How to spot questionable nutrition advice…
The internet and social are reeling with all this new year new year crap… Have you seen it yet? Blah! There is some seriously questionable nutrition advice going around. If you see any of these let it be a red flag for you to stop and think about what it is they’re trying to get you to buy into… I am going to break down each of these examples and why they can be dangerous.
Here are some of the more common ones I’ve come across… and what makes these worse is that celebrities (knowingly or not) are often used to promote them. So many people are left thinking that if there is a celebrity face attached to it, then it has to be ‘good’ or ‘safe’ advice.
- Cut out (insert food group here, dairy, grains, fruit) to lose weight. Why is this bad advice? Cutting out whole food groups can lead to deficiencies and serious health concerns. These can be SERIOUS! Anyone pushing these programs isn’t going to tell you the negative consequences of cutting out grains, because often, they’re one-sided in their approach.
- ‘Do this one thing to cut out belly fat for good…’ Honestly, I can’t even! This kind of shit makes me so mad. I’ve seen things like lemon water claiming to be the holy grail for losing belly fat. Apple cider vinegar is another one. No one single food is going to melt belly fat away. The only thing that will ensure you lose weight… a sustained calorie deficit – and even then it won’t just come off your belly, it’ll come off your whole body according to lots of things like exercise, hormones, genetics…
- Eating only certain foods/drinks. Celery juice anyone. No thanks. If you eat nothing but celery juice you will lose weight, because you’re in a calorie deficit. You will also feel like shit, have no energy and put your health at risk due to lack of micronutrients.
- Another one that really annoys me are single small studies that try to persuade you that by doing X you will get Y. Understanding types of research is complex. Applying research is even more difficult, especially in humans. Good research takes time and loads of reviews. It isn’t a single study…
- Extreme rapid results. Anything extreme and rapid is usually the result of extreme and rapid action. Sure, you can lose 5kgs in a week, but that isn’t going to be 5kgs of fat mass lost. It’ll be mostly water, lean mass and some fat mass. Is that what you really want? Do you want to feel miserable for the sake of a very short term change in scale weight. Probably not…
- Pushing the use of many supplements. I’m all for supplements for the right purpose at the right time. I don’t believe in a blanket approach with supplement use and would never suggest a supplement purely for the sake of financial gain. Call me old-fashioned, but I actually care about my client’s welfare above making a few bucks from a potential supplement sale. And supplements are only that, they are there to SUPPLEMENT the overall diet, not replace it (which is what a lot of them push for).
I always seek to understand a client’s current knowledge and educate them about a balanced approach to nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. As an educated professional that holds a Bachelor of Nutrition, I understand the science around not only weight loss but nutrition and its implications on health. I’m not out to make a quick dollar off your insecurities. I genuinely want to help you learn and develop your health journey to the best of your ability. If you want to see what we can achieve together, contact me here.
What crazy nutrition advice have you come across? Please leave me a comment with your thoughts.
