[Newsletter] The Smartest Coach in the Room

Whole foods are dope AND some processed foods are too. Every Saturday, The Smartest Coach in the Room delivers helpful takeaways on the hottest nutrition and health topics and the world’s most effective coaching techniques. (Did some amazing friend forward this to you? [Subscribe here]( Declutter Your Nutrition Habits If you open the corner of your mind labeled “Nutrition Stuff,” it’s like a bad infomercial for cupboard organizers. Except instead of tupperware spilling out and overwhelming you, it’s the beliefs, habits, and worries you have about your diet and lifestyle. “Red wine is better than white wine!” “Spinach is better than romaine!” “GRAINS ARE EVIL!!” If you (or your clients) are overwhelmed, try this ONE habit: Eat mostly (or at least more) minimally-processed foods. Most people would define this as choosing foods close to how they're found in nature. Whole foods—sweet potatoes, broccoli, chicken, an apple—are a great example of this. Why? Reason #1: The greater the degree of processing, the more likely a food has: - Lost nutrition (fiber, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients) - Gained additives (sugar and/or refined starch, unhealthy fats, sodium, preservatives, and fillers) Reason #2: Diets rich in minimally-processed foods are linked to lower rates of heart disease, cancer, depression, and type 2 diabetes. Reason #3: Because minimally-processed foods also tend to be richer in fiber and protein, and lower in calories per volume, these foods make it easier for us to manage our calorie intake. Minimally processed foods are more nutritious, improve health outcomes, and help you regulate your appetite. [Mic drop] There’s just one caveat: It’s REALLY hard to eat ONLY whole foods. So, think of foods on a continuum. As with most things, processing isn’t binary: Foods aren’t 100 PERCENT FAKE or FRESH-FROM-THE-DIRT (or animal). Most are somewhere in between. Look at the foods you’re currently eating, and just try to move along the continuum, choosing foods that are slightly less processed than what you’d usually eat. Plus, some processed foods are awesome. Whey protein powder. Tinned fish. Those little emergency to-go packets of nut butter you keep in your glove compartment. (Snack attacks are REAL.) Also: Cooking, chopping, and blending are all forms of processing. So it’s not that processing is “bad.” It’s just that ultra processed foods—star-shaped cereal puffs, electric blue energy drinks, and pretty much anything that’s shelf-stable for over a year—are usually specifically engineered to be too delicious, and thus easy to overeat. If you’ve got more bandwidth, we’ve narrowed down the most impactful, reliable nutrition habits down to FIVE. (Seriously, these are the difference-makers.) Check it out here: [The 5 Universal Principles of Good Nutrition, According to Science.]( Want to learn more about nutrition science and how to use it to help people make healthy eating and lifestyle changes? Check out our [Level 1 Nutrition Coaching Certification](. It combines the science of nutrition with the art of coaching so you can help anyone make evidenced-informed decisions and achieve their most important health and fitness goals. [Become a Certified Nutrition Coach - Join the presale list for the #1 rated PN Level 1 Nutrition Certification]( Take care, Alex --------------------------------------------------------------- Alex Picot-Annand, PN2, Holistic Nutritionist Editorial Director Precision Nutrition Home of the world’s top nutrition coaches --------------------------------------------------------------- What did you think of this email? Precision Nutrition Business Insider's #1 Choice for Nutrition Certifications in 2022 Forbes 2024 Best Health Coach Certification Program --- To view this email as a web page, click [here.]( Precision Nutrition Inc. 18 King Street East, Suite 1400 Toronto, ON, M5C 1C4, Canada Finally, nutrition makes sense. Visit us at [www.precisionnutrition.com]( today. Follow us on [Unsubscribe or Manage Preferences](