From Daily Sonic to Green Smoothies: How I use Food to Fuel My Body and Brain featuring Cara Clark
The Zimmerman Podcast episode seventeen just dropped!
In this episode, I interviewed my nutritionist and friend, Cara Clark, of Cara Clark Nutrition (CCN). Cara is a nutritionist for professional athletes, celebrities, and me! Today, we’re talking about how we met, how I convinced Cara to take me on as a client, and how to simplify the building blocks of nutrition so we can fuel our bodies, hearts, and minds.
Before I met Cara, I had no clue how to fuel my body with food. I had started trying to be mindful of my nutrition, but my diet could still be likened to that of a truck driver. Jalapeno Cheetos were a staple, but I’d gotten to the point in my life and in my business where I was exhausted all the time, I wasn’t feeling like my best self, and I really just needed to learn how to fuel my body so I could be the person I want to be and live the life I want to live. I can’t wait for you to listen to this episode. There are so many practical tips for fueling your body and listening to what you need. Grab a pen and some paper, because you’re going to want to take notes!
Real food, real people, real results
Similar to my own journey, Cara created a career out of her own need. Her need came from wanting to understand how to fuel her body as a college athlete who played basketball. After realizing all the available nutritional information was geared toward men, she started studying it herself. As she learned, she knew she could support others and soon realized how desperate people were to understand real food and lifestyle nutrition.
After struggling with her own disordered eating, Cara knows that a healthy life isn’t all about weight loss. Cara sees people as a whole being and pays attention to the connections between their physical, emotional, and psychological identities. She has built her philosophy on total wellness with the motto “real food, real people, real results”. She helped me learn how different foods make me feel so I can listen to my body and understand what it needs. When we understand what makes us feel good, we can begin to make long lasting changes from a mindset of growth and not deprivation.
Health and wellness starts with food
Once we get emotionally engaged in our goals, then the path to self discovery really begins. CCN is a way of life founded on the belief that good overall health and wellness starts with food.
She shares her key pillars to beginning this way of life, breaks down the components of each of our meals, and explains the six essential nutrients we need everyday to fuel our bodies. Cara breaks it all down for those of us who know nothing about nutrition, and finally shares the one thing she wants you to take away from her in this episode!
Fueling our bodies increases energy
Next, we both shared what a typical day of eating looks like for each of us, and how neither one of us thinks about eating too many calories. She has taught me to base what I eat off of how I feel and how to support my body in all my activities. When I first started working with Cara, I didn’t care about a number on a scale, I was searching for a way to increase my energy and be my best. It’s been freeing for me to begin to listen to my body and how it feels and learn what it needs.
Before I met Cara, I’d often hear from others that I should be tired because I work full-time and have three young children, but I knew that wanting to crawl into bed at 4pm everyday was not normal. We don’t have to feel tired all the time, even during busy seasons of life. We often make excuses for our patterns because it’s easier than putting in the work to feel our best and be our best. For me, as with many of Clara’s clients, I was not eating enough to support my body in all of its activities. Once I knew better, I was able to do better and share with you what I’ve learned from Cara in this episode!
Small changes add up
When I began prioritizing my eating and wellness, I knew it could be easy to get overwhelmed and bogged down with meal planning and recipes, things that would take a lot of time, energy and thought to implement. I didn’t care if I needed to eat the same meal every meal, every day for a year, I just needed a new plan! Cara kept it simple and helped me make the goal of eating five colors a day and getting all the macronutrients I needed. I didn’t even know what macronutrients are, but Cara explained it all to me, like she does for you in this episode.
As a mom and an entrepreneur, it’s easy for me to sacrifice my own needs for everyone and everything else. I’d heard it before, but I finally figured out that “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” Cara has helped me learn how to take care of myself first so that I can be my best, the best for my family and my business. If you’re like I was, and you feel overwhelmed and undereducated about where to begin in your health and wellness journey, this episode is for you!
I love Cara’s approach to nutrition, health, and wellness. My favorite thing about what I’ve learned from Cara is that I’m not on some fad diet or unsustainable plan. I’ve just made a lifestyle change that allows me to live the life I want. Just like everything with life and business, boundaries give us freedom, and I’m so thankful for the freedom I’ve found with Cara Clark Nutrition.
