It's no secret that food is directly related to our health. Food builds us and nourishes us from the inside out. 'You are what you eat' doesn't seem such an outdated expression when we think about our food being broken down on a cellular level and redistributed throughout our bodies, am I right? If you eat a nutritionally dense diet then the chances are you will be a nutritionally dense human! This means that when you eat high quality foods in the right proportions for you, you will be getting the nutrients your cells need to function. Ergo what that lil bod of yours needs to function down to your digestive health, bone density, muscle mass, mobility, mental clarity, mood, energy levels, immune system, sleep quality... that's a LOT of systems affected by the simple act of chowing down on your breakfast. Nutrition is such huge player in our deep health which is why I'm so passionate about helping my ladies find what their definition of healthy eating.
But with so much information out there in regards to 'diets' and 'lifestyles' it can feel overwhelming. One minute eggs are little cholesterol bullets sent to derail our health and the next they are a hero among protein sources (For the record, at 7g of the big P(rotein) a pop I'd say they're pretty heroic after-all). A big part of my mission with Elevate is to help filter out the noise, debunk nutrition myths, stick to evidence based practices and help my ladies make healthful choices that are right for them. Whilst nutrition is a science, we must remember that science is complex and therefore nutrition is pretty nuanced when it comes to each individual. Especially when we begin to consider that there is no one way of eating that is optimal for each and every person's biology, lifestyle and circumstances. There's 'no one size fits all' when it comes to nutrition (or clothing for that matter, I mean... come on fashion industry enlighten yo-self!) What I'm trying to say is that your optimal diet is likely to be as unique as you - you special little snowflake you ;)
So how do we figure out what is right for you? I can't actually answer that in a blog post but I do want to give you some food for thought by sharing some of the concepts that I use with my 1:1 coaching clients when it comes to discussing healthy eating.
Healthy Eating is...
Doing the best with what you have. We are not striving for perfection because perfection in itself is a myth when it comes to diet. Snowflakes, remember?
Learning, knowing and paying attention to your hunger and fullness cues. Not counting your calories down to the last gram. Even if you track your calories obsessively you will never track that energy perfectly because even the Food Standards Agency allows for up to 20% of a margin of error on food labelling. This type of behaviour can also lead to disordered eating and is hard to sustain long term. We always aim for balance in our deep health (that's all areas of health including physical, mental and beyond.)
Keeping it simple. Nutrition is science - but there's no need to go down the rabbit hole. Use your common sense and follow basic principles like eating a variety of minimally processed protein, carbohydrate and fat sources, a sprinkling of treats and don't forget the veggies.
Integrating your way of healthy eating so seamlessly into your life that you can make smart, healthy choices without feeling “deprived”. It's not about restriction. (Dare I say balance again?)
It gets easier the more you do it. Just like cardio, playing the violin or making pancakes. (the first one is always so bad, right?!) You have to keep doing it until it becomes ingrained. Organise your life and daily routine in a way that enables it. Be flexible and remember that there is no such thing as perfect.
Start here, start simple, aim for progress over perfection and you do you.
Yours,
Tiff x
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