15/09/2025
Not posted a blog in a LONG time and I had this topic drop in to my email and its not like me to get riled up is it! Lol
Enjoy
I have just had an email from a ‘Nutritionist’…. Whoa! Stop there! They are not a Nutritionist they are actually a well-meaning hack. Well, I assume they are well-meaning, and it might be a little churlish of me to call them a hack, as they might just be uneducated.
Either way they are selling nutrition services, so hack it is!
They are one of these ‘Sugar is the enemy’ so buy my program to cut the Devil out of your diet, calorie counting doesn’t work, sleep better, balance your hormones (mine became unbalanced just writing this statement), keep blood sugar level low, reduce brain fog, sort menopause, save the Polar bears and bring about world peace, by eliminating sugar kind of nutrition ‘advisors’.
You know them, they are the ones who totally ignore all evidence that contradicts their bias!
One of the problems with these people is they spout some truth in what they say, which is mixed in with the BS so buy in is higher. They’ll state the truth with authority, because it’s the truth and do the same with the BS, so you believe it.
AND in mind blowing fashion probably believe it themselves!!!
Now, I have no beef with people who don’t know, but then, when you are informed you change your tune.
I have over the years, we ALL have in this game!
It is your duty as a practitioner to continuously educate yourself on the latest research. If you don’t, you are doing your clients a dis-service.
Anyway… this email was all about getting more protein in your diet, particularly for women of a certain age. And this is true. Eating more protein for EVERYONE is a good thing. You are recommended to eat 1.2-2 grams of protein per kilo total body weight, every day.
This email included a recipe for a salad. Here it is:
Ingredients:
• 2 large eggs
• 100g halloumi cheese, sliced
• 50g mixed salad greens (rocket, spinach, lettuce)
• 1 small chunk cucumber, sliced
• Red onion (the amount that works for you), thinly sliced
• 8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (for frying the halloumi)
• Salt and pepper to taste
For the dressing:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
This is all very tasty and healthy. The foods in this recipe are high in their nutritional density so most definitely make up a meal that is ‘healthy’.
However!
While there is about 37-38g of protein in this meal, which is good.
There is also about 76g of fat!!!
That means the protein and fat energy total (calories) you are eating from this salad is over 830kcals. And that does not include the carbs from the veggies/salad, which will be low.
This is a good recipe for getting protein in. It is also a good recipe for getting fat in. It is therefore a high energy, high nutrition meal, which if weight loss is a goal, not the best.
It might be highly nutritious, BUT, when you are trying to lose weight, you HAVE TO BE IN AN ENERGY DEFICIT OVER TIME and a meal like this, REGULARLY, is sub optimal for that goal.
What ‘should’ have been recommended for this meal if increasing protein was the goal is to:
1. Swap out the Halloumi for the same weight in chicken breast
2. Don’t use olive oil to cook the chicken, cook it in the air fryer
3. Don’t use olive oil in the dressing, simply buy a low-fat dressing and use that.
These 3 simple changes do the following:
1. Increase the protein from 38g to 41g
2. Decrease the fat from 76g to 23g
This takes the calories for the meal from over 830kcals to 380kcals. That’s a huge difference when weight loss is the goal. Also, you are not losing ANY of the nutritional ‘goodness’ of the meal. You’re just being a bit smarter.
There IS NO EVIDENCE to show that people who are in and ENERGY DEFICIT DO NOT lose weight. And that is because they do.
It doesn’t matter if you dress your diet up as low carb, sugar free, keto, carnivore, shake, injections (hormone manipulation), intermittent fasting or ANYTHING else.
ALL diets establish weight loss because a calorie deficit is the underlying foundation of the protocol. Bar none. The End.
If you are told otherwise the individual telling you so does not understand enough and needs to go back to school to help you properly.
Sugar is not the devil. It is the primary energy source for our body. ALL carbs are turned into simple sugars. Insulin DOES NOT CAUSE weight gain! Energy surplus does!
If you would like more information on this topic or are feeling a little conflicted just send us a message and we’ll be happy to help.
Proper nutrition from qualified practitioners.
Big luv DT