How do you tell if a foods healthy or not?!? Easy. Read the label! Now different people have different nutritional preferences dictated by their likes, dislikes, religion, culture, and what they are comfortable including within their nutrition plan (dairy, grains, legumes, etc). This is going to influence whether people think a food is "healthy" or not. However a good guideline is this; if you can grow it in the field or hunt it in the wild, it's probably ok to eat. If you can't pronounce the name, if it was made in a laboratory, or it would stay fresh for the next 10 years; then it probably isn't smart to be eating it.
But how do you go about deciphering the nutrition label?
Let's look at the label to the right. It's the label of a Chocolate Sea Salt Rx Bar. These things are delicious! When making judgement on a food, many people only look at the Nutrition Facts. They judge whether the food is good or bad based off of the calories, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Does this information matter? Absolutely. But, it matters in a sense of knowing how that food particularly is going to fit into your day. Not whether or not you should eat it. Let's look just below the nutrition facts and focus on the ingredients. This is where you determine if a food is actually healthy or not. Ask yourself, can the ingredients be found in nature? A
Are there preservatives? Are there added sugars? Are there artificial ingredients? Are the ingredients highly processed? These are the key questions you need to ask yourself when looking at a food label. The Rx Bar checks out pretty nicely. The ingredients are minimally processed and could potentially be found on someones farm or in someones garden. This bar is a recommendation of mine for a quick easy snack.
Now Let's look at a not so healthy bar. The ThinkThin, High Protein Bars, Chunky Peanut Butter. The bar at a quick glance at the Nutrition Facts, doesn't look half bad. It has "Thin" in the name. Its high in protein, and its found in the health food section. The fat and carbohydrate content is similar to the Rx Bar, and the protein is higher. Healthy to eat right? Wrong! Let's look a little closer at the ingredients. The first ingredient is Soy Protein. Soy is highly processed, highly genetically modified, and commonly used in highly processed foods. If you see soy in the ingredients, it's best to avoid the product. Next, Glycerin: used to sweeten foods and used to help preserve foods. Maltitol: this is a sugar substitute. After that; more maltitol and more soy. Then to finish it off, Canola oil. Which is an oil that you want to avoid. It's commonly used in processed foods and has been shown to be a unhealthy fat choice. (For an in depth look at canola oil, I recommend reading "Deep Nutrition".) In conclusion we find that the ThinkThin bar is no more than a processed candy bar disguised as a health food bar!
The process above is one you should use for all foods you consume.
The longer the list, the more likely it is that you shouldn't eat it!.The best foods only have one ingredient..."Banana", "Grass-fed beef", "zucchini". Remember to ask yourself, can the ingredients be found in nature? Are there preservatives? Are there added sugars? Are there artificial ingredients? Are the ingredients highly processed?
The #1, absolutely most important thing that affects sustainable high performance is nutrition. You need to optimize your nutrition to compliment and fuel your daily training! High performance starts in the kitchen. There are a lot of myths floating out there on the internet. No carbs, high carbs, no fat, high fat, high protein, intermittent fasting, keto, paleo....Which one is the best? And most importantly, which one is the best for you? Many individuals "spin their wheels", fall victim to Fad diets, and make little real progress towards their goals. They may lose a little weight but they feel drained, depleted, and hungry. They miss their favorite foods and they hate their new restricted diet! They decide to cheat with their favorite snack...next thing they know, they've fallen off the wagon and reversed any progress they previously made. Does this sound familiar?
What's the solution to this problem? Easy, hire a coach!
Whats are the PRO's in hiring a nutrition coach?
1) You are able to weed through all the myths on the internet. This means no more confusion and no more guessing!
2) Develop an effective, sustainable plan thats 100% tailored to your goals and your life. Your schedule, your training, your likes and dislikes, your job, and your stress levels all factor in to developing the best nutrition plan for you.
3) Accountability. Your coach holds you accountable to the goals you have set for yourself!
4) Support! Your coach is able to help you overcome the challenges you experience along the way. Keeping you on track even when times get tough. 5) Results! Plain and simple. A nutrition coach will be the catalyst helping you achieve results you want. 6) Working with a coach for 6-months can absolutely change your life. You learn all the skills you need, you develop a sustainable nutrition program that works, and you create a complete lifestyle change which enables you to continually see results.
Interested in learning more about how a nutrition coach could help you?
Send me an email by clicking here to learn more!
Click here to Visit my website for more information regarding our Nutrition Coaching Program!