When starting on your fitness journey, one of the most important components to focus on is proper nutrition. Dieting is such a common word now that many people think that eating healthy is a diet. This can’t be further from the truth. Eating healthy is a way of life. Eating healthy means getting the proper macronutrients & micronutrients your body needs to function. Below are some nutrition tips that can help you to jumpstart your nutrition journey. Some of these I learned during my GGS-1 Women’s Coaching Specialization and have been game changer for me!
- Mindful eating – a lot of times we think of eating as another thing we need to do. When we say mindful eating, it means that you are self-aware of the nutritional choices you made and being present in the moment. Every body is different, therefore you need to find what works for you.
- Hunger cues: One important aspect of mindful eating is to know when you are hungry. If you are reaching for the fridge door, stop and say to yourself, “Am I physically hungry?” or “Is my stomach growling?” Hunger cues have been forgotten, and we get into a routine of constantly feeding our body. It’s important to stop, and be aware of your body and how it’s feeling at the moment. The ideal time to eat would be when you start to get those hunger pangs, however don’t wait until you’re ravenous because that can cause you to overeat (obviously, if you are diabetic, you would need to eat more often to make sure that your blood sugar doesn’t dip).
- Avoid distractions: How many times have we sat in front of the TV or an electronic device with a bag of chips, and then notice that the bag is gone without realizing you actually ate it all! THIS is what happens when we are distracted when eating. The next time you eat, sit at a table and avoid all electronics or any other distractions. That way, you are mindful and are noticing how much you are eating.
- Slow down: When you eat fast to get to the next thing, you are inadvertantly causing yourself to eat more. It takes your brain about 20 min to give you the signal to let you know that you are full. If you eat fast, then you could overeat, since your brain has not gotten the signal yet to tell you to stop. While eating, you can put your fork down as you are chewing to give yourself time until the next bite (instead of being prepared with the fork with more food), you can take a deep breath in-between bites, and take smaller bites of food, for example. Isn’t it more satisfying to savor your food instead of rushing it?
- Appetite Awareness – Using all of the tips from mindful eating will help with this one. It is important to know when you are satisfied. This is learned and comes from eating slowly. When you start eating slowly, you are giving time for the brain to send the signal to the stomach letting you know that you are full. Remember, you can always pack up what you are eating and have it later.
- Food Portion – It seems like more and more, serving sizes are getting larger. It can be hard to determine what is too big or small. A quick and easy way to determine what a portion size is, is to use your hand! For protein, a serving is the size and thickness of your palm. Next, for veggies or fruits, a serving size is about the size of your closed fist. Thirdly, a serving of fat is the size of your thumb, and finally a serving of carbs is about the size of your cupped hand. Follow these when eating meals. It’s not exact science, but a great place to start for beginners. It will help you to check your plate before eating and notice whether you are putting too much (or too little) food on your plate.
- Macronutrients (macros) – these are “nutritional molecules” that we need in larger amounts to survive. These include carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. I recognize that there are a lot of “diets” (I hate using that word) out there that eliminate one or two of these groups, but a healthy way of eating includes all of these 3 macros.
- Protein is super important to maintain muscle growth and becomes even MORE important as we age. If your goal is to gain muscle or improve athletic performance, then you will need more protein than the average person.
- Carbohydrates are sugars and starches and are important sources of energy, especially if you are an athlete. We need to stop looking at carbs as being “bad” and more as “which are good for me”. Whole (unprocessed) grains are the best choice and they also provide fiber (which is essential for digestion and to keep a healthy colon). According to the RDA (recommended dietary allowances), 100g for an adult is recommended. However, this number can change based on being an athlete or if you work out consistently, pregnancy, breastfeeding, etc.
- Fats are very important and have many jobs including, aiding in absorption of vitamins, providing energy, making up the fatty tissues (i.e. eyes and brain), making steroid hormone, etc. There are many types of fats, and it’s important to choose the healthy ones when eating. It’s important to eat naturally occurring fats, rather than processed foods. Some examples of healthy fats are: Nuts, less processed nut butters, avocado, coconut, egg yolks, etc.
- Micronutrients (micros) – These include our vitamins and minerals. They are important, but not at the same level as the macros. We all need micronutrients but women, depending on their life stage, will need more or less of these. The most common deficiencies in women are: iron, calcium, vitamin D, folate, & B12. These deficiencies can cause all kinds of symptoms, such as tiredness, breathlessness, muscle weakness, numbness, etc. Therefore, it is important to check with your doctor to make sure all of these are fine. Some vitamins and minerals can be consumed through food, and others through supplementation.
- Food quality – this one is a toughie. We should be eating food that is not (or VERY minimally) processed and fresh, however, that tends to be difficult. Many things are processed and it can be tough to determine which you should buy. Also, the less processed the food is, the more expensive it tends to be. Within your budget, try to buy the best quality and nutrient dense (food that has high vitamins, minerals, etc. relative to it’s volume) food that is doable for you.
The most important thing above all of these is consistency. Without consistency, reaching your goals will be VERY difficult. In Atomic Habits, James clear mentions that it takes about 21 days for something to become a habit. Therefore, pick one of the tips above (start with something easier to incorporate) and stick with it for at least a month. What’s most important is starting healthy eating behaviors and tracking the consistency as you are following them.
Grounding Fitness, LLC 