It seems that every generation has its nutritional demon. Fat was unfairly and incorrectly assaulted in the 70’s and 80’s. Now it is carbs turn for the beating. Even protein has taken its lumps along the way, albeit, more aimed at the source of protein.

Truth? Everyone is wrong!

It makes me cringe when I hear wholesale vilification of nutrients. The idea that one nutrient is behind the poor state of health seen across the country is ridiculous. I know people that do well on high carb diets and I know people that do well on ketogenic diets. The same goes for paleo diets and pretty much any other way of eating you can imagine. Metabolically we are all different. And when you carry excess fat, you are metabolically different from when you are thin. This makes it impossible to recommend a one size fits all approach to eating. Don't believe me, check out this article on Precision Nutrition about sugar.

Even with all of the ambiguity around what may be the ‘perfect’ diet, there are a few things that we do know with certainty. They include:

Fried foods are bad.
Refined sugar is bad, soda, sports drinks, etc, not much of a reason to ever consume.
Most cooking oils, vegetable oils and margarine are junk.
Whole foods are much healthier than processed foods.
Vegetables are essential.
Fruits, especially berries have great health benefits.
Wild caught, grass fed, and pasture raised are the way to go when it comes to fish and meat.
It is nearly impossible to “out train” a bad diet.
It is impossible to lose unwanted fat when consuming more calories than burning.

There has also been a lot of misinformation and unnecessary complication of macro nutrients.

Here is how I simplify in my mind.

Protein is the building blocks macro and should be kept consistent. A generally accepted amount of protein for someone who trains regularly is around 1 gram per pound of bodyweight.
Fat and carbs are both energy sources. So when you increase one, you need to decrease the other. The caveat is that you can not go too low with fat. There are essential fatty acids that your body needs to perform all sorts of important things. You get these from foods such as fish (or fish oil supplement), olive oil, almonds, etc. A baseline of healthy fats are always needed in the diet. For body comp purposes, the bottom line is - a high fat, high carb diet adds body fat.

There is a ton of data behind these concepts and some people may still refute them. There is one thing that I have not mentioned yet and it would help 95% of the people out there lose weight or not gain unwanted weight. The concept is simple and can yield great results with no tracking or obsessing over every macro put in your mouth.

Stop Snacking.

That’s it. Somewhere in between when I was a kid and now, America has gone snack crazy. Half of the junk in the grocery store, the stuff you see in the middle aisles, is geared toward snacking. Every time food is put in your mouth, treat it like a meal. Most of us are not 1980’s bodybuilders; there is no need to eat 6 times a day.

When food is consumed at the same time every day, your body gets in a rhythm and expects the routine. For example, if lunch is at 12 every day, you will start getting hungry just before noon because your body will release the appropriate hormones telling it to prepare to eat.

What does this have to do with snacking? Since most of us eat snacks at the same time every day, the body comes to expect it, making us feel hungry whether we are or not.

Once our bodies expect food and have the hormonal response to create hunger, it is no longer a snack that you are consuming, it is a meal.

Before I get hate mail on the subject, yes certain foods cause you to be hungry sooner due to their affect on blood sugar. However, the hormonal habits of eating are much more powerful than this. One could eat a steak and vegetable dinner and still be hungry two hours later if that is the time they usually have chips in front of the television.

Habit is everything. The best approach for longterm health is to limit food intake to meals. One can choose how many meals they want to eat. It doesn't really matter as long as it works for you. I find that 3 meals works for me. I eat them between 12 and 8.
Looking at all food intake as a meal helps prevent the mindless eating of junk that snacks often are. It forces one to think about what and when they are going to eat. For instance, if I eat lunch at 12, I know that I should not be hungry at 2, my body is still digesting what I ate for lunch. Following this rule helps me power through and not eat junk.

In Summary:

Cut out snacks. Only eat pre determined meals every day.
Eat whole foods.
Keep protein intake consistent and adjust carb and fat intake to find what works best for you.

And of course, get outside and train!