March is here, which means a few random days of 50+ degree weather that promise spring is near AND most importantly, it is National Nutrition Month. In honor of my personal favorite month, I am breaking down my top 5 nutrition tips for you.
Tip #1: nutrition is INDIVIDUAL
It doesn’t matter what your coworker brings for lunch or what your best friend makes for breakfast. What matters most is what works for YOU!
One of the main reasons that fad diets fail is that they do not keep YOU in mind. They don’t account for where you’re starting, what your day looks like or most importantly what the heck you actually LIKE to eat.
I can see 8 clients in a day and recommend different things to every. single. one. While yes, some things are general (we can all benefit from enough water and more vegetables), there are a lot of nuances to a healthy diet. Maybe broccoli makes you bloated and you can’t stand artichokes? Or you have to keep your mask on most of the day, so you have to be more creative with hydration.
So food is not one size fits all. So let’s stop the comparison and instead look inward and think ask yourself “what works best for ME?”
Tip #2: Ditch the black and white thinking
One reason why food can feel so overwhelming for many of us is we are either all in or all out. We’re paleo, gluten-free & keto for 60 days and on the 61st day we are elbow deep in pizza & Ben and Jerry’s.
This whole black and white thinking is actually more harmful than helpful. Our life is in the gray area - mixed between home cooked meals of salmon and broccoli and fun dinner dates with your friends.
Adapting a flexible mentality is key to sustaining your healthy habits. If we are in the all or nothing mindset, that one meal out turns into picking up breakfast, skipping grocery shopping and ordering in dinner. But if we are living in a flexible (aka gray) mindset, it can end there. You wake up the next day and make some eggs with avocado and get on with your life.
Tip #3: Come from a place of curiosity vs. judgement
Many of us fall into the habits of judging our behaviors. "I am so lazy, I didn't work out all week" or "I have no will power, I can't stop eating". No one ever shamed themselves into behavior change. However, getting curious on what is actually going on could be the key to help you figure out how to change it for your future.
Maybe you didn't workout all week because you are focusing on exercise you didn't enjoy. Or it's possible you can't stop eating because you aren't giving yourself enough food to begin with and wind up ravenous later in the day.
Using this newfound understanding that stemmed from your own curiosity is the catalyst that will create change. Next week you try out a workout class you actually enjoy (even if it's "less intense" than your previous regimen) & you focus on getting enough protein, fat & fiber in at breakfast and lunch to help the 3pm slump.
Tip #4: you do not have to label your diet.
Many of us feel like we have to fit into a category of eating. Whether it is paleo, pescatarian, vegan, dairy-free or gluten-free, you do not need to fit perfectly into one eating style. The best part of mindful eating is it teaches you to look closer into what foods make your body feel its best & what foods you actually enjoy eating.
For years I “didn’t eat beef”. It probably began as a way to avoid certain food groups while I was weeding through my own disordered eating. However, in the past few years, I removed any label. I still enjoy cooking mostly plant-based meals, but now I get to enjoy trying more things on the menu when I am out. & I have actually learned I love a cheeseburger, but ordering a steak will probably never be my thing.
Do you have any labels around your eating that you feel like you MUST maintain?! This is me telling you (unless it is a medical thing), you can eat whatever you want. & you don't have to worry about if other people understand your eating style or not. Flexibility is much more fun :)
Tip #5: slow & steady wins the race.
Although the diet industry is really good at getting you to believe they work, quick fixes are never the answer to long term health. 30 lbs in 30 days? 7 days to a flat tummy? If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
What does work? Slow, steady change. @Jamesclear talks about becoming 1% better in his book atomic habits. Drinking 1% more water, adding in 1% more vegetables each day. While this sounds like nothing to begin with, within 100 days you have doubled your vegetable and water intake. The cool part here? Since you increased slower, you are more likely to keep it up!
In summary, I believe nutrition is individual, flexible & slow. While quick cleanses promising you 30 lbs in 30 days may tell you otherwise, meaningful change takes curiosity & time. That is all for now. xx.