I’ve often been asked why I chose to earn my Master’s degree in Holistic Nutrition versus traditional or mainstream nutrition. 

Good question. 

And the answer boils down to this:  I wanted to be able to sleep peacefully at night and look at myself in the mirror in the morning. 

I also wanted to be able to speak the truth and not be criticized for it. 

Here’s what I mean. 

The nutrition industry (like many others) is bought and paid for 

When it comes to dietary guidelines and food safety, one of the main governing bodies here in the US is the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). 

But if you rely on their advice and recommendations because you believe they are objective and have your best health interests in mind, you couldn’t be more wrong. 

On the contrary, this and other agencies are captured by the junk food industry and as a result, their “advice” will ultimately serve their corporate “buddies.” 

For example, the AND has very close ties to junk food manufacturers like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, General Mills and Kraft.  

Last I checked, those companies aren’t known for making healthy, nutritious foods and beverages. 

AND leaders hold key positions in several food, pharmaceutical and agribusiness corporations, and have accepted corporate financial contributions. 

And get this--from 2011 to 2017 AND received more than $4 million in donations from processed food companies including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Hershey and Kellogg’s.  

They also have actually invested in said food companies!  For instance, between 2015 and 2016, AND held stock in PepsiCo, Nestlé and J.M. Smucker with a value of over $1 million. 

So if you think none of this influences their recommendations, then there’s a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you. 

A glaring example—Aspartame 

Probably the best example of nutrition agencies being bought and paid for is aspartame. 

Since its initial approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a “safe” food ingredient in 1981, aspartame has been the subject of more complaints of adverse reactions than any other substance in existence.   

But research over the last 40 years is revealing the truth. 

Studies have linked aspartame (aka NutraSweet® and Equal®) to cancer, brain damage and premature delivery in pregnant women, worsening insulin sensitivity/diabetes, increased risk of heart disease and stroke, kidney disease, blurred vision, retinal damage and blindness, behavioral disturbances, nerve pain, muscle weakness and memory lapses, to name a few.   

In addition, artificial sweeteners including aspartame were shown to be downright murderous to your gut microbiome, which is where 80 percent of your immune system resides. 

So…what does the AND say about aspartame in light of all this research? 

Here is their recent statement: “The Academy will continue to support the recommendations of registered dietitian nutritionists, the food and nutrition experts, who accept the use of nonnutritive sweeteners, including aspartame, by their patients and clients within accepted daily limits until further evidence can be generated … No one ingredient or food increases cancer risk.” 

But it gets worse if you can believe that. 

Several Registered Dietitians (RDs) are also “influencers” on social media and are literally being paid to promote the “safety” of aspartame, as well as encourage the consumption of other junk foods. 

Other backwards recommendations 

Not surprisingly, the AND parrots what I consider to be some of the WORST diet advice on the planet. 

Here are three very misleading points that jumped right out at me on their website: 

1) Replace foods higher in saturated fat with foods higher in unsaturated fat

I’ll say this for the ten thousandth time—your body NEEDS saturated fats! 

That is, if you’d like to protect your nerve cells, produce hormones, assimilate vitamins A, D, E and K, support your heart during stress, and help your brain and nervous system transmit nerve impulses.  

The average person needs about 30 percent of their daily calories to come from fats, and about one-third of those should be saturated. 

Good sources of saturated fats are those that come from animals—meat butter, lard, suet, milk, eggs and cheese—as well as coconut oil.   

2) Unsaturated fats are heart healthy

What the AND fails to mention (and probably doesn’t know) is that when unsaturated oils are heated (such as when they are used in cooking), toxic compounds similar to trans-fats can be created.   

That doesn’t sound too “heart healthy” to me. 

Plus most of the unsaturated oils in stores are rancid before they even make it to your pantry. 

Stick to real butter, lard or coconut oil for cooking.  If you wish to use unsaturated oils, buy the ones that are in dark brown or green containers, and opt for organic brands if possible…and NEVER use them in cooking.  

3) Soy is a healthy protein choice

The AND site suggests tofu and soy drinks as healthy protein options to meat and milk. 

What they don’t mention is that 90 percent of the soy grown in the US is GMO. 

GMOs are a whole other animal whose safety is highly questionable, and I refuse to recommend any GMO food. 

Want advice you can take to the bank? 

If you want the best advice to help prevent disease, maintain a healthy bodyweight, and quite possibly lead a medication-free existence, listen to your friendly holistic nutritionist. 

I have no ties whatsoever to any corporation, industry or special interest group and will not parrot any “mainstream” advice I know to be downright wrong or potentially harmful.   

I just tell it like it is, based on sound, unbiased research and science.   

Here are 3 truly effective strategies that you can trust that can help support YOUR health from head to toe: 

1- Eat wholesome real foods  

When your diet is comprised of wholesome real foods you: 

• Automatically eliminate trans-fats and artificial sweeteners 
• Get good sources of antioxidants  
• Get natural sources of crucial nutrients  

So stay away from processed, packaged and fast foods of all kinds and keep it real—fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, wild-caught fish, eggs, whole grains, full fat dairy and good fats (butter, olive oil, coconut oil--NEVER margarine).   

2- Balance your microbiome 

The friendly bacteria in your gut microbiome helps your body digest starches and fibers, supports regular BMs and houses 80 percent of your immune system…but they can only do so when there’s a strong enough population of them! 

Unfortunately, people who have diets high in processed foods, soda and refined carbs have fed the harmful microbes in their guts...and are likely looking at a serious flora imbalance as a result. 

Plus medication use (especially antacids and antibiotics), stress and lack of sleep can make your microbiome topsy-turvy.   

One of the best ways to help restore a proper gut flora balance is with a full-spectrum probiotic formula like Super Shield PLUS. 

Super Shield PLUS’s 20 billion CFUs and 15 potent probiotic strains can help whip even the most seriously imbalanced gut balance back into shape!  

3- Embrace the natural anti-inflammatory power of fish oil 

Omega-3 essential fatty acids are considered “essential” because you must obtain them from your diet or through supplementation.   

Fatty fish (like salmon) are one of the best sources, but fish is not something people typically eat seven days a week. 

So that’s why supplementation with Omega-3 fish oil is a good idea for just about everyone! 

Omega-3 fatty acids help support strong health in these 4 ways: 

1. They've been proven to help lower blood pressure. 
2. They have anti-inflammatory properties, which can counteract inflammation in your arteries and joints.
3. They keep clots from forming by reducing the stickiness in your platelets.
4. They support proper brain function.  

Since our food supply doesn't contain a fraction of the Omega-3 EFAs that it used to (due to our diets high in processed foods, vegetable oils and grain-fed animals), supplementation with a pharmaceutical-grade fish oil formula like VitalMega-3 is a crucial for most people. 

Now you have real advice on how to create better health for life!   

To your health, 

Sherry Brescia