli teamed up with oven-roast cauliflower. As for what drives his positive mindset? He says having technology-free time daily helps and "saying no to things that don't serve me".

• Rachel Grunwell is our weekly wellness columnist. She is a wellness expert, qualified yoga teacher and PT. She coaches clients on how to lose weight, look good and manage stress through personalised coaching. She runs the following website and social platforms:

InspiredHealth website

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