Getting clients to understand, how to consume food in a healthy way, is not easy. As trainers, we want clients to learn fundamentals for safe and effective training exercises first, and not because they’re easy to understand. Clients are less likely to have cemented beliefs, and habits around training and exercise, than they are going to have with food.
Food can represent a lot of things, beyond necessary functions of the human body. It can represent solace and comfort from a bad day, social interaction with family and friends, and creativity in the kitchen. With all of these different representations for food, and with the amount of misinformation that gets pumped out to make a consumer buy food; it’s hard to really get a handle on making healthy balanced eating.
To make it easier, we at SF Squared thought of an analogy that works! Your body is a machine, or more succinctly… your body is a car. To make your car run smoothly and efficiently, your engine needs two main elements, which are Gas and Air. The same can be said for your body.
To make your body run smoothly and efficiently, you need to consume the two main food groups of Protein and Fiber. As gas and air in the car engine comprise the majority of what makes your car run, so can be said for protein and fiber. Everyday all day, you need gas and air to run the engine, and you need protein and fiber all day and everyday to make your body run efficiently. Which means having protein and fiber in every meal, and most snacks is very necessary.
Protein can come from meats and vegetables, but fiber will most likely come from vegetables or perhaps oats. These are most important, when protein is supplying fuel to growing and repairing muscles, and fiber is keeping digestive organs clean and regular.
If we continue the analogy, the second most needed thing is the spark to ignite your engine. To get it started, you need that spark to make the motor start the car. This is similar to carbohydrates in consuming food. Carbohydrates are the spark your body needs, in the beginning of your day. A spark to give your body energy, and help your mind start with focus.
Carbohydrates are not as useful in the middle of your day for lunch, or in the evening for dinner. You would never keep hitting the ignition on your car, in the middle of driving, and the same could be said for carbohydrates in the middle of your day. Carbs help you start in the morning, so it’s great to have oats or cereal in the morning, because that’s when they are most needed.
Your car needs lubricant too. Oil makes sure the pistons run smoothly and don’t jam, as they move quickly while the car is driving. Your body needs lubricant as well, in the form of fats. Whether it’s fat from cheese, or maybe olive oil, it’s a needed lubricant for your joint connections in your body. You don’t however, need to add oil to your car everyday. Same goes for added fat to your consumption everyday. Not needed at every meal, but helpful when added or included for one meal in your day. A vinaigrette on a salad, or cheese as a snack are helpful additions to meals that have protein and fiber.
Well, that might seem all very good, but what about sugar? Understandable as sugar is in a great deal of food products, it has created the most confusion on when it’s right to consume. Let’s make this absolutely clear, that SUGAR IS NOT A FOOD GROUP.
While sugar can be uses as a substitute for carbohydrates, and is sometimes combined with carbs, it does not provide the health benefits, and slows down your digestive system. The easiest analogy for sugar, is that it’s a car wash. Not necessary to run your engine or your car, and makes you feel better for a short period of time. If you washed your car everyday, you’d ruin your car paint, and your engine. So, like a car wash, treat sugar as a treat. Something to have once every two weeks or once a month.
Sugar can be found in many fruits too, but it’s important to know which fruits are high in sugar (mangos, pineapples, bananas) and which are low (strawberries, raspberries, watermelon). You want the fiber from fruit, not the sugar. If a fruit is high in sugar, treat it like a car wash. Treat sugar as a treat.
With all of this combined, you should be able to make wiser choices on how to consume food in a healthy way. Making the most of meals and snacks, so your human car engine goes for miles and miles. If you’re unsure how it’s going, just do a car diagnostic check on yourself. Passing stool is the best way to check how healthy you are eating. If your stool is fully formed and floats, you are on the right track for balanced eating.