Finding out what food your body needs for optimal health and vitality is one of the most important skills you can learn.
When you eat the right ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates for your body you will feel energised, have an increased sense of well-being, feel satisfied and be less moody after your meals. It can help improve your metabolism and to reduce chronic inflammation and ultimately helps you feel at your best.
We are all individual in our eating needs and by playing with the ratios of fats, carbs and proteins and through listening to your body you can find the right ratio for you. Some of us will do well adding more protein/fats, while others will do better on a more plant-based diet which are higher in complex carbohydrates and others will sit somewhere in between.
Our bodies are incredibly intricate and amazing – they are constantly trying to tell us what they need, we simply need to learn how to listen to them.- “Ben Warren-be-Pure”
6 SIGNS YOU’RE EATING RIGHT FOR YOU
When first making changes to what you eat and experimenting with the ratios of protein, fats and carbs it’s worth remembering there is a period of adjustment. If you’ve been eating poorly for a while it could take a few weeks for your body to adapt and the examples below to take effect.
- HOW FULL DO YOU FEEL?
You should feel full for four or five hours between meals. This is because the foods you are eating are being simulated effectively by your body and stabilising your blood sugar levels. The exception being if you’ve been active and require a post-workout snack, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or if you are recovering from adrenal fatigue. - DO YOU GET HUNGRY OR RAVENOUS BEFORE YOU EAT?
If your last meal was sufficient to your needs, hunger should creep up on you and not come on suddenly and ravenously. Based on this you should be able to make good food choices rather than rash decisions. - HOW ARE YOUR ENERGY LEVELS?
You should feel energised for the whole time between meals. Obviously, this doesn’t factor in stress, lack of sleep or physical exertion, but you shouldn’t feel sleepy, heavy or lethargic. - DO YOU GET CRAVINGS?
With stable blood sugar levels you shouldn’t have urgent or insatiable cravings for salty or sugary foods. - HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU AFTER EATING?
You should feel satisfied with the meal you’ve just eaten. Rummaging around in the fridge after lunch or dinner is often a sign you haven’t eaten enough of the right food types in your previous meal. - HOW DO YOU FEEL AFTER EATING AN APPLE?
A quick way to find out your food needs is simply through trial and error. How do you feel after an apple? If you eat an apple on its own (a carbohydrate) and feel hungry straight away it could be that you need more proteins and fats whereas others could go for a couple of hours off that apple. Listen to your body and it will let you know what you need to thrive.
Happy experimenting
Article Provided by Gavin Stoddart – BCG Manager and Personal Trainer and Holistic Movement Coach with over 23 years of experience in the industry. His article is taken as an excerpt from an article written by Ben Warren from Be Pure. Nutrition as well as movement is one of Gavin’s minimum requirements for his personal training clients and he loves helping Bay City Gym members navigate their health journey.