Yeah I know, the title kinda sucks, but I couldn’t think of anything clever. I just wanted to get some info out there today. Now as a quick side note, are you guys like me in that whenever you read an article or blog that says something like “7 Ways to Lose Your Gut by Summer” or “6 Secrets to a Strong Core” you find yourself skipping the stupid intro/filler/fluffy stuff and just getting to the meat and potatoes part of the text? Most of the time it’s bullet pointed or in larger, bold letters. That just dawned on me as that is exactly what I am doing right now. I mean, seriously, everything I’ve written so far has told you nothing and yet you chose to read it. Or if you’re like me, you didn’t. Ok, actual content below.

NUTRITION: WHY SO COMPLICATED?

It’s a good question isn’t it? I find myself asking that question quite often. As many of you know, I am a big fan of the KISS method. You know, Keep It Simple Dumbass. And I like it for a lot of reasons. Mostly because simple simply works. Take the wheel for example. That sucker is as simple as it comes and apart from what it is made from, has remained unchanged since its inception in the thousand something’s BC.

Now let’s take a look at the other end of the spectrum. According to NASA, the space shuttle is comprised of about 2 1/2 million moving parts. I don’t know about you, but it sounds to me like there’s a bunch of stuff that could potentially go wrong. But I wanted to know how many, exactly, could go wrong. So I turned to my calculator because I can’t math and determined that if 99% (pretty good right?) of the space shuttle’s moving parts are operating as they should, then there are still 25,000 things that can go wrong! Damn. Let that sink in for a minute……

 

So how does all of this apply to nutrition? Well, it applies because there is SO MUCH information out there on the interwebs and in books/magazine/blogs (ironic, yes I know). Many will say “eat only these foods” or “eliminate wheat and dairy”. Others will tell you to do only a low carb diet or a low fat diet. Some will say that you should only eat organic or beef from cows that have only been fed fruits and vegetables (only 1 person will get that reference). And if you should dare not be taking Hydroxycut while on your juice cleanse, then you’re doomed to be fat forever.

Now there is certainly a time and a place for really dialing in one’s nutrient timing, macronutrient composition, etc. I’m talking high level or serious athletes, physique competitors, or those who are looking to attain low body fat or a certain appearance. But for most folks we’d be MUCH better off just keeping it simple.

Eat when you are hungry.

Stop before you are full.

Eat a combination of protein, carbohydrate, and fat when you eat.

Drink water.

Minimize processed stuff.

That’s about it. I know that I could have included other things, but that takes the simple out of simple. Sure, more fruits and veggies. Focus more on lean protein. Aim for healthier fats. Keep your carbohydrates complex. But if you think about it, our nation is roughly 2/3 overweight or obese. If we all followed those 5 points above, just imagine the transformation we’d witness. It would be astronomical. Certainly much simpler than the shuttle.