5 Pieces Of Dietary Advice You Wouldn’t Expect From A Nutritionist
I like to think of myself as somewhat of an anti-nutritionist. While most nutrition coaches or professionals tell their patients to add more supplements to their routine, do more exercise, cut out more foods, incorporate more recovery protocols like ice baths and saunas, introduce more steps into their morning and night routines… you get the picture, I like to help people do less… but get more out of it.
Everything I recommend is supported by science and evidence. I aim to make nutrition more accessible, empowering and achievable, while others focus on eliminating or restricting things from your diet and lifestyle to be “healthier”. In my opinion, I’d argue this is the least “healthy” strategy of all…
I’m all about maximum reward for minimal effort. So with that said, here are five pieces of health advice I’d give to (almost) anyone, depending on your unique goals and circumstances, which highlight just how simple and easy health and nutrition can (and should!) be if you’re doing it right…
One
DITCH (OR STREAMLINE) YOUR SUPPLEMENTS.
Most people actually don’t need to take vitamins or supplements daily. Unless you’re lacking or deficient in a nutrient because your diet doesn’t include enough foods to provide you with adequate amounts, or you have an increased need for a specific nutrient (for example during pregnancy), you probably don’t need to swallow seventy-seven different supplements every day.
Now let’s say you do fall into one of these categories, and you know for a fact - through blood tests or other scientific measures - that you’re not absorbing or getting enough of one or more nutrients from your diet alone. First, we look at tweaking your diet to see if we can boost your intake and levels of this particular vitamin using food. If, however, your body simply doesn’t absorb a nutrient as efficiently as it should, or you truly can’t get enough of something due to dietary restrictions (allergies/intolerances, cultural or religious limitations etc), then we can talk about supplementation.
And something else to note… If you’re working to correct deficiencies in specific nutrients, most of the time popping a multivitamin and hoping it covers everything you’re lacking is not the way to go. Multivitamins generally contain small amounts of a bunch of different vitamins and minerals. Which means they’re likely not going to cut it for the things you are lacking in, and put you at risk of consuming excessive amounts of the nutrients you’re not. Yes, there can be too much of a good thing… Excessive intakes of some vitamins can have negative effects, including vitamin toxicity, nausea, digestive discomfort, diarrhoea etc. And others are simply excreted in your urine… which makes for some pretty expensive wee!
The bottom line is this: don’t take any supplements unless you need them - and you’ve been told to do so by a nutritionist, dietitian, doctor or health professional. They’ll also be able to recommend which brand, dosage and type of formula is best suited to your individual needs, because all supplements are not equal!
Two
CRAVING A “LESS NUTRITIOUS” FOOD? EAT IT.
We’re always hearing how we need to resist the temptation of the “less nutritious” foods we love the most - those same foods we feel out of control around. We’re told to avoid keeping our favourite block of Marvellous Creations in the kitchen cupboard, because we’ll never be able to stop eating at just one row… We’re told to never allow ourselves to taste the carrot cake we dream of on the daily, because after that first bite we’ll become powerless against its appeal, ending up inhaling the entire cake before we can draw a breath.
This. Is. Not. The. Way. To. Prevent. Overeating.
The problem is not your willpower. Or your tendency to overeat these foods you don’t allow yourself to buy or enjoy. The problem lies in the advice we’re given.
The truth is this: when you “forbid” yourself from eating a food you love and crave - let’s go with Woolies Caramel Mud Cake here - suddenly you give it this elevated status. You put it on a pedestal. You begin to think about and desire it more and more. It becomes more enticing than any other food, until… you inevitably cave, buy the cake, and inhale your first slice.
At this moment, you might notice you feel like you have to eat the entire cake in one go… After all, you don’t know when you’ll next allow yourself to taste this caramelly, soft, moist, sweet deliciousness… So you better make it count! Right? But you might also notice the shame you feel at your “out of control” desperation results in you inhaling your “forbidden” mud cake, barely enjoying or tasting it as you go. It takes all the joy out of the food you previously craved and desired.
Buttt, if you had allowed yourself to regularly include this “off-limits” mud cake in your normal diet, the scenario would look very different. You wouldn’t feel the need to swallow the entire cake in one go, because you’d know that you could have one slice today - and another tomorrow if you wanted to. You may even notice you start eating that first mouth-watering slice and don’t even feel like finishing it off - because you’re secure in the knowledge there’s more where that came from, and you can delight in the experience next time you feel like it more. You’re less likely to shove the cake into your mouth like squeezing clothing into an overstuffed wardrobe, meaning instead of feeling guilt and shame and barely tasting the caramelly deliciousness, you can truly savour the taste and experience of eating it.
By regularly including these “off limits” foods we’ve been taught to demonise and avoid at all costs, suddenly they lose their power over us. They’re no longer given a higher status than any other foods. They are just a food. The same as any other. No better, no worse, no more appealing. And that means you can eat them as and when you want. No guilt required.
Remember, food isn’t only intended to fuel your body. There are so many purposes for food - it creates a bond with others as you share a meal, it connects you to family or community or culture and traditions, it brings you comfort, it gives you energy, it helps you fight off illness, it brings you pleasure.
That, in and of itself, is reason enough to eat whatever food you like: because you want to.
Some foods may not be the most nutritious fuel for your body, but if they’re fuel for your soul then they’re equally worth including in your diet. Regularly allow yourself to eat the foods you feel you’re out-of-control around or “forbidden”” from enjoying, and watch your feelings towards these foods completely shift.
Three
MORE IS NOT ALWAYS MORE WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR EXERCISE AND TRAINING.
We’re forever told increasing the amount we exercise is beneficial for our health, physical and mental. We see photos and videos of fitness fanatics on social media, boasting about their morning marathon run or the 3-hour gym session they smashed out during their lunch break. We’re clearly sent the message that the more we exercise and push our bodies, the healthier we’ll be.
But this is not the case.
There’s something called the Law of Diminishing Returns which applies here. As promised, I want to make health and nutrition simple, so I’m not going to get all sciencey on you. But the basic premise is this: more is not always more.
When it comes to exercise, the benefits you experience from moving your body increase as the amount of movement you do increases - but only to a point. Above this point, these advantages and results will plateau, or even decrease. This “point” represents the shift from healthy exercise, into overtraining territory. And we want to avoid reaching it at all costs.
If you’re overtraining, you’re not allowing your body to rest and recover between sessions. These recovery periods are when your body consolidates all the hard work you’ve been doing in the gym, and your strength actually increases as your body performs its natural repair processes. If you’re not allowing time for this to happen, you’re not reaping the rewards of your hard work.
Overtraining is also draining, physically and mentally, resulting in mood swings, low energy levels, fatigue, hormone imbalances, increased stress levels, and other mental health complications. Plus, it decreases your love and enjoyment of your training - because if you’re forcing yourself to show up at the gym even when you’re exhausted and don’t want to be there, you’ll quickly start to resent your sessions and training.
It’s important to set aside at least one rest day per week, and incorporate lower-intensity styles of movement on some of your other training days. Aim to limit any high-intensity movement to 2-3 days max per week. Any more than this can wreak havoc on your hormones and general health, and it likely won’t achieve any positive outcomes either.
Prioritising non-negotiable rest - which can look like a day of bingeing Netflix on the couch, an active rest day, or a time to incorporate recovery protocols like foam rolling, ice baths or saunas - allows your body to repair and strengthen, gives you the space you need to enjoy your training, and helps you achieve greater physical and mental benefits from your exercise routine.
You deserve rest. You don’t need to earn it. Make it your number one priority or foundation in your workout routine, and build the remainder of your exercise regime around it.
Four.
STRUGGLING TO STOP BINGEING OR OVEREATING? EAT MORE.
Sound counterintuitive? Often binge episodes or overeating are the result of not eating enough during the day (or day-to-day).
We call this the binge-restrict cycle. If you spend all day restricting your food intake - either how much or what you allow yourself to eat - your body is going to fight back. It’s like stretching an elastic band further…and further…to the point where it can’t withstand any more pressure, and it flings right back in the opposite direction.
Restricting or limiting your food intake works in exactly the same way. Your body needs a certain amount of food and energy each day to sustain its normal function and processes. To keep your heart beating, your lungs inhaling, your brain functioning. To give you energy to move through the world, and the emotional stability you need to interact and connect with those around you.
If you deprive your body of this essential energy, it’s going to protest. It will produce more of your hunger hormones and fill your brain with thoughts of food, until you’re powerless to resist the biological urge to shovel as much food into your body as possible. And in your haste to quench the hunger, you’ll likely find yourself eating so quickly, you don’t even have a chance to realise you’re full. So before you realise it, you’ve eaten much more than you needed or wanted - and far more than if you’d just allowed yourself to eat without restriction in the first place. This is the most common cause of overeating or binge episodes I see.
At this point, you’ll probably feel guilty and ashamed for what just happened, so you’ll try to compensate by restricting your food on the following day… Until you binge again… And restrict again…you get the picture. Hence: the binge-restrict cycle.
The solution? Listen to your body and its hunger cues, and honour them without question - your body will tell you what it needs if you learn to hear it. If you fuel your body and mind with plenty of food throughout the day - we’re talking three main meals plus snacks - you’ll feel far more in-control around food, and much less likely to binge or overeat.
Be sure to include plenty of proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats at each meal, and aim to add multiple servings and varieties of veggies to your plate each time. Try to incorporate protein into each of your snacks throughout the day too, and stay hydrated at all times. If you notice you’re still hungry after 20 minutes of finishing a meal, eat something else that will satisfy and satiate you! Don’t ignore your hunger, and force yourself to wait until the next “mealtime” to eat. Let your body’s signals dictate when and what you eat, and I bet you’ll notice you binge or overeat far less often.
Five
PROTEIN IS VERY IMPORTANT… BUT NO MORE SO THAN FATS AND CARBS.
Over the last few years alone, we’ve been told to fear or eliminate basically every type of food. Carbs were the devil. Fats were fattening. Fruit was too high in sugar. Vegetables were bloating, thanks to their fibre content.
(None of these are true whatsoever by the way!)
But the nutrient we’ve now been taught to prize above all else? Protein.
Don’t get me wrong, protein is essential to include in your daily diet. It should absolutely be a priority to meet your protein requirements daily (these will be different for everyone based on age, sex, activity level etc.). In fact, science shows your body is hard-wired to signal to you to eat and eat until you’ve consumed as much protein as you need each day. So yes, protein is important.
But here’s the kicker… Protein is no more important than any of those other food groups mentioned above.
Carbohydrates are the most important source of energy for your brain and the majority of your body. Without adequate carbohydrates your body can’t sustain many of its crucial functions, and you’ll feel fatigued, lacking in energy, and probably emotionally volatile too!
Fats are crucial for your hormone health, as well as your skin and joint health, mental wellbeing, nutrient absorption, organ protection… Here’s the perfect example: remember when we were told to limit the amount of oil we used in cooking because it was “fattening”? The truth is, if you don’t cook certain foods like veggies with an oil or some kind of healthy fat, your body actually can’t absorb their nutrients nearly as effectively. So you’re missing out on double the goodness - the benefits from the fats and the nutrients you’re wasting.
Yes, protein is crucial and powerful and all the rest of it. But so are carbs and fats. And veggies… and fruits… The point is: balanced meals are the key to good health! Don’t overthink it, just be sure to include a mixture of each of these food groups at each meal or as often as possible, and your body will thank you for it.
Bonus
DON’T OVERTHINK IT.
You may have guessed by now, I’m all about the less is more approach to nutrition… Which applies to the amount of time, energy and mental space I want you to dedicate to your food and eating habits too.
Stop overthinking your diet and nutrition and exercise. Learn to listen to your body, and let it guide your choices. If you’re craving a certain food, eat it. If you need a rest day from your training routine, take it. If you need to snooze your alarm and sleep in instead of getting up to meal prep a perfectly “healthy” lunch for work, do it.
The point is this: you know the fundamentals… Well, maybe you don’t yet, but after working with me you will 😉And once you’ve mastered the basics and you’re eating nutritious and balanced meals most of the time, the rest really doesn’t matter so much.
Don’t overanalyse it. Don’t overthink it. Your body knows what’s best - so stop fighting it and learn to befriend your body. It will be the best thing you ever do for your health - both physical and mental.
Want to master the fundamentals of health and nutrition, and access evidence-based strategies that offer maximum benefit to your health, yet require minimal effort or time? Book a consult with me today to stop overthinking your health, and start feeling confident and empowered in your choices instead!
Hey, I’m Emily
Welcome to the Journal.
I’m a registered nutritionist, passionate about helping you live a healthy lifestyle which prioritises your physical and mental health in equal measure.
