Food is FUEL
Clients ask us all the time what they should be eating to help with their weight loss / fitness journeys. Most people are concerned with calories, fat and "low-carb" diets, but we’d love to shift this thought-process to one where we consider nutritious, whole foods, to give our bodies what they require. Don’t think of food as an indulgence or as an enemy, think of it as fuel.
Ask yourself, why do I eat what I eat?
So you're hungry, and it's time to eat... but what actually governs what you put into your body? And be honest! Is it convenience (fast-food)? Is it money (Kraft Dinner)? Is it habit (Tim Horton’s)? Is it your taste buds calling the shots (hmm, let’s see, ketchup chips, burgers, brownies, poutine etc.)? Or how about the inescapable sugar cravings (and this is almost every pre-packaged food in your grocery store, laced with any 1 of the 61 names used for sugar on food labels)?
Well the fundamental reason humans need to eat, is to FUEL our bodies. So why not give our body what it actually needs? And no, we’re not talking about trans-fats, aspartame, food colouring or high-fructose corn syrup. We’re talking about water, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean cuts of meat (if you eat meat), good fats and whole grains.
There are 6 essential nutrients the body needs to function: protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, mineral and water. We source these nutrients through the food we eat, which is why making good food choices is so important. It is our hope that having a better understanding of the nutrients your body requires, will motivate you to eat with purpose, especially before and after your workouts. Check out our blog post: The Big 6, to learn everything you need to know about these essential nutrients.
We often hear "I eat well most of the time", but what worries us most, is that today’s food industry is not conducive to “eating well” at all; it's all about pre-packaged convenience foods that CLAIM to be healthy, although they are packed full of artificial, over-processed ingredients, sweeteners, preservatives and food colourings that aren't real food at all! Most of these fake ingredients are some form of sugar, that will cause us to gain fat, even if the label reads “low-fat” or “diet”. For more on this, and the even scarier side-effects of over-processed food ingredients, check out: 7 Worst Ingredients in Food.
So don't obsess with calories. Eat nutrient-rich whole foods that your body needs and you will be amazed to see how much better you function as a human being. And of course there will always be exceptions, (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, drinks with friends, stressful days at work, etc...) but try to eat "clean" the majority of the time, and enjoy benefits like fresh flavours, shrinking waist lines, clearer skin, clearer minds, increased energy, better sleep and better health!