5 reasons to work with a Nutrition Counsellor

Most people know this; you need to exercise and eat well to live a happy and healthy life. One of the biggest challenges faced by individuals on their journey to health is knowing what and how to eat. There is an overwhelming amount of information out there surrounding diet and meal plan choices. So how do you know what is right for you? Your best choice is to work with a nutrition professional so they can help you avoid common mistakes and ensure you are eating in a way that makes you feel your best. Here are 5 reasons to work with a Nutrition Counsellor when adopting a healthy lifestyle

Reason One: One size does NOT fit all.

A Nutrition Counselor will create a plan specific to you based on your goals, activity level, and other factors that make you unique! A 35 year old male training 5x a week at high intensity has very different nutritional needs compared to a 22 year old female who is just starting her fitness journey. One size does NOT fit all. This is where diet information or meal plans found online can be dangerous. It’s easy to be mislead into following plans that are not right for you and can potentially put your health at risk. Your activity level, weight, height, age, gender, life circumstances and most importantly goals are all factors that must be considered when designing a nutrition plan. A Nutrition Counsellor will start by assessing your current diet and work with you to modify it to your individual needs.

Reason Two: Beware the Diet Cults.

There is always a culture of people who “label” themselves based on how they eat. You’ve got your die-hard vegans, low carb gurus, vegetarians, paleo/caveman-ers, Atkins addicts , Whole 30 Food-ers, Ketogenic enthusiasts just to name a few. All claiming their way is the best or that *this diet* is the change you need to be happy, healthy, successful, etc. There’s one major problem with this - they can’t all be right. And the fact that all these diets exists proves that none of them work for everyone. If one *diet* was truly the *way to live* then there would be no need for any other diets to be created...but there always is. Beware of any diet that claims to be the one true way to eat. How would *they* know what is really best for your body? A Nutrition Counsellor will show you how to eat healthfully without needing to “belong” to a certain dieter label. They will show you the pros and cons of each style of eating so you can decide which pieces of each diet will work best with your life circumstances.

Reason Three: Macronutrients are important… but so are micronutrients.

Macronutrients are the protein, carbohydrate and fat components of the foods we eat. Micronutrients are vitamins, minerals, and other health-boosting components we get from food. Many diets focus on “macro” plans that allocate a certain percentage or grams of protein/carbs/fat per day. This is not a bad way to structure your meals. However, if you are focused on macros only and find yourself repeating the same meals often there is a good chance you a missing one or many key nutritional components.

A Nutrition Counsellor will teach you how to look at food beyond its macronutrient properties and show you how to incorporate a variety of nutrient dense foods into your diet. This will ensure you are receiving all of the essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants you need for optimal health.

Reason 4 - Going cold turkey on a any diet can lead to unhealthy eating habits.

Throwing out all the food in your kitchen and starting a brand new diet might seem like the best course of action to get results fast. Sometimes this works - but often a drastic change is not sustainable. You may do well on a plan for a few days or weeks. But what do you do when life gets busy, you are in social situations that pressures you to eat off you plan or you simply have

a craving for those *other* foods? If you’re not careful putting too much pressure on a strict plan can cause you to binge eat, rebound and revert back to your old ways of eating. A cycle of restriction and binge eating is way more damaging to the body than going off plan once in a while.

A Nutrition Counsellor will look at your current diet and work with you to determine small, manageable changes you can make to shift your diet in a positive direction. They will NOT advise you to change everything at once. To truly adopt a healthier lifestyle you have to build the habits slowly over a period of time. You may have the best intentions starting a new plan, but too much change too soon can have the opposite effect on your physical and mental health.

Reason 5 - Beware of supplement pushers, extreme fads, or too good to be true diets.

You see it everywhere. Magazine covers, informerials, social media ads “Lose 20lbs in 20 days” or “Take this pill 3x a day and lose 10lb this month -no diet or exercise required!”. There is a billion dollars industry designed to trick you into thinking a quick fix exist through some miracle pill or secret workout routine. This is the tough truth - but there is NO quick fix, miracle pill or secret home remedy that will give you instant results. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Remember that these claims are designed by an industry that expects you to fail so you have to buy into whatever next great diet they come up with. A Nutrition Counsellor will teach you sustainable, healthy ways to adjust your eating so that the results and habits you develop will last a lifetime. Quick fixes are quick to fail. The only true way to health is through a sustainable balanced and varied diet that is suitable for your goals and lifestyle.

If you are starting your health journey you don’t have to go at it alone! Get the support you need! We recommend working with a nutrition counsellor to ensure you are getting the best advice possible. Your greatest successes will come from a plan that is sustainable and specific to you.