Thanks to the digital age, it’s not hard to find information about health and nutrition. Most of this information can be valuable, but if you want to achieve your health and wellness goals, it may benefit you to go a step further and get more personalized nutrition advice.
Why exactly is personalized nutrition advice so important? And how do you integrate it into your life?
Learning the Fundamentals
Learning the fundamentals of nutrition certainly isn’t impossible, and it can benefit you tremendously if you harness those fundamentals properly. For example, everyone should have an understanding of the differences between macronutrients like carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Everyone should similarly have an understanding of how calories work in the body; if you ultimately consume fewer calories than you expend, you’re going to lose weight, and if you consume more calories than you expend, you’re going to gain weight.
These fundamentals are sufficient for some people to start losing weight or accomplishing some other nutritional objective. However, most people benefit even more from personalized nutrition advice.
Getting Personalized Nutrition Advice
If you want to better understand the role of nutrition in your life and have a greater chance of achieving your nutrition and fitness goals, it’s important to work with an expert who can give you individualized guidance. For example, you can work with a nutrition and weight loss clinic or a registered dietician to get the advice, guidance, and support you need to succeed. This is true regardless of whether your goal is to lose weight, gain muscle, decrease your health risks, or simply feel healthier on a daily basis.
Why is this the case?
· There’s simply too much to learn. First, there’s simply too much to learn about nutrition. You may understand the fundamentals like macronutrient balances and the relationship between calories and energy in the body, but do you have a working knowledge of all the micronutrients you need on a daily basis? Do you know what happens to your body if you consume too much of a given type of food? Are you sure you’re getting enough diversity in your diet? What specific health risks might be in play if you make changes to what you’re eating? Unless you plan on getting a PhD in the subject, you might need some help sorting these things out.
· Everyone is different. On top of that, our bodies are complex, and everyone’s body works differently. There are definitely some fundamental commonalities in our biology, but as an individual, your metabolism and body composition are unique – each person’s hormones and weight loss history are different, and that plays a big role in determining the most appropriate weight loss regimen for them. Only someone with ample experience in nutrition planning and biology is going to be able to help you find the right strategies for success.
· You don’t know what you don’t know. You don’t know what you don’t know – and this principle is responsible for the Dunning-Kruger effect. This effect describes the phenomenon of overconfidence in limited knowledge; once people begin learning about a subject, they often overestimate their knowledge of that subject until they reach a certain threshold of learning. After learning a few things about nutrition, you may feel like you’ve learned everything there is to know, but in reality, you’re probably only scratching the surface. And unless you work with someone knowledgeable in the subject, you might be blind to your own ignorance.
· You have unique habits and preferences. You also have unique habits and preferences. For example, it’s very common advice to cut out sugary sodas from your diet if you want to lose weight and be healthier. But what if sugary soda is your favorite thing in the world? Personalized nutrition can help you find compromises and solutions to make room for your favorite treats and still live a healthier lifestyle.
· You have a specific goal. Most people considering learning more about nutrition or working with a personalized consultant have a specific goal in mind. For you, that might mean achieving a certain weight, building a certain amount of muscle, or having more energy to play with your kids. Without specialized nutrition knowledge, it’s going to be hard for you to figure out the best path to achieving that goal.
· You deserve support. Your personalized nutrition advisor isn’t just going to be a teacher; they’re also going to be a coach. They’ll help you not only understand more about the foods you’re eating and their impact on your body, but they’ll help you through some of the toughest moments in your journey to greater health and fitness. You deserve that support!
· Your vision may change. Finally, understand that your vision might change and your personalized nutrition advisor can help you adapt to it. Moving your goalposts isn’t always advisable, but as you make progress, learn, and grow throughout this process, your vision may evolve. If you find yourself seeking a different set of goals, unique, individualized advice may become practically necessary.
It won’t surprise you to learn that nutrition plays a massive role in the quality of our lives. Not only is it our primary source of energy, but it also shapes our health risks and our futures. While it’s certainly possible to improve your nutritional intake after learning the fundamentals on your own, most people benefit from getting personalized nutrition advice as well.
If you’re serious about improving your health and achieving your fitness goals, consider working with a nutrition professional.
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