Reason number two why health and nutrition have become so complicated is because interest groups throw large amounts of money into marketing, documentaries, and government officials to get things out there that sway beliefs. “Carbs are bad. Fats are bad. Meat is bad. Plants are bad.” Take your pick and you will find some sort of publication to support your theory. You have to be very selective in what you read, and watch, that are trying to provide “education”. Grain advocates will have you believe that you need 10+ servings of breads a day. Plant advocates will have you believe that meats are killing the world. Meat advocates will preach that plants are toxic and poisoning all of us. Dairy advocates will push you to drink gallons of milk and eat blocks of cheese weekly. They have pushed so many agendas, nobody knows what is good and what is bad anymore.

Reason number three comes in the form of processed food. Marketing gurus are geniuses at realizing that people are so damn confused on what to eat, all they need to do is advertise the most popular agenda right now, and they are winners. “Screw fruit! Check out this keto protein bar! All natural, zero net carbs, high protein!” “All Natural Pop-Tarts”. “Grain loaded and vitamin packed cereal”. “Daily dose of calcium, naturally flavored, pumpkin coffee creamer”. Give me a break already!

Reason number four, the fitness industry isn’t taking the time to learn about people, their goals, their uniqueness, or what they personally need to guarantee success. People are thrown into classes, set free to do whatever they want in a globo setting, and given little attention. The industry is stuck in bikes, treadmills, cardio classes, machines. The majority of these thrive on people that are already fit. They are not helping those that are sedentary, obese, in pain, struggling with health issues like blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetes. We are lead to believe that losing weight consists of hours of running with some light resistance training. If you lift heavy, you will just get big. Low weight, high reps, followed by a 3-5 mile run. That has to be the key to success. WRONG.

How can we change the trend? Start educating people on science of what the human body really needs. “Move more, eat less” is a thing of the past. Let’s start at the top.

Solution to problem number one: The problem isn’t the fitness or the food you’re trying to eat, it’s your consistency. You cannot go to the gym once a week and think you are going to get somewhere. Also, you can’t kill yourself in the gym for two weeks, while starving yourself, and think you are going to make positive changes. That is not a lifestyle. Thirty day challenges had a good thought when they were introduced, however, they fail in long term success. The idea was “it takes 30 days to change a habit”. Most people hit those 30 days and then celebrate by blowing it all up and end up right back where they started. The key to success is showing up, trusting the process, and listening to your coach if you have one. The people that you want to be like, and look like, have been working consistently for YEARS, both inside and outside of the gym. If you are the type of person that wants to be healthier but doesn’t want to spend the money to do it, keep this in mind. Life is short, sickness is EXPENSIVE, quality of life is priceless.

Solution to problem number two: Nutrition is simple. Meat, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, 80-90% of the time. When you eat like this, your cravings subside, you drop body fat, your energy increases, and you will sleep better. . These foods are naturally low calorie so you can consume them in bigger quantities than you think and still be eating what you need, and not over consuming. Where we get in trouble with these are seasonings and sauces. Does fruit have sugar? Yes, it’s naturally occurring, unlike processed table sugar. That doesn’t mean you just eat fruit all day. I’m saying you can have it. It’s loaded with micronutrients. Potatoes are a vegetable and are good for you. Lean meat is loaded with protein and is good for you, especially if you are trying to add lean muscle mass (which should be everyone).

Solution to problem number three: Similar to above. Processed food is loaded with chemicals. If you believe that a keto protein bar is healthier for you than asparagus and mushrooms, then we have a lot of work to do! If you believe that drinking packaged meal replacement shakes are better for you than eating a balanced meal of protein, carbs, and fats, then we have even more work to do. The body needs to break down food in order to absorb both macro and micro nutrients. The gut serves and important purpose in our health. Things like processed food, alcohol, sugar, chemicals, seed oils, etc. all destroy our gut and gut bacteria. This leads to major disease. What if cancer were actually a metabolic disease? Think hard about that one for a minute.