Geschatte leestijd: 4 minuten
I often get the question “is this healthy?” thrown at me, referring to a specific product. Take a product and ask 100 different people if this product is healthy. The chances are you’ll get 100 different answers. A low-carb diet follower won’t say that bread is healthy, while a marathon runner might say it is. A bodybuilder swears by chicken breast, while it’s forbidden for a vegan…
What is ‘health’?
Before you can answer the question “Is this healthy?” you need to know what is meant by healthy. According to Van Dale, healthy means:
“physically in order, not sick: healthy and well; healthy ideas demonstrating insight; a healthy business profitable”
According to the above definition, you are healthy if you are physically in order (not sick). So if you’ve broken your arm, are you unhealthy? If someone has type 1 diabetes, are they unhealthy for their whole life? And when are you physically in order? Who determines what is in order?
Through scientific observations, we know that an increased cholesterol level is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is not something you want to have as it increases your chance of mortality. So the conclusion is: an increased cholesterol level is a sign that the body is not in order, increasing the risk of mortality, and therefore we label it as unhealthy.
There are many other factors besides cholesterol levels that we can measure to determine someone’s health.
But health itself is not something tangible. You can be perfectly healthy on Monday, while you could die from a stroke on Friday. Think for example of a heart attack. Also, you can be unhealthy your whole life with type 2 diabetes, but still live to be 80 years old.
What is healthy nutrition?
Healthy nutrition does not exist by definition, I’m talking about food, or products. However, there is an unhealthy or healthy diet. That’s something completely different from a single food item. Your diet is the sum of all the products you eat in a day.
Why do I say this?
We, as humans, need energy and various nutrients daily; calories (energy), proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and fiber. These are all groups of nutrients. For example, there are hundreds of different proteins, and also various types of carbohydrates and fats.
Different people, different needs.
You need a certain amount of each substance. How much this is exactly depends on many factors. Not every person needs the same amount of calories in a day, nor the same amount of proteins.
It would be nice if a dietitian…
Every product you eat provides at least one of the many needs you have. Suppose you have two products in front of you now, a Snickers and an orange, and someone asks which of the two is healthiest. What do you answer?
The truth is, you can’t answer.
They are two different products, and they both meet different needs to some extent. For example, a Snickers delivers a lot of energy (calories) from carbohydrates and fats. While an orange provides less energy (also from carbohydrates), but contains a lot more vitamin C.
Some people will now say, “An orange is much healthier because it contains vitamin C.” It’s true that an orange contains vitamin C, but that doesn’t automatically make it healthier.
Suppose you’re on a deserted island and the only thing you could eat is 4 oranges.
You don’t need any more vitamin C, you’re already provided for in that. However, this does not meet your energy needs and protein needs.
Now you’re presented with the option: either a Snickers or another orange.
What do you do?
Of course, you choose the Snickers, this increases your chances of survival. By choosing a Snickers, you better meet your energy needs and your need for nutrients.
See what I did there?
By providing context to the question, it was possible to base the answer on something. Without knowing what your needs are, and to what extent you’re already provided for, it’s impossible to answer the question “is this healthy”.
If you’re in the hospital and severely malnourished, so much so that it could lead to death at any moment, it’s important to eat as much and as quickly as possible. The problem is that, due to the fever, your appetite is completely gone. You’re not going to advise someone like that to eat cucumbers and tomatoes, that doesn’t align with the goal. In extreme cases like this, it’s even advisable to encourage the consumption of junk food: it’s easy to eat for many people (no need for a big appetite) and provides well for the need for energy. This is exactly what they recommend in hospitals in such extreme cases [2].
If you need 2000 calories a day, and today you’ve already been to KFC, McDonald’s, Burger King, New York Pizza, and the local kebab shop around the corner, then it’s better not to eat anything for a while.
The big picture
You might think I’m oversimplifying things. To determine that, it’s important to look at which aspects within your diet are responsible for the results you achieve. The image by Eric Helms from his book sums this up nicely:
80% of the result can be achieved in the bottom 2 pillars: energy balance and macronutrient distribution. In other words: how many calories do you get, and what is the distribution between proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
If you don’t even know how many calories you’re getting and what your needs are, why worry about creatine (pillar 5: supplements) or when to eat your proteins (pillar 4: nutrient timing).
No foundation, no house.
Answer the question yourself
What you need to ask yourself to answer the question “is this healthy”:
- What nutrients does this product provide me with?
- To what extent am I already provided for in the needs this product meets?
- Does this product contribute positively to that?
- Does this product positively contribute to the adherence of my diet?
To be able to answer the above questions, it’s important that you know what you need and that you know what the products you eat contain.
