WHY EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT

I personally think that the most important thing to have when embarking on your healthy lifestyle journey is a sound education that is relevant to your goals.

Consider this: if you are a first-year mechanical apprentice and you pop a tyre on a car, you’ll have the knowledge to fix it. Unfortunately, this is not always the case with your body! For example, if you’ve never lifted weights above your head before, and you lean too far back when doing an overhead press, you could badly hurt your shoulder and it could take months to heal. Similarly, if you eat too many or not enough calories, or food that lacks nutritional variety, you could end up deficient in a particular nutrient and potentially experience hormonal, weight, or digestive problems. Without sounding too scary, the potential damage done to your body can be long term, and sometimes irreversible.

I understand that many of us learn best from our mistakes, but I think that with the amount of information available to us today and how easy it is to access, people can educate themselves before beginning any new journey to avoid basic mistakes.

In saying that, it is important to understand that there are many different views about what constitutes “good health,” such as what you should and shouldn’t eat, the type of training that you should do, and at what times of the day, and so on. In today’s society, social media and clever marketing have led to a saturation of health advice: it is everywhere! And I believe this has severely damaged the general quality of the advice. So rather than taking as gospel what’s written by a journalist in a magazine or on a website, it is important that you do your research. And I’m not talking about a simple Google search—I mean reading books and articles by reputable authors, chatting to individuals experienced in the area, and much more. Together, this research can help you make an educated decision when it comes to determining what is factually correct and what is not, and ultimately what goes into your body.

In addition to understanding the facts, it is important to recognise which of these facts are relevant to you. We are all individual—there are no two people alike. Factors such as your lifestyle, genetic makeup, and goals will have a significant impact on what works best for you. While it is great to have role models and people who inspire you, when it comes to making decisions about health and fitness, it is important that you recognise whether or not your lifestyle and goals are aligned with theirs and their knowledge base.

FOLLOWING THE SAME DIET AND TRAINING PLAN AS YOUR FAVOURITE OLYMPIC SPORTSPERSON MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOU, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE JUST LOOKING TO GET A LITTLE FITTER AND BE MORE CONFIDENT IN YOUR BODY.

Knowledge is such a powerful tool, and it can lead to growth in all aspects of our lives. Be aware of what you read and absorb, and look at it objectively. Understand your own body and your lifestyle and use what you read to complement this. It is all about using the tools you have to inform yourself and make the right decisions based on your personal choices.

So, if there’s a healthy food you really can’t stand or an exercise that doesn’t work for you, making an educated decision to choose an alternative can create more flexibility and make sticking to your goal easier. For example, I love mango, but Tobi hates it! Even if mango was going to make Tobi a little healthier, I would recommend he find an alternative that he enjoys, such as an apple, as the result will likely be the same. Having an understanding of basic nutrition principles means you can make simple decisions like these on your own, which in turn leads to a happier, healthier, and more flexible lifestyle.

WHILE IT IS GREAT TO INCORPORATE ADVICE INTO YOUR LIFESTYLE TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH, IF IT MAKES YOU MISERABLE, THEN YOU SHOULD FIND AN ALTERNATIVE.

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD NUTRITION

What is good nutrition?

Good nutrition can simply be understood as balanced nutrition. This means you are getting a balanced range of vitamins and minerals, and that you’re consuming enough energy from food to accommodate your lifestyle. This balance comes from consuming a wide variety of healthy foods from all six food groups (see here for detailed information on food groups).

The method I use advocates a healthy, balanced diet by consuming these food groups in the amounts recommended by the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE; eatforhealth.gov.au).1 My weekly meal plans and variations are based around this approach, allowing you to eat a delicious range of foods knowing that you are comfortably meeting your energy and nutrient requirements.

What is malnourishment?

Malnourishment is a set of health problems that can be caused by a diet that contains too much or not enough of a particular nutrient or nutrients. It is important to understand that there are many different types and possible causes of malnourishment and it is not just experienced by people living in developing countries. For example, someone might have a medical issue where their digestive system is unable to absorb nutrients properly (such as celiac disease, see here). People living in remote areas may not have access to fresh foods that others do by living in the city. Or people might simply choose to rely on highly processed, packaged foods rather than eating whole foods.

While it may not be possible to change your genetics or where you live, you usually do have a choice when it comes to the foods you eat. Yes, processed and packaged foods might provide you with energy, but over time, it is unlikely that they will be able to provide you with all the nutrients you need and in the right amounts. As I mentioned earlier, all of the food groups provide us with their own unique set of nutrients and it is important that we eat foods from all food groups (and in the right amounts) to avoid deficiency and malnourishment.

Text copyright © 2016 by Kayla Itsines

Photographs copyright © 2016 by Jeremy Simons

Illustrations copyright © 2016 by Anthony Calvert