From Diet Culture to Nourish Culture

We’ve all been there, staring at a “clean eating” or "weight loss" post promising miracles, wondering for a split second if this is the thing we should try next. Diet culture counts on that moment. It nudges you to believe that health comes from perfection, that our bodies need constant fixing, and that it's all about the willpower.

But what if it didn’t? What if instead of chasing rules, you just focused on giving your body what actually supports you: your energy, your mood, your whole life?

The Shift We Need

Mainstream nutrition and diet culture focuses on less: fewer calories, fewer carbs, fewer choices. Nourish culture focuses on more: more energy, more balance, more confidence.

And science is catching up. A 2025 perspective in Nature Medicine found that long-term wellbeing has far more to do with nutrient and food quality than with calorie counting. Another controlled trial found that participants eating ultra-processed diets gained more fat (and had worse metabolic markers) than those eating minimally processed diets, even when calories were matched.

Real life? A client (and friend) once told me, “I’ve dieted my way into exhaustion.” We shifted her goal from “lose 10 pounds” to “eat to feel good.” She started cooking simple, colorful meals, added protein to breakfast, stopped skipping lunch and in a few weeks, her energy, sleep, and mood transformed. The weight began to balance naturally.

Why It Matters

Things become especially tricky if you’re a woman in your 40s and beyond. Your body’s story is changing. Hormones shift, metabolism slows, stress stacks up. Diet rules don’t fit real life anymore. But nourishment does. It’s flexible, personal, and built for the long game.

How to Move from Dieting to Nourishing

1. Change your language. No more “I’m being good” or “cheat days.” Try “I’m choosing nourishment.”

2. Upgrade, don’t restrict. Swap packaged snacks for real ones: fruit + nuts, yogurt + berries.

3. Pause before eating. Ask, “What do I need right now: fuel, comfort, a break?”

4. Add before you subtract. Add veggies, water and movement, before cutting things out.

5. Make peace with pleasure. Enjoy food. Guilt has no nutrients.

References:

• Optimal dietary patterns for healthy aging | Nature Medicine

• Ultraprocessed or minimally processed diets following healthy dietary guidelines on weight and cardiometabolic health: a randomized, crossover trial | Nature Medicine