What's so trendy about Nutrition that everyone went crazy over it?

Over the past several years, there seems to be increased interest and acceptance of healthier, cleaner eating and a renewed attention to health and wellness in the general population. We are in the midst of a paradigm shift and moving away from the quick and easy, pre-packaged meals, and “diet” foods popular over the past several decades and moving back towards a more “old fashion” approach to eating and preparing food. This includes more fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish, and 100% whole grains, with less processed foods, artificial flavors, and artificial sugars. The motivations for this movement are likely unique for everyone but there does appear to be more awareness and recognition of the health risks associated with an unhealthy diet and unhealthy weight as well as the potential negative impact that additives, chemical preservatives, pesticides, unhealthy fats and highly processed foods have on our health and general well-being.

With this paradigm shift comes an abundance of nutritional advice, programs, and trends that have gained recent media attention, some are new, and others have been around for centuries. A few popular in the media include the Paleo diet, Whole30, the ketogenic diet, the plant-based diet, the Mediterranean diet, and the Ayurvedic diet, as well as programs such as intermittent fasting, cleanses, and shake programs. Most of these are geared towards weight loss and weight maintenance but many also promote other long-term health benefits.

Some of the asserted benefits include improved control of chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and Type 2 diabetes, as well as decreased cancer risk, improved digestive issues, improved energy levels, and mental clarity, improved sleep patterns and improvement in mental health. It has been well established in the literature that maintaining a healthy weight decreases your risk for cardiovascular disease and many chronic conditions; it makes sense why our patients may be interested in some of these trends for weight loss and overall health. As nurses, it is important that we are aware of different diets that our patients may be following and understand any potential health risks a diet may pose for certain populations.