March is National Nutrition Month
Did you know March is National Nutrition Month? While it’s easy to say you should simply “eat clean” or follow the food pyramid, the truth is that we’re all completely different. There is no one-size-fits all eating plan and it is important that you find one that fits well with your unique body, health, and lifestyle.
Nutrition and Your Lifestyle
Not sure where to start? You have a number of resources available to you when it comes to pairing a nutrition plan with your general lifestyle. When in doubt, always talk to your physician. They will be able to discuss any limitations your health conditions (if any) will place on your nutrition plan.
From there you’ll want to talk to a nutritionist and/or personal trainer. If you have a medical condition, especially diabetes or high blood pressure, your health insurance plan may cover a series of sessions to help you get on track. Many personal trainers are also trained in nutrition, so if you’re otherwise healthy but are a fitness or sports enthusiast you may want to talk to someone who can combine both a knowledge of your fitness regime and nutrient needs together for optimal results.
Achieving Better Nutrition
So what can you do to actually start eating better, with something better than New Year’s Resolution level commitment?
Start by making a real plan. The intensity of your planning is up to you. 
Some people like to spend the entire afternoon on Sunday, or whatever day of the week works, cooking meals for the upcoming week. For others, planning simply means writing out a list of meals for each day of the week. A lot of people plan to have the same or similar breakfasts but then plan more variation for lunch or dinner. If you find yourself relaxed at lunch but scrambling to get to the kids or to hit the gym after work, you may want to make lunch your more complicated meal of the day. Work your plan around what works for you.
Keeping healthy foods in the house really does help and this tip will go hand-in-hand with planning in general. If you are planning your meals, you can shop properly for the week and won’t run out of healthy foods. If you’re flying by the seat of your pants and going to the grocery store to “pick up dinner” every few days, you’re not only going to lack healthy everyday snack options but you’re also going to end up spending more money.
Nutrition is vital to life and no matter what, you can’t exercise your way out of bad eating habits. Visit eatright.org for more information about National Nutrition Month, talk to your doctor or nutritionist, and of course keep exercising. All of us at Push Pedal Pull wish you the healthiest life possible.