On Thursday night we talked about many many habits that we can change. Some of you had questions about nutrition and I tended to put them off, saying we will talk about nutrition another week. I didn't have time to go into detail about it then, but I feel like it deserves an explanation. So here it is! :)
I am a registered dietitian. I love nutrition. I love talking about nutrition. I think it is fascinating and important. However, I think discussions about what is "best," or "good," or "bad" distract us from making the habit changes we most desperately need.
As we set goals on Thursday, almost every one of you picked a goal (knowing that you were supposed to pick one that you felt most important to you) that had to do with planning and the logistics of being healthy. Not about specific food items or heavy nutrition topics. The most common answers? Not skipping meals. Making more meals at home. Exercising more regularly. That tells me something. It says that the biggest thing standing between you and your goal is simply habits and logistics - not so much finding what to do, but figuring out a way to do it.
Most people know three or four habit changes just off the top of their heads that they would like to make for their health. They may not know the intricacies of nutrition and what maybe the "ideal diet" would be, but they know the basics, especially if they allow themselves to listen to their intuition. I personally, would rather take the time the first few weeks to get them started on those most important changes to make, and then down the road, substituting more healthy choices will seem like a breeze in comparison!
There is a lot of noise regarding nutrition. Someone on Thursday said she heard back-to-back reports, one promoting quinoa's health benefits, and the other saying it was harmful. All you have to do is glance at pinterest or facebook and you are bombarded with information and opinions about what you should or shouldn't eat. It can be overwhelming and confusing. I have a degree in it, and it can still be confusing at times, even for me!
The problem comes when we allow that confusion to act as a crutch that prevents us from action. Sometimes it is tempting, even subconsciously, to say, "Well, I don't know whether meat/paleo/gluten-free/plant-based diets are good or bad for me. I'll just wait to make changes until I figure this out." Unfortunately, there are ALWAYS fad diets and people pushing their nutrition advice out there! They never stop! If you have that mindset, you will never act.
If you sit back and really think about it, though, you will realize that you know more than you think you do. You know that you should be eating consistently. You know that you should probably be eating more vegetables. Or exercising more. Or trying to plan and make meals more often. When you refuse to be paralyzed by the fear of doing something wrong, you realize that, even if you don't have all the answers, you DO know enough to start!
I really truly know that it is confusing and frustrating to feel adrift in the sea of information, and I don't want to leave you without a compass. That is definitely not my intention. These first few sessions we will talk about making logistical changes, but while we do that, I will be writing some blog posts covering the basic tenets of nutritition to help guide your steps. We will also have an in-depth nutrition night where we can really get into some more of the details, but this will not be until towards the end of this particular session of workshops.
If you have specific questions, please email them to me, or comment on our facebook page, and I will be sure to either address them immediately, or cover them at our nutrition night. You know more about your body than you think. It is often the reliance on diets and outside prescriptions about what to eat that make us mistrust our own instincts about feeding ourselves. Trust that voice inside, and take the steps that will best help you to get where you want to be. Most people at least know the first step or two, and sometimes that is just the jump start you need!
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