Why should you trust nutrition advice from me?

Behind the Information overload: a surprising story of nutrition consensus.

Nutrition advice can seem like a minefield. One headline says carbs are the problem, another says fat is the issue. Influencers, researchers, lifestyle coaches, trainers - your social media feed is doubtless full of their competing claims and promises. It’s easy to conclude that no one really agrees on anything.

The good news? Cut through the hot mess of fad diets, magic supplements, quick fixes and conspiracy claims and you’ll find that most credible, evidence-based practitioners and nutrrition scientists are actually on the same page with the basics, and a lot more besides. So when I say you can trust me, I’m really saying trusting the latest evidence is your best bet for success.

Nutrition research is complex, but not chaotic

Nutrition research is hard to do. People eat varied diets over many years, and we can’t isolate nutrients in real life the way we might in a lab. Eating is also tied intimately to the baggy monster of motivations, desires, needs and rituals we call human behaviour. In short, it’s… complicated.

But there’s nothing wrong with complicated. Scientists are a clever bunch who like the challenge. It’s just that the nuance and caveats it demands don’t really work as well for attention grabbing headlines (and, let’s face it, our appetite for an easy fix to our problems). So while sensational nutrition claims usually have a grain of truth buried in them somewhere, it will almost certainly be stripped of the essential context that gives it meaning.

Where experts actually agree

Here’s what most qualified professionals agree are the basics of good nutrition:

• eat a wide variety of foods

• include plenty of fruit and vegetables

• limit ultra-processed foods

• eat enough protein

• include healthy fats

• stay hydrated

• move your body regularly

• prioritise sleep and stress management

Frankly, they’re not particularly exciting. Which is probably why you don’t see them given the neon tiktok treatment that often. But what they lack in meme-ability they make up for in effectiveness as a foundation for better health.

There’s plenty of debate around fine details, like the perfect ratio of macronutrients or timing of meals, but the differences these make for most people are far from dramatic. The majority of progress comes from consistently getting the basics right. The rest can offer marginal gains, but only after the fundamentals are well-established.

If that’s it, why would you need a coach?

A good coach will help you focus on the things that actually move the needle — the simple, effective habits that make a real difference to your health and wellbeing. The hardest part of improving nutrition isn’t making change but getting it to stick. I work with my clients to figure out what matters most to them, and then give them support and accountabilty every step of the way as they make and sustain the changes they need.

Red flags

It’s impossible to shut out nutrition noise completely. There’s also some great nutrition advice online that’s well worth seeking out. Sorting the good wheaty wisdom from the bad chaff of chancers isn’t always easy but, for me, any of the following activities serves as an “approach with caution” klaxon.

• making absolute or dramatic claims

• demonising or idolising individual foods

• promising rapid or extreme results

• selling products as the ‘magic solution’

• using fear-based messages

• offering one-size-fits-all plans

Evidence over influencers

Evidence-based nutrition advice is never going to be as dramatic as the latest influencer trend cascading through your social feed; but it has the useful advantage of working better for most people. My coaching is built on trust, credible research, practical tools, and individualised support — not hype or fear.

If that sounds like it might work for you, get in touch.