Someone asked me these days if eating healthy matters. How do we know what is nutritious or not? I see so many people with no training in nutrition online advising their audiences. It doesn’t surprise me that people get confused. I heard of a diet consuming just chicken and broccoli, for example. Is that healthy? Should people do that? How about soy? Is soy good or bad?

What I know from personal experience is that eating healthy makes a difference in many aspects of someone’s life. A calorie is not just a calorie. Not all calories are created equal. We learn the concept of an empty calorie and the nutrient density that accompanies certain foods in school. In the post-pandemic era, we are more attuned to what a robust immune system can and cannot do.

Certain foods promote inflammation, while other foods deprive the body of essential ingredients necessary to keep our bodies functioning. Don’t know why you have a headache? Or are fatigued all the time? It could well be that you need to rebalance your bodies with specific nutrients. Research shows that certain foods promote biochemical and functional changes in our bodies that lead to disease.

As a clinical nutritionist, I understand why people are confused and might not know in what direction to go. But I think hiring a clinical nutritionist can help decipher and debunk some of the food myths we see on social media and mass media.

Ultimately, what we eat affects our quality of life. Foods and fragments of foods do not lead to health in the long run. If you are confused, try to focus on unprocessed foods, foods that don’t need labels, and start by including different colors on your plate.