Eating the right foods at the right times and in the right ways is one of the best ways to get the most out of your health and nutrition programme.
Once you are a Club Member and complete your Nutrition Checkup, you will be able to work out the foods and recipes that are best for you. You will be able to create simple meal plans that are tailored to you. In addition, in the club there are hundreds of ready made meal plans for you to choose from with shopping lists to make things really easy.
By taking a good, hard, honest look at what you actually put into your body. Write it all down and you will see. When you sign up for the Personal Health Profile or the Monthly membership, we provide you with the tools to create a Food and Beverage Diary for our analysis.
Many people convince themselves that they eat a healthy diet, when the reality is somewhat different. If you think you eat really well, see if this typical exchange between a new client and myself rings any bells.
Here’s how the play goes:
Gillian: Hi, nice to meet you.
Client: Hello, it’s great to be here.
Gillian: Let’s talk about your food. Do you eat well?
Client: Pretty well.
Gillian: And how do you feel?
Client: I’m bloated, tired and I just don’t seem to have much energy. I get jittery, suffer from headaches, sweet cravings, mood swings, stress and insomnia. I just don’t feel very healthy.
Gillian: Well, how would you evaluate your food intake?
Client: I think it’s okay. Like everybody, I have my blips now
and again.
Gillian: Give me an example of a blip.
Client: I like chocolate now and again.
Gillian: How much chocolate?
Client: Just a little piece of chocolate each day.
Gillian: Let’s cut out the dance here. Be straight with me. I need to know, how many bars of chocolate are you eating each day?
Client: On average two, unless I feel really ratty, then it might be more, especially during my period. So maybe three or four a day plus 2-4 bags of crisps. And I like cakes but only 1 or 2 cupcakes, so not that many and 2 doughnuts if it is a special day.
Gillian: Please may I see your Food Diary?
Client: Fine. But it’s not been a typical week. I really don’t eat that much chocolate and cakes, doughnuts or crisps or junk food. This week was an exception. It was an off – week. Not normal. Really!
I look at the Food Diary and I am shocked by the sheer number of chocolate bars, cakes and junky food that this woman is eating on a regular, daily basis. No wonder she’s suffering. But she’s taken the all-important first step towards making a positive change and she’ll soon know how good it feels to leave those headaches and cravings.
My point here is to illustrate that many people, when they meet me for the first time, tell me that they eat a good, healthy diet. Most think or say they eat healthy foods, almost like a trained, autopilot response. In reality though, when I start to delve further, I often find that it is not so healthy after all, and then I get to the honest truth. There is often very little correlation between the first utterance of ‘I eat healthily’ to the practical reality.
Nutrition menu planning is learning what to eat and drink (as well as when) for optimal health and wellbeing. Once you master the technique and create good habits, the possibilities for your mind and body are exponential.
A new general menu plan is provided each week with a suggested shopping list. If you have signed up for the Personal Health Profile, then you will receive suggestions pertaining to your unique analysis. You also have access to a Nutritionist for any follow up queries and support for a entire year.
If you are buying any packaged foods, it is a good idea to learn how to understand labels.
The food label is a reliable, accurate, user-friendly source of valuable nutritional information. What you learn from reading and comparing food labels will help you to avoid ingredients and additives that may not be good for you. Knowledge leads to empowerment and better choices.
There are literally thousands of man-made chemicals added to our food supply today. Our bodies are not designed to break down and digest so many chemicals and food additives. Be aware of the types of chemicals and food additives you are consuming. Some additives in our food have been linked to a variety of health problems including headaches, fatigue and allergies. Learn to read labels if you are including packaged foods in your dietary intake.
The Personal Health Profile is the best way to access 1 on 1 support.
There is ongoing support from out Nutrition team.