3 Power Moves for your Plate
“When you don’t know where to begin with nutrition, start here.”
Have you ever been asked about your diet? “What diet do you follow?” or “Are you Keto, Paleo, gluten-free, Auto-immune, Zone, Macro, Micro, Vegan, Carnivore, Fruitarian…Breatharian?” Yes, there really is a Breatharian category.
Most people, when asked this type of question, do not respond with a yes or no, black or white answer. Most people won’t strictly categorize themselves in one of these boxes but instead, we develop iterations and modifications within these. Maybe some of us even feel slightly anxious or boxed in when trying to put a label on our personal diet. I should define what is meant by diet in this article; diet is quite simply the food and drink that you regularly consume.
“Yes, this does mean you are a special snowflake😉”
There is a really good reason for this. Our diets are and should be different from person to person. Diets are not like cars or clothing where if one were to be forced to drive someone else’s car or wear another’s clothes, it may be uncomfortable but it would not be detrimental to one’s health. From the types of foods we choose down to the times of day we eat them and how much, individuals’ diets can vary widely or ever so slightly. This is called bio-individuality which means that each of us is unique and has different nutritional requirements. Yes, this does mean you are a special snowflake😉 One’s bio-individuality stems from genetics, environment, lifestyle and many other health influencers. This necessitates some degree of individuation in the diet.
While one could certainly argue that it is a luxury of the modern world to even have such variety and choice in our diets, the dizzying array of information and options can also be a barrier to finding a sustainable, long-term diet. Many people jump from one cookie-cutter diet to another (sometimes within the same month!) only to end up frustrated and unsatisfied. So what’s a snowflake to do in 2022, this age of information, to try and find nutrition sanity?
At Element Nutrition, I strive to teach clients HOW to begin developing their personalized nutrition plan by learning how to listen to their body. This is part of the skillset needed to become your own physician. This process doesn’t happen overnight and it takes time, patience and guidance. I have found that, in addition to information overload, conditions like digestive disorders, metabolic disease and chronic infection need to be addressed before developing long-term nutrition plans. This is because many of these conditions require temporary healing nutrition plans in order to heal.
“If you are feeling overwhelmed with the dietary choices out there consider working with a nutrition therapist to help you develop your “physician within!”
1. Begin increasing your whole food intake. Assess what percentage of your diet is made up of whole foods and how much is made up of processed foods. Processed foods are hyperpalatable and addictive; frequent intake of processed foods encourages overeating and addictive behaviors. Make a goal of consuming a mostly whole foods based diet.
-For instance, are you consuming homemade sweet potato slices OR store-bought potato chips? -Are your starches made up of flours (breads, pastas, baked goods, etc) or root vegetables, legumes and whole grains?
2. Drink more water. Surprisingly many people fail to drink enough water throughout their day, which can lead to dehydration symptoms like fatigue, constipation, headaches, brain fog, even sleep disturbance. Drinking water is not only a good habit but it can also serve as a powerful cue for developing other healthy habits. Try it for one week! Make a point of finishing a favorite water bottle or drinking 8-12oz of water slowly as soon as you wake up. Did you notice other positive changes?
3. Fast for 12 hours every night. No matter what type of diet you’re following, a nightly fast is important for healthy digestion, neurological restoration, metabolic health and sleep. Often we try to jump from the one extreme of late-night eating right into opposing intermittent fasting plans. While intermittent fasting is a great tool, it is relatively advanced. It is much easier and more sustainable to begin with making sure you’re fasting for 12 hours each night first.
“ I always wished I had started seeing a nutritionist much earlier in life to save the years that it took me develop my own personal diet.”
