Posted on 01/02/2026 10:47:24 AM PST by Red Badger
If you want to live longer and feel better, stop chasing food fads.
Every few months, a new “miracle” plan — keto, intermittent fasting, carnivore, raw — promises to fix everything. Most don’t. Even those that show modest benefits rarely deliver results worth the time, effort, and mental energy they demand.
As an Harvard-trained oncologist and world leader in health policy, I’ve spent decades researching what actually improves health outcomes. The answer to a longer life is so simple: Good nutrition is about building about habits you can sustain for years, not weeks.
While you should consult your physician before changing your diet, as individual needs vary, here are six nutrition myths I wish more people would let go of.
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1. All snacking is bad
The average adult consumes nearly 500 calories a day from snacks, much of it from ultra-processed foods like chips, cookies and packaged desserts. These foods are engineered to encourage overeating.
In one study, participants eating ultra-processed foods consumed more calories and gained two pounds in just two weeks compared with those eating whole foods, even when calories were matched. These foods are also linked to higher all-cause mortality.
Not all snacks are harmful. Research shows that healthy snacks can improve overall diet quality. Nuts, fruit, yogurt, hummus and vegetables provide fiber, protein and healthy fats that promote fullness without blood sugar spikes.
2. We need to eat more protein
Most Americans already consume enough protein. Recommended intake is roughly 0.75 to 1.0 grams per kilogram of body weight per day (about 45 to 70 grams for most women and 55 to 90 grams for most men).
Protein powders aren’t a solution either. In one analysis, two-thirds of tested protein powders contained unsafe levels of lead. There are exceptions:
Adults over 60, who lose muscle mass with age, may benefit from about 1.2 g/kg Athletes or people recovering from illness may need up to 1.5 g/kg For everyone else, whole-food sources (beans, lentils, yogurt, fish) are safer and more beneficial than supplements or excessive red meat.
3. Fiber supplements work just as well as whole foods
Only about 7% of American adults meet recommended fiber intake, and that’s a serious problem.
High-fiber diets are linked to lower risk of colorectal cancer, reduced rates of Type 2 diabetes, and a 31% lower risk of death from coronary heart disease.
But fiber supplements aren’t a perfect shortcut. Most contain just one type of fiber and don’t replicate the complex, diverse fibers found in whole foods. Only a small fraction show meaningful clinical benefits.
Fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains remain the most effective way to support gut health.
4. Low-fat dairy is always better
Dairy consumption is associated with lower risk of Type 2 diabetes and improved growth in children — regardless of fat content.
The idea that higher-fat dairy causes weight gain isn’t supported by evidence. In fact, studies show children who consume whole-fat dairy have lower odds of overweight and obesity than those consuming low-fat versions. Adults show similar trends.
Fat content alone doesn’t determine health. Whole-fat dairy can fit into a balanced diet, especially when it replaces ultra-processed “low-fat” alternatives.
Choose the version you enjoy and can sustain.
5. All fats are bad
For decades, Americans were told fat makes you fat. This has been proven wrong. Yet as dietary fat intake declined, obesity and diabetes rates surged.
Healthy fats are essential. Many calorie-dense foods — nuts, olive oil, full-fat dairy, even dark chocolate — are associated with less weight gain than processed grains and sugary snacks.
Liquid plant oils, especially extra-virgin olive oil, have strong evidence behind them. Even half a tablespoon per day has been associated with a 19% lower risk of death over nearly 30 years.
Fat isn’t the enemy. It’s the ultra-processed, low-fiber, high-sugar foods that drive weight gain and metabolic disease.
6. You can exercise off calories
Many people believe an extra workout can cancel out unhealthy eating. Unfortunately, you can’t. There’s more than a grain of truth to the saying, “you are what you eat.”
A recent study found that humans burn roughly the same number of calories per day regardless of activity level. Exercise improves health, but it doesn’t provide the calorie “bonus” people expect. What and how much you eat is what moves the needle on weight.
That said, exercise is still essential. It improves sleep, mood, cognition, bone density and social connection. Walking, especially with other people, is one of the most effective and accessible forms.
Good nutrition is simply about designing a life where healthy choices are ones that are easy and that you stick to for years: whole foods like fruits, nuts, and vegetables, modest portions and meals shared with people you like.
Skip the detoxes. Keep the olive oil. And yes, sometimes eat your ice cream.
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Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel is an oncologist, Vice Provost and Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, and author of “Eat Your Ice Cream: 6 Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life.” Previously, he was chair of the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health and a faculty member at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Emanuel received his MD from Harvard Medical School.
Oatmeal.
Stopped reading when I saw harvard, this is not science.
Agrred. And remember this is the guy who endorsed “death panels.” Plus he’s Rahm Emanuel’s brother.
That’s too bad because this is obvious stuff that’s been said by many.
I Stopped reading right here. Should have stopped at "I'm a Harvard..."
Guy's a doofus. Fasting is no "miracle plan". It's been a necessary human weight control plan since Adam and Eve.
“ Stopped reading when I saw harvard, this is not science.”
Med school does not teach nutrition. RFK jr is introducing it now
This guy said less information than I got 25 years ago from the two old ladies running the local health food store.
No exaggeration
From what I see, what he has written concords with what I understand about health and food, despite his politics, education, or relatives.
Every athlete is living evidence that activity level does affect caloric burn.
He is saying a lot of truth, but he also believes people should off themselves at age 70, as I last recall.
I didn’t stop there. I’m glad I didn’t.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/10/why-i-hope-to-die-at-75/379329/
WHY I HOPE TO DIE AT 75
An argument that society and families—and you—will be better off if nature takes its course swiftly and promptly
By Ezekiel J. Emanuel
You’re just prejudiced against death panels. You need to go back and watch Logans Run.
Yep, only major change in my diet since last summer and my “bad” cholesterol number nose-dived in December after about 5 years of little downward movement while avoiding statins.
Isn’t this Rhams brother?
Can’t speak for others, but I just don’t trust people that worked side-by-side with Skunk Cabbage in their attempt to DESTROY our medical system, back in 1993.
per Wikipedia: Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel >> Siblings: RAHM EMANUEL, Ari Emanuel
Agreed.
Certainly not an English professor.
In fact he has openly said you should be euthanized at age 75.
Only people who's brain has replaced with pickled cauliflower would listen to a word the disgusting death eater says but you do you.
He’s not wrong. The amount of money we spend keeping alive very elderly people who have zero quality of life is massive. And we’re prolonging misery. Sometimes you have to let nature take its course.
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