Spreading the word about Nutrition Month

Most Canadians know diet and exercise are the key to effective weight loss, but many of us aren’t putting our nutritional knowledge where our mouths are.

That’s the message GoodLife Fitness and the Dieticians of Canada are trying to spread through March’s Nutrition Month, a way for dieticians across the country to help increase the awareness of the importance of healthy eating.

According to a Conference Board of Canada report, Canada’s Food Guide is a step in the right direction, but there are still gaps between what Canadians know is healthy and what we actually eat.

“I think a lot of people have a concept of what they should be eating, and yet getting to where they should be sometimes feels a bit daunting and overwhelming,” said Kirstin Schell, a GoodLife registered holistic nutritionist and personal training project manager with expertise in nutrition.

This year’s Nutrition Month theme is the “100-meal journey” a challenge for Canadians to make small changes to their eating habits more than 100 meals on the journey toward healthy eating.

Some of these small changes include increasing the amount of whole grains you eat, decreasing portion sizes, or changing sugary drinks to water.

“Research has shown us that making drastic changes to your lifestyle are no way to get success with changing your eating habits,” said Laura Kingston, registered dietician and group fitness manager at GoodLife Fitness in Halifax.

“It’s really a focus for us to highlight the importance of making small changes and allowing those small changes to grow into long-term success.”

Schell agreed.

“Healthy nutrition is part of a process and a part of a lifestyle as opposed to a short-term commitment.”

Kingston says even something as simple as cutting out 100 calories a day would result in the loss of 10 pounds over the course of a year.

“You don’t have to sacrifice a lot in your life to be able to do that.”

Both Kingston and Schell agree a proper nutritional diet can represent as much as 80 per cent of a weight loss plan.

Schell adds you can maintain a healthy weight with proper nutrition alone, but exercise can help shape your body to the way you want it to look.

Portion control is a big part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. For Schell, visual cues are the best way to go about it. For example, a protein portion in a meal for a man should be the size of two palms.

“Being able to eyeball a portion…is really valuable skill to have.”

Schell says there are plenty of misconceptions surrounding the proper way to eat, but many diets, including becoming a vegetarian, won’t work for everyone. Other factors, including your genetic history, play a part in a proper meal plan.

“There isn’t one magical way to eat.”

Schell says typical consultations with a dietician are about $100, but adds they are crucial to not falling back into bad habits.

For more tips on proper nutrition, visit: www.dieticians.ca.