I sort of feel like I am repeating myself this week but it seems the discussion of what proper nutrition is still an area of confusion. So this time the discussion is not about a nutritional concept for weight loss but rather the concept that proper nutrition can and should mean different things in different situations. Read on and I will explain.

There has been lot’s of nutritional positives in the news lately about consumer choices and the transition to more wholesome products and the notion that people are really trying to take their health more seriously. This is a great transition of nutritional habits for our society. With so many serious ailments becoming too prominent in our population health and prevention should be very important to us.

Hockey season is now in full swing from the pro level and down. Every year at Peak Fitness I see just how competitive hockey is even at a young age. Athletic conditioning is playing a bigger role than we have ever seen in sports these days from the minors through to the pros. Professional teams players more commonly now use personal trainers and junior players enroll in off-season conditioning camps all with the hopes of achieving the greater performance necessary to reach their goals.

Finally, weight loss, it’s safe to say there are just a few people concerned about weight loss and a slimmer, firmer physical appearance. I’m not sure how many billions make up the weight loss market currently but it’s safe to say a good majority of us wouldn’t mind to shed a few extra pounds.

These three very different physical situations: health & wellness, athletic conditioning, and weight loss generally would include the vast majority of the population yet for each one proper nutrition means something different. On a piece of paper draw three interlocking circles. Label each one with one of the items above. Now notice the area that overlaps. This is what you should be striving for with your nutrition. So if you are trying to lose weight some nutritional restrictions might go against achieving optimal health or performance and the same would be true in the other areas but the key is the overlap.

This area of overlap is where we can still be focused on our current goal but still maintaining or working toward the transition to another area once the current goal is achieved. So each time you need a new great article on food and its benefits, or that crazy new nutrition idea you will have to decide which circle it belongs in: health & wellness, athletic conditioning, or weight loss and whether it then pertains to your current goals.