Advice To People Who Want To Live A Healthier Lifestyle

Proper nutrition is essential to overall good health and optimal performance. People of all ages and at all levels of health are affected by good nutrition.

Although this may be a well known fact, a grand majority of people still feel like they're fighting a losing battle when it comes to adopting and living a healthy lifestyle. And judging by the latest obesity statistics, it's clear that something needs to done about it...now.

• 58 Million Overweight; 40 Million Obese; 3 Million morbidly Obese
• Eight out of 10 over 25's Overweight
• 78% of American's not meeting basic activity level recommendations
• 25% completely Sedentary
• 76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 yrs old since 1990

What makes it so hard for us to find an answer? At the heart of the matter probably lies our understanding of what a healthy life is. Most of us believe in the value of eating healthy or of exercising; the problem is, we readily ignore how these need to function in synergy in order to be successful, and by large we also turn a blind eye to what our overall habits are in life. In other words we're not seeing the big picture.

A lot more is needed than counting calories, fat and fiber; unhealthy behaviors need to be changed, and we need to learn how to eat healthier foods and get more physical exercise as well. We need to ingrain it deeply in our minds and we need to make it an obligation for life.

Maintenance is the toughest part. This is where a nutrition coach can come in aid; research shows that the personal coaching approach is very effective. Nutrition coaches can provide advice in creating meal plans, in what to order at restaurants, what to look for when shopping and more importantly, the one-on-one interactions can break the convulsive roller-coaster cycle experienced by many people.

There's a greater need to be aware of what we're putting in our bodies and what we're doing unconsciously; most people take this for granted.

Nutritionist Natasha Forest points to a simple exercise that points this out for us. She asks: "When was the last time you read the nutrition labels on packages? Do you know if the products you're buying contain refined sugar, partially or fully hydrogenated vegetable oil? Maybe it's time that you do; your health is adversely affected by consuming them, all it takes is reading the label but most of us don't."

So maybe it's time that you put that peanut butter back on the shelf and think about what your buying first.

A nutrition coach can help us be conscious of our health. There really is no "magic diet" to make us lose weight, an umbrella approach makes much more sense. One that addresses our bodies and our minds.

Learning how to make food work for us, is a lifetime skill and not just a quick-fix. Just as a personal trainer help you understand what types of exercise better suit you, a nutrition coach can help you gain a better understanding of your personal nutrition and behavioral needs.

When your health is at stake, there is no cutting corners. It’s all about achieving results, and achieving lasting change.