Before diving into sustainable nutrition, let’s go back to when it all began. Stay with me, I promise it will all come back full circle ;). My nutrition journey started back in 2006 when I was accepted into the Bachelors nutrition program in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. But when I signed up to study nutrition, I had NO idea just how important and amazing our nutrition actually is.
I believe many end up seeing nutritionists as a fairy godmother of sorts that will magically help them look like the celebrity or model in a magazine cover. But that is not what nutrition is about at all. Weight-loss is really at the bottom of the list when it comes to the effects that good nutrition will have on the body.
Good nutrition is about having real, wholesome foods that will feed and nourish every single cell of our bodies. So that we can wake up every day with what it takes to accomplish what we need and want, to follow our dreams, to change the world.
Food is not about calories. It is also not about fearing the number on the scale. The act of eating is a true act of love and self-care. Because food is not only fuel. It’s nourishment, it’s love, and it’s a true connection between us and nature/ the environment.
Why We Can’t Talk About Nutrition Without Sustainability
Combining nutrition with sustainability is really a no-brainer when you stop to think about it. Good nutrition is about regularly having nourishing foods to feed our bodies. And where does food come from? That’s right! Nature – the environment. So if we fail to take care of our resources, we are also sabotaging our survival and existence. There will be no nutrition without food and water.
The problem is that we don’t really think about this because we’ve never had to. For the most part, we can find what we need in a store and are completely disconnected from how that product got to us.
We Are A Part Of Nature
The clearest memory I have of the little inner voice tugging me in the sustainable nutrition direction is whenever I would advise my clients to drink more water. They’d return to me all proud showing me all the plastic water bottles that they consumed and I remember feeling a deep pain. I mean I should’ve been thrilled that they were following my advice and hydrating. But it never felt good. In fact, I remember feeling very guilty.
This little inner voice only grew stronger and louder by the time. It was at the supermarket, being bothered by seeing a single cucumber wrapped in plastic. Or walking by the seafood aisle and feeling so much pain whenever I would see the lobster tank. It was in watching documentaries about global warming and feeling hopeless and furious at the same time. It was in seeing pictures of animals and nature suffering because of our choices.
The entire topic of sustainability is an overwhelming one. Because if you think back just one day, you will notice how much waste we generate without even thinking about it. And change doesn’t come with ease, especially when it’s so much easier to be wasteful. It’s cheaper to buy new than to fix the old.
But the goal is not to be perfect because perfection doesn’t exist. The goal is to care enough to want to change and be better. And a really great place to start is with nutrition. Because we eat every single day multiple times. Every meal, comes with a choice. And we get a new chance to make a difference every single day. For me, that’s hope! And that’s why I’ve combined my sustainability journey with that of my profession – nutrition. This is why I have fully embraced sustainable nutrition as one of my main business and personal beliefs.
In a way, sustainability has always been a part of me, even without realizing it. I think that we are all born with a strong connection to nature. We just get lost and confused along the way with all the external noise. But if you search deep down, you’ll see that it’s been there all along. Your desire to be closer to nature – to connect with it. You’ll realize that you too are a part of nature.
And if you are ready to embark in a deliciously nourishing journey to eating in a way that’s in alignment with your body, mind, soul, AND planet, make sure to check out The Green Way – Eating Healthy & Sustainably. The Green Way is my online program that debunks the idea that eating healthy AND sustainably is expensive, complicated, and time consuming! Learn more about The Green Way right HERE.
