Why Nutrition is the Most Important Factor to Your Health Goals

Nutrition is the one of the biggest (if not the single most important) factors to how people look and feel. This is also true when it comes to a person’s fitness and health goals.

When some people want to make changes on their body, things like getting thinner, stronger, more muscular, etc.. a lot of thought goes into questions like:

How long should I work out?

What type of work outs should I do?

Which supplements should I take?

Will I be ready for the summer? 

While some of these questions may be important, the nutrition aspect is sometimes pushed in the back of thought which can harm the person if they are not careful.

What people choose to eat as fuel for their body will determine how some people can achieve their fitness goals.

Think of your body as a car that has a recommendation to only use premium gas. The right fuel for the car will have it perform at its most optimal level. However, if you put fuel that is not necessarily meant for it (i.e. regular gas), the car will eventually start to underperform and eventually develop problems that will cost quite a bit of money.

What does nutrition bring to the table?

The food and drinks we put into our body provide us two things, nutrients, and calories. Nutrients are in three(ish) forms: macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and protein), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and water. Calories are the amount of energy we get from food that comes from our macronutrients.

One of the easiest ways to determine if the foods and drinks you consume are healthier foods or “sometimes foods” is by judging how many nutrients you are getting vs. the amount of calories. If foods are higher in vitamins and/or minerals and doesn’t contain too high of calories, in most cases it is referred to as a “nutrient dense food” or a healthy food. On the other hand, if foods are high in calories but offers little to no vitamins and minerals it is often a “sometimes food”. You may also hear “sometimes foods” referred to as “empty calories” or “junk food”.

Carbohydrates (Carbs)

Carbs are the body’s most preferred source of energy. With that, it is recommended that individuals include more carb sources in their diet compared to protein and fat sources. That being said, not all carbs are the same.

To keep it simple, carbs can be broken down into two groups: simple carbs and complex carbs.

Simple carbs are foods that digest quick in the body as they only have one or two sugar chains (monosaccharide and disaccharide) which allows the body to use process it quickly in some instances. Fruits, certain vegetables, dairy products, and certain grains are example of healthier simple carbs.

Not all simple carbs are healthy, however.  Many refined sugars and carbohydrates like white bread, pizza dough, refined pasta, pastries, white flour, white rice, sweet desserts, candy, and many breakfast cereals spike blood sugar levels and have many nutrients removed. Consuming many of these types of carbohydrates are linked to many health problems like weight gain, diabetes, increased risk of stroke and so on.

It is often said that all simple carbs are best to be avoided, however they are perfectly fine if more of the healthier ones are consumed like fruits. Simple carbs actually have better benefit to the body when doing certain activities pre and post like exercising.

Complex carbs are foods that digest more slowly in the body as they have longer chains of simple sugars. Complex carbs are said to be healthier than simple carbs because they carry much more nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein. Some sources of complex carbs include starchy vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, and whole grain foods. Because complex carbs offer more nutritional value, they are often recommended as a majority source of carbohydrates for all stages of a person’s health and fitness journey. This does not mean it should only be the only source as some simple carb sources like fruits and some vegetables provide great nutritional value as well.

Fat

Dietary fat gets a lot of bad rep when it pertains to the overall health of an individual, but it is actually an essential nutrient for optimal health. Fat physiologically provides a lot of benefits for the body like protecting organs, storing energy, storing nutrients, as well as produce or store hormones throughout the body. Fats are even the bodies most preferred source of energy when doing long periods of aerobic exercises like long forms of cardio.

Just like carbohydrates, the body does need fat in order for it to function at an optimal level. When choosing fat sources, foods that higher in unsaturated fat are healthier choices compared to foods higher in saturated fat. Doing so will lower LDL levels of cholesterol which is linked to reducing cardiovascular disease and other health risks.

Some food sources higher in unsaturated fat include: avocados, nuts/seeds, oils like olive oil or canola, fatty fish, and peanut butter.

Some foods higher in saturated fat include: pizza, butter, whole milk products, and red meat.

Protein

Protein is often seen as the nutrient that helps build strong muscles which is true, but protein is much more than that. Protein is needed to help keep your body growing, maintained, and repaired, meaning it is essential to the creation of new cells in your body. Half of the protein ingested doesn’t even go to the body’s muscles.

Protein is also often associated with meats as people tend to think that it comes mainly from animal sources. The problem with this thinking is that only getting protein from animal sources like red meats can increase saturated fat intake which can lead to some health problems.

Protein also comes in the form of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy sources. Excellent protein sources that come from plants-based foods include tofu, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, dark leafy vegetables, peas, brown rice, quinoa, and soy milk.

When it comes to the typical western diet, people tend to get enough protein in a relatively sedentary lifestyle. This can even be said with individuals who live an active lifestyle, but the protein requirements will need to be higher.

Water

It’s no secret that water is the most important thing when it comes to nutrition. Water and fluids are essential to keep the body hydrated and at the right temperature. Water does not only help with hydration. To name a few of the many other things it does: it helps with joint movement, affects individual’s mood, satiety, muscle contractions, and transportation of nutrients.

The age-old gold standard for water consumption is to drink eight glasses of water a day but does that mean for everyone? Individuals who are more active will most likely need much more water as their activities use up water in the form or sweat and muscle contractions by increasing the blood flow throughout the body. Every individual may have different water intake needs so how much is enough? Without consulting a health expert, a good way to make sure that you are getting enough water is by simply monitoring your thirst as well as observing the color of urine. Typically, the lighter the color of urine, the more hydrated you are.

Where does this leave you?

The foods and drinks you consume will definitely effect your overall health as well as play a huge role in your fitness journey. Choosing greater “nutrient dense” foods over “sometimes foods” will determine how well your body responds to your health goals and everyday activities. This doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy the foods your love that may not be the healthiest options. Picking your battles on when it is and isn’t appropriate to eat certain foods is a learning curve that people can struggle with but letting your food choices control you can lead to unhealthy relationships with food.

So, it’s okay to get some Ben and Jerry’s every now and then.