The best “diet” (based on actual SCIENCE!)
Listening to the influencers duke it out over whose diet is better - low carb, paleo, keto, carnivore, etc - is confusing and faaaaakkin’ annoying. 🤷🏼♀️🥵
And here’s the thing:
The fundamental assumption underlying the ‘diet wars’, and most nutrition research, is that there is one specific, perfect diet that works for every single person…
This is absolutely incorrect. 🚫
How you manipulate your diet should depend on your metabolism, goals, and what you can stick to.
That said, there DOES seem to be a foundational nutritional framework that works very well - at least as a starting point - for most humans.
Nearly all rigorous scientific investigations point to the healthiest, most sustainable nutritional framework going something like this (and it's very simple):
Eat lots of plants (and a wide variety of them) +
Moderate clean protein +
Moderate healthy fats +
Minimal / moderate carbs +
Minimize sugar, processed foods and dairy.
…Hmm.
Actually, when you think about it, this makes logical sense when we think about what we evolved to eat - what would our (ancient) ancestors have eaten for 100,000s of years:
Whole foods, in season, not processed or refined, and quite a variety of foods, especially plants.
So, given that our genes and biochemistry haven’t really evolved much since (they change at a glacial pace), it makes sense that this remains the optimal diet for our bodies, in general.
And that’s key here: the “in general” part.
Different people will do better on different variations of the above according to their genetic make-up, lifestyle and goals.
(We can help determine what works best for individual people through blood labs and genetic testing, and we have the luxury of supporting gaps in our diets with vitamins and mineral supplements…this is a big part of my work with clients.)
What about keto, carnivore, DASH, etc?
I do think there IS a special place for super restrictive diets…
As an example, let’s look at the carnivore diet - the “diet-of-the-moment.”
It CAN be an incredible gut reset for specific outcomes - such as treating severe microbiome imbalances. No doubt.
And, while some people - mostly men from what I’ve read and observed - seem to do well on it long-term, we really don’t have the longitudinal data to know…
It certainly lacks some really key nutrients - like vitamin C, E, K2 - and is low in several others, including things like phytonutrients, which come from plants and play important roles in longevity.
Plus, I can’t imagine there’s many women who would with next to ZERO CARBS through their premenstrual (luteal) phase of their cycle…(I would personally have the guy next to me in a choke hold to steal his sammich.)
And actually, staying super low/no carb all the time for extended periods of time is a HARD NO in the world of female hormone health.
What about for weight loss?
When any woman struggling with her weight asks me about carnivore (or any other restrictive diet) for rapid weight loss, I reply:
“You could try [restrictive diet x] and you’ll probably lose weight, but you’ll put it right back on when you return to normal eating…
"So the question is really: is it sustainable, practical, healthy and enjoyable for you? Cause if it's not, it's not gonna work because you’re not gonna stick to it long-term.”
Are these diets sustainable, practical, healthy and enjoyable for anyone? Even the influencers who swear by them?
Pfffff. I can't imagine. Maybe for freaks like Bryan Johnson. (But I wouldn’t trade my life for his for any amount of money.)
Do these kinds of restrictive diets take a lot of work and cause unnecessary stress / anxiety / food issues for those convinced they need to follow them to a tee forever?
Absolutely, without a doubt.
So here's the point:
When it comes to the MOST common question I get all the time - “what do I eat to lose weight??” I never recommend these kinds of rigid, prescriptive diets...
They aren't sustainable, so the results don't last…👎
Calorie counting and eliminating food groups does NOT work, and it’s not healthy long-term, physically or mentally. There’s a reason our human bodies are designed to eat fat, carbs, plants, and meat. And a wide variety of them.
So back to the general framework above, which tends to work very well for most people...
Beyond that, when thinking about the diet that’s best for YOU and supporting your body to lose weight, it’s important to your guide decisions with data: blood tests, predispositions, lifestyle and ideally, your genetics.
In particular, you want an eating style that supports your unique female hormones, your detox systems, your metabolism, your weight loss goals and your longevity...
Something simple and unfussy - a sustainable, practical, healthy, JOYFUL approach to nutrition and metabolic health.
And if you’re a woman in your 40s who wants expert guidance around how to nourish your body so you can lose weight and beat symptoms, I synthesize it all - and much more - in my program, The Better Beyond 40 Formula. 💃🏼 (If you haven’t already seen it, this video explains how it works.)
🍷🍷 So here’s to freedom from dumb diets that don’t work and feel hard... from a woman who often enjoys wine, chocolate and cheese, guilt-free and on the regs.
