Where to start as a beginner

I am a complete beginner, where would you recommend starting from to get healthy?

This the perfect time to start the way you mean to go on.  When you are starting our and realise that you need to start paying closer attention to what you are eating and how it effects your body, the best place to start is with an understanding of the fundamentals.  Navigating the world of fads, bro-science and gimmicks that address the tip of the wedge is no easy task but fostering an understanding of the basics of nutrition will provide you with the necessary tools for long term health and not short term ‘transformations’.

Education of basic principles is not as sexy as ‘torch body fat in 30 days’, I understand that, but the short-term wedge tip solutions that we are sold are largely capitalising on the body’s innate ability to adapt.  There are periods of time where the body will adapt to a new dietary ‘transformation’ with weight loss (note, weight loss is different to fat loss) before regression to the mean (where it is comfortable).  This is the same with so-called ‘newbie gains’ in the gym with lifting weights.  When you train coming from a largely untrained background, you are likely to make significant progress in the initial short term, until your body slows the hypertrophy and muscle gain becomes more gradual.

There are those who like to go it alone and delve into the books to find their own understanding of the basics, which is inspiring and empowering, but comes with the risk of over exposure to ‘information’ and analysis paralysis.  My view on where a complete beginner should start is with a 1:1 consultation with a nutritionist, with some follow up coaching for a short period of time, until the habits, knowledge and autonomy have been curated, empowering you to make your own informed decisions and control your own nutrition and fitness.  Should this be the case, find yourself an evidence-based nutritionist, someone who works 1:1 and will put you first.  Good nutritionists listen and advice based on facts first, they do not sell first.

On the note of fitness, this is usually another aspect of health that goes hand in hand with nutrition health interventions.  When someone wants to become healthier, this should involve regular exercise.  The starting point is a lot more basic here as the body will respond to any movement you decide to stimulate it with. 

My suggestion here would be to start small with a goal of achieving 10k steps every day as a baseline.  Then try 10 push ups a day and slowly progress until you love for exercise and the habits build.

The gold standard here, and something I honestly believe within my own practise is to get some guidance on both.  Statistically people are more like to to follow through on what they have been advised to do, over what they have discovered in a book.  Equally, it is more likely that you will adhere to something you have invested in too.

This is why I have formed my consultancy.  I want to be the informed first step in nutrition, fitness and mindset that empowers you with the basic foundation of nutrition and how that relates to your specific lifestyle.  Subsequent coaching will guide you through how to apply these foundations and practice healthier habits.  In addition, with physical training inspired by soviet General Physical Preparedness, I aim to show people how to move their body to build strength, resilience, and stamina, anywhere and at any time.  Combine this with evidence-based mindset coaching and you have the complete approach to new habits and a healthier life.  With this approach I want you to leave and never NEED to come back and I will forever be in your corner for legacy support.

You can get started right here. Let's work together and bring out the BEST in you.