Nutrition Tips
“Tell me what
you eat and I will tell you what you are”
you eat and I will tell you what you are”
Savarin
Nutrition is a lifestyle and is essential for good health and survival, so avoid those fad diets…they don’t work! Take responsibility for what you choose to eat. Following a fad diet will guarantee failure and a never ending rollercoaster ride of weight loss and weight gain etc… Nutrition is a lifestyle of healthy eating, not a diet of starvation and deprivation, and it doesn’t come in a powder, liquid or pill. Make it your priority to adopt a healthy eating plan that is simple, nutritious and fits into your lifestyle. Here are my top tips to help you get started:
1. Eat mostly real and wholefoods and follow the 80/20 rule.
- At least 80% of your food choices should be whole unprocessed foods, and ideally no more than 20% of your food choices
should be processed. - In general, if your ancestors didn’t eat it, and you can’t hunt it, fish it, pluck it or gather it, and it comes out of a box, tin, or packet with a label, then it’s processed.
- Select produce that is seasonal and grown from local sources when possible. We have great produce in Australia, so go and checkout what your local butcher and greengrocer has available.
2. Drink Water.
- It is recommended that the average adult drinks a minimum of two litres (8 glasses) of water daily.
- Liquid calories go unnoticed by the body and add up quickly, so avoid / minimise carbonated or artificially flavoured, sweetened and alcoholic beverages.
- We often mistake thirst for hunger, so next time have a glass of water before eating and wait 10 minutes to check what you’re really feeling first.
3. Eat a wide variety of foods to ensure nutritious and balanced meals for optimal health.
- Eat protein with every meal, including snacks (eg. lean meats, seafood, dairy, nuts, seeds, and legumes). Protein builds muscle and assists with recovery, and provides satiety, keeping you satisfied for longer.
- Eat healthy fats to ensure proper hormone production, cell formation, and immune function (eg. avocados, salmon, nuts, seeds and olive and nut oils.
- Eat mainly low GI and complex carbohydrates, especially around exercise (eg. fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds and wholegrains).
- Eat at least 5 servings of vegetables and 1-2 fruits every day.
- Reduce your consumption of sugars (ie. sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, golden, maple syrup, palm or cane sugar, agave nectar, honey, dextrose, maltose, artificial sweeteners, natural sugars etc) and Trans-fats (ie. anything that is hydrogenated).
- If it comes in a box, tin or packet, try to avoid it (use the 80/20 rule), including those with fat free, reduced fat, or low fat labels.
- These two food groups have no nutritional value and provide no nourishment for the body. When consumed in large amounts, they are key contributors to weight gain, diabetes, fatty liver and heart diseases, and ageing.
- Relax and enjoy your meals whenever possible. Aim to spend at least 15-20 minutes eating your meal to allow your brain to know you have eaten enough.
- Eat small mouthfuls and chew your food thoroughly to aid digestion.
- Eat only until you are satisfied, and not until you are full.
- Make the time to plan your meals and use a shopping list.
- Eat every 3-4 hours, 3-6 times per day. Take some time to sit down and enjoy your meal whenever possible.
- Invest in some appliances that will save you time in the kitchen (eg. slow cooker, microwave, food processor/mixer, steamer etc).
- Prepare your food ahead of time and store in individual containers (eg. pre-chop vegetables, pack your own snacks, divide food into ready to eat portions).
- Cook large batches of food and store in freezer, ready for those times you don’t feel like cooking.
- It’s okay to break the rules once in a while, just don’t make it a daily habit.
- Follow the 80/20 rule = eat to nourish the body most of the time, and eat to indulge some of the time (eg. indulge in a treat meal once
or twice each week only). - Don’t always be “that person” who never eats anything at social gatherings; it’s okay to indulge, just be mindful of your portions.
