Nourishing your body – by being better than yesterday

This month we are delighted that Janet Padfield from Apples to Zinc, a registered nutritional therapist has agreed to share her wisdom around nourishing your body, which aligns perfectly to my focus in February on loving your body.  Here is what she had to say:

“It’s not about being the best – It’s about being better than you were yesterday”.  This saying is brilliant and can really be a wonderful mantra when it comes to your health and wellbeing.

It really upsets me when I hear people saying they aren’t happy and won’t be until they reach a certain shape or weight.  For some, the pressure to change comes from social media, magazines, partners, or colleagues.  For the vast majority, however, the pressure comes from within.  All around us are pictures of “perfect people” with flat tummies, toned rears, white teeth, silky smooth hair and great skin.  Over time those images can infiltrate our subconscious and make us feel less than perfect.  We know deep down that most of the images have been modified, but it still makes us feel bad. 

Let me let you into a secret.  As humans we are never going to be perfect and situations/events are always going to challenge and derail our healthy eating intentions.  So, it really is all about just being better than you were yesterday so that you feel a bit better in yourself than the day before. 

What does be better mean?

Even I have nutritionally questionable days which are triggered by boredom, stress, hormones and holidays.  Typically, on one of those days it means we’ve eaten or drank in a way that didn’t nourish our bodies fully.  That really is all it means.  It does not mean we should be shrouded in guilt nor does it mean we should give up on all our healthy habits.  It shouldn’t be marked as a “good” or “bad” day.  Ultimately, we should be eating nutritionally good foods as often as possible – to set us up to do the things we want to get done. Some days will be more nutrient rich than others in the same way that some days we move more than others.

How to be better than yesterday

Simply put it is all about giving each day a little review.  Did what I ate give me what I needed for the activities I did or did it hinder me? Perhaps, today you started off with a pain au chocolat and a coffee or ate a whole large bag of crisps with lunch.  Maybe you had a nice big dinner and even though you were full you snacked whilst watching TV.  All you need to do is have a think about what you could do differently tomorrow that best reflects the things you want to do or the way you want to feel.  It might be any of the following or something else you think of:

• Have slightly smaller portions, so you feel less bloated
• Drink one less coffee
• Don’t have any alcohol, so you sleep a bit better
• Don’t skip any meals
• Have a sugar free day
• Drink an extra glass of water
• Add an extra portion of vegetables to dinner
• Go for one less biscuit with your cuppa

Your foundation eating plan

Having a foundation eating plan is a great way to nourish yourself, with that you have a great base most of the time.  If you eat 3 meals and 1 snack daily then you have 28 eating occasions each week.  Applying an 80:20 rule means you could have the foundation for a healthy eating plan 80% of the time and can eat less rigidly for the remaining 20% (approximately 5 meals).  For example, it means on the weekends you could have a take away or a meal out.  You could have cake, a glass of prosecco or a chocolate bar if you fancy.  But aim to keep it to that.  Should you wish to lose weight then a 90:10 rule might suit you better.  This allows you flexibility and realism and it is so much easier to stick to for life.

My number 1 tip to nourish you

The best, and easiest, way to nourish yourself on a foundation eating plan is to follow the food plate guide for most meals.  This guide is wonderfully simple and the expectation is that each meal is balanced.  Each meal should have quarter of a plate of both protein (meat, fish, eggs, beans and pulses) and starchy carbs (bread, pasta, root veg etc).  The remaining half plate should be a mix of fruits and vegetables.  This means you really can have the foods you love but in a balanced way.  Rather than a plate of spaghetti with a small dollop of bolognaise you would have a smaller amount of pasta, quarter of the plate as bolognaise and a big salad.  If you love sausage and mash, it’s about reducing the mash and increasing the vegetables.   Doesn’t that sound better than a horribly strict diet?!

Need extra help?

If you are unsure how best to eat to achieve your health goals or if you have a health condition that you feel would benefit from more optimised eating, then I’d love to hear from you.  At Apples to Zinc Nutrition, I offer a free 30-minute call to discuss your health and how I might be able to help support you, to book your free call today CLICK HERE

Nutrition support is not a substitute for medical advice nor can it treat or cure you.  If you are concerned about your health, please see your GP.