Welcome back to “A Nu You!” As mentioned in my last blog post, before we can fully be present in the moment and maximize our lives, we need to understand our pasts, specifically what our beliefs and behaviors were and if they got us to where we wanted to be. Beliefs and behaviors can be critical when it comes to today’s topic, “Nutrition and Eating Healthy.”
We all know “we are what we eat” and that “good health begins with good nutrition.” However, knowing this and actually making a daily commitment to it are two very different things. I am reminded of one of the very first “musts” I shared with you in a previous blog post. We must not just be motivated and inspired to make changes. We must take action. Making a daily commitment to one’s diet and nutrition is extremely important for everyone, but even more vital to those with mobility disabilities because of our lack of mobility. In general, we are more prone to obesity, heart disease and even diabetes than able-bodied individuals. Please know that it is not my intention to scare you, but if my words ignite you to take action, then that is a good thing. As is the case with everything we are talking about when it comes to making positive changes, including our diet, we know so much about it, but don’t take action and resort to our old unhealthy eating habits.
Eating healthy provides energy, boosts our immune system, helps us maintain a proper body weight, and keeps our body functioning at its highest level. To greatly expand upon the importance of nutrition and diet to anyone who is living with a mobility disability, I recently interviewed Amy Witterscheim, a registered dietician and nutritionist who works with people with mobility disabilities. She mentioned how when a mobility disability enters our lives we go in either one of two directions based on the emotions we are experiencing in order to cope. She shared that some people “have no desire to eat” or “eat in order to make themselves feel better.” Each extreme can be detrimental to the individual and a balanced diet must be the goal. She emphasized the need for us to “make healthy habits when it comes to our eating.” The main question she says must be answered is, “how can we still feel full and satisfied without gaining excess weight? Make small sustainable changes.”
Amy helped me to identify our Nu Challenges for having good nutrition and eating healthy.
- Eat with someone. Make it family time. Focus on the positives going in your life and avoid stressful topics while you are eating.
- Adopt a Mediterrranean type diet…lean proteins, beans, healthy fats, whole grains and avoid processed foods and those loaded with sugars.
- 75% of your liquid intake should be water. Try to avoid sodas and drinks with a lot of sugars.
As always, if you have any comments or questions regarding today’s topic, please email me at
scott.chesney@numotion.com. Until my next blog, in which I will be focusing on incorporating effective fitness and exercise into our routines, continue to work on creating “A Nu You,” and enjoy the journey!