Rethinking Diets and New Year's Resolutions

diets goals macronutrients micronutrients new year's resolutions trends Oct 19, 2024

Rethinking Diets and New Year’s Resolutions

Whether you call them resolutions or not, you might be contemplating better health and well-being. Do resolutions work? I believe it depends on how you define them, and the diet mindset used to better health. Certainly, quick-fix diets rarely work. So, this year, let’s reclaim the true meaning of diets and resolutions—resolving to let go of outdated, restrictive thinking and focus instead on nourishing our bodies with essential micronutrients and adopting lasting lifestyle changes.

Why Diets Often Fail

The top 5 categories for New Year’s resolutions are:

Health and Fitness
Improved Finances
Stress Reduction and Mental Health
Lose Weight/Improve Diet

Whether driven by a desire for longevity, better quality of life, or pressures from social media, resolutions related to weight loss and healthier eating consistently top the list. However, these resolutions often fail because they are rooted in restrictive, quick fix thinking.

We’ve all seen it before: every January, a new diet fad emerges, promising rapid results—liquid diets, carb-free plans, or high-protein regimens. But here’s the problem: they don’t always work long-term. The focus on eliminating macronutrients (carbs, fats, or proteins) misses the real point of a healthy diet—the micronutrients.

The Role of Micronutrients

While macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat) are essential, micronutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber, and omega-3s, are what truly sustain health. To take away a macronutrient, is to take away the very nutrients which helps fight diseases, assist immune systems, provide energy, healing, and more.

Adopting a balanced, Nourish to Flourish mindset could be the key to successfully fulfilling your resolutions! For example, focusing on what to eat—rather than what to avoid—by incorporating more whole foods is an empowering approach that fills you up with micronutrients that fuel and restore your body. This can also help regulate energy levels and curb cravings, keeping you on track with your health goals.

Fad Diets vs. Sustainable Changes

In the past few decades, diet trends have swung wildly. The '80s were about increasing carbohydrates, then the '90s diets focused on fats followed by the 2000s that axed carbs and made a pivot to proteins. Today plant-based eating is on the rise, which are carbohydrates overall. Do you see what’s happening? The diet industry cycles through, often cutting out either carbs, fats, or proteins, causing confusion and impacting your long-term health-including mental health.

It’s time to move away from these outdated, restrictive approaches. Let’s face it, the wrong diet mentality is not helping the rising rates of diabetes, obesity, and other chronic diseases. If they truly worked, wouldn't we see a downward trend in these conditions?

The True Meaning of "Diet"

The word "diet" has been “twisted and restrictive”, but its original meaning comes from the Greek word diata, meaning "a way of life." A true diet is not about deprivation—it’s about nurturing your body with the right balance of nutrients, hydration, sleep, and activity. It’s also about understanding your body’s signals, like hunger and cravings, and creating a lifestyle that fits your unique needs.

In my practice, I focus on intuitive eating—or "Intuition Nutrition"—where we listen to the body and feed it what it needs, not based on trends or external pressures.

What’s the solution for your New Year’s Resolution on Diets?

Focus on Micronutrients: Shift from what you’re eliminating to what you’re adding. Nourish with meals rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber that are less processed too.
Become a Flexitarian: Balance is key. Using an 80/20 rule which incorporates all 3 macronutrients (carbs, fats, and proteins) in the form of whole foods, 80% of the time.
Hydration and Sleep: Health is also about drinking enough water (6-8 cups--8oz ea.) and getting proper sleep (6-8 hours) to support your overall well-being.
Understand Your Body’s Signals: Pay attention to your body’s hunger cues, cravings, and digestion. Get support on learning to understand your unique needs.
Measure Health Holistically: Measure your success beyond “society’s scales” and measure your health by how you feel too. Do you have more energy? Are you sleeping better? These are the true indicators of success.

Interested in ways to Rethink Diets with your “Intuition Nutrition”? Become a member of my Nourish to Flourish Community and receive your bonus offer Rethinking Diets Course! Click here for more details.

https://www.kariecassell.com/nourish-to-flourish-membership

PLUS…for more tips towards a Nourish to Flourish mindset, click the link here for more Micronutrient-Packed meals, tips and recipes. https://www.kariecassell.com/nourish

Karie Cassell Dietitian, Life Coach and Author of the #1Bestseller-The Domino Diet.

“A dietitian on a mission, bringing back heal back in health and the true meaning of the word diet.”

Interested in ways to Rethink Diets and Nourish to Flourish Click here for my newest course and connect with others in our community https://www.kariecassell.com/nourish-membership