Personal nutrition plans come in various forms, and one size definitely does not fit all. Some foods and food combinations will make me feel great, but will leave you feeling low on energy… and vice versa.
You need to acknowledge this and take action so you fill your body with foods you respond well to. Foods that aren’t right for you can hinder your weight loss efforts, among other things. Your body will respond negatively to these foods via symptoms such as pain and bloating after eating.
This will make secondary functions, such as burning body fat, more difficult. The best personal nutrition plan is exactly that—personal. It should be all about YOU.
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Start with a dietary recall
It can be helpful to record in a food diary what you eat and how you feel directly after eating it, and throughout the day. Note if you feel full or bloated, what your energy feels like, or if your stomach is sore.
This can be a great first step towards creating a personal nutrition plan because it helps you become aware of what foods your body responds well to.
What is your body telling you?
Symptoms such as pain and bloating signal to your body that something wasn’t quite right with that meal. Was there a type of food in the meal that your body personally didn’t like?
Maybe you have a sensitivity to mushrooms, for example, and eating them causes your stomach to get sore and bloated. This means your digestive system works harder to process the food you eat.
Over time, as you begin to eat more intuitively, you may find that a specific meal planner or diet planner isn’t necessary.
Discover mindful eating
Mindful eating requires you to slow down and take note of what you’re putting in your mouth! Have you ever sat in front of the TV with a meal and suddenly realized you had finished, only to wonder where it all went?!
This is basically the opposite of mindful eating. You were on ‘autopilot,’ and the food went in without you even tasting it. It’s easy to overeat with this method.
What food combinations are right for YOUR personal nutrition plan?
Maybe you have eaten a combination of foods that doesn’t quite work for your body. You need a good mix of the macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat), but that mix is slightly different for everyone.
Do you feel good after eating a meal that is relatively high in fat? What about one that is high in carbohydrates? Protein? What ratios are optimal for you?
[Find out here whether carbs are bad for weight loss].
Everyone is different when it comes to personal nutrition requirements
Your optimal nutrition ratios probably aren’t the same ones that are right for me! So start listening to your body and put together the right foods and the right amounts of each to benefit your unique self.
Perhaps it is tricky for you to figure out which foods are right for your personal nutrition plan. Writing down your responses to food should help you identify what foods are causing problems for you. From there, consider taking a break from these foods for a few weeks, and see how differently you feel.
Try food substitutions
This shouldn’t be about deprivation, but about substituting something else that provides similar nutrition. For example, if you think dairy might be causing you problems, try swapping to dairy-free alternatives such as almond milk, coconut milk, and nut-based cheeses.
You could also consider getting food sensitivity testing, which will provide a detailed analysis of the foods causing you problems.
There are answers to ongoing pain and discomfort from eating food, and this type of testing could really help you gain some clarity. Remember that getting your diet right will help you progress toward your weight loss goals.
Is food sensitivity testing the same as food allergy testing?
Food sensitivity testing checks for food intolerances, which are different from food allergies. Both can produce unfavorable symptoms related to foods that don’t agree with you, but food allergies are usually more severe.
Food allergies are linked to the immune system, whereas food intolerances are not. Your body would fight a food allergy similarly to how it fights a virus.
If you suspect you have a food allergy, it is essential to get tested. Check out healthlabs.com for a range of food allergy, vitamin, and nutritional testing, as well as other comprehensive health tests.
Use a holistic coach or nutritionist to help you with your own personal nutrition plan
Search for ‘nutritionists near me’ if you’d like an expert to create a specific personal nutrition plan.
Nutritionists and dieticians can offer meal plans and recipes to help you with specific goals.
Maybe you want to lose weight or have someone lay out a specific eating plan that takes your food preferences into account. In this case, talk with a nutritionist.
Otherwise, you could work with a health coach. Holistic health coaches can help you analyze your own dietary recall and take action. First, they’ll make sure you’re covering the basics.
This includes eating nourishing whole foods and including all the macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats). They’ll ensure any action steps fit in with your lifestyle and goals.
A decent health coach will hold you accountable and tweak your plan until you find something that works for you.
Not quite ready for a nutritionist or holistic health coach?
If you’re not quite ready for that, perhaps you’d like to check out other posts from my healthy eating or weight loss blog categories.
You might want to start by making a list of healthy grocery items. You’ll also want to understand when healthy food choices are overrated.
Happy reading! Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
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