Dietary Displacement – Ummm, What?

I probably first heard of the concept of “dietary displacement” about 8 years ago in an article by Dr. John Berardi. This concept has been expanded on by Ryan Andrews of the PN team in an article you can find by clicking here, where Ryan addresses the term in both the positive and negative sense. I recommend you read the article as it expands further on the concept.

What is dietary displacement?

In simple terms it is filling up with non-nutritious foods instead of healthy ones.

You know what I am talking about.

You can choose to eat the apple you packed in your lunch, or the brownie your co-worker brought in to celebrate her aunt’s brothers sister-in-laws daughter graduating from 3rd grade.

One contributes to your goals, the other makes a deposit in your fat account.

But what about the less obvious choices that can have the same effect?

• Pasta salad instead of spinach salad
• Mashed potatoes instead of mashed cauliflower
• Bagels instead of oatmeal
• Chocolate bar instead of walnuts

It makes a huge difference – no pun intended.

Now that doesn’t mean you can never have a treat.

You just need to remember the 90/10 rule.

Eat nutritious, unprocessed food 90% of the time.

If you do that one thing everything else falls into line pretty quickly.

Because if I am making 90% choices I am:

• Feeling fuller
• Getting a wide variety of vitamins and minerals
• Supporting lean muscle tissue
• Creating a better fat burning environment
• Avoiding the energy (and mood) swings that have me reaching for anything I can shove in
• Not leaving a whole lot of room for junk food

And that leads to a better body, inside and out.

Think about it. When we make “less than optimal” food choices it often creates a downward spiral. I am not talking about a well planned “splurge meal” that fits within the 10% window. I am talking about the one brownie that turns into half the pan of brownies that turns into a weekend sugar blitz that leaves us bloated, tired and probably feeling guilty.

We have all been there.

The good news is that it works both ways.

The more good food choices I make the easier it gets to continue to make good choices.

I mean I just feel better, both physically and about myself, when I eat well.

And when I feel good it leads continuing to make the choices that got me there.

So here’s your assignment:

What’s ONE positive dietary displacement, one nutritious choice you can make TODAY that starts this upward climb?

Let’s hear it!

Coach Dean