Sifting through the daily onslaught of conflicting information about nutrition and diet plans can be confusing and overwhelming. How many ounces of protein should we be eating every day? Do we need to add electrolytes to water in order to be fully hydrated? Would a Keto-type diet of low or no carbs help one lose weight? If you follow any influencers or nutrition-based companies on social media, it feels like the answers to those questions can vary week to week with significant contradictions.
In order to get to the bottom of these questions and to build a base of knowledge from which to make nutrition decisions, I decided to consult the experts: Josh Pentecost, head trainer at Iron Tribe Fitness, and Blair Mize, owner of Memphis Nutrition Group (“MNG”). "Before creating a plan", Josh says, “it is crucial to understand the client’s nutrition and health goals. My approach to food discussions will be different for the professional athlete who wants to compete versus the 75 year old grandmother who wants to be able to get up off the ground and play with her grandkids. It’s also important to determine if the client is looking for sustained, long-term change or trying to reach a short-term goal like slimming down for an approaching wedding, for example.” Josh wants to see each client as a whole person versus just a number.
Once Josh has assessed a client’s goals and their current health status, he helps them create a healthy meal plan with specific goals. “Just having a plan in place is half the battle. Many people try to make their nutrition decisions without any parameters and that’s when temptation becomes irresistible.” Josh encourages clients to make their plans simple and easy to follow. For example, one of the elements of his personal plan is to have one dessert a week. Ideally, this dessert will be phenomenal, like his wife’s triple fudge brownies with ice cream. “Knowing my plan includes a weekly indulgence helps me to be disciplined. For example, when people bring sweet treats to the gym I can say ‘no thank you’ and stick to my plan. If you make exceptions, all of a sudden our exceptions become the plan.”
Josh offered a few other things to consider when trying to stick to a healthy nutrition plan. “Most people have heard this, but it’s true. When grocery shopping, try to look for items around the outside of the store. These areas include fresh produce, dairy and meat – items that are less processed.” Josh mentioned the importance of getting the right amount of sleep. “It is definitely more difficult to make good decisions about your nutrition when you are not feeling your best. It is often tempting to satisfy a craving in the name of being tired.”
The next step after creating an individualized health plan, is to ensure that you reassess that plan after 3 or 4 weeks ideally. “You should ask yourself – how is my body responding to the changes I’m making? If you are emotionally exhausted trying to stick to the plan, then it won’t be sustainable and changes need to be made.”
Back to the original questions about specific diet fads like high protein or Keto, Josh reiterates the importance of knowing your overall goals. “If you are trying to gain muscle mass and don’t want to lose weight in the process, a high protein diet makes a lot of sense. If you are pretty happy with your weight and just trying to make healthy decisions, eating your weight in ounces of protein is unnecessary and could cause weight gain or an overall imbalance of nutrients.”
Ideally, we harken back to the advice we probably received from our parents as children, “Make sure that your plate is colorful.” Josh says a long-term sustainable goal is to get your calories from a balance of macro-nutrients, so 1/3 protein, 1/3 carbohydrates and 1/3 vegetables, with a small dose of healthy fat for flavor and satiety. Many people mistakenly think that they need to eliminate carbs all together from their diet, but Josh clarifies, “try to choose complex carbs that are more purposeful and take more time to process like legumes, peas, beans and whole grains.”
Blair very much agrees that a balance of macro-nutrients is key to a healthy diet; however, her approach differs from Josh’s. MNG’s nutrition philosophy is based on Intuitive Eating, an eating framework focused on listening to your body’s internal cues rather than external diet rules. The primary principles are as follows:
Reject the diet mentality – Let go of diet rules and the constant pursuit of weight loss, which often leads to a harmful cycle of restriction and overeating.
Honor your hunger and feel your fullness – Learn to recognize and respond to your natural hunger cues and to listen for signs that you’re comfortably full.
Challenge the food police – Silence critical thoughts that label food as “good” or “bad”.
“A person’s relationship with food is multifaceted and deeply intertwined with emotions, relationships, culture, body image and personal experiences. With Intuitive Eating as the foundation of our approach, MNG empowers individuals with personalized education, guidance and support to reject restrictive diets and reconnect with their core values and the innate wisdom of their body.”
Blair adds, “wellness and diet culture often stand in the way of intuitive eating, according to Mize. Wellness culture is a way of thinking that connects being healthy with being morally ‘good,’ and it promotes certain behaviors and a specific body type as the key to achieving that ‘goodness’.”
Blair provided more details about macro-nutrients and ways in which they interact with one another for improved health. “There are many benefits to a meal plan that includes all three macronutrients. For example, carbohydrates play a supportive role in protein absorption and utilization, influencing the efficiency of how the body uses protein. Combining carbs with protein in post-workout meals or snacks can enhance muscle recovery and growth. An overemphasis on protein, at the expense of carbs and fats, can strain the kidneys and cause other health issues.”
Blair informs me that the recommended amount of protein in one’s diet is 10-35% of total calories. Protein intake should be individualized based on your age, height, weight, activity level and overall goals; however, most individuals would benefit from consuming 20 – 30 grams of protein per meal. Potential reasons someone may increase protein intake include maintaining or building muscle mass, preserving bone health, and greater satiety throughout the day.
Concerning hydration, electrolyes like sodium, potassium and magnesium are minerals that are often added to water to help with hydration during exercise or in hot weather. These minerals help the body maintain fluid balance, muscle function and nerve signaling. Some research suggests that a small amount of carbohydrates can enhance the absorption of water and electrolytes, particularly sodium, because glucose helps transport sodium and water across cell membranes. So, electrolyte drinks with some sugar might be more effective for hydration than completely sugar-free versions, particularly when rapid rehydration is needed.
Low or no carb diets, like the Keto plan, work by causing the body to burn fat for energy instead of glucose. When the body doesn’t get enough glucose (carbs), it looks for other forms of energy to help us function. Without carbs, insulin levels drop and fat is released from our cells. The fat overwhelms the liver, which turns it into ketones, our body’s second choice for energy.
Striking the right balance of macronutrients and calories depends on each individual’s goal. Josh concludes, “there is no golden bullet. Be cautious before jumping into the latest, greatest diet fad. Everyone wants to sell books. Following a simple, goal-based nutrition plan with consistent effort will yield the best long-term results.”
"Before creating a plan, it is crucial to understand the client’s nutrition and health goals."