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The world of nutrition can be overwhelming and full of mixed messages. From fad diets to the changing trends around body image, it truly is a minefield to navigate. We turned to Nu Performance for some expert guidance.
After feeling frustrated with a lack of energy and being unable to achieve some key health goals, despite eating “healthy,” two members of the Sassy team decided to seek out some expert advice. Seasoned nutritionist, Luke Davey, of Nu Performance helped us delve into the mysteries around our stalled progress by completing the Transformation Programme. Read on to find out where we were hitting roadblocks.
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Week 1 — The Power Of A Personalised Plan
The first step was a one-to-one consultation with our nutritionist Luke. We discussed everything from our individual goals, dietary preferences and lifestyle constraints and then underwent a full body specialised imaging technique called a DEXCA scan (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) — the gold standard for measuring body composition, bone density, and mineral content. To round out week one, we shared our food photo diary. Full disclosure:
Being faced with the results of the DEXA scan and exposing some of our unhealthy eating habits was tough!
Key takeaway from week one: without fully understanding where we were starting our journey, it would have been impossible to make real progress.
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Week 2 — Fail To Prepare, Prepare To Fail
With such busy schedules, we both noticed that our last-minute food choices were often where we were going “wrong’” (…hello tub of ice cream for dinner at the end of a bad day!). Food preparation was a big focus for us this week. From colourful fruits and vegetables to proteins and whole grains, we learned that a well-rounded diet is the foundation of good health. Luke shared a tailored recipe book with us which includes some easy and delicious high protein recipes which were quick to prepare, and he also gave some direction on better choices that we could make when grocery shopping to make sure we could look for some quick fixes.
In some cases it was as simple switching the brand of yoghurt we were eating, or which brand of protein bar has better carb to protein ratio.
Key takeaway from week two: There is so much power in creating habitual changes and nourishing our bodies with wholesome, nutrient-rich foods.
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Week 3 — Finding Balance
Despite our best intentions, we were both falling back into some bad habits and realised that we needed to look at some long-term realistic improvements in our daily choices. For us it involved finding some alternative sweet snacks and simple ways to increase our protein intake (which plays a vital role in building and repairing tissues, supporting a healthy immune system, and regulating hormones!).
Key takeaway from week three: There are easy changes you can make to still enjoy your favourite treats in moderation.
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Week 4 — Learning And Adapting
To ensure our relationship with food is healthy and the diet is sustainable, Luke provided us with nutritional facts which will help us stay on track for the coming weeks. The Transformation Programme with Nu Performance comes with a weekly check-in (it’s crucial to understand what our body needs in order to make the correct tweaks…), where we learn to develop a positive attitude towards food and how we can improve our overall health.
Even with a proper balanced diet, it is possible to have missed a few of the key minerals, causing us to be fatigued.
Key takeaway from week four: incorporating supplements into your balanced diet can go a long way and help you feel more fulfilled.
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Final Thoughts…
Consulting with a nutritionist has been an eye-opening experience that definitely required patience and persistence to create a sustainable and healthy diet (and some lifestyle changes too). By addressing our goals with Luke, who has over 10 years of experience delivering programmes for weight loss, health and also sports performance, we felt confident that we could rely on his science-driven research to create a long-term, nutritional meal plan, that was just right for us and our individual life variations. we were able to create a realistic path toward our health goals, with daily support from Luke when we needed it.
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This article is in partnership with Nu Performance, but all opinions and results are genuine.
Main image courtesy of Brooke Lark via Unsplash, image 1 courtesy of Ella Olsson, image 2 courtesy of Lum3n, image 3 courtesy of Nicola Barts, image 4 courtesy of Joy Lee, image 5 courtesy Polina Tankilevitch, image 6 courtesy of Sassy Media Group.
