Back to the Basics
In order to lay the cornerstone in a solid nutrition foundation, take a moment to walk through these four basic nutrition questions.
Throughout years of providing nutrition counseling for weight management, sport performance, or chronic disease, it seems everyone wants to begin by asking questions about nutrient timing, specific vitamins, supplements, or “miracle” foods that will remedy all ailments or improve exercise performance. This is the last area that needs to be addressed as part of a solid nutrition plan. In most cases, when you are just starting a plan to get leaner, increase fitness/performance, or improve health, you need to start from the bottom up. Without a solid nutrition foundation, all other considerations are a fruitless effort.
In order to lay the cornerstone in a solid nutrition foundation, take a moment to walk yourself through the following four questions. An honest review of these questions will help provide an organized approach to tackling your goals whether they are weight loss, performance, or improving your health:
- Quantity- How much are you eating?
- Pace and Place-How fast are you eating? Where are you eating?
- Quality-What are you eating?
- Reason-Why are you eating?
First: Let’s talk about Quantity.
Think back to how you felt after your last meal: were you uncomfortably stuffed? The goal when you finish eating is to feel satisfied, not stuffed, i.e. you don’t feel hungry anymore. If the food does not taste as good as it did when you first started, and your stomach feels bloated, you are beyond satisfied. The key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is really about paying attention to your body’s satiety (fullness) cues. Doing so will help control portion sizes. Nearly any food can fit into a healthy diet as long as you practice moderation.
Second: Pace and Place.
Now that you have started to listen to your body’s fullness cues, you can maximize those hunger cues by pacing yourself. There are numerous physical and hormonal signals that your body must send to the brain in order to realize you are full. For this reason, it takes our bodies about 20 minutes to recognize how full we are. If you finish your dinner in 10 minutes, you did not allow time for your brain to catch up with your stomach. In this case, you might realize 10 minutes after dinner that you ate too much. Too late! Pacing your meal will allow time for your body to realize how full you are. Try putting your fork down between bites, drinking water with your meal, and leaving time for good conversation. In addition, be aware of WHERE you are eating. Are you in front of the TV or computer? If so, you could be setting yourself up for gluttony. Numerous studies have shown that eating in front of the computer and/or TV is distracting and interferes with attention to fullness cues and the amount of food consumed. This lack of attention then translates into consuming excess calories. Plus, despite the caloric surplus, subjects in the studies still felt hungry and a lack of satiety (1-3). Not to mention too much time in front of either the TV or computer also generally decreases your energy expenditure. Bottom line, if you eat meals in front of either your TV or computer, you are going to eat more and potentially exercise less. That is a recipe for a weight gain disaster!
Third: WHAT you are eating.
Does your meal include a drive-thru window or opening a package and microwaving it? If so, consider a trip to the grocery store, and this time, aim to purchase most of your foods from the outside perimeter. The outside perimeter of the grocery store has fresh produce, proteins, and starches. The center isles are full of ready-to-eat, packaged, and processed goods loaded with sodium, fat and ingredients you can’t even begin to pronounce on the label. A good rule of thumb is, if the product has more than five ingredients or you can’t read the ingredients without pulling out a dictionary, don’t eat it! Fresh, whole foods on the perimeter are generally filled with nutrients and fiber. These foods pack a good punch to fuel workouts, help you feel full quickly, and for a longer period of time. Again, we are playing into your body’s satiety cues.
Fourth: It’s time to look at WHY you are eating.
Now you’ve got it all down. You are eating at the dinner table without the TV on and your portions of fresh, whole foods are looking great…but maybe you are still not seeing the results you are hoping for. It’s time to look at WHY you are eating. Are you actually hungry? Is it possible you might be eating because you are stressed, bored, or because the people around you are eating? If you find yourself eating out of boredom or stress, you are likely taking in extra, unnecessary calories. Not to mention, people often reach for the junk food during these times. It is important to reflect on the “mood behind the food” before you start “stuffin’ that muffin!”
Once you’ve mastered these four steps, you will be on your way to having a solid nutrition foundation. Remember, consistency is key. It’s a marathon, not a sprint! Cuing into satiety signals when eating fresh, whole foods is important. With that being said, do not forget to allow yourself a treat here and there…just listen to your body when you do.
Focusing on the building blocks of your nutrition foundation before dabbling in the details is essential. All of the nutrient timing strategy or supplements will not make up for diet filled with poor quality food or binges. Variety, balance, and moderation…
Try this recipe to get started with an easy whole food meal. Bon appétit!
Recipe: Sweet Potato Hash
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or olive oil)
- 2 medium sweet potatoes or yams, diced into 1/2" cubes (leave the skin on)
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic or 2 tsp of garlic paste
- 1/3 cup beef or vegetable broth
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 2 turkey sausages (look for lean varieties, nitrate-free) or for a meat-less Monday consider 2 Tofurky Italian Sausages (You can find this at Sprouts near the almond and soy milk) or Tempeh. Both are delicious and are worth a try instead of the meat!
- 1-2 bags of organic spinach (6-10 cups)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Directions:
- In a large skillet, heat coconut oil or olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion, garlic, broth and sweet potatoes. Sauté for 10 minutes.
- Add the sausage and bell pepper. Cook until sausage starts to brown and sweet potatoes are slightly soft.
- Cover and continue simmering for another 10 minutes (or until the potatoes are soft). Stir frequently!
- When the potatoes and meat are just about done, add the whole bag of spinach. Stir the spinach to combine with the other ingredients. The steam/heat from the cooking will wilt the spinach. Keep stirring until all of the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes.
- Season with ground black pepper and a pinch of salt.
*In pictured entrée, I used sweet potatoes and tempeh.
References:
- Stroebele N, de Castro JM. Television watching is associated with an increase in meal frequency in humans. Appetite 2004;42:111–3.
- Bellisle F, Dalix AM, Slama G. Non food-related stimuli induce increased meal intake in healthy women: comparison of television viewing versus listening to a recorded story in laboratory settings. Appetite 2004;43:175–80.
- Oldham-Cooper RE, Hardman CA, Nicoll CE, Rogers PJ, Brunstrom JM: Playing a computer game during lunch affects fullness, memory for lunch, and later snack intake. Am J Clin Nutr 2011, 93(2): 308-313
Copyright ©2014 Margaux Neveu All Rights Reserved.
