Hello magnificent people and welcome to my 96 th blog.
Over the last few months, I have had several friends chatting to me about their confusion with the whole nutrition story. There are so very many conflicting thoughts and ideas, and it is no wonder that they do not know what to do. On an ongoing basis, I find this eating story quite frustrating, often bewildering and sometimes even scary.
Based on this, I thought that it might perhaps be helpful if I shared some of the stuff that I have learnt about nutrition over almost four years of my researching and studying of this marvellous minefield. Some of my thoughts have been spoken about in previous blogs but am hoping this one ties it all together.
My ideas regarding eating for optimal health and wellness keep changing and evolving. It is so easy to fall into the trap of trends, fads, and fashions with eating and eating plans, but I am determined to continue with the basic science and what I believe my body needs across a broad spectrum – not always the easiest of tasks. Hence the ongoing research. I follow a few nutrition gurus and it is always so heartening and awesome to refer to them, as I often do. However, I always try to take from them what I believe serves me.
As I have oft repeated, this eating journey is fraught with ongoing temptation, snares, tantalization, invitation, and provocation. For me, it is one of the most difficult parts of my life to keep consistent. Perhaps this is not what a nutrition coach ought to be writing… however my blogs are about authenticity and this is true.
Also, please do bear in mind, I am constantly (and consistently, that word again) tweaking my thoughts and ideas on this subject. You may have chatted to me a few months ago and what I said then, no longer works for me. That is A okay. Also what serves me, may be the antithesis of that which would serve you.
The joy of this eating thing is that for me the fundamentals remain pretty steadfast, and the tweaking and modifying keep it so interesting and lots of fun!
So unbundling my present thoughts on this narrative.
- As I have mentioned before, our relationship with food needs to be based around the greatest and deepest care for ourselves. The way we eat is the most fundamental way that we demonstrate care for, and kindness to, ourselves. ihave made enormous progress in this area, for which i am thrilled.
- Nutrients keep us alive, soon the whole I would advocate a shift in our focus from calories and weight to health and nourishment. I personally have never counted calories, even back in the day. However ultra-athletes may need to do this, and that is logical. Weighing oneself is a personal thing and I am of the opinion that it needs to be individually assessed, the aim always being to eat for optimal health and nourishment. I do not find weighing myself helpful. it just seems to bring my eating disorder straight back to the fore.
- The simple formula I have of most of my meals containing a complex carb, a quality protein, a good helping of multi-coloured greens together with a splash of a healthy fat, seems to be really working well and is a habit that I seem to have established, mostly. It becomes quite easy after a relatively short time. A note on the fridge with simple meals in which these are incorporated, might be very helpful. This holds me in good stead, when I at the end of the day indulge in bar of chocolate (maybe twice a week) and a few glasses of bubbles, or wine, now (most nights), as I do believe that this will lessen the not so positive impact of the sugar, alcohol and fat on my body. Here’s hoping!
- The pre-planning of meals at the start of the week is an ongoing dismal failure. I still would love to be this organized, but I am not. Not at all, in any size, shape or form. The Boys always seem to come to the rescue. My physio practice has grown over the last while and this is my valid excuse (my story) for not managing the kitchen all that well. Thank heavens for my online saviours of Checkers 60/60, Pick n Pay and Woollies home deliveries. I am still aiming to use some time on a Sunday to try to start implementing meal planning for the week.
- The scientific measurements for weight control that is glycaemic index and glycaemic load which measure carbohydrates, may be useful quantitative tools for many folk aiming for optimal health.. However, they do not take into consideration the fact that the food that we eat alongside the carbs, like protein, fats and fibre, will also affect the way our body responds to these carbs, and these interactions are important. I have always just found it a mission to do the math on these measurements so have seldom bothered. Wherever possible, one needs to look at nutrition and food groups in their entirety.
- Artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners, preservatives, and additives do not, and will never serve us, so where possible omit or minimize them by eating whole, real food as close to its natural state as possible. Your gut will thank you for this. try to establish the origin of the food that you eat, wherever possible. Sadly, this stuff always tastes simply flipping delicious. Here I need to say that I still enjoy the taste of coke zero and coke and am inconsistently consistent, trying not to drink them!!! It is improving. Also try to establish the origin of your food wherever you are able.
- Worth repeating. Food is not healthy. People are healthy or they are not. Food is nutritious or food is not. The more nutritious food you eat, the healthier you will be. It is that simple, and yet, at times, so very difficult. try to use your word better and omit bad, naughty, or decadent when referring to food that may not be fabulously nutritious.
- There are times when you will eat the non-nutritious food, and that is just fine. These times may be necessary for you to nourish your soul, and a choc bar or a piece of cake or some ice cream may just be the very thing to do just this. We all know about these times, and I am trying my best to revel in them and relish the tastiness of the treats, rather than beating myself up about having indulged in them.
- Very recently, I have changed my opinion about Intermittent and even proper fasting. A previous blog bears testament to this. I now believe there is a huge place for this type of eating in most of our lives. Some folks will not benefit from this, but many will. I will probably write about this in greater depth at a later stage.
- I have written about metabolism in a blog but again worth a second look. We all have differing rates at which our bodies convert what we eat and drink, into energy. However, we can try to move more, drink more water, modify our eating plan, and perhaps enjoy some green tea. Be cautious with the use of fat busters, detox plans, and metabolism boosters. I do understand some folks need to kick start weight loss, and that is their prerogative, but his is just not for me. it seems that my metabolism may have increased as I age, which is unusual. I am not complaining.
- We need to be comfortable about the imperfections of nutrition. As I have mentioned before, the answers change continually and consistently. I find this quite exciting. It makes me feel a little like an explorer.
- I reiterate that you cannot out exercise a bad diet unless you are an extreme athlete, and you will seldom find an extreme athlete who does not have a rigorous and disciplined eating regime. Eating badly, and then relying on supplementation and exercise to keep you slim, or get you thin, does not work.
- Seemingly small, insignificant, and healthy eating habits will create optimal health. It’s about being consistent, mostly. My 80/20 rule has become more flexible and that is just fine! Aim to start your day with lemon water, have a couple of veggies at every meal, and drink heaps of water through the day.
- Nutrition is not only about what we eat but about how we sleep, how we manage our stress, how much we move, the supplements we take, our time outdoors, our relationships, and how kind we are to ourselves and each other.
- It’s also not just about the plate. It’s about where we eat, with whom we eat, the positive energy and kindness at the table, and being surrounded by love. These are all key to creating optimally nutritious food plates.
- Your relationship with food is about you and what you eat and this is unique to you and to no-one else ever. Try to ensure that your nutrition coach or dietitian is taking all aspects of your life, personality and habits into account when creating an eating plan for you. You have the right to a tailor-made plan exclusively for you.
- As previously stated, and more than once, the relationship you have with food and eating is a journey, an ongoing meander, and one which can change and be modified any time along the way. Try to enjoy it, embrace it, cherish it and enjoy every step along the way.
i am hoping that you are able to take something from this blog that will help you.
Please always bear in mind that I am a physio, and a relatively new scholar of nutrition, and I am just aiming for my optimal health and wellness. What I write about is information I have gathered from the great deal of reading and studying that I do. It is often based on opinion and not always hard and fast science.
Authenticity is more than just about speaking or writing. I am trying my best to follow as many of these above mentioned thoughts as possible. It is not always easy, and I fall often, but get up, dust myself off, get over it and continue on my path.
If I can help you, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.
Wishing you all a wonderful rest of week.
With thanks to my awesome mentors, Patrick Holford, Dr Libby, Rangan Chatterjee and Jess Sepel.