Nutrition and healthy eating are often hot topics of discussion.
Nutrition isn’t something that is formally taught in our
schools, and when searching online, finding
science-based and reliable information can feel like looking for a needle in a
haystack. We sat down with our corporate Fitness Coordinator/Trainer, Karen
Fagan, to discuss nutrition and what it really looks like for the average
person.
Karen has worked as NYCM’s Fitness Coordinator/Trainer for almost
ten years. In addition to 25 years of experience in fitness and nutrition, she
has a master’s degree in
exercise-science and is certified in nutrition.
When asked the question “What does nutrition really look like for the
everyday person?” Karen responds, “It’s a hard question to answer honestly. So
many people justifiably want the right answer laid out
in front of them. In truth, nutrition is going to look different for each
individual person because our bodies and our lives are different.” Karen went
on to explain that this doesn’t mean that there are no
rules or that there aren’t healthy vs unhealthy foods. It just means that
the journey to health and nutrition is going to look different for everyone.
That being said, everyone is capable of incorporating nutrition into their everyday
lives. Continue reading for more information.
Start With Breakfast
One of the biggest questions surrounding health and nutrition is how to fit them into your daily routine. To that, Karen says she always starts with breakfast. “Rather than restricting the food that might not necessarily be good for us, we start by adding in nutrient-rich sides.” For example, if you’re used to bacon and pancakes for breakfast, maybe include a side of fruit, or yogurt. Each day, plan to slowly replace items that are not so healthy for us with nutrient-rich substitutes. “Starting the day with a healthier breakfast will make it easier psychologically to continue making healthier choices throughout the day. We don’t want to restrict ourselves, we want to inverse our intake to reflect more of what we need and less of what we don’t.”
Stay Consistent
With all of the misinformation surrounding health and nutrition, it
can be difficult to determine what key factors are going to play a role in your
success. One critical component of that
success is going to be consistency. “Just like our minds, our bodies crave
consistency.” Karen states. The human body doesn’t know how to handle skipped
meals or an inconsistent diet. This type of behavior can lead our bodies to go
into starvation mode. “Consistency in
meal times, as well as in the types of food we are eating, will help our bodies
build the trust that is necessary to function properly.”
Incorporate Clean Eating
“Clean Eating” is a lifestyle based on the goal of removing processed
foods from our diets. This will mostly consist of eating vegetables, fruits,
whole grains and lean proteins. The
goal is to live this lifestyle around 80% of the time to help promote a
lifetime of commitment to your healthiest self.
Karen talks about the importance of noting that clean
eating doesn’t have to equate to organic or homegrown food. “While
that sort of luxury might be an option for some, for others it’s not
realistic.” She then goes on to share that even she doesn’t usually choose organic
produce because it is often too expensive. This can be especially true if you
need to feed multiple people within a family. “If it’s within your
budget and your goal is to eliminate as much risk of chemicals as possible,
then go for it! But at the end of the day, an
apple, whether it’s organic or not, is going to be better for you than a
donut.”
Maintain Healthy Portion Control
It’s important to know that portion recommendations are going to be
different based on each individual person. Portion recommendation will be based
on your age, weight, gender, activity level as well as your own
personal goals. “Nutrition is never one-size-fits-all,” Karen reminds us. In general, she suggests
researching generalized portion recommendations and adjusting over
time as needed.
For example, you might consider the below portions as a starting
point. If you happen to be very active, you can lean towards the upper end of
the scale. If you tend to be less active, try leaning towards the lower:
Whole Grains - 1/2 cup to 1 cup per meal
Good Fats - 1/2 tablespoon to 1
tablespoon 2x per day
Lean Protein 2 to 4 ounces per meal
Fruits -
2 pieces of whole fruits or 1/2 cup to 1 cup twice per day
Vegetables - 1 cup to 2 cups at all main
meals
Be Aware of Mealtimes
“It’s important that you eat once
every four hours.” Karen informs us. “Five small meals
per day is best for the average person. The proper timing in which you
introduce meals will be key in preventing you from overeating, skipping meals, and feeling fatigued or jittery from unstable blood sugar levels,” she
explains.
Build Around Your Reality
Building your nutrition plan around your typical daily
routine will be more beneficial to you than trying to implement an entirely
new diet and routine all at once. Start by looking for items within your
current diet that you can easily swap out for healthier, cleaner options.
Consider taking a look at the types of food you already like to eat and
building around that. If you're a fan of eggs with breakfast, you could try
preparing egg whites as a substitute. “In the end, we want to choose food for
our health.” Karen explains. “When we do this, our risk of diseases goes down,
and our energy
goes up. We want to find foods that make us feel good.”
Take a Mindful Approach
If you are struggling between prioritizing nutrition and fitness, it’s
important to know that nutrition should come first. “ It doesn’t make sense to
run yourself in the ground trying to
burn calories we didn’t need in the first place.” Karen explained. “Taking
a mindful approach to health in general, focusing more on how you feel, and
where your energy
levels are- will take you so much further than focusing on counting calories
or the scale,” Karen continued. “We want to eat to stay healthy.”
Know Your Resources
We all know that it can be incredibly difficult to find reliable, science-based
information that we need in order to succeed on
our health and nutrition journey.
Truth be told, not everyone is going to be able to afford a personal
nutritionist or coach. To aid in your own nutrition journey, here are a few
reliable and science-based resources that Karen suggests:
For individuals who are looking for ways to properly fuel workouts,
click here.
For those looking for more information on clean eating, click here for a downloadable guide.
Now that you have the necessary information needed to start creating a
nutrition plan that works for you, you might be interested in learning more
about what it means to build a wellness
routine. Check out the link below for more information!
