Nutrition is simply the fuel for your body’s metabolic and physiological requirements throughout your daily activities. Even though it sounds simple, it is not and unfortunately people seem to neglect the effects that proper nutrition can have on the quantity and quality of life you shall have. It is a Discipline and a Science and as all sciences must be treated with respect. Whether your goals range from general well-being to fighting a pathology or even improving athletic performance, nutrition will play its role.Undoubtedly a vital factor to human survival is food. The only source of metabolic energy that humans can process is from nutrients and bio active compounds with direct health benefits, and these come from the food that we eat. And just when some people can probably get away from natural-born diseases or environmental toxins, they cannot get away from the food they ingest and its consequences. We basically are what we eat.Benefits of NutritionAs stated previously, even if your goal is targeted around body composition, although desirable, it is not the only benefit you will enjoy.

Improvement of bio-markers

Improvement in gene expression

Improved mental focus

Reduced risk of Metabolic Syndrome

Reduced risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Reduced risk of Cancer

Improvement in the quality of life for patients undergoing cancer treatments

Improvement of Neurological disorders

Improvement of Autoimmune disorders
The list is simply too large to be included in full, needless to say that ongoing studies will bring more benefits to the surface but we will just have to wait for the data to be released. However, we see that within the range set by genetics, a person’s choice of diet influences long-term health.Why is it so Hard… ?As with any good deed in life, adopting a ”SMART ” and beneficial feeding style is hard and will drive most people crazy. We are now living in huge modern cities where food is constantly been promoted and there is simply no escape. Whereas an alcoholic can most likely come off the addiction by simply quitting the booze and avoiding the bars, the obese individual has a harder path to follow… there is simply no escape from food… It is everywhere… and it is addictive… !People decide what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, and even whether to eat in highly personal ways based on a complex bundle of genetic, behavioral and social factors rather than on an awareness of nutrition’s importance to health.

Ethnic Heritage

Genetics

Personal preferences

Habits

Social interaction

Media

Convenience

Financial

Availability

Psychology

Religion

Lifestyle
SMART NutritionAny nutritional strategy you use to improve your health must be:

Specific: You are unique so the nutritional strategy you choose must be tailored for you and not the ripped dude you got it off from the gym. Specific data coming from you such as goals, age, weight, gender, medical history, activity levels, BMI. LBM. TEEE and previous nutritional habits are vital for creating a custom nutrition strategy.

Measurable: Any good strategy will require data in order to keep it in track, observe progress or even break plateaus. Calorie counting, calorie partitioning, weight measurements, body fat measurements and even bio markers will provide sufficient data to keep everything in check. Any protocol promising you results without the use of data, is a waste of time.

Affordable: There is no point in going on a diet that requires your whole salary to be spent on food and supplements. I know that proper nutrition is expensive but it can be tailored accordingly.

Realistic: Going on a low carb diet when you simply cannot live without carbs is not realistic neither is consuming 1.5gr/lb of protein if you are not training but decided to go on a high protein diet. Other variables such as meal timing and frequency will also need to be addressed according to your schedule

Tolerable: Diets that starve you to death at best are not tolerable let aside the metabolic damage they produce. The strategy you choose must include diet breaks, meal freedom once in a while and rewards. I hate the word cheat meal as it is of a negative nature and messes up with your psychology. A reward, is more self-fulfilling and boosts your ego!
So the next time you pick the latest diet frenzy or dogma at least make sure it fits the above requirements as we are all unique beings having specific lifestyles thereby making a ”one size fits all” kind of diet impossible to exist. By the way, do not use the term diet as it brings out negative feelings and makes the effort of sustaining a proper nutritional strategy horrific. My preferred use of words for me and my clients will be a ”nutritional strategy”. Now by simply changing from a diet to a strategy, you boost all sorts of positive feelings and suddenly you feel like a General kicking ass in war… That’s the exact kind of mental focus you will need!Summing UpI hope I did not bore you with stuff that you already know but realize that many people will need to be thoroughly educated in the areas of nutrition in order to take control of their lives. For all the science geeks out there waiting for data to be revealed, this was a general overview targeted towards the general public, but I will be analyzing several nutritional protocols with serious data in future articles, so be patient.The benefits of a proper nutritional strategy are now more evident than ever, so choosing to adopt a S.M.A.R.T Nutritional Strategy is clearly the smart way to go.Good luck with your nutritional journey.