Why is nutrition so important? Part 1 Most people seem to think that they could lose weight or look better by being more active or going to the gym. This is very far from the truth. The way your body looks can be summed up by the 60-20-20 analogy. 60% is influenced by nutrition, 20% by activity & 20% by genetics. Does this mean you can cancel your gym membership? Not so fast! Even though you can make drastic changes just by altering your diet, if you remain inactive you will become what is known in the fitness industry as ‘skinny fat’. If you’re thinking ‘that’s not too bad- I’d still be thinner’- hold on. Being skinny fat still carries similar risks of disease as being overweight. Being fit has positive effects on your heart and lowers your disease risk factors. It is very important to stay fit and active. Now back to the big chunk of the pie (excuse the pun)- the 60%. Great nutrition does NOT mean celery, rice cakes and water! It does not mean starving yourself! It does not mean bland, tasteless food! Eating healthy can be easy, varied and delicious! So what is the best way to eat? High protein, low carb? High fat? Low fat? How many calories? I’d like to introduce a new concept: as close to natural state as possible. Forget counting calories and worrying about carbs, fat and starving yourself. Choose natural! It’s what your body was designed to intake as fuel. Think eggs, fish, poultry, red meat, zucchini, sweet potatoes, beans, spinach, berries, greek yogurt, all sorts of spices- the possibilities are endless. The things you should avoid? Three things: simple sugars, artificial compounds and refined flours. These are the most harmful foods to intake and will surely add to your waist line. Where to start? Begin by avoiding most breads and pastas. I say most as in recent years healthier alternatives have flooded the grocery store shelves. Ezekiel, sprouted grains & rye bread are great choices. Quinoa, rice and even cauliflower pastas are now available. White breads & pastas have been stripped of all of their nutrients and sometimes bleached to improve their look. Whole wheat is not much better- they are still over processed and devoid of much nutritional value. Look for ‘ sprouted grains’ on cereal boxes or have steel cut oats or rice pudding to start the day. Frozen veggies & fruit are excellent alternatives to fresh- they keep longer and have usually been flash frozen to preserve nutrients. Canned foods are not as desirable as they have a lot preservatives added and are high in Sodium. Even so, canned veggies or fruit are a superior snack to a Pizza Pocket- which is over processed and very unhealthy.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 09:01:03 +0000
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