What is good nutrition?
“Too many ‘best diet’ advice out there, so let’s cut through the BS.”
~ James Molden
It seems like everyone out there has the ‘best diet’ advice, people have strong opinions, and around the communal table there is always the possibility for a debate on whether keto is king, or paleo wins, or ‘I lost 3 stone just drinking smoothies!!
To be fair, out of all the possible debates it is not a bad one to have - which diet is best and what is the best way to eat. We all want to know the specific magical combination of foods to eat that will cure diseases, keep us young, give us a radiant glow, and alleviate all human suffering.
Spoiler alert…
There isn’t one. Not with 7.5 billion people on the planet, there isn’t a number one dietary solution. After all, people are diverse and the world would be boring if that wasn't the case.
How people differ when it comes to diet:
● Fitness level
● Abilities
● Body composition
● Dietary preferences and exclusions
● Budget
● Nutrition knowledge and diet history
● Priorities
● Schedules
● Ethnic background and heritage
● Biology.
And probably more. Diverse people need diverse diets!
“...the traditional diets of Arctic Inuit and East African Masai people are high in fat and animal products, with few vegetables. Conversely, Kitavans in the South Pacific, the Hadza of East Africa, and many groups in the Amazon basin, eat traditional diets that are low in fat but high in vegetables and starchy carbohydrates. Meanwhile, the Bushmen of the western edge of the Kalahari Desert eat traditional diets that are made up of mostly nuts and seeds.”
— Precision Nutrition
As humans we have adapted over thousands of years to adjust to whatever our environment provides and our body is capable of making the required adjustments. When we think about a diet or a nutrition goal we need to think about ‘what matters’ to us and ‘what works’ for us. That is it in a nutshell.
We take a flexible approach. We borrow the best ideas from everywhere and everyone, and are always looking for new insights or tools. We teach fundamental dietary principles and skills that can be applied virtually universally. In reality, the “best diet”... is one you can actually stick to.
Research shows that:
“Small differences in diets—such as the exact percentage of macronutrients, specific food choices, or what type of carbohydrate people eat—don’t actually matter.”
— Precision Nutrition
And it turns out, many diets “work” for various goals, but only if people can do them consistently. So take a step back and rather than focusing on the food, focus on yourself, try different methods, experiment with ideas, while keeping grounded in well established principles of sound nutrition.
We’ve come full circle to what is good nutrition, so let's take a look.
Good nutrition is a science, not a belief system. “Good nutrition” is based on strong research data and should be continuously updated as better evidence becomes available.
Good nutrition:
Controls energy balance:
We don't eat too much or too little, so we can stay healthy, fit, and strong.Gives us nutrients:
The foods we eat have good nutrient density, in proportion to calories.Helps us to feel, look, and perform at our best:
Nutrients help us to do what is important to us, whether that’s improve athletic performance, get lean, or just feel better and stay healthy.Is sustainable:
It thinks about the long term and the bigger picture, both in terms of the habits we can maintain, and what’s considerate to the planet.Involves awareness and attention:
We slow down, eat mindfully, notice our body’s feedback, and make food choices consciously.Promotes regular movement:
Good nutrition is paired with regular activity, so our nutrients can work better for us.Is outcome-based:
Our food choices lead to the results we seek, and if not, we adjust.
Having a set of criteria to define what good nutrition is can help inform our decisions around what to eat, regardless of what diet camp food falls into.
So now that we are looking at the world with open eyes when it comes to nutrition and diet and weighing up the many options as opposed to making a knee jerk decision based on an Instagram post or magazine article, we can make decisions based on what the evidence tells us - what works for us, what doesn’t. We can gather evidence about ourselves, and be the scientists of our own nutrition.
This system for making decisions actually has a name:
It’s called “evidence-based practice”.
Nutrition coaches use evidence-based practice in a systematic way of thinking and application that integrates scientific data, professional experience, and the individual needs and preferences of each client.
This system combines three types of evidence:
1. “Everyday life” evidence: This comes from our clients’ lived experiences. It includes stuff like their preferences and values, or what happens when they go on a week-long “all you can eat” at Pizza Hut accompanied by unlimited ice cream.
2. Scientific evidence: This includes things like case studies, experimental research, reviews and meta-analyses, position stands, and so on. This evidence can vary widely in quality, but in general, it’s one of the best ways we have to know about the nature of reality.
3. Evidence you observe on the job: Otherwise known as “expertise”, it’s an experienced professional’s database of collected wisdom. Often, there’s stuff in there that’s hard to explain—you’ve just seen it enough times that you know it’s a thing. And, this is something that takes a while to accumulate, so be patient.
This can be adapted for an individual to look at themselves as their own client, so give it a go and make yourself a research study. Or if you want assistance with any nutrition guidance please reach out to me.
