This is the part of my newsletter where I tell you “wow it’s been a year” and reflect on how far this little newsletter has come in 372 days (a year plus seven days because I’m all about setting boundaries and taking breaks).

But if I’m being honest, the absolute nonsense I’ve been seeing online regarding “getting healthy” in 2023 has still left me feeling disheartened. Sure, we’ve done quite a bit of self-reflection about the toxicity of diet culture in our lives. We’ve given ourselves a deeper understanding of nutrition without the constant guise of trying to count calories, lose weight, and look like twigs.

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But I know there’s a long way to go, and one little newsletter won’t change the entire broken structure of the wellness industry. Even if I want to rattle some shoulders and scream “YOU’RE ALLOWED TO EAT FOOD!!” to every diet-culture minion I see online.

The start of the new year always feels like this video a friend recently shared with me. With so many confusing messages online, it can feel absolutely daunting to try and eat healthily.

leansquad

A post shared by Phil Mackenzie (@leansquad)

In reality, the actual health professionals who know what they are talking about always say the same thing: just eat.

So, instead of focusing on all of the dieting BS we are seeing online right now, I thought this would be a great moment to remind ourselves of all that we’ve learned together. Let’s review the debunked myths we’ve unraveled—and all the other diet culture nonsense in between.

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The myths we debunked in 2022

The biggest lesson we learned this past year? Don’t believe everything you read online. Even if it’s coming from a top wellness influencer—because they’re seriously struggling, too.

The Internet is full of all kinds of horse crap. So if you see any of these myths pop up on your feed this month, or, you know, ever, remember…

Stop doing detoxes. You have a liver for a reason. And on that note, you don’t need an internal shower either.
Speaking of the liver, if your body actually needed to balance pH levels, you would likely be dead. No need to “alkaline” your diet.
It’s funny how the research shows time and time again that the healthiest form of eating is also the least restrictive. But sadly, people still try to turn it into a diet. Sigh.
No, dairy does not cause inflammation. Elimination diets be damned.
Yes, plant-based meats are actually healthy. Some may tell you that those plant-based alternatives are all chemicals and carbs and should be avoided. But the science begs to differ.
Eat the egg yolk. It’s where a majority of that nutrition is coming from…and we really need to stop freaking out about dietary cholesterol. It’s not what’s causing those high cholesterol numbers, you know…
Fruit has sugar…AND fiber. Meaning they are low on the glycemic index and still incredibly good for you.
Your “lowest weight” is probably not your healthiest weight. In reality, weight loss goals won’t help you with reaching a weight that’s actually meant to be right for your body and health.
Noooo…there’s no science to prove that thirst can be masked as hunger.
10,000 steps a day is nice, but it’s not needed.
Working out as a punishment for what you eat is OUT. Working out for the love of moving your body is IN.
Let yourself feel full. Do it, I dare you.
You don’t just need to shop the perimeter of your grocery store. The center aisles have more to offer than you think. Processed foods can be healthy, and cereal isn’t the same thing as candy.
Stop fearing “white” carbs or white potatoes. They aren’t just “bleached sugar.”

And of course, how could we forget that Taylor Swift moment?

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Forkful updates for 2023

With a fresh new year ahead of us primed for opportunities to debunk more of the wild diet culture theories we see out there, I wanted to also fill you in on a few updates of my own.

Paid subscribers will be getting an exclusive podcast.

That’s right! Along with getting the usual Saturday essay on audio, I will be doing a podcast for my paid subscribers. In these exclusive episodes, I will be doing a roundup of the latest nutrition news with some insights from yours truly, giving you all the juicy details and the real science behind the noise. Episodes will be released every other Wednesday, so subscribe now for the first episode on January 11!

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All 2022 essays and recipes are now free.

Because we’re changing things around this year, I’ve decided to unlock all of my former essays and recipes that were previously available to paid subscribers. Yay! Click here for the archive.

However, if you would like access to the meal plans, you will still need to subscribe. I’ve actually decided to not move forward with this service because it sort of seems like we’re all not very into meal plans these days, and that’s totally fine.

And with that, let’s start 2023 on the “right foot”—with a fork in hand and a fat piece of cake!

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One year of debunked diet culture nonsense