How Nutrition School Changed the Way I Eat

As a student at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, we study over a hundred dietary theories. I am two months away from graduation, which means at this point, I’ve studied about 80% of them so far. From paleo to fruitarian to one woman who was SUPER hype on dairy, the school presents all types of diets without bias so we can take from each whatever we want and leave whatever we don’t want. No matter the theory, they are supported with that presenter’s/author’s/doctor’s selected preferred facts and science, and I’ve genuinely seen everyone’s point even if it’s not something I would personally abide by.

So after months of studying nutrition, in what ways has my own eating, food shopping, and cooking changed?

There are a few things all diets have in common. Or really, there are some things all diets don’t include. Specifically, they don’t include packaged foods, alcohol, or sugar.

First up, no science or theory explicitly supports the inclusion of processed, packaged foods. As a snack queen, it’s up to me what I do with that information. I love everything from Doritos to paleo pumpkin bread; buffalo wing pretzels to Haribo gummy bears; trail mix to Oreos. So knowing that these foods offer essentially no nutritional value and can contribute to diabetes, spikes in blood sugar, so on and so forth, what do I do now? I still eat them. I still eat them because I love them, they make me happy, they make things fun. AND FOR ME, THAT IS OK. My overall health is good. I do not rely on these foods as my main source of nutrients— I know what works for me. Exploring new, less processed packaged snack foods has become an interest of mine, but again, this doesn’t replace my penchant for all packaged snacks.

On the topic of alcohol, very few lectures even mention it. What hit me the most was studying face mapping—the correlation of the location of blemishes/rashes on the face with issues with organs. To help alleviate skin irritation on six of ten major areas on the face, it’s recommended to cut back on alcohol (among other foods and beverages). Now, I am obsessive about my skin (and very critical…I’m working on that), so this section woke me TF up about alcohol the most. These skin complications suggest issues with the liver, gallbladder, stomach, kidneys, colon, hormonal stress. If I can help my body by consuming less alcohol, then I absolutely should. I also know alcohol is a carcinogen, and I don’t think we talk enough about it. I’m personally at an interesting place with alcohol (but I looooove wine) and will touch on this more in the future, but for now, I’m experimenting with drinking less overall.

Something pretty much every diet harps on and sees as pure evil is, last but not least, sugar. This has been the most challenging aspect for me. A friend of mine asked me if school has been triggering for me at all, and it’s mostly triggered me to dive deeper into what I believe in for myself: intuitive eating and bio-individuality. What works for me is different from what will work for you in terms of food, exercise, rest, stress levels, etc. While I understand the statistics on sugar and the impact sugar has on overall health (and what they’re mainly referring to is soda, keep in mind), I personally come from a different place. Sugar was something that, during my eating disorder, absolutely terrified me. And it was because of articles and statistics like the ones presented during these lectures that I didn’t touch candy for years and felt immense guilt any time I dared to eat a Christmas cookie. I am deeply grateful I no longer feel that way and that I unlearned what a gram of sugar meant in a magazine article’s terms. I don’t support some of the scare tactic language used surrounding sugar (I really went IN on a comment thread about the Primal Kitchen founder’s presentation, language, and imagery used to represent his ideal of “healthy” versus “unhealthy” women). The only times I actively try to reduce sugar is when I have a breakout (LOL see skin obsession above), and by sugar, I mean ice cream, cookies, and candy. I do not mean fruit.

And this brings me to the things I’ve added to my diet or practiced since starting school.

-Fruit: Nutrition school has helped me see fruit in an even better light than I did previously. I now see fruit as one of the purest forms of vitamins and nutrients, and I try to pack them in during the morning.

-Organic produce: If you focus solely on adding as many vegetables (and different types of vegetables) to your day as possible, you will start to see benefits in overall health. It’s one of the best things you can do for yourself.

-Ingredients over macronutrient composition: In line with the point above, making sure I’m eating foods as close to their original state as possible is significantly more important than ensuring I get X grams of protein, carbs, and fat. Perhaps controversially, my personal definition of “whole foods” includes pasta, bread, butter, chips, etc. Those are still very few ingredients in my mind, and I buy local, organic products when available. I naturally lean toward loving carbs (a meal does not feel like a meal without them for me), and school has only made me lean into that more because I know it’s what makes me feel good.

-Home cooking: The school really emphasizes home cooking and preparing your own food. Yes, you control the ingredients more than you would at a restaurant, but you also spend time with loved ones preparing your food, or spend time solo unwinding after a long day and focusing on something that will nourish you. We studied the impact of home cooking while we were out of the house and I couldn’t cook at all. But now that we are moved in, I am so excited to start trying new recipes and embracing the culinary side of myself again.

-Sea vegetables: Foods likes seaweed, kombu, and dulse are all super-rich in minerals and great ways to add flavor, textures, and saltiness to foods. I am pushing myself to experiment with these more.

-Listen to my body even more: Through all the dietary theories, I’ve had an overwhelming thought. “That’s great, and I know what works for me.” I remind myself that I overall feel healthy and energized every day, which is a huge gift and privilege. I pay attention to foods that make me feel amazing and happy and foods that make me break out or cause intestinal discomfort. More than anything, I stand even firmer in my belief that my instinct shows me what is right for me. What is right for me may not look “right” to anyone else, but I have confidence in how I nourish myself.

Hope everyone is having an amazing start to 2020 and focusing on what works for YOU!

Ciao for now,
Kailey