Is Your Diet in Style?

Today I was in a public restroom and for some reason I thought about those hideous shag carpet toilet seat covers and the piece that goes in front of your toilet (forgive me, my mind wanders). I’m not sure who the brilliant mind was behind that invention but surely they are sitting at some all inclusive retirement resort in FL right now soaking up the sun and enjoying classy bathrooms with ceramic tile and no carpet.

But that thought made me realize something, no one has complained that those have been out of style for 20+ years. Surely no one misses them (except the dust mites and bacteria). Yet people complain to me all the time when I tell them a bit of nutrition information that contradicts whatever they were told 5 days, 5 years or 25 years ago. Heck, my mom is still complaining that she was forced to eat margarine instead of her beloved butter for years.

It’s not okay to hold onto fashion from 20 years ago so why would it be okay to hold on to nutrition beliefs from 20 years ago? And fashion changes because some people influence it. Nutrition changes because scientists have been digging a little deeper, finding a chemical form of vitamin E they never knew existed, discovering that the type of protein you eat matters and that caffeine actually doesn’t dehydrate you. Nutrition changes because we know more. Fashion changes because someone stands up to the masses and lets them know that flowered wallpaper is nothing more than an eyesore and carpet in a bathroom is just plain stupid.

So, I challenge you to think about your diet and your nutrition perceptions. Are you holding onto the belief that fat free equals weight loss? Do you still believe that all saturated fats are bad and nuts are too fattening? Do you believe that the best way to lose weight is to count your calories or follow a popular diet? And lastly, do you believe that most people get plenty of protein and the RDA (recommended dietary allowance) for protein will keep you healthy?

Cleaning out your closet and changing your bathroom fixtures is about as much fun as pulling weeds from your lawn. That I know. But, both of these things have to be done from time to time. And, you should also consider cleaning out your diet occasionally and talking to a dietitian or nutrition researcher about the most current information (or read a good up-to-date magazine with credentialed authors). And if you have those rugs in your bathroom, please do your guests and future real estate agent a favor and throw them out!