New to Nutrition? Here’s Where to Start.

Do you ever have days that feel like they were placed in front of you as a 24-hour sign from above that you’re on to something? I’m not talking about the days when everything goes right. I’m talking about the days that make you feel like you have 2 times the energy you did yesterday, the days that feel like a burst of light saying “you’re meant to do this”.

Yesterday was that day for me. It was by no means perfect. I was poured on, I paid the DMV $176 to let me hang out, I got a flat tire in the rain, I got slightly lost in a town I’m not at all familiar with. But yesterday something clicked. I made some big life decision yesterday that have me feeling super driven today. I registered to further my education and coaching skills in a way that I think will change my life, and hopefully hundreds of other lives as well.

Today, I’m left feeling powerful.

But enough about me. We’re here for you.

So you’re new to nutrition and you want to know, “Where do I start?”.

My answer might surprise you. I’m not going to tell you to cut carbs, or stop drinking alcohol, or cut out all desserts. Instead, I’m going to tell you to ADD.

If you’re just getting started with nutrition, your first step is to fill in the gaps.

Before you start removing anything from your diet you should make sure that you are getting everything that you need.

Modern life and modern diets are not conducive to optimal nutrition or optimal living. You’re busy with a million things on your mind, surrounded by everyday stresses that your body was not designed to deal with.

80% of people live with at least 1 nutrient deficiency and the thing is, your body can’t thrive without the nutrients it needs. And here’s the kicker: you might not know what it’s like to operate at 100%!

A fully nourished body moves well, focuses well, sleeps well, digests well, protects itself well, recovers well, has a healthy libido, stays energized…

It’s up to you to take ownership of that. Here’s how.

Discover Your Nutritional Deficiencies

Knowing where to start is the best first step you can take. The simplest way to find out what you’ve been missing is to track what you eat on a daily basis. Keep a food journal – use a notebook or a free, online tracker like MyFitnessPal – for 2-3 of weeks. If you’re unsure of your ability to keep an accurate log of what you eat, or of your ability to find what’s missing, ask a professional to help you.

The top culprits missing from most diets: water, protein, healthy fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.

Keep a food journal for a couple of weeks. Go beyond the basic “1 cup of this, 1/2 a slice of that”. Track how you feel. If you eat whole grains 3-4 times a week and track how you feel after those meals, you might find that your stomach is upset every single time. You might discover that you’re body doesn’t digest certain grains, or dairy or soy products very well. That’s pertinent information that you can use later.

Fill in the Gaps

As soon as you know what’s missing, you can start to fill in the nutritional gaps. In general the solution comes in the form of whole foods and water.

If you look at your food journal and realize that there are days when you barely drink 8 ounces of water (but guzzle 3 tall coffees), that’s a red flag. A water deficiency is an easy gap to fill. Buy yourself a high-quality water bottle, keep it full and track your intake daily until 80 ounces becomes second nature. I’ve been enamored with my Hydroflask for years (especially with the straw lid), and totally recommend them – especially in the new colors!

If your food journal tells you that you only eat protein at dinner time, decide where protein can fit into the rest of your day. Hard-boiled eggs, Greek yogurt and protein shakes are all great grab-an-go ideas to increase your protein intake.

If you notice that you get 1, maybe 2 servings of fruits/veggies per day, it’s time to raid the produce department. If that seems unfeasible, green supplements are a great tool to fill in the gap. See my favorite greens supplement below!

When it Might be Time to Supplement

I’m a huge proponent of filling in your nutritional gaps with real foods. That being said, sometimes real food just don’t work with the time you have. I have clients who live alone and juggle careers, pets, needy families, dating and their health all on their own. If that’s you, it might not be feasible to prepare balanced, nutritious meals for all occasions!

That’s where supplements can step in to give you a leg up. Not all supplements are made equally. Always take the time to determine the quality of the supplement you are using – who makes it? What’s in it? What’s not in it?

Green Supplements

Good green supplements are blends of a variety of fruits and vegetables, grasses, herbs and sometimes unusual ingredients like sea flora, mushrooms and exotic spices. The goal of a good green supplement is to provide you with a nutrient-dense, easily portable health package loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other natural nutrients you might not get otherwise, even if you do eat tons of local produce! The best green supplements digest easily and are readily absorbed into your system.

I feel comfortable at this point telling you that I take a green supplement daily, called Opti Greens-50 from the company 1st Phorm. I’m a veg-head and adore salads but I take at least 1 scoop of this every single morning. I like the idea that I’m covering all of my bases, and that these nutrients are getting easy access into my blood stream because my stomach is empty. Plus, Opti Greens provides me with nutrient-dense foods, like Spirulina, Alfalfa, wild elderberries and probiotics that I can’t find in my local grocery store.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids play an integral role in your body, and most people don’t consume nearly enough of them (you can find them in whole foods like fatty fish, spinach, walnuts, flax and chia). Omega-3s enhance your immune system and improve joint health, they increase brain health, cardiovascular function and decrease symptoms of depression. Finding a high-quality Omega-3 and taking it consistently will help to improve your body’s ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6. That ratio should hover around 1:1, but the modern diet pushes that ratio to something more like 1:20!

Protein Shakes

Not to sound like a broken record, but quality matters. And though yes, eating lean protein in the form of chicken, fish, beans, etc. is ideal, you don’t always have access to a good source. Having a back up plan ensures that you’ll never go all day, or finish a hard workout, without protein to fuel your body and help your muscles recover.

There is one time when I do recommend a protein shake over real, whole foods and that’s right after your workout. After a tough workout, your body is depleted of nutrients and it’s important, no matter what your goal is, to replenish. A shake with protein and carbohydrates is the ultimate refuel in this situation.

If you’re brand new to this world of nutrition (welcome!), or you feel like you’ve been off track (I get you), hopefully you can use these steps and tools to find where to take control. Taking charge can make all the difference!

 

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