Forging past the food fads

We are constantly bombarded by information on nutrition and lifestyle and frankly much of it is ‘nutrib******s’ with little or no evidence base. Here are a few simple thoughts that I hope might help you navigate that mass of information.

1. Nutrition is extremely individual
2. Healthy eating does not have to be complicated
3. Socio-economic factors have a massive influence on health outcomes
4. The words we use to talk about nutrition and health matter – avoid stigmatising language
5. It’s important to think about the bigger picture of health – not just nutrition
6. Sleep has a huge impact on health and nutrition-related outcomes
7. Food is so much more than the sum of it’s parts, eating for pleasure is key
8. Self-compassion is vital for improving relationship with food
9. No food needs to be avoided unless it is poisonous or you are allergic to it
10. Most answers about nutrition start with “It depends on…”
11. There is much more to sustainable eating than plant-based diets
12. It is rarely helpful to comment on what others are eating
13. Context matters in all areas of nutrition
14. A plant-based diet doesn’t need to be a plant-only diet
15. The complexity of nutrition is often under-estimated
16. The appeal to nature fallacy is very common with nutritional beliefs
17. Low-carb diets continually resurface under many different disguises!
18. Food beliefs are often deep-rooted, tribal and linked with sense of self
19. No nutrition messages should be black and white
20. Sometimes all you should do is laugh at the latest ridiculous fad diet
21. Focusing on health is much more important than just weight
22. A flexible approach to healthy eating is vital
23. Nutritional science contains many fascinating shades of grey
24. Food should complement our life, rather than dominate it
25. Variety is an important part of a satisfying and nutritious diet