How to Talk to Your Clients About the Latest Netflix Nutrition Documentary

This article is from our associates over at Precision Nutrition and is republished right here with their permission. Check out the Precision Nutrition course!

When it comes to nutrition, there’s lots we don’t know

Although it might be arduous to settle for, the jury’s nonetheless out on, for instance, pink meat, eggs, low-carb versus low-fat, and Paleo versus totally plant-based.

In truth, there’s little or no we will say with absolute certainty.

Science hasn’t recognized one greatest weight loss program or eating strategy.

Because of that, you might be positive no documentary filmmaker has, no matter how compelling or convincing the film could also be.

So, what do you do when a consumer—or a pal or member of the family—watches a trending nutrition documentary and turns into smitten by:

• Nutrition recommendation that contradicts what you’ve been telling them?
• Questionable eating strategies you consider will set them again?
• An excessive weight loss program you’re fairly positive received’t work, and has little or no likelihood of long run success ?

First, take a breath (or two). Next, perceive that, generally, you’ll be able to’t “prove” anybody incorrect. More importantly: You shouldn’t even strive.

There’s a a lot more healthy and simpler strategy on your purchasers, your small business and your sanity: Aim to be useful, not proper.

This mindset lightens the tone of your conversations, fosters belief and appreciation, and permits you to finally have better affect. (It’ll make you extra likable on social media, too.)

Admittedly, this doesn’t at all times really feel second nature. But with follow, it might probably turn out to be that means.

The payoff is big: Instead of dreading the subsequent huge nutrition documentary, you need to use it to construct a stronger and extra productive relationship with anybody who seeks your assist.

Why You Don’t Need to Be Right

Before we get to serving to purchasers, let’s deal with a giant hurdle: Our deep want to be proper.

The actuality is that this: Most nutrition debates received’t be resolved anytime quickly. Probably not even in our lifetimes. (To higher perceive why, learn: Why nutrition science is so confusing.)

You may even consider it this fashion: Scientific progress is extra about being progressively much less incorrect than abruptly understanding some final fact.

So, in some ways, we’ll by no means actually know if we’re “right.” Accepting this may also help you turn out to be a extra considerate, open coach (and human being). Plus, making an attempt to show to your consumer that you just’re “right” interferes along with your skill to develop a powerful teaching relationship. It may even hinder your probabilities of serving to them.

Unless you ask questions to discover out what resonates along with your consumer about “Diet Fad X,” you’ll by no means perceive what want they’re making an attempt to meet with that strategy. That’s a missed alternative to leverage what issues to your consumer to create actual change. There’s one draw back, nonetheless, with accepting that there’s typically no “right” reply in nutrition: It might be unsettling.

For some coaches, dietary uncertainty raises foundation-shaking questions, corresponding to:

• How can you are feeling snug giving steering based mostly on incomplete data?
• How are you able to keep away from a disaster of confidence once you encounter a brand new, thrilling dietary idea that goes in opposition to every thing you have been taught?
• How are you able to inform the distinction between evolving your teaching philosophy and getting caught up in a fad?
• To assist reply these questions, Craig Weller, Precision Nutrition Master Coach and resident exercise specialist, factors to a captivating analysis paper titled, “The End of History Illusion.” It supplies a helpful analogy for coming to phrases with dietary uncertainty.

The scientists’ findings: If you ask somebody how a lot they’ve modified as a person in the previous and the way a lot they consider they’ll change in the future, they’ll nearly at all times say that almost all of their change is already behind them. This is true whether or not they’re 18 or 68.

“As humans, we tend to believe we’re already the person we’ll be for the rest of our lives, but that’s not how it actually works,” says Weller. “It’s the same in science and nutrition.” 

“If we glance again 150, 20 and even simply 10 years in the past, there have been issues folks strongly believed to be true about nutrition that ultimately have been disproven or proven to be irrelevant.”

This isn’t to recommend it’s best to ignore the present considering and analysis on nutrition. It’s to emphasize the actuality that uncertainty has at all times existed, not solely in nutrition and science however in nearly each side of life.

Even if we really feel sure about one thing right this moment—the love of our life, that superior new job, a SpongeBob tattoo—we would really feel otherwise in a decade.

So, what are you able to do?

Focus on what you already know with the highest diploma of confidence in any given second. Then discover new concepts and various strategies as experiments. Gather knowledge, and select the greatest path ahead based mostly on the final result.

The profit: You don’t want to be proper earlier than you start. You can use nutrition experiments to higher perceive what works for every particular person. 

This is really custom-made nutrition teaching, and it retains you open to any strategy your consumer needs to strive.

What we (principally) know for positive about nutrition science

If you suppose dietary uncertainty causes issues for you, think about what it’s like for purchasers.

“There’s a lot of contradictory information out there, causing tribalism and discord where there need not be any,” says Brian St. Pierre, MS, RD, CSCS, Precision Nutrition’s director of nutrition.

“These passionate and often conflicting messages only end up confusing people and discouraging them from getting started in the first place, since it appears that ‘no one knows what’s right anyway.’”

This is the place you’ll be able to assist present readability and focus by emphasizing the significance—and effectiveness—of only a handful of very primary rules.

Despite all of the seemingly conflicting data, there are a number of foundational components that nearly everybody agrees with, says St. Pierre:

• Eat extra minimally processed entire meals and fewer extremely processed meals
• More greens are higher than fewer greens
• Eating sufficient protein is essential for health, efficiency and body composition
• In the long-term, studying to handle your food consumption based mostly in your body’s starvation and fullness cues works higher than weighing and measuring every thing you eat. (Read more on this topic)

“Make these four principles the foundation of your dietary recommendations,” says St. Pierre.

Think of the center of the Venn diagram as the fundamentals of nutrition. These preserve purchasers on monitor and aid you really feel assured in your recommendation.

And these outdoors sections? They aren’t life or dying. Whether your consumer needs to eat like a caveman, surrender meat perpetually or make olive oil their life power is a matter of non-public choice.

Ultimately, your consumer is the boss of how they eat. If they need to strive one thing new on account of a nutrition documentary, that’s their name.

Your position is to assist them do it higher. Here’s how to just do that.

Step 1: Give Positive Feedback

If a consumer is happy by a nutrition documentary, don’t inform them it’s incorrect. This can really feel dismissive, and it minimizes their ideas and emotions.

Instead, do as David Burns, MD, a pioneer in the subject of cognitive behavioral remedy and creator of the T.E.A.M. counseling methodology says: “Find the truth in what they’re saying.”

One means to do that’s by way of optimistic suggestions, says Precision Nutrition Master Coach Kate Solovieva, MA. “This allows your client an opportunity to engage in ‘self-enhancement,’ a basic type of motivation that’s associated with both increased self-esteem and sense of control.”

These are property once you’re serving to somebody enhance their nutrition.

Welcome their questions, opinions and considerations in a means that claims, “What you think matters, and I want to talk about anything important to you.”

For instance:

• If they ask a query, you may lead with: “I’m so glad you asked!”
• If they’re involved about how their present habits may influence their well-being: “It’s awesome you care so much about your health!”
• If they’ve taken a eager curiosity in a specific documentary or nutrition matter: “I’m impressed you’re looking into nutrition in your spare time. That’s pretty cool!”

Step 2: Express Curiosity

“See if you can have a discussion about the film without explicitly stating your beliefs about it,” advises Solovieva. Ask a lot of questions and be a very good listener. Or as Solovieva says: “Practice good coaching.”

Your aim: Find out what they realized that was so intriguing (or unsettling) to them and why.

Here are some questions that would aid you be taught extra, and doubtlessly aid you determine (collectively) what to do subsequent:

If they’re resisting what you’ve been telling them as a result of the nutrition documentary conflicts… 

• Ask: “Can you tell me a bit more about that? Which points stood out to you? What seems like a better approach to you, and why?”

If they’re anxious their present plan is taking them down the incorrect path… 

• Ask: “I can understand why you’re concerned. I’m wondering if you can tell me more about how the documentary conflicts with the work we’re doing together. Is there anything specific you’d like to do differently?”

If they’re keen on implementing adjustments based mostly on the nutrition documentary…

• Ask: “What about making this change feels appealing to you? How do you think this change will benefit you? Is there anything about it that you think will be challenging?”

This strategy helps present your consumer they’re in management. And merely understanding they’re the decision-maker—and that you just’ll help their selection—offers them extra confidence in your recommendation.

Step 3: Support, don’t Judge

No matter what, you need your consumer to know you’re on their facet. Let’s say they need to strive an strategy you wouldn’t usually suggest. For occasion, relying in your views, it may be veganism, keto or intermittent fasting. You need them to really feel snug discussing their selection with you—in order that they’ll come to you in the event that they slip up, need assistance or determine to change course.

In different phrases, there’s no place for “I told you so” in good teaching. 

Ultimately, your consumer is both going to:

1. Decide not to make any adjustments after speaking it over with you.
2. Make a change, understand it’s not working for them and lean on you for assist.
3. Find out they really dolove vegan, keto, intermittent fasting or [insert whatever diet]

All of that are optimistic outcomes.

Here are some methods you’ll be able to present your consumer that you just help them it doesn’t matter what they determine to do:

If they’ve already made up their thoughts about making a selected change…

• Say:“That sounds like an interesting idea. Would you like suggestions on how to implement it and monitor your progress?”

If they’re undecided what to do subsequent…

• Say:“I can tell you’re unsure about what happens next. What are the options you’re considering? Let’s talk through them.”

If they fight one thing new and it doesn’t work out: 

• Say: “This is great intel. Learning what doesn’t work for you is really important. What are your takeaways from this experience?”

Step 4: Collaborate on an Action Plan

After you’ve listened to and understood your consumer’s considerations—and proven you’ll help them—it’s time to take motion.

But don’t inform your consumer what to do (even when they need you to). Instead, take what you’ve found and use it to information your consumer.

Maybe they only need to make a small change, to discover out if it will make a distinction for them.

In this case, give your consumer choices. Let’s say they need to incorporate extra celery juice into their weight loss program. They heard it might increase their health whereas making an attempt to lose weight, particularly if they’ve it on an empty abdomen for breakfast.

You may present these choices:

• Option A: Keep every thing the similar. “Things are already going pretty well, so you might not even need the celery juice.”
• Option B: Go for the center path. “If you want to try incorporating celery juice, you could plan to have it a couple of mornings a week, but still eat your regular breakfast, too.”
• Option C: Go all out. “You could also switch to having just celery juice for breakfast every morning. I’d want to make sure you get some high-quality protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats at your next meal, though.”

These three decisions—do nothing, do one thing, do the most you’ll be able to probably do—work for many any nutrition change your consumer could also be keen on. If the change is one thing that doesn’t appear dangerous to you—like eating extra greens or ingesting extra celery juice—be happy not to supply your opinion.

If you suppose the “all-out” choice might put your consumer’s health in danger, or significantly derail their progress, communicate up. 

You may say one thing like, “Option A or B seem the least drastic and  I’m concerned that option C could actually be detrimental to your health. But it’s not up to me. Only you can decide how we move forward.”

Now, your consumer might need to overhaul the means they eat totally, however don’t panic! This is the place experimentation is available in.

Step 5: Encourage Your Client to Think Like a Scientist

Self-experimentation is considered one of the cornerstones of the Precision Nutrition teaching program. Because each person is completely different, you by no means know precisely how a specific means of eating goes to work till you strive it.

Here’s how to body an eating experiment on your consumer, courtesy of Krista Scott-Dixon, PhD, Precision Nutrition’s director of curriculum.

“Use phrases like ‘exploration,’ ‘strive,’ and ‘recreation,’ when speaking about this with purchasers,” says Dr. Scott-Dixon. “Say something like: ‘We’re going to play a little game for the next two weeks. You’re going to be a scientist, and you’re going to collect data about yourself. Let’s come up with some indicators to track that will help us decide whether this is moving you towards or away from your goals. Once you gather the data, we can analyze it together. We can even make some charts and PowerPoints if you want. Then, we’ll draw conclusions and do some outcome-based decision making, just like scientists, to see what our next steps are. But you’re going to be the authority on your own experience.’”

Talking about the experiment as one thing scientific however enjoyable encourages your consumer to put their scientist hat on. There are many advantages to working this fashion. It could assist your consumer:

• Detach emotionally from the final result of the experiment
• Discover one thing new about their relationship with food/nutrition
• Put apart “the research” and turn out to be immersed in their very own expertise
• Recognize that what works for others could not essentially work for them
• Consider different experiments that would get them nearer to seeing outcomes

You can apply this course of to any sort of eating change, from making an attempt out intermittent fasting to experimenting with an oil-free weight loss program.

The better part? It places your consumer accountable for their expertise and ready to be taught by way of motion. And it casts you, the coach, as a supply of technique, steering and help, as a substitute of inserting you in the position of nutrition documentary fact-checker.

Remember: It’s all about your consumer. Sensational documentaries might be difficult for coaches to cope with. But for many individuals, these docs are their first publicity to nutrition science. It is sensible your consumer could be satisfied by, and perhaps even involved about, what they noticed in a movie.

Listen intently. Show empathy. Be their ally. 

Using this framework, you’ll be able to ease your consumer’s anxiousness, harness their enthusiasm and assist create an efficient plan that feels proper to them.

And you might be 100 % sure: Those are critical recreation changers.