Just like peanut butter and jelly are needed to make a perfect PB&J, nutrition and fitness must go hand in hand. Proper nutrition delivers the right amounts of carbs, fats, protein, vitamins and minerals to keep our bodies running. Fitness provides the right amount of activity to keep our physiological systems primed and manicured. Current advances in medicine and sports science have shown the power exercise and nutrition concurrently play on hormonal balance, brain function, and overall life satisfaction. Thankfully, we have been so bombarded with the importance of proper nutrition and exercise, almost everyone knows sport's science's famous adage, "30 min./day of physical activity" and the USDA's "food pyramid". I'm fairly certain almost everyone can make a list of physical activities they "could" do on a daily basis and a nutritional daily diet they "could" follow. Like any list, the hard part is remembering to follow it.
Personal trainers and nutritionist can help you stick to your "lists" and meet your goals. But remember, nutrition and fitness must go hand-in-hand. Your personal trainer should have a basic education in nutrition and be able to help you reach your nutritional goals. However, unless they hold a license in nutrition, in most states they are not able to prescribe a specific meal plan. Similarly, most nutritionist have some education in basic exercise physiology and can probably recommend some general exercise guidelines. However, this does not mean they can spot incorrect exercise form or know heart rate training methods.
Everyone needs a bit of extra guidance and motivation at some point in their lives. Deciding whether to consult with a nutritionist and/or a personal trainer depends on your goals, willpower, and strengths. The most important thing to remember is nutrition and exercise are like peanut butter and jelly and you deserve the goodness of both. Rest assured any qualified personal trainer or nutritionist will incorporate both exercise and nutrition into your wellness plan. And, if your needs fall outside of one of our scopes of practice, we all are friends so we'll be sure to refer you to someone who can help.
Eat well and play hard!
