Nutrition Guide for a Healthy Lifestyle

Nutrition! Sometimes it's something that can seem overly complicated and quite confusing! However, one thing we know is that nutrition can have a huge impact on our health as well as the progress that we make in the gym!

This blog is going to highlight some key aspects of nutrition in a short and simple manner to help anyone looking to make some changes to their lifestyle. From reading this blog you will be starting to learn how to help your body to make lifestyle changes that will turn into long-lasting habits.

Let's start by breaking food down into four key food groups: Fruit and vegetables, grains, milk and milk products (yes this includes milk alternatives!), and protein. We will talk through each food group briefly to help you understand what is in each food group and why we need all of them in our diets.

Fruit and Vegetables

Now I’m sure we’ve all heard of 5+ a day before, well I hate to be the bearer of bad news but that has actually increased to 7+ a day! Your 7+ a day is made of 5+ vegetable servings and 2+ fruit servings. So with that piece of information, you might be thinking two things, firstly "wow that’s a lot", and secondly, "what does a serving actually look like?"

Servings:

• Fruit: One fruit serving is as simple as a piece of fruit or a handful of berries. So, two pieces of fruit a day and we’ve reached our recommended fruit intake!

• Vegetables: One vegetable serving can look like either a cup of cooked vegetables or one cup of salad/fresh vegetables.

But, why do we need fruit and vegetables?

Fruit and vegetables provide us with a wide range of nutrients including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Your body needs these to ensure it is able to function and recover at its best.

Grains

Grains, also known as complex and simple carbohydrates are items like bread, oats, rice etc. These are key sources of carbohydrates that give us energy and food for our brains throughout our days.

When we are consuming grains, we want to aim our focus towards whole grains. Whole grains are less processed, contain more natural nutrients, and often more fiber than refined grains. For example, let’s take brown rice vs. white rice. Both are a carbohydrate, both a form of grain, but brown rice has been less processed than white, and thus contains a greater amount of nutrients. The higher fiber content keeps us fuller for longer as it gives us a slow release of energy rather than a fast-release which white rice gives us. Higher fiber content is important for your digestive tract and keeping those bowel movements regular!

So if you chose to make simple changes such as a move from white to brown rice, you ultimately will gain more fiber in your diet, you won’t feel so hungry, and you will get more nutrients too!

However, that’s not to say refined foods don’t have their place! Refined foods can give you a quick energy release and a shorter burst of energy as these are absorbed faster.

So, for example in the middle of a marathon, you’re getting fatigued, you need that quick release of energy which is where we have refined foods such as lollies or sports drinks. Consuming these will allow for quick absorption and give you that instant energy

Milk and Milk Products

So, milk. Many of us may have grown up with the knowledge that milk is necessary for strong bones. Well, that’s essentially true! Cows milk is high in calcium, it also contains protein and many minerals which the human body needs for growth.

Many other alternative kinds of milk are also fortified with similar nutrients that cows milk has, including calcium and vitamin B12. Milk is full of great nutrients, similarly, yoghurt and cheese also fall under this category.

Therefore consuming these in your diet is an easy way to get some calcium, extra protein as well as more vitamins and minerals into your diet

Protein

I’m sure that we probably all know protein is essential in a diet; we need it for growth, repair and for those gains that we’re all working hard for!

Protein comes from a range of different sources; both animal and plant-based. Everyone’s protein needs are different, but it is important to consume enough for your own body and goals. For an everyday person just looking to follow a balanced lifestyle, you could say that you need 2+ serves of protein a day.

What’s a serving? If we take a piece of chicken, for example, one serving for you may be a slice of chicken that matches the size of the palm of your hand.

Now, we do know that protein doesn’t just come from meat! In fact, it's recommended that we consume protein from a range of plant-based foods too; such as legumes, nuts and seeds! This is because these have protein as well as a larger range of nutrients in them.

When consuming plant-based protein, to ensure we receive enough of the essential amino acids, it is recommended to consume different types of legumes. For example, maybe you have chickpeas in your lunch and have kidney beans in your dinner.

Wait what are amino acids?

Amino acids are what protein is broken down to into the body, and these are the building blocks for muscle building in our bodies. So, all in all, we need protein to build that muscle! Especially after we have been working hard in the gym.

Summary

Alright, so I’ve just given you all a bit more information on a generally healthy diet! We want to have 2+ servings of fruit, 5+ servings of vegetables, try out whole grains rather than refined grains, consume milk or milk alternatives as well as some protein in our diets!

In short, we need a range of foods in our diets to ensure we get enough nutrients, vitamins, minerals and protein. Whole or natural foods that haven’t been processed will always contain the highest amount of natural nutrients which our bodies need.

Now, these are some very simple guidelines! It’s important to consume a range of nutrients, not just protein when we are working on ourselves within the space of the gym. Your body needs a whole range of foods containing different nutrients which can be found in these 4 food groups. However, we all understand life isn’t perfect! Everyone has their on and off days, so it is important that we treat ourselves too.

Life is about balance, as a simple guide, aim to have a wide range of natural foods around 80% of the time, and that's a great place to start!

Thanks for reading team, if you have any more questions about nutrition, please feel free to contact Sinead via: transparentnutrition@outlook.com or come chat to her if you see her in the gym!

Cheers!