Hi folks! Seth Coyne here from youthfulblueprint.com. I got a great interview for you today with one of the industries best nutrition experts.
Seth: Tell us a little bit about yourself, your methods and philosophies.
Nick: My name is Nick Pineault, and people call me “The Nutrition Nerd”. I run a blog on healthy eating along with my fiancée and partner in crime Gen, and we’re both really passionate about nutrition and cooking.
Seth: Why do so many people fail in their efforts to lose fat and get healthy?
Nick: There are a lot of reasons, and they differ from one person to another.
People who don’t know much about healthy eating and focus on reducing calories and doing cardio to burn fat usually have a food quality problem.
Their health is poor, and a lot of systems in their bodies (digestion, hormones, energy) slow them down.
On top of that, a lot of these people that eat processed foods a lot under report how much they eat, and overestimate how much energy (calories) they can burn through exercise.
On the other hand, you’ve got health nuts like me and you. The ironic thing is that these people know exactly what they should eat (unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods), but easily go overboard when it comes to quantities.
I’ve seen so many people gorge on “healthy” dates, agave syrup and coconut – without any sign of portion control.
The truth is… no matter how healthy or gluten-free or organic your food is, you just can’t get away with eating an infinite amount of calories.
Seth: What are some important staple foods in a healthy diet?
Nick: There are too many to count, but the most important ones in my opinion are…
Protein: grass-fed and pasture-raised meats and poultry, wild-caught fish and seafood from clean sources, pastured eggs,
Fats: fat from the meats above, liver and other organ meats, grass-fed raw butter or ghee, coconut oil and other coconut products, extra virgin high quality olive oil (hard to find)
Carbs: rice, quinoa, gluten-free grains (preferable for most people), potatoes, sweet potatoes, local and/or organic fruit and veggies of all kinds
Fermented foods: miso, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, tempeh, etc.
Seth: What are fat burning foods?
Nick: People think of fat burning foods as foods that somehow get access to your fat reserves and burn it by some miracle. It doesn’t work that way.
The term “fat burning foods” is way overhyped, but for me it simply means foods that provide you with as many nutrients as possible to help your body to be healthy as a whole, and as a consequence be in the perfect place to burn off your unwanted body fat.
Seth: What are some of the biggest threats to good health in our society?
The number one threat is individuals and corporations who consider money more important than human health – sometimes consciously, and sometimes unconsciously.
That’s why we see companies that sell crappy diet products and bogus supplements.
That’s why certain pharmaceutical companies and even doctors push pills that are at best slightly detrimental for people’s health – and at worst lethal (like statins).
Another huge threat and source of concern for me is GMOs, and especially the thought that a single corporation – Monsanto – wants to control our food supply. This is unacceptable.
Lastly, the nuclear disaster that happened in Fukushima, Japan, in 2011 is a huge concern because the situation is far from being stable. We’ll see new consequences from that event arise in the 50 years or more, and no one is certain about the real dangers it could have on our food supply and health.
Seth: With so many sources of diet and health information how can people know who they should trust?
Nick: I’d say it’s a mix of:
1) Finding organizations and individuals who seem as free of any financial, ideological and financial tie as possible when they’re doing research.
2) Looking for signs that the person or authority stays updated with the latest research, and stays open-minded about they’re recommendation.
I change what I recommend when I learn new information that disproves what I previously thought, and I think that everyone that really cares should do the same.
3) Looking for science-based evidence. Double-blinded, randomized studies performed on real human beings can’t always be found, of course.
But when someone at least tries to link their claims with studies that have been done, it’s a good start. Then again, people can easily get into a “PubMed” war, and cite a bunch of studies to make a point.
I think some things will always be controversial, so in the end you have to take one side of the debate if the information you have at the moment seems to confirm that it’s the right thing to do – but keeping in mind that this could change.
Seth: What are your thoughts on dietary supplementation?
Nick: Most people do supplements wrong.
A vast majority of the supplements on the market should be banned, because they’re straight up deceptive.
Authorities like ConsumerReports or ConsumerLab regularly bust products that contain dangerous contaminants, the wrong amount of ingredients or that just don’t do what they’re supposed to. It’s the Far West out there.
There are a few companies that do things the right way, and get their ingredients from factories that are GMP compliant. That’s a good start.
Companies that go further and use 3rd party testing and that have people’s interest at heart are what I personally focus on.
Seth: Thanks so much for being with us Nick! I think we learned some great things.
If you’re interested in learning about nutrition you should definitely check out Nick’s website at nickpineault.com. He is truly skilled at breaking down complicated research and studies about diet and nutrition into easy to read, fun, interesting reading material. I also highly recommend you check out his program The Truth About Fat Burning Foods. See you guys next time!
Nick Pineault is the author of The Truth About Fat Burning Foods, where you’ll find his research on healthy foods. He runs a healthy food blog with his fiancée and partner in crime Gen over at Nickpineault.com
Seth Coyne is a Certified Sports Nutritionist and a Certified Personal Trainer. He is the founder of www.youthfulblueprint.com. He is the author of the report “The 3 Pillars of Health” which is available for FREE DOWNLOAD.
