We don't usually use profanity here at Triage, but in some cases, the word bullshit simply has no better replacement. Specifically, Nutribullshit.
It's no secret that the field of
nutrition is filled with conflicting advice. But, it's not just uneducated people unknowingly sharing misinformation. In fact, it's often doctors and nutritionists themselves that spread the worst of nutribullshit.
Examples include Dr Jason Fung, Dr Paul Saladino, Dr Michael Greger, Dr Shawn Baker, Dr Tim Spector, and so many more.
The greatest purveyors of nutribullshit often present their advice with the veneer of science. It sounds scientific, and that's what makes it so difficult for the person on the street to decipher the true from the false.
A simple example of this would be the
rationale for eating a low / zero carb diet:
The nutribullshit proponents will tell you that, once you cut carbs, you burn fat for fuel, insulin drops, and you address the hormonal root of your weight problems (and that it is nothing to do with calories).
It's the half-truths like this that often do the most harm, as they leave people totally confused. Low carb diets do indeed support weight loss, but whether or not one loses weight is still determined by caloric intake. You can eat zero carbs and still gain weight. You can be 'using fat for fuel' without actually losing fat, as fat oxidation and fat loss are different phenomena.
An example of this was seen on the Diary of a CEO podcast recently, where Dr Jason Fung espoused the benefits of fasting, while claiming that calories in vs calories out (CICO) was not responsible for weight loss. With just a few moments of reflection, you may realise that fasting is very clearly a way of reducing calories (often dramatically), and thus fasting actually supports CICO. Of course, Dr Fung doesn't want to tell you that, but will instead propose
all sorts of other mechanisms as to why it works.
I don't envy the average person trying to escape this confusion. But, at the end of the day, if someone is selling you a paradigm that overrides all of the sensible nutrition advice you have heard before, you should probably be skeptical!
On that note, if you are stuck in this confusion, the launch of our Nutrition Course is this Friday, February 2nd. If you are interested in being on the list for a huge discount upon launch, hit the link here!
