Some of the most common questions I get as a trainer have to do with nutrition. What should I eat? What foods should I avoid? It’s one of the most over-complicated aspects of fitness and also where I see the most push back. There are countless diets out there that most celebrities have even committed to over the years (Remember the Keto craze?)
I once had a client who swore by the “primal diet” where you eat one huge meal and seal it up for the day. This is known as the OMAD diet now.
As a Health Coach, it’s my job to know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to dieting and nutrition. I have researched and tried many of these myself so I can speak to you with both book knowledge and personal experience.
Netflix has a ton of really interesting documentaries on food. It’s one of my favorite things to watch.
Before I break down why I think we tend to overcomplicate food and nutrition we’ll have to agree on a few things:
Most people have a general idea of what they should and shouldn’t eat.
A lot of people make food decisions based on taste not on nutritional value.
The vast majority would rather consume food that they are well aware of is bad for them.
Let’s begin with the first one. Most people have a reasonable idea of the things that they should and shouldn’t be consuming. Generally, we know that fruits and vegetables are good for us and foods high in salt or sugar are bad.
So why don’t we still make the right choices? In my opinion, there are two factors:
The lack of a strong why
A harmful culture that has developed around food
Basically, we know what we should be eating, but we’d rather go for what “tastes good” and then complain about the results later. Not to mention, our culture has evolved to celebrate overeating, poor dietary choices, and using convenient excuses such as holidays, birthdays and parties to mask our overindulgence in food.
Don’t believe me? Just think about the topics of our conversations in our offices, schools or in passing the day after Thanksgiving (or any other holiday). It’s almost as if we are expected to consume loads of food for no actual reason and if you don’t, then you’ll be the odd duck in the room.
Nobody wants to hear it, but Thanksgiving is the perfect example of celebrating through unhealthy eating!
But, how do we break this cycle of celebrating through unhealthy eating? The first thing we need to do is to examine our ideas and beliefs around food. I personally believe that our food should be natural medicine that if properly consumed will nourish our bodies and enable us to do all that we need to do. It’s not bad to enjoy the company of family and friends while nourishing our bodies, but I don’t believe in seeking happiness through the consumption of food alone.
Once we straighten out our food ideologies, everything else will align. Here are a few personal guidelines that help me eat healthier:
Eat foods close to the earth and eat the rainbow. The further it is from the earth the less nutrition you are actually getting from the food.
Don’t count every little calorie for no reason and don’t critique every little thing that goes into your mouth because nobody has time for that.
Eat less when you move less. If trying to get bigger, eat more than you burn. Do the opposite if trying to lose weight.
I know this is an oversimplification, but I really do believe we make this too complicated because we are trying to have our cake and eat it too. Don’t get caught in the details instead of just doing the work. Sure the details matter, but start with the big rocks instead of allowing the pebbles to stop you from starting.
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