Is it really that simple?..."Dietbytes by Sandy"

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

When it comes to the message of good nutrition, do we just need to go back to basics?

Michael Pollan, an award willing food and nutrition author, professor, and activist promotes the idea of: "eat less and move more." While this is a profound mantra for most people to follow, I feel it's just a bit too basic for some people. 

Pollan further simplifies his message with: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Not a fan of processed or fast food, he advocates eating things that his grandmother's generation would have eaten or recognized as real food. 

Furthermore, he challenges the idea that we need to eat to promote health. In fact, he points out that this attitude is not culturally universal and some countries focus more on food providing pleasure and uniting families. Societies that live under these guidelines tend to be healthier than ours. 

His other food rules are:

1. Don't eat anything with more than 5 ingredients, or ingredients you can't pronounce.
2. Stay out of the middle of the supermarket; shop on the perimeter. 
3. Don't eat anything that won't eventually rot.
4. Always leave the table a little hungry.
5. Enjoy meals with the people you love.
6. Don't buy food where you buy your gasoline. 

Is he oversimplifying? Dietitians and nutritionists (mostly) agree that the general public does not want to know about the science behind  nutrition. People just want to know what to eat, not why they need it. But, on the other hand, RDs avoid the "one size fits all" approach to nutrition counseling. We've been trained to provide thorough assessments of our clients to clearly understand their nutrition needs. There's often more to the story than "eat less and move more." 

It's clear that there are barriers in our culture to being thin. Some call it an "obesogenic environment." Not everyone has access to a gym or a farmer's market. Some folks were raised only eating meatloaf and pizza, and a vegetable is a foreign thing to them. Telling them to "eat mostly plants" just isn't going to cut it. So, it's our job to take the time to get to know our clients and help to resolve their nutrition issues.

Pollan's message is paramount. We all need to follow his "rules." However, it may be more critical that we write our own rules and goals. Listen to your body and feed it well. We have to eat every day; try to make it enjoyable! Be mindful, and don't punish yourself for making unhealthy decisions. And when you're stuck, ask for help!

Healthy eating,

Sandy N. Sfikas, RD, LDN