The 11 Nutrition Red Flags – No-Nonsense November
Written by Lauren Dorman, Registered Dietitian
Lauren Dorman is known as a game-changing Registered Dietitian. She is the founder of Don't Diet Dietitian and Schools, Master Food and Mood. She is a speaker, and expert in Nutrition, Food Psychology, and Emotional Eating. She developed The Nine to Nourished Experience, 9 core strategies to refuel one's relationship with food, body, and brain.
Unless you are intolerant or allergic, there is no single ingredient that can hurt you. Rather, your nutrition is nuanced and complex. In other words, your eating behaviors have nothing to do with the actual food. Thus, we need to take a zoom-out approach by looking at the bigger picture. If you feel really overwhelmed with every ingredient, that can actually cause more harm than good, which is the exact opposite of what we are trying to achieve!
3 ways many people overcomplicate nutrition
The main focus is on a diet or plan, where you lose the ability to make choices. This is surface-level work. The act of dieting can create anxiety, stress, overwhelm, and the suppression of emotions.
Instead of concentrating on nutrient balance, variety, satisfaction, and frequency, the hyperfocus is on calories or carbohydrate restriction.
The media confuses and misleads us, making our brains think that it’s just too hard, but it’s not. Remember that the diet/wellness industry needs repeat customers. It's not about the food; it’s about your brain, behavior, and nervous system.
So many questionable and dangerous posts on social media platforms are out there, such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. And people often turn to such sources for health and nutrition advice. A recent MyFitnessPal study of Millennials and Gen Z TikTok users revealed that:
87% of them sought health and nutrition advice from TikTok.
57% reported being influenced by TikTok nutrition trends, often adopting some.
67% of those (above) who reported being influenced by TikTok nutrition trends admitted to adopting at least one of them several times per week.
Using Artificial Intelligence, MyFitnessPal partnered with Dublin City University to analyze more than 67,000 videos on TikTok and compare them to public health and nutrition guidelines. They found that only 2.1 % of TikTok content is actually accurate! Sadly, I wasn’t surprised. How about you?
Unfortunately, every single day, I find myself having to debunk these types of myths for both children and adults. So much can be learned in general from a wide array of knowledgeable content creators. However, when it comes to nutrition and health information, we must be particularly careful. While an abundance of nutrition information does exist, much of it is not quality and evidence-based.
Regarding nutrition, health, and food, don't believe everything that you see or hear, especially on social media! So, as a Registered Dietitian, what are the most common false claims that I spot?
11 red flags in nutrition claims
1. One diet fits all
Such an approach generally does not take into consideration specific medical conditions, nor does it address social and psychological factors.
2. Obsessive focus on specific foods or nutrients
Examples include the ketogenic (keto) diet, raw diet, juice-based diets, and an exclusive list of “good” and “bad” foods.
3. Severe restrictions
Diets that involve fasting and/or cutting out specific food groups (dairy, gluten, sugar, etc.) with no medical necessity.
4. Unrealistic claims (weight loss That is too quick)
Typically, the “quick fix” claims: Lose 10 pounds in just ONE month; drink slim shakes to burn stomach fat.
5. Magic bullet solutions
Does it sound too good to be true? Then it probably is! For instance: “Magic diet pills found to be 100% effective!” Be on the lookout for promotions of secret or magic solutions that promise success with minimal effort instead of focusing on long-term lifestyle changes.
6. Detox
Tea detox diet, juice detoxes; the body's organs have their own system to remove toxins, so a detox diet might initially appear to be working but won't ultimately be effective.
7. Superfood claims
The term “superfoods” was invented by companies to sell more products and is not based on science.
8. “Boost” your immune system
You can support your health in multiple ways by incorporating nutrient-dense foods, integrating movement, managing stress, getting enough sleep and rest, etc. But these healthy habits don't sell as many pills, powders, and supplements.
9. Encouraging megadoses of vitamin and mineral supplements
Cocktails of vitamins or minerals for “optimum nutrition” without a specific medical reason can be problematic.
10. Before-and-after photos
This is really a before-and-during photo. It is only appearance-focused rather than health-focused. Photos are easy to embellish or fabricate. You, therefore, shouldn't consider them hard evidence. This image doesn't mean that the product will work for you in the same way. Everyone is different!
11. Demonizing certain foods
Clean eating suggests that all processed foods are not clean, whereas there are plenty of healthy processed foods, such as beans and frozen vegetables.
The “everyone is a nutrition expert” complex presents challenges. The word nutritionist by itself isn't a protected term, so anybody can really claim to be one, which is unfortunate and misleading. Registered Dietitian, on the other hand, is a legally protected term for a qualified health professional who assesses, diagnoses, and treats dietary and nutritional problems on an individual and wider public health level.
Combatting nutrition misinformation on social media will be an ongoing effort. Be sure that the information you're seeking is from credible sources, and steer clear of anything that raises any of these red flags.
Five important questions to ask yourself:
Where do you want to see your health 6-12 months from now?
Why is this important for you to achieve?
What impact would this have on your life?
What would worry you about not achieving this?
How would you know you achieved this?
Are you interested in a solution-focused, root-level experience that hands you the exact steps needed to design your nourished life? I will give you a roadmap with the 9 Core Ingredients to create a healthy and strong relationship with food, body, and mind. Please click here to download.
Lauren Dorman, Registered Dietitian
Lauren Dorman is a dedicated Registered Dietitian, helping both children and adults to address the real root solution that enables them to feel more calm, confident, and empowered around food, body, mind, and self. She is the creator of the Nine to Nourished Experience, 9 effective ingredients that lay the foundation to create a satisfying relationship with food that will allow you to thrive. For those who think they have "tried everything," healing at the root cause can shift all areas of life. Her mission: sustainable success is all about tending to a process that feels good to you.
