As you might imagine in my line of work, I tend to get a lot of questions. We all eat, after all. And to the end, we unfortunately don’t all exercise. But that’s another post all together. Today we’re all about nutrition… probably. I’m pretty good at getting sidetrac… Squirrel!

Anywho, I obviously get lots of questions from my clients, but I also get plenty at family gatherings, out at parties, and even a few from my folks. I don’t always have the answer and sometimes I don’t really want to get into that conversation because well, I just want to chill and enjoy myself. But I always have a response nonetheless. I often get a lot of the same questions asked over and over again by different people and thought I’d put a few of them out there since they seem to be so popular.

Now before we get to them I want to put out a disclaimer: I reserve the right to change my mind on these answers based on future emerging evidence. I say that because I was thinking about some of the answers to these questions and realized I would have answered some of them differently 5 or more years ago. So here they are!

Are sugar substitutes bad for me?

  •  No, chill out. You’d have to consume asinine amounts to put you at any risk for cancer. Your “diet soda a day” is fine. 

What about artificial dyes  and colorings like yellow #5?

  •  They’re okay too. You should focus your attention to the trans fat in your morning pastry.

Is a white potato or sweet potato better?

  •  You’re overthinking this. Pick one and eat it. Just lay off the butter/sour cream/cheese/bacon/sugar you might add to it.

What nuts are best to eat?

  • The ones you like best. I usually recommend mixed.

How many calories should I eat?

  • I don’t know, but I can usually guess pretty close.

Should I cut carbs?

  • Probably not (circumstance depending). If you want to lose weight, cut calories (again situation depending).

Should I go low fat?

  • See above.

Can I still have wine?

  • Yes, but those calories add up fast man. Limit it to no more than a drink or 2 a day.

Should I buy organic fruits and vegetables?

  • If you want, sure. But first ask yourself if you’re already eating at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies each day. If you’re not, focus on just getting them in first, then worry about the organic crap.

I want to lose weight, should I cut dairy?

  • No

I want to lose weight, should I go gluten free?

  • Stop it

Are there any fat burners out there that work?

  • Yes, it’s called “get off your ass and exercise”

Can I put coconut oil on everything?

  • Sure, go for it. That sounds awesome. Let me know how it goes.

Should I be worried about GMOs?

  • Short answer, no. But it’s put beautifully here by Mr. Tyson. I highly suggest you click that link.

Do I need to do a cleanse and get rid of the toxins in my body?

  • No. Stop listening to Gwyneth Paltrow. And Vani, I’m looking at you too.

What do you eat in a day?

  • I usually start my day with a big bowl of none of your damn business. We’re all different and have different needs/likes. Don’t eat like someone else. Eat like you, just not too much.

So there you have it. Some of the questions I get, answered! And yes, I realize I came off rather brash. That was the point. In general, I find that we just, for whatever reason, enjoy making nutrition as freaking difficult as we can. Stop overthinking it so much. And although I’m not a big fan, I’ll end with a quote from Michael Pollan which goes like this, “eat food, mostly plants, not too much”.

Did I miss any questions? Let me know yours in the comments section below!