Why You Shouldn't Take My Nutrition Advice—And Who You Should Trust Instead

Nutrition fascinates me. I've spent countless hours researching it for fun and even developed a smoothie pouch for athletes to address my own needs as an endurance athlete. Despite this passion and knowledge, I advise you not to take nutrition advice from me—or most people online.

The Problem with Online Nutrition Advice

I've been spending a lot of time on Reddit recently. It's a great place to look for trends. What are people asking about? What are topics that keep coming up?

What shouldn't surprise me, but still does, is the amount of horrible nutrition advice. People post things on Reddit like "What's the healthiest alternative milk?" or this Redditor who posted, "When craving something sweet, what's the best of the worst sweets?" They go on to talk about swapping Snickers for yogurt and berries.

I'm going to be very clear: yogurt does not replace a Snickers bar.

The comments go on to promote this thought process. iiiimagery comments, "Skip all the processed stuff, as good as they are. What I have done to help is eat baked sweet potatoes. You can microwave them too (poke holes), and they're sweet and VERY nutritious. I like to add cinnamon butter and sometimes sugar. I usually do a sugar-free sweetener though :)"

iiiimagery is a nutritionist. So is nolimitbryan_03, who commented, "Some cereal but don't overdo it."

bananagrams93, another nutritionist, commented, "I find that hard candies really help fill that gnawing desire for sweets. One piece is like at most 10 calories, and yeah, it's 100% sugar, but I never find myself reaching for a second one. From a calorie perspective, I think it's pretty useful!"

Your great-grandmother—she is also a nutritionist. I'm a nutritionist. You're a nutritionist.

Registered Dietitian vs Nutritionist

If you're asking the question, "are dietitians and nutritionists the same thing" the answer is no. See, anyone can claim that they are a nutritionist. Registered dietitians, on the other hand, are medical professionals. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't go to my 70-year-old neighbor and say, "Hey, I have this thing on my back. Mind diagnosing it for me?" He would probably tell me it's cancer.

I go to the doctor for that thing on my back.

Just like you should go to a registered dietitian to seek nutrition support.

The point is that health information is incredibly misinformed. And the worst part is, health marketing is effective because it's incredibly personal. You are judged by the way your body looks, and you can control what you put into your body. You can restrict, you can binge—you can make those decisions for yourself.

I'm an endurance athlete. My caloric requirements are high. I eat a lot of carbs. I have a sensitive stomach, and I'm really sensitive to artificial flavors. I've had to train myself to handle gummies and gels. I have a history of disordered eating.

You might be a lifter. Maybe you have an underlying health condition and you absolutely hate beans.

Every single one of us is unique. What works for me does not work for you.

When I see someone post on Reddit essentially asking how to lose weight or what's better—keto, low carb, low fat, or the carnivore diet—I feel sad. We should not be taking advice that ultimately affects our body from Joe, who has only been eating raw meat for three years and feels great. Because Joe is not me. Also, food is a gift and we should allow ourselves to enjoy it.

Someone who gives me "advice" doesn't know that I have a history of disordered eating. They don't know I burn thousands of calories and need to consume a lot of carbs. They have no business giving me diet advice. Just like my neighbor shouldn't be telling me I have cancer because of that thing on my back.

Neve is Designed with a Registered Dietitian

I designed Neve with a registered dietitian. I get feedback from registered dietitians about the product. I want to know, from a professional's vantage point, what they think.

When people tell me they wish Neve didn't have sugar, I get upset. Why? Because Neve is designed for endurance athletes who require carbohydrates. Neve has cane sugar—an ingredient that comes from the ground. A source of carbohydrates. A flavor enhancer. Neve has cane sugar because it helps you, as an athlete, perform. Sugar will not hurt you.

So don't take my nutrition advice. But know that Neve was designed with a registered dietitian—someone who has formal education and who works with athletes.

So go have dessert tonight, and don't feel bad about it. And never EVER replace a Snickers with yogurt. That's the most offensive thing I've ever heard.