For a long time, most conversations at the gym centered on dieting trends that rarely last or pitted fitness gains against food, which can create a toxic relationship between the two. As we head into the season of revival and reinvigoration, embrace food as nourishment that can power and heal the body instead. This change in perspective doesn’t mean you should stop examining your existing eating habits, but it does aim to dispel the notion that food is the enemy of a good workout.
Here are a few nutrition tips founded on the belief that a holistic approach to what we eat can improve our food choices, leading to long-term wellness and improved quality of life:
NIX THE CONCEPT OF “CALORIE IN VS. CALORIE OUT”
Instead, focus on filling your body with foods that provide nutrients and sustain your energy.
CREATE A FOOD JOURNAL
But don’t do it to log every single thing you eat. Use it to help you catalog the types of foods that make you feel good and those that may cause unfavorable symptoms or digestive issues, so you can include more of the former and cut out the latter.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
Forget the rule of eating every two to three hours. If you feel hungry, eat until you feel full and then do it again the next time your body gives you hunger cues.
GO ORGANIC, WHOLE AND UNPROCESSED WHEN POSSIBLE
Food additives, pesticides and refined and chemically-enhanced foods introduce foreign elements into the body, putting unnecessary stress on the liver’s detoxification processes.
MOVE AWAY FROM MOST GRAINS
Grains, and especially flour products, are difficult for most people to digest properly, and they contain anti-nutrients that prevent absorption of the good stuff that’s found in the other foods you’re eating.
EMBRACE HEALTHY FATS
Foods like olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocados, grass-fed butter and unrefined coconut oil help fight inflammation, balance hormones and speed up metabolism.
If you’re looking for more tips on how to navigate the grocery store aisles, check out our free grocery list for guidance on stocking your fridge, or discuss your nutritional goals with one of our personal trainers. They can help you understand how to read food labels, explain the relationship between food choices and how your body responds to them, and discuss your unique nutritional needs based on what you’re trying to achieve.
