Making Sense of Dietary “Trends”

Where do I start?

I recently got an email from a Mom friend of mine who knew I have been studying functional nutrition to become a women’s health coach:

“Good morning! I have a quick question for you. Is there a reference you recommend and trust for all things nutrition? All the diet and food trends have a science claim to them but what’s the real story? For example: Is pink salt better for you than white salt? How does gelatin affect the body? Is grain/wheat really inflaming our brains and causing Alzheimer’s and dementia? These are the type questions swirling in my brain. I understand that nutrition and science are evolving every day but I just wondered where you go to sort through it all. A Book or website?”.

First of all, I got a chuckle out of the  “a quick question” part — there are people who dedicate their lives to studying just one of these questions. Yet, in this particular situation I knew exactly what she meant. It’s a question on my mind during almost every trip to the grocery store. With all the food info bombarding you from every direction, it’s easy to get confused and not know what is really best for you and your family. Truth is, there are a few key things to think about before you get down to specifics:

1. How much time do you have to dedicate to food preparation?
2. What can you afford financially?
3. Are there health concerns in your home?

Your personal answers to these three questions will help guide you to what is important and relevant for you and your family. They will also help you discard alluring information snippets masquerading as health gospel. The internet is full of clickbait health claims, providing just enough scare factor to make you feel guilty about every snack you put in your mouth. If you want to make a change, and you’re as overwhelmed as most other moms, your first step should be to reflect on these questions to avoid going down a rabbit hole.

1. How much time do you have?

We moms are superheroes… period.  But the truth of it is, we can not be everywhere doing everything all the time. You can’t be at the baseball game, at work, cooking an Instagram-worthy dinner, learning about the newest trends on diet and nutrition and picking up little ones from ballet class all at the same time. You just can’t and that’s OK!

To up your superhero game, work on setting realistic goals for the week, the month, and the year and focus on ways to make them achievable. Ask yourself, what is important to me? How much time do I have to give to implement dietary changes? How can I get the kids involved? Do I have support from within my family? The answers to these questions can shape your strategies to increase healthy eating in your home.

This self-reflection is so necessary because your health and wellness goals need to be based on your life and your values — not what “health articles” are telling you to do. It is also critically important to avoid further overextending yourself — remember, stress is toxic and can undo all the healthy benefits of diet changes.

Here is an example of what your goals could look like:

Week: Grocery shop 1-2 times weekly and make a menu for the week on Saturdays.

Month: Batch cook on 3 weekend days and bulk shop 2 days per month.

Year: Eat healthy meals 2x per day.

Give yourself a chance to exceed these goals and grace to fall short once in a while.

Now you have a foundation. What can you do to support yourself through this to be as successful as possible? This is a very personal question because everyone needs something different to be successful. Dig deep and find the answers. I needed to ask myself these questions, be honest about the answers and hit Pinterest!  

Do you have an Instant Pot or a Crockpot? Kitchen tools like these can be a huge help if you don’t have much time to dedicate to standing in front of the stove. Do you have freezer space? Batch cooking freezer packets is a great idea for one pot meals, but having a place to store them is key!

These questions will help shape your specific needs and structure what your personal next steps are to healthier food choices.  

2. What can you do financially:

We all know that eating “clean” can be more expensive than eating a standard American diet. For example, fresh produce is perishable and if it’s not used promptly, it can go bad. Items with a “Organic” or “Grass fed” label typically has a significantly higher price tag. Fortunately, there are some tricks to making healthy choices AND saving a buck or two.

• Heed the advice of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and only buy organic when you have to. The EWG puts out a review every year of the “dirty dozen” — the 12 fruits and veggies which are the most important to buy organic. They also include the “clean 15” — the 15 fruits and veggies with the least amount of contaminants on them. The take away: there isn’t a need to buy the “clean 15” organic. Save a buck or two.

• Veggies cost less than meat, so eat more veggies! If you are spending extra on grass fed meat/dairy than save some money when you can and bulk up on your vitamin rich veggies. Make sure you aren’t ignoring the frozen section, there are often great deals on organic frozen vegetables. Pick them up, stash them in the freezer and it’s usually a time saver too because the prep work is done for you !

• Don’t get tricked into highly processed foods with expensive buzzwords like “gluten-free” and “organic.” These items are labeled as such to give the illusion of health and usually come with a large price tag — but they are still processed food. Instead of buying highly processed packaged items that include fancy health food buzzwords, choose items with a handful of ingredients that you can easily identify.  

• Organic and free range meats can be expensive, but there is a trick to this too! Talk to the butcher at your grocery store and see what day of the week they put organic/free range meats on sale. There is typically a cycle for the price fluctuation which includes shelf life, holidays, and demand in your area. Have a relationship with your local farmer or butcher and get all the tips on cheaper cuts of meat and sales.

  

• Buy in bulk, when you can. Larger quantity purchases often come with a nice per-unit discount. I recommend doing this with organic fruits and free range meats. These items are easily preserved and can remain frozen for a long period of time without compromising quality. This type of bulk buying requires some dedicated freezer space or food dehydrator. Beware: If you have any significant allergies or a diet that reduces grains, gluten or legumes be mindful that the bulk bins are a cost saver, but it’s not a guarantee that the food is free of cross contamination.

3. Are there health concerns in your home?

Diet is so much more than weight loss — it’s a powerful tool for healing. That being said, not all dietary changes or supplements are right for everyone, and sometimes it is honestly best to take the “less is more approach,“  especially if you have health issues in your home. There is new research coming out on a nearly daily basis, providing dietary solutions for those who have previously been told “you just have to live with” autoimmune diseases, thyroid conditions, diabetes, seizures, and neurologic illnesses, just to name a few.

We are lucky enough to live in a time where there are amazing professionals that can help direct you through the crazy maze that is using food as a complementary therapy to traditional healthcare treatments. There is great value in having these therapeutic and nutritional interventions guided by a professional who specializes in your specific condition.

This includes professionals such as, functional medicine practitioners, osteopaths, naturopaths, dietitians, nutritionists, and health coaches, just to name a few. Find these people in your area and let them be on the journey with you. You don’t have to figure this all out alone.

4. So what general guidelines are good for everyone?

• Eat a variety of foods. Follow the advice of Michael Pollan –  “eat food, not too much, mostly plants”. Real food is vital and it doesn’t come out of a box or have a wrapper. I’m talking about the produce section of the supermarket or your local farmers market (buy more than artisanal soap at the market!)  I’m not telling you to go raw vegan (if that is your goal, then great, be vegan) but eat foods that nourish and support your body with a rainbow of colors.

• Enjoy your food! You can get your kids excited about healthy food because you are. If you say “yuck!” they will be more likely to say “yuck!” Set your priorities and eat the cleanest source possible for your individual lifestyle.  Healthy food doesn’t have to be boring, get excited and explore as a family!

• Don’t buy into wellness gimmicks; there’s no magic pill or supplement.  It takes time and dedication to live a life as healthy as possible. There are many professionals out there that can help you find the tools that will support you along the way. If a potential remedy seems too good to be true, it is!   

So, look inside yourself, ask the hard questions, and be realistic with your expectations. While you’re at it, don’t forget to get off the phone, get out and move, breathe deep and relax. You know, it’s been too quiet while you’ve read this article; there is probably a toddler somewhere drawing on the wall.