Whole9 Presents: Nutrition in 60 Seconds

This post was originally created in response to a reader’s request for our nutritional elevator pitch. You know the elevator pitch concept – you’re hanging out in the elevator when your boss gets on and asks how things are going. You’ve got 60 seconds to give him the big-picture details in a way that is complete, concise and engaging – not an easy task.

We originally created our “Paleo Pitch” back in May 2010, while recording our guest appearance on Robb Wolf’s podcast. At the time, Robb called it the “Dubai elevator pitch”, a reference to the location of the world’s tallest building. (We agree, it was a tad bit lengthy). Since then, we’ve continued to refine and revise our pitch – and today, we’re re-releasing an updated version as part of our Manifesto series.

The Case For the Positive Pitch

While many people live and breathe the idea of Eating Good Food, they’re not always so good at talking about it. In fact, when asked, “What’s this diet you’re on?” most people approach their response entirely the wrong way. The first thing they mention are all the things they don’t eat – grains, dairy, legumes, sugar or processed foods. Trouble is, there is probably at least ONE of those food groups in their listener’s diet, and starting the discussion with a judgment of their dietary choices (whether real or imagined) immediately puts the listener on the defensive.

In addition, launching into the foods you don’t eat first immediately closes off further conversation if the listener jumps to some fast conclusions about your level of dietary fanaticism, or the restrictive nature of your self-imposed regimen. After all, for most people, not eating any of those food groups is hard to wrap their head around. Finally, that kind of lead-off also places you in the unfortunate position of then having to provide “proof” or scientific back-up for your rationale. And as many of you have discovered, that’s darn near impossible to do in 60 seconds, especially when you’re up against such classics as, “Milk gives you strong bones,” or “Whole grains are heart-healthy.”

So we approached our nutritional pitch from a different angle – emphasizing the foods we do eat, why we eat them, and the general (and well documented) health benefits associated with the foods we choose. And then, it’s time to seal the deal with a personal testimonial – how this way of eating has affected YOU, personally. It’s hard to argue with, “Since my first Whole30, I’m sleeping better, my energy is through the roof, I lost 15 pounds, and my skin has totally cleared up”, right?

So here is our revised pitch, in all it’s positive, forward-thinking, non-confrontational glory. (And yes, we actually read this out loud and timed it. We are nothing if not diligent.)

Nutrition in 60 Seconds

I eat real food – fresh, natural food like meat, vegetables and fruit. I choose foods that are nutrient-dense, with lots of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, over foods that have more calories but less nutrition. And food quality is important – I’m careful about where my meat, seafood and eggs come from, and buy organic local produce as often as possible.

This is not a “diet” – I eat as much as I need to maintain strength, energy, activity levels and a healthy body weight. I aim for well-balanced nutrition, so I eat both animals and a significant amount of plants. I’m not lacking carbohydrates – I just get them from vegetables and fruits instead of bread, cereal or pasta. And my meals are probably higher in fat than you’d imagine, but fat is a healthy source of energy when it comes from high-quality foods like avocado, coconut and grass-fed beef.

Eating like this is ideal for maintaining a healthy metabolism and reducing inflammation within the body. It’s good for body composition, energy levels, sleep quality, mental attitude and quality of life. It helps eliminate sugar cravings and reestablishes a healthy relationship with food. It also works to minimize your risk for a whole host of lifestyle diseases and conditions, like diabetes, heart attack, stroke and autoimmune.

So there you have it – 60 seconds that concisely summarizes, “Why I eat the way I eat.” So spread the Good Food Word and explain your dietary choices to friends, family, co-workers and nosy neighbors in a way that is approachable, relatable and, most importantly, maintains a positive spin on why we eat the way we do. (And feel free to use our “Nutrition in 60 Seconds” on your site or blog, too – just credit and link back to us, please.) Do you have an approach or a “pitch” of your own? Share it in comments.

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