Why No-BS Nutrition Is Becoming Everyone's Mantra

No-BS nutrition is a new way of looking at diet and nutrition. It’s not a fad, it’s not a trend, and it’s not just another word for clean eating. No-BS nutrition is all about being honest with yourself and sticking to real, whole foods rather than trying to manipulate your body into thinking “good” or “bad”.

The food pyramid is not a good idea.

It’s just not going to work for most people, and that’s because it doesn’t take into account how your body responds to certain foods. The food pyramid is actually based on a flawed system of measurement called the glycemic index (GI). When you eat carbohydrates that are high on the GI scale—like potatoes and bread—your blood sugar levels will spike and then fall shortly thereafter. This can lead to cravings for more carbohydrates and can make you feel hungrier than if you ate foods with lower GI scores, such as fruits and vegetables.

The problem with this approach is that all carbs are not created equal: Some contain fibres that slow down their absorption in your digestive tract (and thus keep blood sugar levels stable), while others lack these fibres or have them only minimally present (such as white rice). If we could determine which carb sources are healthier than others by measuring their GI values, then maybe we wouldn’t need no-BS nutrition!

Honey isn’t that much better for you than sugar.

Honey is not a healthy food. It has the same number of calories and an equal amount of sugar. The difference is that honey contains more fructose than table sugar, which means it may not be as bad for your teeth or cause as much weight gain in the long run. But while honey might be slightly healthier than regular sugar, it’s not a magical cure-all—a tablespoon has 20 more calories than one by the same measure (and if you’re going to eat a tablespoon at all, it’s probably better to use raw cane sugar).

You can have your cake and eat it too.

Honey is not that much better for you than sugar.

Honey contains fructose, which has been linked to fatty liver disease, insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Studies have also shown that consuming too much fructose can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. In addition to fructose, honey also contains other sugars such as glucose and sucrose—the same types of sugars present in table sugar or high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

Labelling foods as “healthy” or “bad” is bad.

Labelling foods as “good” or “bad” is bad. Intuitive eating teaches you to listen to your body and give it what it needs without guilt-tripping.

Rather than feeling guilty about eating french fries, eat them! You should never feel bad about wanting some delicious food. Don’t overdo it, and ensure that most of your diet consists of nutritious whole foods.

Eat what you want, but ensure you’re getting enough nutrients at the end of it all.

In general, eat what you want. Listen to your body and what it tells you. When I’m hungry, I eat; when I’m full, I stop eating for a bit. It’s not rocket science!

It’s not about calorie counting or eating clean: it is about making sure that at the end of everything, you have gotten enough nutrients—and if anything feels like too much of a chore or requires too much effort throughout the day (e.g., cooking), then don’t do it!

Intuitive eating is about listening to your body and giving it what It needs without guilt-tripping.

The role of food, nutrition and health in the 21st century has never been more important. With a growing body of research pointing to the importance of unprocessed foods and whole-food diets, along with a growing number of people who are interested in eating mindfully and intuitively (i.e., without guilt-tripping or feeling deprived), there’s an opportunity for us to shift our thinking about how we approach food.