Solid Nutrition Can Be Simple

There are a lot of health and fitness "answers" I can't give you, because health and fitness is unique and personal. (Anyone promising definitive answers and results is probably making it up to sell stuff.)

One thing I can say with certainty, after 10 years trying to "get healthier" on my own and another 10 as a professional in the industry, is that most of us make things way too complicated.

Fitness and nutrition truly don't have to be complicated.

For the average person, there are not comprehensive lists of foods to eat and not eat. There are no hard and fast rules about when you should eat. There are no specific diets that are always "better" than others. There are no supplements that are magic bullets for all your health and nutrition needs.

When it comes to working out, there isn't a single workout that's going to immediately transform your fitness and physique (and in general, we should all do a range of different physical activities!) What works for one person might not be what another needs or prefers, and that doesn't mean either person is right or wrong or better than the other.

Too often, people want so desperately to improve their health, get fitter, or change their bodies that they get caught up in trying to find the "best" thing to do, and they end up missing the basics completely.

If you're:

• Avoiding fruit because there's "too much sugar" but also regularly consume refined sugars in soda and snack foods...

• Debating the nutritional value of a sweet potato vs. a white potato even though the only potatoes you've eaten recently have been of the deep fried and salted variety...

• Stressed about eating after 6, 7, or 8 pm, but you're not regularly eating a balance of food groups...

• Only eating certified non-GMO, organic, antibiotic-free, dye-free foods but you're also drinking alcohol or using unregulated supplements...

...you're focusing too much on the details and not enough on the main areas that will move the needle when it comes to your health.

I also consume soda, snack foods, fried potato goodness, and alcohol sometimes, for the record! Nutrition doesn't have to be all or nothing.

I use those as examples because they're common themes I hear from people who hyper-focus on details and drastic measures when there are simpler changes they could make that would be even more beneficial.

Solid nutrition doesn't have to be complicated. It doesn't have to mean only eating salads and unseasoned chicken and cooking everything at home. We can feed our bodies well in many different ways, if we know the main things to emphasize.

Most of us are not regularly staying hydrating and eating enough vegetables or protein.

Many adults who are actively training, especially those trying to lose weight, are following diets that are much too restrictive, which actually hinders progress.

Many people are regularly eating meals on-the-go, in cars, at desks, in front of the tv, and inadvertently overeating. On the flip side, some people who count calories or macros or follow specific diet rules have learned to override their body's cues and needs.

Good nutrition can be simple. It can also include fried, salty potatoes if that's your jam.

If you don't know where to start, or you have questions about what to eat and when and why, get in touch to set up a 1:1 coaching call with Justine: coachjustineh@gmail.com