Nourish your way to better health

Today we’ll be exploring three easy steps to achieve self-love with food and how to nourish your body with a holistic approach.

1. Eat well: Most of the time, we want to be eating a wholesome, nutritious diet that is high in whole-foods with plenty of fruit and vegetables, healthy fats and only small amounts of processed foods. It’s best to ‘eat the rainbow’ and choose a broad array of colourful fruits and vegetables to ensure you are getting a good variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Aim for well-balanced meals most of the time, ensuring each main meal you eat contains each of the following;

• A source of Wholegrain Carbohydrates, such as; brown rice, quinoa, legumes or oats.
• A serving of Protein; lean meat, seafood, low fat dairy or meat alternatives.
• A few servings of colour; fruits and vegetables. 
• A small amount of quality fats, such as extra virgin olive oil, avocado or nuts. 

Eating a balanced meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner helps to provide you with all the nutrients we need to feel our best and keep our bodies functioning. If you find you get hungry between meals, choose snacks that are high in fiber and protein, as this helps keep us feeling fuller for longer. Suitable snacks might be fresh fruit, high protein yoghurts, crackers and cheese or veggie sticks and hummus.

2. The 80:20 rule: Self-love is not just physical health, but also caring for our mental and emotional health. The saying “there is no sincerer love, than the love of food” really captures the notion that food brings us so much more than just nourishment, food brings us joy. So whilst it is important to eat well, it is also important to enjoy and celebrate our food.

That’s where the 80:20 rule comes in. This way of eating is based on the premise that 80% of the time, we choose whole-foods and eat a balanced diet (as above) and then the remaining 20% of the time we choose soul-foods, or things that aren’t as healthy, but offer us other benefits.

We’re all so different when it comes to what we do and don’t like, and that’s why the 80:20 rule works so well. We might choose to have ice-cream on the weekend, or burgers and a beer at trivia but since you’re eating well the rest of the week, there’s no need to feel guilty when we indulge.

3. Eat mindfully: The third and final step is to practice Mindful Eating. Mindful Eating is a strategy that helps you to regain control over your eating habits. By eating mindfully, you become more in tune with your hunger and how your symptoms affect what you eat. Mindful Eating has been linked to increase weight loss, increased awareness of hunger cues and found to have positive effects on out mental health. There are many components of mindful eating, but a few tips to help get you started include:

• Focus on the food 
  Try to limit your distractions, step away from your desk and avoid taking your phone to the table.Turn off the TV and really focus on the food you are eating. Be mindful when snacking to choose healthy snacks over something that depletes your energy.  
• Rate your hunger 
  Another tip is to try rating your hunger on a scale of 1-10 before, during and after each meal. This can help to increase your awareness of hunger and help you know when to stop. Remember, we want to feel comfortable and full, but not stuffed at the end of a meal. 
• Eat slowly and savour the food 
  Slow down and really enjoy your meal. Pace it, don’t race it. Try to chew each mouthful thoroughly before the next and have a try at engaging all your senses. By directing focus to the food and the positive effect it is having on your body, you’ll feel more attentive, in control and less likely to overdo it. 

Fuelling your body on your wellness journey is one step towards your long term health goals. To achieve your optimal health combine a balanced diet with a consistent fitness routine.

Want to learn more about nutrition?

If you have any questions about nutrition and fitness, our personal trainers are more than happy to help. Whether you’re already a member at our health club or are considering joining, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us today.