Getting personal with your nutrition

Personal Nutrition

From not having enough willpower to cravings and emotional eating, there are so many reasons why we find it hard to eat well all of the time. 

But here’s the thing - healthy eating should not be hard work, it is not about all-or-nothing, and when you find a way of eating that suits you, then you will not need your willpower to stay off the food you think you should not be eating, because you will be making choices on how that food makes you feel, not on a whim or to give in to a craving.

Strict regimes and rigid plans have no place in a balanced and healthy diet. When we set ourselves strict boundaries, we are setting up for failure, disappointment and frustration. Then, when we go off the track we think we should be on, we will overeat junk food, processed foods and end up eating too much of the foods that cause damage to our health. 

Personalised nutrition works with you, not against you. Making choices because they fit with your health, your likes and dislikes, your habits and routines and your lifestyle, rather than because you are following a diet plan, or strict regime.  

If you have never kept a food diary, it can be a useful tool to help you work out what your habits are. What you are already doing well, and what you could change a little for the better.  When you know your habits it is easier to work out where the gaps are, then you can make one or two little changes that will help support your health and wellbeing, without having to do a total diet overhaul, You will probably also notice all the good things you are doing that you may not have realised before. So here’s how to do it. 

Keep a diary

Keep a note of everything you eat and drink over three or four days. Don’t change your normal diet, just take a note. You can use an app for this is you want to, but simply using a notebook and pen or the notes app in your phone will do the trick.

Write it down 

To get an accurate record, don’t reply on memory, but record each meal just after you have eaten, otherwise you might forget a few things. Remember, this is only for a few days.  

What are your good habits? 

When you have completed your food diary, sit down and do a little mini nutrition evaluation. Make a note of the things you are doing well. What do you like about your diet?  Maybe you are getting enough water, eating your five a day, or consciously choose high fibre foods for example. Don’t be hard on yourself. Read your food diary as if it is someone else’s. Make a note or three, four or five things you are happy about. 

What could you change? 

Then, think about what you would like to change in your diet, and set yourself a goal for the incoming week. Make your goal simple, positive and achievable. 

For example, instead of ‘I am giving up crisps’, it is better to say ‘I will replace crisps with nuts’. This switches your mindset into something more positive. 

Make one small change each week, but remember this is not a diet, this is all about making change that fit your routine, habits, lifestyle and preferences. 

This blog post first appeared as my column in The Irish News on Saturday 30th July 2022.