Life has been busy with lots of clinics, fun, sleep (my children are finally sleeping through the night!) and trying (been saying this for years but nearly there) to finish my new website. Hope you’re all well too 🙂
In the meantime, I read a very interesting article about a non profit organisation called Oldways, which convened a two day conference bringing together 21 top nutrition scientists with the aim of defining what exactly is healthy eating.
Apparently (and obviously) there were some heated debates and exchanges; Paleo versus Mediterranean versus low fat and so on. And lots of science to back each school of thought up. However, the whole aim was to show the world that a consensus of nutrition advice can be reached – and that’s exciting in itself.
An 11 point consensus statement was released (link below). Guidelines reached were not surprising, but nevertheless very welcome.
Everyone agreed that a healthy diet should be high in vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, low or non fat dairy, seafood, legumes and nuts. Add moderate alcohol consumption and decrease red and processed meats with sugary and refined grain foods being minimised.
The authors also touched upon the role of media in causing much dietary confusion to the public – and how this needs to stop. One study does not a guideline make.
What I find really beautiful about the consensus is how the vital interaction between human health and planetary health was emphasised: focusing on sustainability and the carbon footprint of your diet is fundamental. Here’s a website which can tell you more about your choices: http://www.eatlowcarbon.org/diet-tips/
Link to consensus: here: http://oldwayspt.org/sites/default/files/files/OW_CommonGround_Nov19.pdf
And yes, the bottom line again – eat real food, not processed and mostly plant based.
Dalia Nutrition 