Need help making your 2012 Nutrition Resolutions?

guest — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:49:13 GMT

'Tis the season for nutrition resolutions. My advice is: be realistic!

I have a lot of clients who resolve to eat the perfect sports diet (no sugar, white flour, red meat, processed foods, etc.). These are the same athletes who then scold themselves for “cheating” when they eat a cookie or “being bad” if they sneak a French fry. Sometimes they let their bodies become ravenously hungry because “there was nothing healthy to eat” at an event. Somehow eating a white bagel would negate all other efforts to choose whole grain foods.

As you make your New Year’s Nutrition Resolutions, I suggest you think about enjoying a diet that averages out to be at least 90% “quality calories” and about 10% “whatever.” That is, you need not eat a perfect diet to have a good diet. And remember: there are times when eating any food is better than eating nothing. (Yes, getting “too hungry” is abusive. Don’t do that!) On the afternoon when you get stuck without any trail mix or "healthy" snacks, I’d rather see you munch on a candy bar than abuse your body with lack of fuel.

What are your New Year's Nutrition Resolutions? Are they sustainable?

With best wishes for a 2012 filled with enjoyable meals and balanced food choices,

Nancy

For help learning how to choose a balanced diet, refer to Chapter 1 in my Sports Nutrition Guidebook.

Blog Posts From Active Expert: Nancy Clark RD CSSD Tagged With nutrition_resolutions

Need help making your 2012 Nutrition Resolutions?