{HMW} The diet industry's not-so-secret business model

Dear Reader,

Most diets are predicated on restricting or removing something.

It's everywhere.

Atkins says no to carbs.

Intermittent fasting says no to certain windows of eating.

The low-fat diets of the 90s said no to fat.

We're constantly instructed, or internally guided, to find things to remove: no carbs, no sugar, no eating after 6pm.

In my previous life as a clinical health educator at a national health and weight management company, our program was driven by research in obesity, human behavior, nutrition and neuroscience. The finding was consistent: a "not-to-do" approach does not work for long-term behavioral change.

What actually worked was practice, repetition and seeking out "to-do" behaviors.

So why do we keep choosing programs built around what to take out?

Hint: we're influenced by a diet industry that does not have your back.

Maybe that's not as sinister as I'm making it sound, but most diet programs are after the quick fix and their bottom line. If they cared about long-term outcomes, why would they keep pushing worn-out strategies like restricting calories, carbs or fat when the data on how harmful that is keeps piling up? Harmful physically, and harmful emotionally and psychologically too.

Could it be that some programs want you to get that quick win and then fail long-term, so you keep coming back?

More recidivism equals more dollars.

A to-do approach puts the power in your hands. It gives you a road map of yeses to pursue again and again.

Our brains love abundance, not scarcity.

If I ask you to add 2 vegetables to your diet this week, doesn't that feel freer and more motivating than being told to find 2 more things to say no to?

You'll also have a much easier time adding 2 to 3 specific things a day or week than trying to avoid the thousands of foods you could feel guilty about.

Try this shift this week. Pick one thing to add to your routine. An extra walk. One more vegetable at dinner. Committing to meditation each night.

The quick fix is so tempting. It ends the pain right away. Or does it just delay the pain or create a different sort of pain?

Thoughts?

Have it:

Interesting Article Alert: How to Reclaim your Attention (longer read)

Made it:

​5-Senses Sunday​

Cucumber that tastes like watermelon, a Miami arcade that sent me fleeing, a Dolly Parton tribute, the science of eating with your hands, and shoes made entirely from fresh flowers. This week's 5-Senses Sunday is live!​

​My Favorite Reads in August:​

This month's reading choices split almost evenly between books I read to escape and books I read to confront something. I went looking for magical realism and second chances, and kept landing in memoirs and novels that refused to let anyone off easy.

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Want it:

This is like the tempurpedic mattress but on steroids!​

Ingredient Spotlight:

Macadamia Nuts

The first time I tried a macadamia nut, I could not believe how creamy and different it tasted compared to every other nut I'd had. And in chocolate? Even better.​
Macadamias are the softest nut you'll find, almost buttery, with none of the snap or grit you get from almonds or walnuts. The flavor is mild and slightly sweet on its own, which is exactly why it disappears into chocolate so well instead of fighting it.
Macadamias are mostly fat, and most of that is the same monounsaturated fat you'd find in olive oil. They also carry a decent amount of magnesium, which shows up in a lot of nervous system regulation conversations.

Get 18 macadamia nut recipes to try here → [link]​

Announcements & Upcoming:

​New free workshop!

We're excited to welcome Shawna and Ella from Healthy Foodie Girl to the Just One More Bite community!

They're a mother-daughter duo who've built a following around one idea: healthy eating can be simple, delicious, and full of flavor. No shortcuts on taste, no complicated ingredient lists.

In this session, they'll show us:

✔️ How whipping cottage cheese completely changes its texture (and what to do with it once you have)

✔️Creative ways to add it into recipes you already make

✔️Ideas you probably haven't thought of, because most of us stopped thinking about cottage cheese the second we heard the word "diet"

They've also put together a Cottage Cheese Guide with 30+ recipes so you can keep experimenting long after the workshop ends.

Join us and bring your questions. This is a live, interactive session, and Shawna and Ella will be there to answer them in real time.​
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When? Wednesday, September 9th at 12 noon eastern (replay will be available only to those who register)

Where? On Zoom, but through the Just One More Bite community on Heartbeat
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Extra Bytes:

What I'm Reading: Friends: Understanding the Power of our Most Important Relationships​

What I'm Watching: Widow's Bay (soooo creepy and campy and funny!)

What I'm Listening to: Dolly Parton's Greatest Hits - RIP Dolly 🥲

What I'm Eating: Adobo-Roasted Tofu with Butternut beans, brown rice​

That's it for me this week. I hope you all have a happy and healthy hump day!

Warmly,

Jenny