One of the things that is so interesting about health, nutrition and any aspect of your lifestyle, is that if you try to simplify it down to simple-minded, single-variable, so called “diet solutions,” which reduce whole subjects like weight management (gain or loss) down to one simple idea, or absolute idea, you are in for one very confusing life because you only have one way to explain your experience, or to influence lifestyle change.
Now, I have no vested interest in making more out of things than they need to be. I am a Performance Lifestyle trainer and coach, and the “hallmark” of someone with my training and experience, is to NEVER MAKE MORE OUT OF SOMETHING THAN THERE NEEDS TO BE.
That said, I am also very aware that when it comes to nutrition, it is essential to understand the Immutable Laws of High-Level Health (you’ll learn these when you get your copy of the Plan with support) and various theories (such as the Dietary Compensation Theory that I am going to talk about below) so that you can better explain your experience.
Staying educated on essentials subjects is key to living well today. And, I can’t think of a subject to be better educated in that is more powerful than nutrition, other than personal energy and financial management.
So, in the spirit of educating you more, here is some insight on the Dietary Compensation Theory, which is tied to a recent debate about whether high-calorie, nutrient-rich nuts can cause you to gain weight or not.
Michael Greger MD points out that one of the reasons why so many people don’t gain weight after eating nuts may be because they are very satisfying. So, since nuts are very satiating and appetite suppressing, it is quite possible that subconsciously, we just eat less. Here is a good example of why this just might be true–I had nuts last night as part of my nutrient-rich meal, and it’s almost 2:00 PM the next day, and I haven’t had a significant need for calories since eating those nuts.
Someone can stay in energy balance, even though they just ate a high-calorie food, like nuts, when the nuts displace other foods, calorically. And, nuts are not just calorie rich, they are also nutrient rich to boot, making them even more satiating, and for some people so appetite suppressing that they end up eating less and losing weight.
Recently, in observational studies, walnuts were tested. And, if you have ever wondered if there is really a difference between nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor foods, or have questioned the power of nutrient density you should really Watch This. (55 seconds into the video, you will see how nuts can actually decrease caloric consumption.)