THE PRINCIPLES OF GOOD NUTRITION

What is good for you? What’s not?

Should you eat red meat? Should you avoid it?

What about pasta? Or even gluten, for that matter?

Sugar? A cupcake has sugar in it….but so does a banana.

When it comes to healthy eating and nutrition, we all want direct and specific answers. I know I do. But the reality is, there is still a LOT about nutrition we don’t know. Studies have been conducted over the last hundred or so years, but then a new study comes along and overturns the previous information (think margarine and trans-fats).

But there are still 5 generally accepted principles of nutrition that most members of the scientific community agree on.

Calories In vs Calories Out Determines What You Will Weigh. 

There are MANY factors that determine exactly HOW those calories are going to work in your body: appetite, food consumed, psychological factors like stress and sleep, how calories are absorbed; along with calories burned at rest, during exercise, while digesting food, and activities outside of exercising. 

These factors vary from person to person, but at their core the calories you consume and the calories you burn are going to determine how much you weigh.

It’s Important to Get Protein Right. 

Two main reasons why: 

A.) It helps you stay fuller for longer. 

B.) Makes it easier to build and maintain muscle, as well as producing important molecules like hormones, neurotransmitters, enzymes, and anti-bodies.

The More a Food is Processed, The More the Nutrient Density Decreases. 

Whole foods contain more Macro and Micro Nutrients than processed foods. The refinement of whole foods into more convenient and palatable foods strips away the most valuable nutrients and replaces them with empty calories that don’t properly nourish your body.

Fruits and Vegetables Reduce the Risk of Diseases. 

Fruits and Vegetables are LOADED with vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants. Eat lots of them, eat a variety, and eat them OFTEN!

Sleep Plays a Greater Role in Your Health and Nutrition Than You Think. 

When you’re chronically sleep deprived, your body has a much harder time regulating specific hormones related to hunger and appetite, like ghrelin and leptin. You also crave sweets more when you’re tired, and you don’t move or exercise as much.

Beyond these 5 key principles, there are a lot of unknown factors when it comes to nutrition, most of them boiling down to who you are and what are your goals, which makes it difficult to give hard and fast nutrition rules. Then factors like age, body composition, budget, food preferences, overall health, personal beliefs, and social interactions come into play.

But if you’re looking for some basic guidelines to improve your eating habits and nutrition, this is a great place to start.