Nutrition: keep it simple
Nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated, yet the multi-billion-pound industry wants you to think it is, and there is so much contradictory and misinformation out there, that it’s no wonder people get overwhelmed when it comes to their nutrition. ‘Eat enough protein, but also enough fibre; don’t eat too much fat, but make sure you’re getting in your vitamins; don’t eat too much sugar, but also have food freedom and eat a balanced diet.’
Couple this with the various diets, rules, and fads, and you’ll be left confused and numb, funding an industry that profits on you staying that way. Think about it, a good inventor designs a lightbulb that never needs to be replaced, a good businessman designs a lightbulb that needs replacing every 6 months, keeping you coming back for more and spending your hard-earned cash.
What are you supposed to do when you’re fed such conflicting information? And that’s not to say that some of the information out there isn’t valid and can’t help you achieve your goal, but how are you supposed to be able to decipher which applies to you, and which is put out there to feed this industry?
Don’t fall for the marketing
There is always a new trend or fad with our society, and nutrition is absolutely no stranger. As a nutritionist, I often get asked about the most popular vitamins on the market that promote gut health or taking supplements to boost your immune system. The truth is, none of these things are necessarily bad, they might actually help reduce bloating and you might feel higher energy at a time of year that you usually have a cold, but just consider the billion-pound industry behind those products.
Foods are often marketed as ‘high in protein’ but fail to mention they are also high in sugar and/or salt or are ‘low in calorie’ failing to mention that they’ve taken a whole host of other valuable nutrients out in order to reduce the calories within. So just because something claims to be good for you within the marketing, doesn’t always mean that it is good for you. Dr Tim Spector speaks on this in his latest appearance on Grace Beverley’s podcast ‘Why aren’t my diets working’, I highly recommend checking it out.
I’m a commercial marketer in my other world, and my job is to lean into what the market wants and to create messaging and products that will make people want it. Months go into planning this content to make you – the consumer – buy in and spend your money on that specific ‘life changing’ product. And it’s not always that the product didn’t work, but 9 times out of 10, a product that promises to help you lose a stone in a week fails and it leaves you disappointed, demotivated, and back at square one.
Actually, if you understood more about your nutrition, what you needed to do to achieve your goal in the first place, and how you can do that, you wouldn’t fall for the marketing or the latest fad, because you would know that there is no quick fix to make you instantly feel better, lose tummy fat or overnight improve your gut health, or whatever the miracle product is promising.
Consistency over perfection
Mental wellbeing is more important than any of it, and food is to be enjoyed – there is no point in aiming for perfection if you are miserable. And more importantly – consistent perfection is unrealistic, you will eventually ‘fall off the wagon’ when your life inevitably presents a change of routine, a party, a Saturday night with friends. Your health is a whole spectrum, and enjoying life needs to be at the core – so when approaching your nutrition, think ‘balance’. Allow yourself the grace to focus on your health and nutrition, whilst also enjoying the food you love.
It’s the oldest saying in the book, but everything in moderation – aim to prioritise unprocessed, whole foods, protein, and plants across a variety of colours, around 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time, enjoy yourself, have a glass of wine, go to your favourite local bakery for their famous almond pain au chocolat, do the things that bring you joy and wholeness, for more information on the 80:20 ‘rule’, head to this BBC good food article for a good example of this in practice. By finding this balance, you will not only develop a consistent approach to your nutrition but alter the way you think about food and the way it can bring you both joy and nourishment, whilst still working towards your health goals – and that is ‘perfect’.
So remember, take the time to learn what your body needs, and respond to it. It might take a little while, but it’ll cost you less and cause you less heartache than jumping on the latest fad.
