The details of what constitutes good nutrition or healthy eating can vary from person to person, but certain basic principles always apply, and if you apply them 80-90% of the time, you can succeed at living a healthier, fitter lifestyle:

—Cut out the obvious crap - junk food, fast food and sugary drinks are clearly not nutritious and healthy, even if you somehow make them "fit your macros".

—Don't drink your calories - this is an absolute game-changer for most of our clients. With very few exceptions, if it's a liquid and it contains calories, you don't need it, and it won't help you be fitter or healthier. Water, sparkling water, plain tea or black coffee are your best bets.

—Eat real food - buy real vegetables, fruits, meats / seafood, legumes and (real) whole grains in as unprocessed a form as possible, and eat that instead of packaged / processed foods. For more on what "Real Food" really is, read this article we've written.

—Eat more slowly and mindfully - really take the time to enjoy, taste and savour your food. Take a bite, put down your utensils and wait until your mouth is completely empty before picking them up again to take your next bite. Don't eat in front of the TV or while surfing the web.

—Stop eating when you are no longer hungry, NOT when you "feel full" - eat to satisfy your hunger, then stop. If you're not sure if you've reached that point, stop and wait 5-10 minutes - if you still feel hungry after that, then eat more. If you get to where you "feel full", then you've probably gone too far.

So, what about the other 10% of the time?

Have that special dessert, glass of wine, or yummy Neapolitan-style pizza (my favourite!), and really enjoy it without feeling guilty. Better yet, enjoy it with friends and family. It's not a "reward" or a "cheat", it's just life, and it's OK.

If you need a more structured approach to adopting these habits, click this link to check out our 6-week online course, “The Essentials of Healthy Eating.”

If you need more personal guidance and accountability to keep you on track, maybe one-on-one coaching with me is what you need. You can learn more about coaching here.

Absolutely. For our nutrition coaching clients, nothing is completely "off the table" when it comes to nutrition, as long as they are primarily eating real food and not drinking their calories 90% of the time, the other 10% of the time everything is fair game, as long as they don't go too overboard.

For some folks it's that "not-going-too-overboard" part that's the struggle. Everyone has their favourites, and it can be easy to overdo it. I've been there, and still struggle with that - over a decade into my own fitness journey and despite years of experience as a nutrition coach, I still "go off the rails" from time to time.

The important thing is to recognize, acknowledge and accept that it's happened, investigate why it happened so you can maybe make a better choice next time, and to "non-identify" - realize that one slip-up doesn't define you. It's not "who you are", and you can move forward with better habits regardless instead of just throwing in the towel.

If you need help breaking that cycle and being consistent, maybe some one-on-one coaching is what you need? You can learn more about coaching here.

Unless you have a medically-diagnosed condition that precludes you from eating or drinking whatever that "X" is, then you can be healthy and fit and still eat or drink it. Depending on what it is, it might not be the best idea to have it all the time (see our first and second Nutrition FAQ's above), but even those things are OK some of the time.

Let me be clear:

Whether it's wheat (or bread, pasta, etc.), dairy, carbs in general, fats in general, meat / animal products, coffee, wine, beer...whatever it is, unless you have a specific, medically-diagnosed and confirmed condition like celiac disease or food allergies that preclude you from having it (and self-diagnosing off of the Interwebz doesn't count), anyone who arbitrarily tells you that you can NEVER have something is full of crap, whether they know it or not.

If you think you might really have a sensitivity or intolerance to something, you can try an elimination diet to help identify it. Click this link to check out our 6-week course called “The Gut Check” that walks does just that.

Shortcuts don't work for long-term results, period. Most supplements touted for weight loss are either stimulants, appetite suppressants, or fibrous fillers. These may work in the short-term, but when those things are taken away, you will gain any weight you've lost back, and may have damaged your metabolism in the process.

A better alternative is a program of gradual behaviour change, where results may come slower, but will last a lifetime.

A good introduction to this approach is our 6-week online course called “The Essentials of Healthy Eating” which you can check out by clicking on this link.

If you need more personal guidance and accountability on your journey, maybe one-on-one coaching with me is what you need. You can learn more about coaching here.