Learn about the importance of counting nutrients instead of calories. Explore the building blocks of nutrition and how to identify nutrient-dense foods. Hear the personal journey of transitioning to a nutrient-rich diet. Discover the connection between nutrition and chronic illnesses. Take advantage of a special offer on a nutrition program course.
Shifting focus from counting calories to counting nutrients is crucial for better health and nutrition.
Evaluating food claims and government advice with a critical mindset is necessary to prioritize nutrient-dense foods and make better food choices.
Deep dives
Counting Nutrients Instead of Calories
Diane Kohler, owner and director of the Nutrition Therapy Institute, emphasizes the importance of shifting focus from counting calories to counting nutrients. She encourages individuals to evaluate food claims and governmental advice and prioritize nutrient density. Nutrient-dense foods, particularly well-sourced animal products, offer the greatest quantity and bioavailability of essential nutrients. Diane provides tips for making better food choices and recounts her own experience of transitioning from a vegan diet to a more nutrient-rich one for improved health.
The Foundation of Nutrient-Dense Nutrition
Diane explains that the Nutrition Therapy Institute focuses on understanding the role of nutrients in human biochemistry and identifying reliable dietary sources. They prioritize nutrient density, which permeates all their teachings. By building a science-based understanding of how nutrients function in the body and which foods provide the highest and most bioavailable quantities of these nutrients, individuals can ensure a balanced and nourishing diet.
The Importance of Nutrient Density and Dietary Variety
Diane highlights the significance of consuming a wide variety of nutrient-dense animal foods to meet nutritional needs. While specific diets are discussed, the emphasis is on nutrient density and the provision of a broad range of essential vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Additionally, less common but highly nutritious superfoods such as organ meats and fermented foods are encouraged as part of a diverse diet. Proper food preparation is also crucial for optimizing nutrient bioavailability.
Critiquing Conventional Nutrition Guidelines
Diane challenges the conventional low-fat and calorie-counting approaches promoted by government and non-profit agencies. She highlights that these guidelines are often influenced by corporate interests and rely on outdated and flawed information. Diane advocates for critical thinking and discernment when evaluating nutrition advice, encouraging individuals to prioritize nutrient-dense ingredients and home-cooked meals to regain control over their health and wellness.
For too long we've been obsessed with calorie-counting. It's high time we started counting nutrients instead. Dianne Koehler is the owner and Director of the Nutrition Therapy Institute (NTI) in Colorado. Today, Dianne helps us get a handle on what to look for when it comes to feeding ourselves and our families nutrient-dense food.
She goes over the building blocks of nutrition. She explains why we must carefully evaluate claims on packages and advice from governmental agencies about what to eat. She goes over how to determine which foods actually serve us best and how to identify foods that deserve the label “superfood”. (Hint: these are foods that offer the most nutrient-density and come from animal products that are well-sourced). In sum, she gives tips for making better choices in the day-to-day. And along the way she tells about the a-ha that led her to abandon her vegan diet for a more nutrient-rich one, for her and her family.