Guest article written by Chris Caldwell, All In Sports Performance & Personal Training.
When most people speak about a diet, they think of a short-term plan to achieve a goal. This diet is not considered sustainable for the long term. We are going to fight through something. We are going to embark on a journey we are probably not going to enjoy. Until we hit a certain goal and then get back to our normal way of life. I think we can all agree this method has not shown much progress. The obesity epidemic has gotten worse, not better.
I think society would be better off if our industry sold nutrition, as this is the structure of how we eat, not focusing on a diet. Within the structure, calories can be moved up and down to accommodate if you’re trying to bulk, maintain, or cut weight. So, instead of having this completely different way of eating to reach our goal, it’s more of a manipulation of how we always eat to achieve our goals.
As a nutrition coach, I don’t have anything against any certain diet or type of fasting. I believe in empowering you to make the best choices for your health. If you don’t see a particular way of eating as sustainable for you, then you are doing something temporary to get results that will go away as soon as you return to what you consider normal eating. You have the power to choose a sustainable way of eating that works for you.
The Structure of How We Eat
The structure of how we eat will be considering health and longevity first. Our physical appearance will be a by-product of our diet but not the primary driver of how it will be set up. In this way of eating, macronutrients and micronutrients are both considered important. No foods will be demonized. How we choose foods will be based on sustainability and a good, better, best way of thinking. A food choice might technically be the best option, but if it’s unsustainable for you to eat that way, then the better option of what you’re currently doing makes more sense than the best option you won’t stick to.
With health and longevity being the priority in this structure, whole, single-ingredient foods will be a priority. Whole foods provide all the things we need to be a more optimal human being. The amount of calories you get from these whole foods will help you achieve your goals of adding muscle or losing weight.
What About Processed Foods?
Does this mean we can’t have processed foods? Of course not. One of the main principles of this new eating structure is that it is sustainable year-round. Very few people could sustain a way of eating that never allowed for fun, less nutritious foods. We need to look at these foods as exactly that, fun foods. These foods fill more of a psychological need than a physiological need.
If you think back, what were generations doing back before obesity got to the levels it has now? Several of the foods we eat regularly now we save for a certain occasion. Maybe you had a pizza on Sunday night as a family or would grab fast food to celebrate your child’s baseball team getting a win. There are 1 million examples of times you can think we use less than nutritious food to celebrate or help enjoy a moment.
Now, these foods are a large part of how society eats daily. A large part of our new way of eating will be to not completely cut out or demonize these foods but instead put them in their place. With these foods being strategically placed in our way of eating, we can continue to prioritize health and longevity while adding the balance of keeping this diet sustainable.
Reframing How We Eat Isn’t Easy
Now, I know you may be thinking this sounds simple enough: eat whole foods and enjoy some fun foods occasionally. The problem is simple, but it doesn’t mean easy. This is why lifestyle and habit coaching is so valuable. Having someone who is not only knowledgeable but is detached from the situation helps make more logical, non-emotional decisions. We all know that in our own lives, we make decisions that we know aren’t the best for us, but we do them anyway. If a loved one told us about the same situation, we would give them better advice than what we chose for ourselves because we are less attached to the situation.
Healthy Lifestyle Coaching
If you would like coaching on lifestyle habits that would complement the healthcare you are getting, 1st Optimal has a membership for that! You will have a lifestyle coach that you have daily access to and weekly check-ins with.
Your lifestyle coach and the 1st Optimal team will work together to make you the most optimal version of yourself. Book a free call today and let your Membership Manager know you want to get started with the All In PT Membership.
