Nutrition isn’t Religion!

Have you ever noticed that as soon as a new documentary comes out on Netflix, everyone falls in love with a new nutrition concept (that they didn’t even know existed before) and starts promoting the crap out of it as if their life depended on it. Some people start drinking Herbalife from breakfast to dinner, Instagramming every single shake and flavor while some of your friends get mad at you for inviting them to a barbecue because they are now vegans (eating ultra-processed plant-based crap). And of course, don’t forget your party friends that are trying to get you on a week “juice challenge” because you know… gotta detox from all the vodka (or tequila if you are anything like me).

If I didn’t care about nutrition, I’d be amused and probably would find this entertaining, but as a Health Coach, it makes me cringe at times (most times). 

Some of the most brilliant minds in the field of nutrition do not call themselves experts. I’m not talking about the doctor that does your yearly check up, but I am talking about legit nutrition nerds with PhD diplomas instead of wall papers, years of practice, and a list of clients longer than Kim Kardashian’s posts on Instagram. Yes, these guys! They barely call themselves experts in nutrition, because they know better – they know that nutrition is a non-stop evolving science, they know that keeping an open mind about everything they’ve learned so far is non-negotiable, they know that we are only scratching the surface when it comes to nutrition. And most importantly, they know that everyone is different. The school I went to had a beautiful way of calling this : bio-individuality – “One person’s food is another person’s poison.” 

Now, don’t get me wrong, these experts all agree on one thing : processed food should be avoided, and our diet should come from whole food sources mainly. If you want to be over-the-board annoying with one thing, this is it. I certainly am. However you should be flexible with the rest. Don’t claim to be an expert because you read “The China Study” or watched the latest Netflix documentary about food.  

Having said that, try to find what works for you, and once you do, you need to be willing to accept that your needs might change over time, and you’ll more likely have to tweak a few things along the way. In other words, don’t marry your diet, and don’t impose it on others. Nutrition isn’t religion! 

There is a corny quote that says “the mind is like a parachute, it works better when it’s open”, this especially true when it comes to nutrition. If the subject interests you, keep learning! Debates are a great way to make your own opinion. Hearing multiple experts advocate their point of views allows to take the reflection further than “everyone should be eating this way because my sister-in-law’s aunt told her, and she told me”. There are tons of debates that are going to make you question everything you know so far, but that’s the magic and the beauty of nutrition, there is still so much we don’t know. Treat yourself as an experiment, see what works and what doesn’t on YOU – feel how you are really feeling. We are so disconnected from our bodies right now, most people don’t even realize when they have to pee! 

I hope this will help you take Netflix documentaries, or the latest Instagram trend with a grain of salt. Remember to not blindly believe everything you come across. Do your research, try out some ways of eating, and be patient. If you are curious to see how research and studies are done in the field of nutrition, click here to read all about it, you might learn a thing or two ;-).

If you liked this article, it would mean the world to me if you’d share it with someone you think can benefit from it (or someone who told you to juice for a week ;-)). 

In the meantime, thank you for reading!

Bisous, bye bye!