A lot of times when we read articles about nutrition or see a nutritionist terms such as “balanced” and “in moderation” show up. Yet, surely nutrition must be a little more complex than one big balancing act? Not necessarily. We as humans like to over complicate things due to our intelligent and ego driven brains when nutrition, like so many basic aspects of life, is a very simple equation.
You’ve probably heard of the saying “you are what you eat”. Indeed, this may have been drilled into you from an early age – but how much attention do you honestly pay to this principle? You don’t need GI doctors to tell you that all that sugar, saturated fat, and caffeine is bad for your health and well being. We all know that excessive sugar, fat, and salt are bad for our hearts and can cause Type II diabetes… yet, we keep on doing the same thing.
Rather than beat yourself up and make all sorts of rules about what you can and can’t eat, the best way to approach the great balancing act of nutrition is to picture a bank account. With a bank account there are deposits and withdrawals. The deposits nourish your bank balance while the withdrawals deplete it. If there are too many withdrawals, the account becomes overdrawn, and you end up in financial trouble.
Using this metaphor as a parallel for nutrition, it’s clear that deposits and withdrawals exist. As an example, drinking a vitamin filled smoothie could be considered a deposit because you are investing nutrients that are going to replenish and revitalize your body. Whereas eating a chocolate bar would be considered to be a withdrawal because it is not doing anything for you.
Making the occasional withdrawal is fine, as this way, there is still an equilibrium. If you are to withdraw more from this bank account nutritionally then you are putting in is when you run into problems. That’s when serious diseases start to occur. The word disease represents that your body is in a state of dis-ease; meaning it is out of balance. No matter what your current condition of health is, the best way to ensure a long and healthy life is to keep your bank account in credit and balance the books!
Nutrition is important. And what is equally as important to what we put in our mouths, is how often and how intensely we move our bodies. Just a twenty minute walk at a moderate pace with some good music will do the trick to get you into the “aerobic zone”. One of the most universal and all around forms of exercise that requires very little equipment, and is accessible for all, is swimming. It is easy on your body and it sure is fun.
The bank account of your health depends primarily on two things; the food you eat and the amount of exercise that you complete. Hopefully, this simple metaphor of the bank account will inspire you to make better day to day choices and keep on top of the balancing act that is nutrition.
Featured Image By: Pixabay
Adore this concept! Need to remember this, always beat myself up over eating ‘treats’ x
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Ugh same here – but a few withdrawals from our nutritional bank account is never that big of a deal! 🙂
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Love it! X
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So true! Its just as easy to become too obsessed with eating healthy that it becomes unhealthy. Best to keep things in moderation on either side!
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I try to make eating healthy a game. Well, I do that with everything that seems unpleasant at first! Instead of looking at what you have to cut out..try thinking about things you are adding in. Don’t beat yourself up, but do note how it makes you feel after eating it physically and emotionally! You’ve got this and like @lifewithlilred said, its all about keeping things in check–even the healthy eating!
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Love this, try to tell people this all the time! One treat isn’t going to halt our progress all together, trying to put this out on some of my posts too!
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I think a big problem is that we are an all or nothing society for the most part. We seem to lean too heavily on extremes. It almost feels foreign to grasp the idea of balance and moderation.
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Sadly, modern life has put a massive spanner in these works. Food is so easily and freely available that even people who “eat healthily” run into trouble. It’s complicated nutrition beyond calories in/calories out equation. We no longer live the way our grandparents did and so the way we have to look at nutrition must change. It’s likely we’re going to soon enter a world of different diets for different people (personalised nutrition). In the meantime, we have to accept that each of us is unique and we all respond to food and nutrition differently.
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I agree with the points made in this article. Food and nutrition is a complicated topic, but can be simplified for most people’s diets. I did a presentation in a nutrition class about the “best” diet for weight loss, and I came up with a good rule of thumb to give people enough nutrients, diet variety, and low-Calorie options: lean proteins, whole-grains instead of refined grains, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
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I see so many gym members who think that once they’ve decide to improve their nutrition, they can never treat themselves again or they’ve blown it.
That metaphor is a great way to explain why that isn’t the case.
Thanks for the post!
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Thanks for stopping by!!
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I can completely relate to this post! It takes time to find the perfect balance but once you’ve found it it’s amazing! x
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Yes, and it does take time and a willingness to explore what works for you personally!
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I love that metaphor! Balance is so important!
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I love this metaphor! Spot on perfect!
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Great article and i love the metaphor of the bank account. What gets me every time is the investment so many people make in other accounts rather than health – eg buying high priced clothes and shoes rather than healthy nutritious meals. So its great to see you setting things right with your post. Well written!
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Love the simple analogy of a bank account! Walking is soooo good for us too, not just physically, but mentally as well. It has been linked to positive benefits with things like dementia and Alzheimer’s as well.
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