Before you snap that photo of your food, picture this…Picture Your Plate
In 2011, the USDA replaced the MyPyramid guide with the MyPlate guide, which is the current nutrition guide. Interestingly enough, when they made the transition, physical activity fell off the plate. These are meant as nutritional guidelines to help you understand the essentials for a healthy diet.
MyPlate is a guide, and is not the gold standard. The Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), where I received my health coaching certification came up with an even better (in my opinion) version of MyPlate, called the Integrative Nutrition Plate. Why is it better? It’s all encompassing – taking a holistic approach to nutrition.
“The Integrative Nutrition Plate is a dietary model which further drives upon the concept of modern nutrition – using the same helpful plate format but replacing dairy with water, grains with whole grains, including fats and oils, and addressing health more holistically than just the food on our plate. On the outer rim of the Integrative Nutrition Plate are primary foods – relationships, career physical activity, and spirituality. Primary foods are the other components in our lives besides food; for optimal health one’s primary foods must be balanced. The inner pieces of the Integrative Nutrition Plate encompass our secondary foods, which are the foods we put in our mouths. It is our primary foods that truly feed us.”
So my friends, that is the #HealthTip of the week – Picture Your Plate.
The next time you sit down for a meal, consider picturing your plate in the way of the Integrative Nutrition Plate as a guideline for how to create optimal health and wellbeing for yourself.
P.S. I have openings for two new private 1:1 clients. If you have been thinking about working with my on an individual basis, then schedule a complimentary discovery session here to see if we may be a good fit.