The Right Tool For The Job
One of the pillars of health coaching is the concept of bio-individuality, or the principal that while we all share the basic fundamental biology and physiology, everyBODY presents differently and therefore different tools will work for different people. This can show up in minute details, such as one person loving the way they feel when they consume plant-based protein while another feels best consuming more animal-based protein. Or the fact that some people love red bell peppers and others only like the yellow ones. Everyone’s tastes, preferences, circumstances, biology and experiences contribute to their own unique healthy landscape.
I am constantly reminded that it is most beneficial for us to keep building our toolkits and to not get overly reliant on any one single strategy. For example, I generally like to use the natural feedback from my body to guide what I eat and how much (after spending a good amount of time learning about it all up front), but was reminded by a fellow strength coach recently that some people strongly prefer data and numbers. Different personality types may gravitate towards tracking macronutrients on a more detailed level and others will do better with a more generalized tracking approach. What I have been reminded of most recently, is that the right tool for the job can also vary for individuals based on different seasons of life and their ever-changing circumstances. I am a less numbers-oriented person currently in a season when numbers have been very helpful and even necessary for my current “success”.
While we are on the topic, what do I mean by more detailed tracking? I have been using a food tracking app called Cronometer. Every day I can enter what I am eating and how much and see how it stacks up to my personal recommendation of how much protein, fats, and carbohydrates I “should” be getting. It also accounts for exercise (syncs to my Garmin app & watch) and adjusts energy needs (aka calories) accordingly. Compared to other apps I have tried in the past this one is very user friendly and I especially appreciate that it has a barcode scanner with a wide database, which makes the entering process much swifter. It also allows you to enter your own recipes or custom meals, so if you make something from scratch you can enter all the details once, then easily pull it up again each time you eat it.
The drawback of tracking on this level of detail? It’s a lot of work! It can get very tedious, but there is a direct correlation between the amount of effort you put in for the amount of information you get out. While it is effortful, this can be helpful both for monitoring excess amounts of consumption as well as ensuring enough consumption and evaluation of balance between nutrient groups.
For me personally, it is not a method I want to use long-term, but again, it is serving me well in my current season and I like knowing that I am learning more options that will also help me in future seasons.
I love the analogy of the toolkit because it has very few limitations. I picture my Dad with his well-organized garage with plentiful tools. When he starts a new project, he first rifles through the tools he has already invested in - both in buying them and learning how to use them. And when he comes to uncharted territory that requires new tools, he cheerfully and methodically adds them to his collection. It’s the same with our health, when we first encounter a new situation, we can try out the tools we already know and love (or tolerate). Then when we stumble into new grounds, it’s an opportunity to expand our toolkit. It benefits us most to stay flexible and open to both old and new strategies and options.
When bio-indivuality meets seasonality and flexibility, we become agile and adaptive in our approach to health. Don’t hesitate to keep experimenting and building up your toolkit! ’Tis the season!
