Personal mastery comes from consistency.

It’s as simple as that.

We’ve heard since childhood that “practice makes perfect”...
And another word for practice is consistency.

Consistency over time leads to small improvements that compound exponentially.
This is the journey to personal mastery.

Something that people often struggle with is consistency in food and nutrition. The concept of “yo-yo” dieting is a tricky trap to get out of, and times of celebration, like Christmas or birthdays, can also make it hard to stay on track.

While it may be hard to stay consistent with what you eat, staying consistent with how you eat may help.

Enter: nutrition philosophy.

A nutrition philosophy is a set of personal guidelines to live by that govern how you eat. It’s not rules of what you can and can’t eat - more like values of consumption.

Throughout my years training as a professional sports model, I worked with many coaches and nutritionists.

My food philosophy has been developed into what it is today through the invaluable lessons I’ve learnt over the years.

Of course, everyone’s nutrition philosophy is different - depending on your lifestyle, your goals, your values, your likes and dislikes.

To help get you started on creating your own, here are some key points from my own food philosophy:

80% whole foods, 20% soul food.

Restricting yourself to the point where eating is more of a chore than enjoyment? You’re actually not doing your body - or your mind - any favours.

To me, food represents love, warmth, and family. It’s always something that should bring joy! Find healthy ways to include the flavours you love in every meal.

Mix it up!

Always consume a variety of food groups - protein, fat, and carbs. I don’t exclude anything from my diet.

Fruit and veggies should make up the bulk of your daily food. I’m talking 5-7 varieties of veggies and 2-3 varieties of fruit every day. Eat the rainbow!

Plan, plan, plan.

Planning your meals isn’t just about meal prep. Planning your meal times is also important, especially when you’re training.

Carbs are best consumed close to training times - before and after sessions - to support performance and recovery.

Also, when you’re planning your meals in advance, it gives you something to look forward to.

Consider your sleep.

Having a hard time sleeping straight after a big meal? You’re not alone. Your body uses a lot of energy to digest meals, so it’s not wise to promote that boost of energy right before it’s time to unwind.

I never eat more than three hours before bed, and dinner is generally my lightest meal. Eating your bigger meals during the day and tapering off towards the evening ensures good digestion and promotes better sleep.

Water (duh).

This is the most talked about tip for overall health - but some of us still aren’t drinking enough water.

I have my huge 1.5L bottle with me all day, every day. Sometimes, I don’t even realise I’m drinking from it - it’s second nature to me now!

Drinking plenty of water is key to boosting literally every part of your health - hair, skin, digestion and mental clarity, to name a few.

By implementing all these elements in my day, every day, I know I’m going to feel my best and have no fear of falling off the wagon.

Developing good nutrition habits leads to long-term benefits.

Nutrition is something that should support your training - training and nutrition work hand-in-hand to make you feel the best you can every day.

The third element, and one of the pillars of my program, the Sports Model Project, is mindset.

With these three working in unison?

You’ll be unstoppable.

Love & light,

Hattie xo

PS: If you'd like help with your nutrition — check out this think where there's a number of free resources you can grab to help you out.