Five Foundations of Balanced Nutrition

Today, I want to get us on the same page when it comes to eating well. The truth is, there are a LOT of different ways to optimize your nutrition! What works for one person may not work for another– we have unique bodies with specific needs and specific preferences. Each person’s metabolism works behind the scenes to use the food we eat to fuel our bodies as efficiently as possible. All these specifics can seem CONFUSING and, at times, contradictory, so, let’s start from the beginning together with what balance is, and then, what it takes to achieve it.

It’s important to achieve balance in a few different ways.

• Balanced macronutrients- eating sufficient carbs/fat/protein,
• balanced cooking- preparing food at home when possible,
• and balanced lifestyle- feeling relaxed and confident about what you choose to eat!

1. Trust your body

We are born with an innate ability to eat the right amount for our bodies. No one else can tell you what your body needs the way you can. Diet culture tells us otherwise: that we need to eat a certain way to be thinner/fitter/better. (I’ve linked an article by journalist and dietitian Christy Harrison that will be helpful if you are new to understanding the term.)

Truth: Food is not “good” or “bad”. YOU are not good or bad because of what you eat. This concept is the exact opposite of what has been engrained in our minds for decades– that familiar feeling of guilt for eating something, the urge to “work off” a meal or “earn” food because you dieted or exercised. Restricting. Bingeing. Taking in constant messaging about changing your body to be “better”. It’s all exhausting, and it leaves us feeling overall pretty terrible about ourselves.

YOU are in control of what you eat and how you feel about it. It takes work to unlearn what diet culture is constantly telling us, but if you put in that work, you will start recognizing the false advertising when you see it. It feels pretty awesome to be on the other side. You know what you’re doing- trust me. But really- trust yourself!

2. Hydrate

The first thing you can do to balance your body and be kind to it is to drink water. Water is the MOST important nutrient you can get! It supports every metabolic function: it aids muscle and joint function (movement), improves digestion, betters energy and brain function, and supports your heart! Drink up!

Hydrate first thing in the morning to give yourself a head start each day. Keep a water bottle next to your bed. Keep a water bottle with you most of the time, actually… it just easier to keep going that way! It makes a big difference if you have a bottle you really like, and one that makes water taste good– some of my favorites are stainless steel like Hydroflask, or glass with a silicone sleeve like Life Factory. There are SO many cute ones out there!

How much water is enough? Aim for half of your body weight in fluid ounces of water per day. If you aren’t getting at least 64 oz per day, start with that and work your way up!

3. Eat fruit and vegetables

Okay, this is a big one for me. Colorful veggies and fruits are full of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to fuel every cell in your body. They contain fiber, prebiotics, and water to aid your digestive system. The antioxidants inside help boost your immune system and reverse the effects of cellular aging. There is not enough space on a page to tell you about all of the amazing benefits that VEGETABLES and FRUIT provide you! You knew that though, right??

EAT A LOT of these- in every way possible. Fresh, frozen, blended in a soup or smoothie, in a salad, canned, dried– go for it. Vary your choices by color and eat both raw and cooked. Keep hanging out with me and you’ll see more and more recipes on how to eat more veggies!

If you or someone in your family is super particular when it comes to veggies, know that vegetables and fruits of similar colors provide similar nutrients. Eat fruit of all colors, too.

4. Balance your plate

The foods we eat are made up of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. All of these nutrients are essential to human function, and each play a different role. A huge problem with diets is they often hyper-focus on either restricting or inflating one of these nutrients over the others (ex: low-carb, low-fat, high-fat, high-protein). When we practice restriction, the body and mind nearly always initiate a rebound effect that forever changes our perception of that nutrient. Ex) what do you crave the most when you go on a low-carb diet… right, carbs! This is a main reason why diets stink!

Most people feel and function best when balancing their diets with alllll of the macronutrients: carb/protein/fat.

Without getting overly complicated with calories, grams, and measurements– try this: plan your meals to include a protein source, a carbohydrate or “starch”, and about half of the plate full of colorful veggies. You will likely be cooking or dressing your food in a fat, so there isn’t a major need to save space on your plate for it.

Here are a few balanced yet simple meal ideas:

• Salmon, roasted or baked sweet potato, broccoli
• Grilled chicken with roasted asparagus and rice
• Steak, sauteed spinach, and roasted potatoes
• Rotisserie chicken shredded with a bagged salad kit, small pita or roll
• Spaghetti with turkey meatballs and a green salad

5. Focus on foods you love

Hey, this is your life, and you deserve to love what you eat. Food isn’t just nutrition, it’s a huge part of life that is meant to be enjoyed! Give yourself permission to find joy in all eating experiences– never guilt or shame. Life is too short to eat foods you don’t like!

Have one cookie or two or however many you want and ENJOY every bite! By the way– the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made are David Liete’s recipe.

I hope you feel inspired and even a little grounded after reading my foundations of balanced nutrition. Do you think you’re doing pretty well with all 5? THAT’S AMAZING! Think you could improve in 1 area? Start SMALL and stay POSITIVE about changing your habits. I’d love to hear your questions or comments below. Happy eating!