Nutrition and Maintaining Health

The Importance of Nutrition

    Well, this is certainly a very wide open subject, and a diverse subject. Food and culture go hand-in-hand. Everyone's diet is as diverse and interesting as there are people in the world. Everyone has different likes, preferences, wants, needs, and so much more. So, first of all, there is no one right or wrong way to approach nutrition and diet. Whatever I write here is strictly from my perspective as an athlete and fan of food and how the two have worked together for me. You can take it or leave it. That being said, there are some things a person might want to be aware of as they approach their fitness journey.

    Exercise is great, but it can be enhanced a whole lot more if you are mindful of your food and what you put into yourself. Monitoring a diet takes an additional effort that many people have problems with, and that can be for all kinds of reasons. So any approach a person takes in trying to revamp or monitor their diet, it should be done with a high degree of patience. Food is a bit part of my family's culture and traditions, and eating healthy is important as well. (However there are moments we go for comfort food, don't get me wrong here!) We have a heavy dose of Mediterranean food that we cook in our family, especially from Italy. My great grandmother and grandfather came from Calabria, so there is no escaping pasta, but I am also of the philosophy that balanced diets work really well for most people and that people should not have to starve themselves to achieve fitness goals.

    All that being said, approach food with flexibility and patience. There is no one way to eat to find success. Also, always consult a doctor or nutritionist for your specific needs. I will share what has worked for me and what my insights are with respect to athletics and food, and I hope you find what I have to say of interest. If you have questions, please feel free to email or chat me and I will reply with my best answers. 

    As an older athlete, I find that I personally struggle with keeping calories down at times and portion control. I have also found out, for me, that if I am consistently physically active, and just sensible with my diet and portions, I can feel pretty good about what I eat and cook for myself and my family. Remember, food is fuel for everyone. Food gives us calories to burn, nutrients to function, and plays a vital role in keeping ourselves healthy. A general rule I try to remember, the more processed something is when I buy it, the less nutritional value it has for me. I try to buy whole food the majority of the time. That is not to say you can't buy anything that is processed, but the more processed, the less nutritional value, typically speaking. 

    On top of that, I am a huge fan of food and cooking. I will, from time-to-time, try to share things I cook that I think taste good and might be of help in fueling your fitness journey. Head over to my Instagram channel listed at the bottom to find what I am posting there, in fitness, health, and food. 

    Keep training and you are doing great! If you have a question, send me a chat or a message! Keep training hard!