Food Truths

For the past 5 or 10 years the word superfood has been coined to describe foods promising to deliver incredible health benefits when consumed regularly. From kale smoothies to blueberry acai bowls, the superfood idea has been exploited in every media channel and sensationalized in every health magazine to date. Unfortunately, despite the notable health benefits of these foods, pushing kale, blueberries and quinoa on people is not the solution to great nutrition. In fact, the continuous over emphasis on one single nutrient, food or diet as a “nutrition solution” is like trying to solve an entire puzzle by looking at one piece. It is true that some foods have way more nutrient density than others, but no single food by itself is going to solve our health problems; which is aside from the fact that not a single person I know eats ONLY one food. What I am getting at is that a kale superfood smoothie will not cancel out the oversized burger, French fries and 44 ounce soda you consume at lunch later in the day. Now, I’m not trying to food shame anyone here, nor am I trying to tell you not to drink your kale smoothie. The goal of this post is simply to remind everyone to step back and look at the BIG picture when it comes to nutrition or any healthy thing that we recommend to people.

“One workout on the treadmill will not turn your body into a marathon runner just as one healthy food will not turn you into a healthy eater.”

We need to stop looking at ONE factor and start seeing nutrition and food choices for what they really are. We need to factor in religion, culture, mental wellbeing, social intricacies, availability, affordability, taste preferences, etc. and meet people where they are in their nutrition journey. Then and only then can we gain the trust and respect required to help educate and positively influence the nutrition and other lifestyle choices that people make every day.

Nutrition is not a superfood, it is not one size fits all; it is not a diet plan or a blanket solution. Nutrition is a complex field of study that is constantly changing; what we know now will likely be outdated in 50 years. However, there are some food truths that as a dietitian I feel confident recommending to anyone. Not only do I feel strongly about these truths, I think that they are often overlooked due to the increasing focus on finding a miracle “superfood” that over promises and under delivers. Having my bachelor’s degree in advertising, I realize that the term “superfood” sounds 10 times more appealing than sensible food truths, but I can tell you that all good nutrition advice is realistic, fairly easy to implement and sustainable. Most importantly, when followed it delivers lifelong results.

My food truths are featured in this month’s employee-facing whole person wellbeing platform, Life On the Move. This platform, formerly known as On the Move Monthly, was recently re-branded to embody exactly what the program delivers- total wellbeing at the speed of life. Life On the Move, is an online holistic wellbeing platform that can be used in organizations seeking new ways to deliver expert health tips, activity tracking, wearable device integration, goal setting, self-reflection and optional friendly competition opportunities for their employees. This fun program has been used by hundreds of organizations from all over the globe to improve employee wellbeing and has had tremendous results. With industry experts featuring new health topics every month, your employees will learn how taking care of themselves helps move them in all aspects of life- financially, relationally, mentally, professionally. Brand new functionality allows participants and wellness coordinators to set up friendly challenges on individual, departmental and organizational levels, keeping your employees engaged in their own wellbeing. There are many ways to interact with the program!

Kaitlyn Pauly, MS
Registered Dietitian, Licensed Medial Nutrition Therapist
Marketing/Product Coordinator