Advice on what you should and shouldn’t eat is easy to find. There is always some group telling you to change some aspect of your diet in order to live a healthier life. They tout benefits like; more energy, better mood, healthier weight and/or mental and emotional clarity. The only problem is that most of these plans contradict each other, meaning you can’t follow all of them. So which one do you choose?
There are two things to consider when putting together a nutrition plan, reality and your goals. Consider what your actual needs are, this is looking at reality. Once you know your reality, then you can set goals and plan steps to get there.
A bodybuilder will have different nutrition needs than a couch potato and a man will have different nutrition needs than a woman. Understanding your body’s needs will guide you to better nutrition. Develop a nutrition plan that supports your current activity.
Considering your goals will help you know how to evolve your nutrition over time as you get closer to achieving your goal. If your goal is to run a marathon but today you can’t run more than 100 yards without taking a break, then you should not be consuming the carbs and calories required to run a marathon. Eating like that will make your goal harder to achieve because you will be carrying more weight when you run. Your nutrition plan should scale with your activity.