Stop Looking For The Next Best Diet...
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I work closely with several clients every week, focusing on improving their nutrition, building sustainable habits, and getting stronger for life.
One of my recent nutrition clients completed my 12-week program and said something that really stuck with me:
"I couldn't believe how basic it was. I kept waiting on something complicated to hit me — but there wasn't."
And honestly? That’s the point.
Nutrition doesn't need to be complicated. It needs to be consistent.
In fact, the hardest part of the plan is just showing up — day after day — and doing the basics well. Things like:
- Eating like an adult
- Eating the rainbow
- Honouring your hunger cues
- Making time to cook real food
While listening to The Wellness Scoop podcast recently (if you haven’t subscribed yet, do it — it’s brilliant), they referenced an article in The Guardian by chef Yotam Ottolenghi. The piece focused on his experience with intermittent fasting (IF) and why it’s not the magical fat-loss solution it’s often made out to be.
This article really hit home for me. We’re living in an age where nutrition myths spread faster than actual facts. People are being sold extremes — low-carb, zero-fat, don’t-eat-after-6pm, fasting windows — and now we’re even questioning whether water is “bad” for us?
We’ve lost touch with the fundamentals. We’ve lost our common sense around food.
It seems to me that if we stopped for one second and allowed ourselves to ignore all this noise, and instead follow the well-established routines we grew up with surrounding cooking and eating, we wouldn’t need such “solutions”.
Intermittent fasting (IF): Ottolenghi followed the 16:8 method (16 hours fasting, 8 hours eating) to see if it improved his health and weight.
Mentally consuming: Instead of feeling better, he became overly fixated on food, timing, and rules — which heightened anxiety and obsession around eating.
Gained weight, didn’t lose it: Despite fasting, he ended up overeating during eating windows, which led to weight gain rather than weight loss.
Realised IF wasn’t sustainable: The approach didn’t fit his lifestyle or personality; it took away the joy of food and communal meals.
Critiques diet culture: He highlights how modern wellness culture often encourages extreme or restrictive habits, which disconnect us from traditional, enjoyable eating.
Advocates for going back to basics: Rather than following trendy diets, he urges people to return to cooking simple, wholesome meals and sharing them with others.
Celebrates real food and balance: Ottolenghi believes that cooking from scratch, enjoying food socially, and listening to one’s body is a more sustainable and satisfying way to eat.
The main takeaway for me was pulling it all back to basics... enjoy the roast chicken and roast potatoes. Stop looking for the low calorie and low fat options in every piece of food we consume. Food is to be shared around a table with loved ones... and I think we've forgotten about this to an extent.