I'm a Nutritionist. Here’s Why I Can't Stand Online Nutrition Advice

Desiree Nielsen
·5 min read

Illustration by Julia Duarte

I have devoted more than half of my life to the study and practice of nutrition. I love this stuff. It took us a long time (and tons of science) to get to the point where we recognize that nutrition plays a role in our well-being. Even in my own practice I have encountered plenty of clients whose physicians told them that nutrition won’t be of much help. Which obviously is incorrect, but it just goes to show that the nutrition revolution is a very big deal.

For those of us who are living with diabetes or irritable bowel disease (IBS), or even just those of us trying to live a long and healthy life, understanding the transformative power of nutrition is a very good thing, in theory. The way you eat can help you keep your blood sugars balanced, challenging the notion that diabetes is always a progressive disease. Good nutrition can help you feel energized so that you can get the most out of life. Food really does have the power to help you heal.

But when I scroll through social media and see what counts as nutrition information, I cringe. Things like “what I eat in a day” videos that begin with a bikini selfie, as if copying that person’s diet will make you look like them. I see people who say that processed food is harmful in one breath and then try to sell a processed protein powder in the next. Nutrition has become a perverse sort of pastime, engaged with on a tiny screen that has well-documented negative effects on our mental health. We read posts that claim whole foods are toxic and listen to podcasts that don’t have the ability to fact-check their guests. We develop attachments to charismatic, glossy wellness folks, and when they tell us that oats are inflammatory, or that soy is bad for you, we’re inclined to believe them. Never mind that research states the opposite.

This is not the role that nutrition is meant to play: It is meant to be a tool to help us feel our best and help us heal when we don’t. We’re not meant to think about it 24/7! Our heads fill with ideas—some good, some not so good—that stick with us for life like a bad tattoo. And should our health take a turn, this noise can become a constant source of anxiety.

As many times as I have daydreamed about moving to the country and deleting Instagram, I’m not advocating that we all move off the grid. Actually, access to information can be incredibly empowering, especially for those who don’t have access to high-quality care because of their location or resources. Good information gives you the power to make better choices for yourself. But when I think about how loud the bad information is, sometimes I wonder if we shouldn’t just scrap it altogether. In fact, I think most of us might be happier and, ironically, more well if we stopped listening to wellness advice. But since this is unlikely to happen, perhaps setting some clear boundaries is a good idea.

Since wellness practitioners are going to keep doing their thing, it’s up to us to (a) disengage from the chaos and (b) know how to spot a fake. It’s time we learn to prioritize our actual wellbeing over a strict set of rules that someone else made up about what is healthy. We get to choose what healthy looks like for ourselves. If wellness information makes us feel confused, anxious, or guilty about our food choices, do not pass go—just unfollow. If you choose to engage with wellness information, curate a small selection of positive and supportive practitioners whom you trust to influence your wellness practices. Registered dietitians and people with PhDs in nutritional science are a good place to start. And among those, practitioners who focus on additive behaviors, such as eating more fiber or vegetables, rather than food restriction, are far more likely to have your health (and not your clicks) in mind. (A few of my own favorites: Dr. Adrian Chavez, Ayten Salahi, Andy Miller, MS, RD, LD. And there’s me.)

Sounds simple, yes? I wouldn’t be the dietitian I am without acknowledging that getting to this magical place of grounded self care takes work. And time. It took me decades. The first step is acknowledging that much of what we call wellness is really Diet Culture in disguise. The fear mongering. The gatekeeping. The demanding (and expensive) regimes. This diet-driven mentality challenges our relationship with food and our bodies, and robs us of the joy of eating.

Critical to the next phase of your wellness reeducation—and ensuring that you don’t go running back into the algorithmic fray—is reminding yourself that no one ingredient, food, or meal will make or break your health. Pattern over plate, always. A healthy diet isn’t “everything free”—it’s one where broccoli, chickpeas, and apples peacefully coexist with the occasional Friday night nachos. You need to let this one sink into your bones because we are still inundated with messaging about cheat days, guilt-free food, and detoxes. After a lifetime of food rules, welcoming unrestricted eating into your life might feel untethering. A trusted friend, non-diet dietitian, or counselor can help you through that. There will be a lot of unlearning to do. And it will take time to trust your newly unrestricted food choices. In the meantime, just remember: The single most effective detox in wellness is hitting the unsubscribe button.

Desiree Nielsen is a plant-based registered dietitian, podcast host, and bestselling author of three cookbooks including her newest, Plant Magic.

Excerpted from Plant Magic by Desiree Nielsen. Copyright © 2024 Desiree Nielsen. Photography and illustrations by Gabriel Cabrera. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit

More Culture Stories From Bon Appétit