National Nutrition Month - let your values be your guide

March is National Nutrition Month, so I looked up the messages that are being promoted this year. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, many are rule-based, rigid, and finger-wagging. I won’t post the key messages here, but instead ask you: what are your values when it comes to food and nutrition?

When people ask me what they should eat, I often ask them this question because it would be short-sighted for me to simple tell individuals what to eat. Instead, I encourage a look inward. What is important to you? What is challenging you? Where do you desire a change? For some, this will involve putting aside food rules and eating nourishing, satisfying food. For others, recognizing how long gaps without food lead to a state of primal, intense hunger is of utmost importance. Or, another individual may want to try out new recipes that will get dinner on the table faster and simpler. For parents or couples, this may mean brainstorming ways to have a family meal together once per day or week. For a new mom, this might mean figuring out how to juggle caring for a newborn, yet also taking time to feed herself.

You see, there is no one right way to eat and no one, even health professionals, knows what you need like you do. So, what do your values say? What aspect of food and nutrition is most important to you?