Nutrition can be the last thing on our list of priorities. As women in general and in business, we excel at pushing ourselves daily. Aiming to
continually
get more out of ourselves to achieve in career, family life and sports.
Yet, when it comes to
adequately
fuelling all these endeavours to maximise performance, a lot of us fall short
.
Whether your new year brings new resolutions or goals.
Or whether
simply
increasing your energy levels, daily recovery and health would be a great result, nutrition is an essential component
.
So why is this critical part often less than ideal?
Usually it isn’t intentional.
We may have super tight time constraints, a life that doesn’t lend itself to balance or being
just
too overwhelmed to know where to start
.
With these life pressures and
being bombarded
with confused social media pressures, who can
really
tell whether sugar free, clean eating, paleo, lchf, gluten free or dairy free are better
!?
With this in mind, let’s prioritise what to ADD in, rather than REMOVE.
This is a much more enjoyable and sustainable way to master your nutrition without restricting your intake
.
Ensure Adequate Energy
Before you start,
it is essential
that you have enough energy to meet your daily demands. Our body will aim to conserve energy if we aren’t eating enough. It does not help cover the costs of daily living, growth and any activity we do. This means lowering our metabolism and making it difficult to kick your daily goals.
Restricting intake over the day may start off well but also may lead to hunger cravings in the afternoon.
Not meeting energy needs also has more serious health effects.
It can disrupt hormones, such as cortisol and oestrogen, leading to negative impacts on menstruation, bone density and muscle mass
.
Focus on Adding in Veggies
If you are someone who only sneaks in veggies at dinner, it is unlikely that you are meeting your nutrition targets
. And it is likely you are choosing more energy dense foods instead. Before you start taking things out, focus on adding in veggies first. You can do this at all meals, but it is easiest to first do it at dinner before mastering it at lunch and breakfast.
At dinner, serve up your veggies first. Aim for half the plate to
be taken
up by veggies. From there, you can fill the rest with your carbohydrates, proteins and fat options.
For example, a plate of Spaghetti Bolognese with a side of garlic bread is a meal we wouldn’t think twice about. But it is all energy dense foods – particularly if you haven’t been moving much that day. Instead, fill half the plate with a salad, then put the Spaghetti Bolognese on the remaining half.
You still get to enjoy the spagetti bolohnese but you have
significantly
increased your veggie
portion
and balanced your energy intake
.
Once you are in a habit of including veggies at dinner, you can then move onto your lunch. Taking things step-by-step with habit based change is definitely the way to go!
Protein – it isn’t just about the amount
Make sure you don’t underestimate the importance of good quality protein.
Most of us get adequate protein through our usual intake without the need for supplements
.
However
, what a lot of us fail to do
is spread
protein serves
evenly
over the day. We only absorb so much of protein at one time. So if you are having most of your protein all in one meal, you will not actually be using/absorbing that full
portion
. A lot of that goodness gets lost to the toilet!
Instead, it is best to aim to have smaller portions of protein more
regularly
over the day.
In spreading protein out
evenly
, you will be able to utilise it more
effectively
, recover better and become satiated after meals and snacks
.
Hydration is Key
Adding adequate fluid in per day will make so many parts of achieving health and increased energy easier
. Although the 8 glasses per day is a good guide, it is a bit of a well spread myth.
Instead, fluid intake should
be guided by
your individual needs along with the environment
. For example, activity level or breastfeeding.
Providing your body with adequate hydration will assist in regulating your appetite and fullness
. It will improve energy levels and recovery. Unless you are super active, plain water is
absolutely
fine. The natural electrolytes in your meals and snacks will assist you in absorbing the water. Even aiming for a glass of water at each meal and snack, you will be well on the way to achieving your hydration goals.
As you can see, by
slowly
focusing on small nutrition habits added to your daily routine, there is less room for the convenience options that may come in
.
Enjoying food and not limiting intake will ensure that the changes you make are enjoyable, achievable and much more sustainable
.
About Alicia
Alicia Edge is an Advanced Sports Dietitian with an online sports nutrition business, Compeat Nutrition. She is also a mum and athlete that formed her company with the goal of achieving a flexible career that suited family life. Advice extends beyond the basics and is focused upon providing effective and achievable nutrition for performance in all daily life and career goals
-->