Is Moderation a Buzzword?


May 29, 2022

 by Thomas Sampson
Share

“Moderation” is one of the biggest buzzwords in wellness right now. 

But guess what?

It doesn’t work …

Because almost everyone does it wrong. 

The fact is, what looks like “moderation” to one person might be something completely different for someone else. 

For food, your definition of “moderate” can depend on what you grew up eating, your current eating habits, or even your mood.

Just as one example: what’s a “moderate” amount of pizza? 

If you conducted a poll, you’d probably come up with a huge range of answers … from an entire pizza all the way down to one slice.

(This isn’t even taking into account the “extras” people eat or drink with their pizza.)

All of this is backed up by science. 

A major study found that when people ate according to the old saying, “everything in moderation,” they ended up with a less healthy diet than people who ate a smaller number of healthy foods.

PLUS: they ended up with bigger waists and a higher chance of developing diabetes.

So, how do you do moderation correctly? 

It requires a focus on HEALTHY choices and habits – most of the time. 

Which goes back to the four pillars of health I was talking about the other day:

  • Eating the right amount of healthy foods
  • Regular exercise
  • Getting enough quality sleep, and
  • Taking time for rest, recovery, and mental health

Committed to your health,

Coach Tom CFL-3, USAW-2, Sports Nutritionist