Sustainable Nutrition to Meet Your Goals

Sustainable nutrition is crucial for achieving your goals. How many times have you struggled with your diet, constantly switching between being good and bad? It's time to eliminate the notion of labeling foods as good or bad, healthy or unhealthy, and being on or off a diet. We need an approach that aligns with our individual goals and can adapt as we change over time. First of all having a very strong goal/value on your health /wellbeing/fitness endeavour will directly correlate to your nutrition choices so first and foremost it's so important to establish this. Once those goals and values are firmly established I believe in three criteria that must be met for a sustainable nutrition approach:

1. Our nutrition should fulfill our health requirements, both physically and mentally. This means not depriving ourselves of foods we enjoy.
2. Our nutrition should support our specific goals. Since everyone's goals are different, their nutritional needs will also vary.
3. It should be enjoyable. If you don't find pleasure in the way you eat, you won't be motivated to stick to it.

These criteria align similar to your training. Initially, you need to learn about nutrition and understand what your body needs for optimal health. This includes understanding the importance of macronutrients and their roles in our bodies, learning about energy balance, and knowing the nutritional value of different foods. Once you have a solid understanding and have established nutritional habits that work for you, you can customize your nutrition to align with your specific goals.

Having a foundational knowledge of nutrition is essential. It allows you to make informed changes to your diet that benefit your overall well-being and goals. Just like attempting to lift a heavy barbell without prior  experience can lead to injury, diving into complex nutritional strategies or diet approaches without basic knowledge can have negative consequences and set you back again and again. Start with the basics and gradually progress towards more advanced approaches that suit your needs. 

Remember, like your training enjoyment is key. If you don't find pleasure in your nutrition, it won't be sustainable in the long run. Be open to trying new foods and experimenting to find what works best for you, record this data and learn from it! This may be tough to begin with and may take some time but eventually if you work to these three criteria your nutrition will be far more sustainable. If you're uncertain, consider seeking guidance from a qualified nutritionist or coach with expertise in this area.