Today I overheard a portion of 3 different conversations, all about nutrition. One in an elevator discussing if Greek yogurt was good or bad for you. Another in a coffee shop about how a croissant was that individuals’ “cheat for the week”, and then another on public transit discussing fast food and having no time to cook a healthy meal.

Food is everywhere around us and there is a ton of information at our fingertips and I am obviously hyper sensitive to the ongoing discussion. Food and nutrition is my “thing” so I always pay more attention to these conversations. Food, specifically eating healthy has become a very popular topic and when people find out I am a nutritionist I instantly get questions about what the best nutrition plan is.

If you want to find out the top 10 foods to increase energy you simply type it into Google and have countless articles, blogs and resources offering you the  answer in seconds. If you want to know the foods that are richest in vitamin C, again Google provides this information instantly. The same is true of fitness; you have free access to the best booty workouts or the top 6 ab exercises for a 6-pack. It is all too easy to get caught up in all the information about fitness and nutrition available to us.

Truthfully this holds true for nearly any topic with constant access to the vast online archives. Don’t get me wrong I love to research the topics I am interested in and I love reading (and writing) blogs in an attempt to constantly improve my health but this can sometimes take away from the one thing that is  really going to help us. As important as it is to be informed on nutrition  and fitness you can get overwhelmed with the pure volume of data, each claiming to be the next secret breakthrough.

All of this information can take away from us actually making progress with our fitness and nutrition for a few different  reasons.1)   A lot of the information can be misleading and counterintuitive. Chances are you will find an argument for and against most nutrition beliefs. For example: Is it best to consume carbohydrates earlier or later in the day? There are well researched arguments for both sides. It does not mean one is wrong and one is right, it just means that both have research to back up either side.

2)   We can obsess over finding the best and latest information. For example looking up “super foods” instead of actually taking the time to prepare your own food and incorporate these “super foods” into your diet.

3)   The overload of information distracts you from listening to your own body and determining what works BEST FOR YOU.

I’m sure you have heard the term “listen to your body” before but what the hell does that actually mean?  I know I have gotten frustrated hearing that advice before because it is so subjective and something you will always have to work at.

I will give you a personal example with both exercise and nutrition and learning to listen to my body.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, three years ago I had a major back injury that side lined me from my job and left me bed ridden for almost 4 weeks. As a strength coach I used my body for work everyday so it was a HUGE learning experience for me. I blamed my back injury on previous sports, not lifting enough that summer and a myriad of other factors but the actual reason was my EGO. In fact, I was lifting too heavy and not listening to my body’s warnings that the exercises were not appropriate for me at that time. I took a major step back from my heavy lifting and learned how to breathe (yes you read that right) and focused on the exercises that were appropriate for my body to heal properly. I have come a long way and am still lifting weights but I have learned when to push it and then when to scale back and “listen to my body”.  It has not been all smooth sailing, it has been frustrating at times and my ego got the best of me, but I have become much better at understanding what my body needs. This is an ongoing practice, constantly bringing awareness to my body and it is not something that will happen over night. It takes practice, patience and awareness.

As far as “listening to your body” from a nutrition perspective it takes more awareness and observation.  It is so easy to go on autopilot with food and just eat because we need to. There are a ton of distractions; cell phones, TV, work etc. Despite these obstacles food deserves to be in it’s own spotlight. Food is so much more than FUEL it is our VITALITY. Proper nutrition is the difference between high performance and under performing in all aspects of life.

When I first started to become truly interested in nutrition I was constantly looking up information on what the healthiest foods were, the popular “super foods”. One food that kept popping up was quinoa. So I got on board with quinoa and put it in everything!! Quinoa cookies, quinoa rice, quinoa burgers, you name it. It wasn’t until after a month of eating everything quinoa that I realized quinoa and I don’t get along. Even though quinoa is a complete plant based protein, high in fibre and a complex carbohydrate it just straight up doesn’t work for me, my stomach feels as if I have been stabbed and I lay on the floor until it passes.  

My point is to turn down the exterior information and noise in order to focus on the internal. I still encourage you to be informed about nutrition, ask questions and read blogs (especially mine!) but do not let it take away from what is really important and that is turning the attention on to your body.

Sylvie Tetrault – (OG Lifestyles)