Didn’t want to stay on Zoom for another hour? That’s alright, we got you covered. Our Nutrition Coach held the seminar and wrote these after notes so you didn’t miss out on any info. Attended the session? Great and thanks for hanging out with us! Thank a glance to review.
Note: Our Nutrition coach is a Precision Nutrition Level 1 coach.
Basics of Food
Food is more than the energy that it gives us. It tells us a lot about one another, our cultural or ethnic backgrounds, our social groups, our family, the religion we do or don’t follow. But, it also tells our bodies what to do, how to use things, when to use things and creates this in working story to help us perform and feel the best we can.
Food and good nutrition is different for everyone which creates this multifaceted aspect to it on top of all the other reasons above. People react differently to foods, have different limiting factors, and an individuals personal and environmental sustainability.
It is also important to note that we can’t just place foods in a macronutrient category like it is a protein and not a carbohydrate. Food isn’t one or the other entirely in terms of macronutrients and is something to keep in mind.
What Does Poor Nutrition Look Like?
• After eating, you go through a switch in moods
• Most of your food consists of highly processed foods
• Possibly causing you gut issues, digestive problems, etc.
• You can’t think clearly and struggle with complex questions
• You aren’t physically feeling your best
• You don’t enjoy your food
It could be any of these or something else entirely. Everyone shows signs of poor gut health differently.
Eating Healthy on A Budget
It can seem like a very daunting task to create a healthy plan while on a tight budget. Things seem to be getting more and more expensive or things you might normally reach for are not as stocked as they used to be. So, they real question is how do we eat healthy on a budget without losing our sanity?
1. Prioritize your nutrients first: this does not have to be as complex as tracking your macronutrients and micronutrients with everything you put on your plate. It can be as simple as not have the same food every day or having a variety of different colours in your meals.
2. Making your own meals is always the best way to save money. You can control your portion sizes easier and you can decide what is added and what is being used to flavour your food.
3. Meal Prep 5 Ways:
· Ask someone for help with your meal prep or do it together.
· Make a little extra every other day to have as leftovers the next day.
· Pair your meal prep with something else that you are already doing, like listening to a podcast or lecture, having your coffee, or watching videos.
· Do quick-prep batches of food to cut down time on chopping and cutting for snacks and meals.
· Traditional meal prep, taking an hour or two once a week to do a big batch cook for the entire week.
4. Keep a recipe log/book: if you are finding meals that you want to go back to that you know you like or you don’t want to experiment one week, it makes it easier to look back on something that has your favourites prepared for you already.
5. Keep it simple. Don’t overcomplicate nutrition, don’t make yourself go insane over trying to figure out how to cook. Do what works best for you and is easier to maintain.
How Stores Try to Get You To Spend More
Okay, we’ve talked about ways to make things easier, how food works, and general recommendations. But now you must go to the store and buy the food you are going to make for the week. You walk in and there are bright lights, big signs pointing out the holiday snack discounts telling you that you deserve it. This is the store trying to get you to fail at your plan. No, there is nothing wrong with having something in moderation, but stores are businesses. They want to you buy and eat more of their products. So, what are the signs to look out for?
- Bright colours, celebrity endorsements, and cartoon characters on packaging to start creating a positive association that the food is better for you than it really is.
- Those ‘self-care’ phrases like ‘take a break’, ‘you deserve it’, or whatever they are using to trick you.
- Highly processed products saying they are vegan, organic, or gluten-free. We are told that is great for us but if you looked at the ingredients list there is enough sugar and ingredients you can’t pronounce that make it significantly less healthier than they want you to believe.
- Stores keep the more expensive items at eye level. Look up or down at the ranges of the shelves to find the things that are just as healthy but cost you less.
Conclusion
Healthy eating at its core is about time management and your readiness to change. If you are looking to change your habits right now, think about what you are willing to do and what you are not willing to give up. Are your tasks and goals you are setting for yourself truly realistic for you to complete? Are you actually enjoying the food you are planning for yourself?