The Best Nutrition for the Best Attitude

Today, we’ll talk about the other lifestyle basic that will make it easier to adopt a healthy attitude: nutrition.

All of us recognize, I believe, how what and when we eat affects us. I believe more and more that my body is a vessel on loan!

My attitude about nutrition is to “eat to live” so that I can foster my best self and continue to serve and enjoy my life.

Am I perfect?

Hardly…..like all of you I am a work in progress.

However, I do believe that you can’t enjoy yourself if you don’t feel good, and nutrition goes a long way in helping us feel good.

So in the spirit of one of my favorite new expressions, “a moment on the lips, forever on the hips!” let’s have some fun going over some basics.

One size does NOT fit all when it comes to nutrition, and there are differences between the sexes as well.

However, if you are carrying extra weight around, feeling lethargic or have low energy, you are not making good nutritional choices.

Food is meant to fuel you and keep your energy steady throughout the day.

I find that people tend to overestimate the amount they move and underestimate the amount they consume.

It’s an eye opening exercise to, for a few days, chart what you ACTUALLY eat.

Try it and see what you think.

And also, I recognize that some of you reading this nourish yourselves according to certain frameworks like being a raw foodist, vegetarian or eating according to your Ayurvedic doshas. I still think there is benefit for you as well in these basic ideas so please read on!

STEP #1

The first step is to make better food choices.

Not count calories or focus on food group percentages but simply start making better choices.

I think we all know to some extent what that would mean: whole fresh foods and fruits and vegetables.

Keep it simple and keep it clean and unprocessed.

STEP #2

Cook for yourself rather than eating on the go all the time. Actually sit down when you eat, undistracted from the TV or other forms of media.

And chew your food.

I am a very slow eater and while it can drive some people nuts, others have told me when they pace themselves to my eating pace they digest their meal better.

STEP #3

Eating breakfast is a good idea and usually within two hours of waking up is a good time frame. Break your fast with healthy choices.

Also, eating throughout the day is important. This keeps your blood sugar levels in check. You will become aware of your own body’s signals asking to be fed.

It can be dangerous to let your blood sugar levels get so low that you feel jittery and ready to bite the head off of the next person who speaks to you. We have all felt this at times.

STEP#4

If you feel you are making good food choices and are still overweight, lethargic and have low energy, then the next step is to look at your macronutrient choices.

Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are the big three.

You are not necessarily WHAT you eat but rather what you DO with what you eat!

Carbohydrates are the tricky ones here.

You either use them or you wear them!

Stick to vegetables, fruits, and healthy grains. Everyone has a different tolerance for carbs based on many different factors.

Learn your tolerance level and honor it! Stop longing for your best friend’s level of carb tolerance—get real with your own and work with it to produce the energy and body that will serve you best.

I find that women in particular don’t eat enough protein. Your body needs adequate protein for all kinds of repair and bodily functions.

There are complete sources of protein (amino acid wise) and incomplete sources—use them both. Meats, fish, eggs, and dairy products are all sources of complete proteins.

Those of you who are still egg and cholesterol phobic—please do your research and rethink eating eggs!

Focus on good quality fats. Avoid trans fats and hydrogenated oil.

I receive many questions about nuts, so for those of you “going nuts” trying to figure out which ones to eat, here’s a short list of some nuts and their benefits:

1. almonds-packed with protein, fiber, calcium, iron and vitamin E.
2. hazelnuts-high ratio of good fat to bad, and packed with the vitamin folate.
3. peanuts-they are actually legumes and provide more protein than tree nuts.
4. pecans-high monounsaturated level helps them fight high cholesterol.
5. pistachios-great source of potassium
6. walnuts-abundant in polyunsaturated fat.

Eat an assortment of nuts daily, up to a few ounces a day would be fine, and to keep them from getting rancid store them well sealed in dark places.

Throughout the day focus on protein, veggies/fruit, healthy fats and starchy carbs in accordance to your ability to tolerate them and utilize them. Eat all three macronutrients together, as they have a synergistic effect on energy and digestion.

Beverages present an interesting category. I am going to cover caffeine in depth in a later blog post—suffice it to say I have never ever heard even one single person say, “Hey, it’s 4 pm. I feel awful. I haven’t had my Brussel sprouts yet today.” That’s why caffeine deserves its own post!

I’d suggest staying away from fruit juices; they are usually highly processed and lacking in fiber. And avoid all those other calorie containing beverages as well; better to take your calories in as food.

Drink water based beverages, herbal teas, and green teas. If your urine is clear you are taking in enough water. If it is yellow drink more water.

To sum it up:

The first step is making better food choices.

Then, if necessary, structure your own nutritional plan paying attention to the macronutrients.

This will take you a long way, making your life full of energy and health. Getting an adequate, high quality amount of sleep as well will give you the combination that is bound to support whatever goals you have set for yourself.

So, keep your attitude from becoming a BADtitude by employing what I have mentioned in these two last posts.