I keep a journal of the questions I am asked daily (to be turned into a book one day, stay tuned!)

Often dietitians encounter assumptions about nutrition and topic-related questions that may not have a factual basis, but are truly believed and passed from one person to another. This “feeds” the urban legends that become nutrition folklore.

So, there is little that this dietitian has not been asked, told, seen or read, but I am amazed daily and fad diets are always a hot topic of conversation!

The latest to hit the headlines  The Meat-Only Diet

Let’s digress for just a moment and revisit the actual definitions of the word ‘diet’ from the good old Merriam-Webster dictionary. The first three being:

(1) food and drink regularly provided or consumed
(2) habitual nourishment
(3) the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a special reason.

These definitions are precisely what a dietitian addresses! Either changing, enhancing, or adjusting dietary and nutrition recommendations according to an individual’s specific needs, based on many different components.

And then comes the final definition of diet, which is….

(4) a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one’s weight, ‘going on a diet’

….and unfortunately this is definition our culture is obsessed with.

So, that leads me back to the hot button topic of the ever-evolving fad diets consuming our magazine covers, TV programs, weight-loss clinics, supplement industry and food manufacturers. It is a multi-billion dollar (probably trillion now!)  industry. Everyone is seeking an answer, a quick fix, and our language has become:

“I’m on a diet”
“I’m not going on a diet”
“I’ve tried every diet”
“I am dieting”
“I read/saw/heard about ___blank diet, what do you think about this diet?” …..and on and on.

One day, I may write a book and debunk them one at a time! Until that day, we have on the agenda, the Meat-Only Diet…We’ve covered almost every extreme there is from the Bulletproof coffee diet (adding fat in terms of butter or coconut oil to your coffee), to the paleo, atkins, and everywhere in between.

Guess what REALLY works?

A plan designed for you, as an individual, taking into account all of your unique needs and circumstances. It’s tried and true. Proof is in the practice, in the research, in the pudding (figuratively speaking). Guess who can help you get there? An integrative RDN. Is it easy, quick, and cheap? Nope. Is being on a diet/in a program/on supplements/pre-packaged meals easy, quick, and cheap? Nope.

Is working on your health with a nutrition professional worth your weight in gold, absolutely.
Read what I have to say about the Meat-Only Diet in this article interview