Weight loss programs dominate our minds these days and that’s because most of the population needs to lose weight!
But have you noticed the ways we describe eating these days, just like the ways we describe exercise and so many other, otherwise natural experiences? We talk about the experience of eating, in "brand names".
Eating is no longer eating, it’s "I’m on this diet" or "that diet". Problem is, it’s not our own, it’s the "XYZ" diet.
I don’t think this is the right mindset. If you’re going to be successful with eating, it has got to be "your diet" and the best way to relate the way you eat to others, beyond a brand name, is to describe the way you eat in terms of quality.
Do you really want to be in a position where someone asks how you eat and have to give them yet another brand name, only to have them role their eyes back (prejudiced by all the press related to that diet) and say… "you’re on that diet? What happened to the XYZ diet you were on?" "uh, it didn’t work. I couldn’t stick with it. I’m now off that diet this is better…"
This is not a comfortable experience, yet millions of people still have to face that dilemma each time they face their failed attempt at eating in yet another branded way. I’ll say it again, when you give a diet a brand name, you’re no longer just eating, you’re sticking to a diet plan and it’s this that freaks people out. Most people are just not successful with sticking to diet plans, let alone weight loss programs.
Diet plans are helpful, they are just not a successful way of life.
This is why having a "descriptor" is so important.
Now I realize, in a market where differentiation is everything, branded diet plans are necessary. The point here is this, go ahead and buy a brand name diet. Read the book, follow the system, but when talking to others make sure you know how to describe the way you eat, not the diet you’re on. You’ll find it makes a big difference.
You can then say something like, "I eat the such and such way", "by the way, have you ever read books like "XYZ". That will give you a good idea of what I’m talking about."
Common examples in the past for describing the way you eat were, "low cal", "low fat", and "low carb" (which are still prevalent today), and most recently "low glycemic" and now "organic" etc… and one of the reasons these terms were and still are so powerful in the market, even more powerful than brand names for diets, is because they are descriptors and descriptors endure, whereas brand names come in and out of vogue.
The problems with the descriptors listed above, is that they are just plain inaccurate or misleading. They talk about the quality of a food, but in a way that promotes the consumption of virtually everything… the "low carb version". "You can still have your OREO cookies, look, they’re low carb!"
Effective marketing yes, accurate and health promoting no.
Low cal, low fat and low carb, were manipulative concepts for weight loss that kept you stuck eating the same poor quality foods. (the cause of the problem in the first place). In each case the focus was not on health promoting foods which are described as "Nutrient Rich". They were manipulations of nutrient poor foods which were calorie rich yet nutrient poor to start. In other words, unhealthy.
You can’t eat less of, or eat a manipulated version of an already nutrient poor food and be successful at eating. Weight loss, does not define success when it comes to eating because when you focus on weight loss alone, you’ll usually focus on manipulative methods that are unhealthy.
Statistics tells us that people are not eating successfully.
So if low fat, low cal, and low carb are inaccurate and keeping you stuck, how do you want to describe the "healthy diet" you eat? Nutrient Rich!
"Nutrient Rich" is the new two-word buzz term that is gaining steam, not just because it’s the only way to describe a health promoting diet in a way that is meaningful, relevant and actionable, but there is also no way to describe the way to eat better, than Nutrient Rich!
Low cal, low carb and low fat don’t work here’s why:
Healthy "Nutrient Rich" foods are by no means all, low calorie. That’s a myth.
Healthy "Nutrient Rich" foods are by no means, all, low fat. Fat is good, if is the right kind and some Nutrient Rich foods are very high in fat and that’s ok.
Healthy "Nutrient Rich" foods vary in their carbohydrate content, some high, some low"er". But part of what makes them Nutrient Rich is that they have carbohydrate in them. If they didn’t have carbohydrate they would be nutrient poor. After all, it is your primary fuel source.
What about organic? All natural foods are organic, its a question of whether pesticides were used or not. So even this is a bit misleading. But that’s not the point. Foods that were once natural and organic but are now laden with salt, cooked at high temperatures, processed and refined, that were produced with what were originally organic ingredients, but are changed in the process of producing the new food item, are no longer "organic".
It’s not an organic food anymore when you take it too far out of is natural state and destroy the quality of the food. Frankly, organic chips, while maybe better, will still make you fat and unhealthy. I’m not beating up on "organic" because this movement is at least promoting the shift to better quality foods, but be careful; organic does not make for the best way to describe the way you eat and I wouldn’t suggest eating "organic" unless you are talking about 90% or more whole natural foods in their natural or lighly cooked state.
In 2005 the USDA Dietary Guidelines came out promoting the cornerstone of nutrition, "nutrient density". The only problem with nutrient density is that it’s not a very marketable term.
Do you want to tell someone, I eat Nutrient Rich foods or nutrient dense foods?
Take your pick.
What are you going to tell your friends when you describe how you eat which seems so customary today. Hey, I’m "I’m eating the nutrient dense way", or "I’m eating the Nutrient Rich Way?"
When you say " I eat in a Nutrient Rich way, you’ll peak their attention. Rich? Did you say rich?
Who doesn’t want to be rich?
We all want to be rich, because no one wants to be poor. Everyone understands this.
What you mean when you say "Nutrient Rich"?
"I eat better, not less"
Or "I eat foods that give me all the nutrients I need to satisfy my needs, my hunger and succeed unlike the old fads like low carb or low fat or low cal that deprive your body and don’t work because of that." "I eat mainly natural foods that I enjoy!"
Well what kinds of foods do you eat? Whole foods!…
Are you vegetarian? (maybe you are, maybe you aren’t) but you can still eat animal products and be eating Nutrient Rich!
Having a two word buzz term to describe the way you eat is important, even today. It gives people a simple way to explain how they eat. Now that nutrient density, the cornerstone of nutrition has become known as the cornerstone of nutrition, it’s time for a new two word term that peole can relate to. A term that we like, that has a nice ring to it that is accurate, meaningful, relevant, and actionable. Nutrient Dense does not do this, Nutrient Rich does!
We have tested this over and over again and this is what people are saying when they describe a diet that is better. This is why the term is being used all over the world describe better food, for better health and natural weight loss.
It’s why the top food manufacturers, formed the Naturally "Nutrient Rich" coalition. Even though several of the members are promoting nutrient poor foods, they want to be known as "Nutrient Rich".
It’s why there’s a Naturally "Nutrient Rich" score in development to replace the old outdated and antiquated, and frankly misleading RDA’s which were about survival and keeping you alive during the war. Don’t follow RDA’s. Follow DV’s for now, but frankly follow you hungar signals as they naturally occur eating a Nutrient Rich diet that you can call your own.
"Nutrient Rich" is an effective descriptor both socially and nutritionally speaking, it’s based on the principle of nutrient density. Meaning, you can describe foods as being either Nutrient Rich or nutrient poor or actually "nutrient barren", by looking at the nutrient profiles of a food:
what is has in it that you need
what it doesn’t have in it, and
what it has in it that you don’t need.
No other vernacular comes close.
So you if you want to eat the nutrient dense way, go ahead. It’s the same thing as Eating the Nutrient Rich Way. But what sounds better to you?
What are your thoughts. Leave us a comment.