What does the right kind of diet look like? Many of us have spent a lot of time cutting out foods and trying new trends to figure out what works for our bodies. A simple internet search for healthy eating brings up over 5.7 billion results: it’s a topic on everyone’s mind! For nutrition month, we had an insightful chat with our INLIV dietician, Kelly Anne Erdman, about the importance of eating balanced meals to reach your nutritional goals.
“Fad diets come and go, and then come back again.” Kelly Anne Erdman, Registered Dietician. It’s tempting to think the latest diet trend might be the easiest way to reach your nutrition goals, but that’s not always the case. Rather than keeping you healthy, they can affect your health by keeping you from eating nutritious food varieties. A lack of a good balance of nutrients can even lead to health concerns like dehydration, fatigue, headaches, and constipation. A balanced nutrition is essential for your energy and vitality. It plays a big part in keeping you healthy and reducing your chances of getting sick.
So how does one take a balanced approach to eating? Kelly Anne Erdman says, “There is no perfect food that is a complete source to meet all our essential nutrient needs. Instead, we should consume different foods to ensure that we are more likely to get the balance of our nutrient requirements met.” The key to balanced nutrition is moderation, consistency, and variety. So don’t just cut out your favourite meals, eat them moderately.
“Rather than being all or nothing with our eating habits, allowing some extras into our diet provides a balanced perspective and reduces the temptation to restrict one day followed by bingeing the next.” – Kelly Anne Erdman, Registered Dietician.
A balanced and nutritious diet can have a wide range of foods, including some that may be considered less “clean” but are still nourishing. A 100% clean diet lacks a balance of all the necessary nutrients you need to stay healthy and carry out bodily functions – it’s a less sustainable choice.
Canada’s Food Guide recommends eating a variety of vegetables, whole grains, and protein foods for a nutritional diet. It also emphasizes drinking enough water, getting calcium and vitamin D from food sources, and moderately consuming saturated fat daily. Everyone’s diet will vary based on nutritional needs.
Consistency with good nutrition starts with taking a balanced, sensible, and evidence-based approach to eating well. Our dietician can help you interpret the science of nutrients into manageable, customized dietary recommendations and direct you to achieve the natural balance for your nutrition to optimize your health.
Nutrition Counselling at INLIV
Kelly Anne Erdman, Registered Dietitian provides nutrition counselling through virtual and telephone sessions; the initial appointment is $155 and follow up appointments are $80. Current INLIV clients can also use their health credits for these sessions. The nutrition sessions can also be covered by third party insurance providers. You will receive practical guidance and advice on your nutrition and mindful eating habits. The sessions will include an individualized plan pertinent to your health, habits and goals.
