Nutrition and diet information is everywhere!
Every expert and association tries to lead you in their direction because they know best and their advice is going to help you. We are constantly bombarded with information on what diet to follow, what foods are “good” and which are bad, the correct serving sizes, the timing of your food….
Portions sizes and how much you eat has been an underlying conversation in the food and nutrition world. And we agree that watching your portions will indeed help you to control those extra calories, but…this has gotten way too much attention! Your calories do affect your weight and energy level, but it’s certainly not the “holy grail” of health.
Let’s focus a bit more on the often overlooked (and proven) benefits of what you eat and drink and how you eat and drink it.
What you eat and drink
The “calories in, calories out” philosophy (i.e. how much you eat) is being drowned out with research on other factors that may be just as important. Don’t get us wrong! Limiting calories, carbs or fat can certainly help you lose weight but that’s simply not the only factor for long-term weight loss and maximum energy for everyone.
You can ( and certainly still should) be mindful of your calories, carbs and fats, but don’t forget to also pay attention to what you eat.
What you eat may actually be more important than how much! Ideally, you need a varied diet full of minimally-processed foods (i.e. fewer “packaged” “ready-to-eat” foods). This simple concept is paramount for weight loss, energy, and overall health and wellness.
Every day this is what you should aim for:
- A colorful array of fruits and veggies at almost every meal and snack. ( yep, every one!) You need the fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals at every meal.
- Enough protein. Making sure you get all of those essential amino acids (bonus: eating protein can increase your metabolism).
- Healthy fats and oils (never “hydrogenated” ones). There is a reason some fatty acids are called “essential” – you need them as building blocks for your hormones and brain as well as to be able to absorb essential fat-soluble vitamins from your uber-healthy salads. Use extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil, eat your organic egg yolks, and get grass-fed meats when possible. You don’t need to overdo it here. Just make sure you’re getting some high-quality fats.
How you eat and drink
Pay attention to how you eat and drink.
Studies are definitely showing that this has more of an impact than we previously thought.
Are you rushed, not properly chewing your food, and possibly suffering from gastrointestinal issues?
When it comes to how you eat let’s first look at “mindful eating”.
Mindful eating means to take smaller bites, eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and savour every bite. Notice and appreciate the smell, taste and texture. Breathe.
This gives your digestive system the hint to prepare for digestion and to secrete necessary enzymes.
This can also help with weight loss because eating slower often means eating less. Did you know that it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach is full?
We also know that more thoroughly chewed food is easier to digest and it makes it easier to absorb all of those essential nutrients.
The bottom line:
- Pay close attention to making sure that most of your diet is filled with real whole foods
- Make your meals an event, not an afterthought.
- Take smaller bites and chew thoroughly!
- Try hard not to eat while you are distracted.
- Enjoy mealtime.
Are you focusing on improving your nutrition and don’t know how to start?
Join us at Plate Changers for some real life tips and tricks, group coaching, info on how to wade through the sea of nutrition advice and information out there and accountability from people all over the globe looking to do the exact same thing! We believe accountability and support are the key piece in making goals happen.
We hope you’ll join us over HERE.
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