The Core 4: Nutrition
And it’s so important because all we do is eat, eat, eat. We are wasting opportunity if we don’t maximize what, when, and even how we eat.
Despite the fact that humans burn about half the calories of other mammals, we still eat a LOT (how much is mentioned below). We also can’t escape the fact that we need to feed continually.
For something so essential, nutrition has become one of the most overcomplicated, misunderstood, and manipulated aspects of health.
We’ve turned it into a battlefield of diets, a numbers game of calories and macros, a minefield of superfoods and forbidden foods—all while missing the point.
Food is not just something we eat when we’re hungry. It is fuel, medicine, information for our bodies, a healing weapon, a builder, and a restorer.
But how do we cut through the noise and get to what really matters? Let’s chew on this subject a minute and break it down.
📢 Warning: This Article is a Full-Course Meal! 🍽
I know, I know—this article is packed with information. But nutrition is a huge topic, and cutting corners here would be like skipping the main course and going straight to dessert.
So, take it bite by bite. 🍏🥑🥩
Read a section, digest it (pun intended), and return for more when you have an appetite for more. No need to gulp it all down in one sitting. After all, good nutrition—and good learning—happens over time.
Please refer others to the Core 4, particularly this article, to level set our discussion about food. As we need this knowledge, our families, friends, our nation, needs this knowledge.
Now, let’s dig in! 🍽
Nutrition ≠ Diet. So What Is It?
We have blurred the lines between diet and nutrition to the point that they seem interchangeable. They are not. So what’s the difference?
Diet is what we eat daily, whether balanced or a chaotic mix of fast food and protein bars.
Nutrition is the value of what we eat—how it fuels, heals, and sustains us.
Diets are everywhere—keto, carnivore, intermittent fasting, Whole30, veganism—but they aren’t the answer to health. Good nutrition is.
So how do we make sense of it? Over the years I’ve come to explain nutrition in terms of three factors to simplify this complex subject.
✔ Quality – What’s in the food that nourishes you?
✔ Quantity – How much do you actually need?
✔ Timing – When do you eat, and does it matter?
Food Quality: What’s Actually in Our Food?
Food isn’t just calories—it’s information. Every bite sends signals to your body, influencing energy production, repair, inflammation, hormones, gut health, and gene expression.
Let me give you one example of how food physiologically signals weight loss.
When we eat, the gut interprets the food as a signal of stability or scarcity. This signal changes how our body stores and retrieves calories from fat.
When we eat fewer calories for an extended period, our gut interprets this as a signal of food scarcity, prompting the body to preserve energy and slow metabolism. This is a survival mechanism—your body is trying to conserve resources if food remains limited.
On the other hand, when we eat in excess after long periods of restriction, the body responds by aggressively storing calories in preparation for future scarcity.
This is why yo-yo dieting—repeated cycles of restriction and overconsumption—can make weight loss increasingly difficult. The body learns to hold onto weight as a protective measure, anticipating future food shortages.
If we consistently consume the same number of calories we burn, the body sees no reason to conserve or store extra energy. Over time, the body adjusts to whatever caloric intake it encounters most frequently.
According to set point theory, your body sets a “comfortable” weight range based on regular eating habits and energy balance. When you restrict calories too drastically, the body tries to maintain its set point by slowing metabolism and increasing hunger signals. On the other hand, if you gradually modify your calorie intake, your set point can change without causing significant metabolic resistance.
The good news is that the set point can shift. But the key to sustainable weight loss is slow and steady change.
If you gradually reduce calories instead of making drastic cuts, your body is less likely to panic and hold onto weight. This measured approach allows the body to adapt rather than resist, making long-term weight loss more achievable.
The way we manage our weight also impacts future generations. More about the influence of weight on genetics (epigenetics) can be found here.
Food isn’t just fuel—it’s a language the body understands. Just as calories signal energy availability, nutrients act as chemical messengers, directing processes like metabolism, inflammation, and cell repair.
Every vitamin, mineral, and macronutrient plays a role in shaping how the body functions. Omega-3s influence inflammation, protein signals muscle repair, fiber supports gut health, and antioxidants help protect cells from damage. What we eat doesn’t just determine whether we gain or lose weight—it programs our biology. This is why focusing on food quality—nutrient-dense, whole foods—matters as much, if not more, than simply counting calories.
At the most basic level, food quality starts with macronutrients and micronutrients.
Macronutrients: The Fuel Sources
When I was bodybuilding, I restricted carbohydrates and fats to the bare minimum for a couple of weeks before the competition—just enough to keep my brain functioning.
That meant living off egg whites, a little salsa, jello, and tuna in the days leading up to my competition. It was brutal.
My brain felt like it was running on fumes—I had brain fog so intense I could barely think straight. Unsurprisingly, my grades suffered, and I began understanding how much carbohydrates fuel cognitive function.
The brain is a high-energy organ that requires around 400-500 calories of glucose per day to function correctly. When we deprive it, we don’t just feel tired—we lose mental clarity, decision-making ability, and emotional stability. By the way, dehydration causes brain fog, too. This is why keeping to the Core 4, exercise, nutrition, sleep, and hydration is so important. (Read more about the importance of hydration here.)
Fad diets that demonize carbohydrates often ignore the fact that they are necessary for optimal overall function. Remember that carbohydrates should come from quality sources (fruits, vegetables, whole grains) rather than refined sugars, but cutting them too low can have real consequences.
Here is a breakdown of macronutrients by calories per gram and where you might find them in foods.
🥩 Protein
4 kcal per gram, these macronutrients build and repair tissues, create enzymes & hormones. You can find them in meat, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, and nuts.
🌾 Carbohydrates
4 kcal per gram, these macronutrients are a primary energy source for our muscles, internal organs, and brains. They can be found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes.
🥑 Fat
9 kcal per gram, fats are often thought of as a long-term energy source—but they do much more. Fats are essential for cell membranes, including those in our skin. Want healthier, more resilient skin? The right fats can make a difference.
I once conducted an unofficial experiment with elderly adults in a long-term care facility while in a rotation in nursing school. I fed five residents extra-healthy fats—mainly olive oil—while the other five continued their usual diet. Over time, the residents who received the extra fats had better-looking skin and reported feeling more alert and healthier.
While collagen gets all the hype for skin health, fats play a critical role—they strengthen cell membranes, keeping skin supple and resilient. Fats are also vital for hormone production, supporting everything from metabolism to mood.
Great sources of healthy fats include avocados, nuts, olive oil, seed oil, and fatty fish—all of which, when ingested, can nourish both the body and the skin from the inside out. (For information about seed oil, read my article here.)
🍺 Alcohol
7 kcal per gram is considered non-essential. I want to explore this a bit because it’s commonly mistaken for a toxin. However, that all-or-nothing approach is not the entire story. I will eventually address this controversial topic, but I think offering a slightly nuanced perspective transcending the latest black-and-white stance on this macronutrient is good to give perspective.
Alcohol in high amounts is detrimental to our health, no one can argue that point. The body treats alcohol as a substance to metabolize and eliminate quickly because it can’t be stored like other macronutrients. But does that mean all alcohol consumption is inherently harmful? Let’s think about this.
✔ From a biological standpoint, alcohol is metabolized differently because the body prioritizes clearing it from the system before anything else. Unlike carbohydrates, fats, or proteins, alcohol disrupts normal metabolic processes while it’s being broken down. In this aspect, it could be considered detrimental to health.
✔ Excessive alcohol consumption is linked to liver disease, inflammation, and increased cancer risk. Yet low to moderate consumption—especially in certain forms like red wine—has been associated with potential health benefits (such as improved cardiovascular health) in some populations. Dan Buettner, author of the book Blue Zones, found that some cultures with a high concentration of centenarians consumed alcohol regularly.
✔ From a cultural standpoint, alcohol is deeply ingrained in many traditions. Whether it’s sake in Japan, wine in France, tequila in Mexico, or beer in Germany, alcohol often plays a role in social bonding, relaxation, and even ritual.
✔In excess, all of these macronutrients are toxic to some degree. Alcohol is more than just a drink, it’s an act. But the main point I want to make is that we can live without alcohol. We can’t live without protein, carbohydrates, and fats, which are essential for life.
Regardless of what you think about each of these macronutrients, they are key players in our overall health (alcohol aside). Each macronutrient has a biological purpose—none are inherently bad (although alcohol could arguably be harmful).
Even fats and carbs, which have been demonized for decades, are vital when chosen wisely. In my view, any diet that omits a macronutrient (except alcohol) needs to be dismissed.
Photo courtesy of HerbaChoices
Micronutrients: The Unsung Heroes
These vitamins and minerals support every bodily function, from metabolism to immune defense. There are 13 essential vitamins, water soluble and fat soluble — vitamins A, C, D, E, K, and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, B6, B12, and folate). Essential indicates that if you don’t get sufficient quantities, there will be an associated loss of physiological function. You must have these micronutrients for all physiological systems to function optimally. This is why low-calorie diets are dangerous; they leave the body susceptible to nutrient deficiency.
Essential minerals include: Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Iodine, Selenium, Chromium, and Molybdenum.
✅ Vitamins – Essential for enzymatic reactions, immune function, and cell health.
✅ Minerals – Help build bones, transport oxygen, balance fluids, and regulate nerve function.
Some key examples:
🍊 Vitamin C
Antioxidant, collagen synthesis, immune support,
Found in citrus, bell peppers, strawberries
☀️ Vitamin D
Bone health, immune function
Sunlight, fatty fish, egg yolks
🍫 Magnesium
Muscle & nerve function, energy production
Nuts, seeds, leafy greens
🥬 Iron
Oxygen transport, energy production
Red meat, spinach, lentils
🥜 Zinc
Immune function, wound healing
Shellfish, nuts, seeds
Deficiencies in these can lead to fatigue, poor immunity, brittle bones, or cognitive decline. You don’t need a multivitamin if your diet is nutrient-dense—but for many, supplementation can be a safety net. I will be addressing supplements in another article. But for now, if you want to know how many of these micronutrients you need, I like this nutrient requirements calculator (although be aware that Australian recommendations may vary from U.S. recommendations), and I know there are many others. Just do a quick Google search and look for a reputable website (that has no ads).
Food Quantity: How Much Do We Actually Need?
For years, we've been told that calories in vs. calories out is the ultimate equation for weight management.
While calorie balance does play a role, it's not the whole story. Calories aren’t just units that change into simple math in our bodies. Our physiology is built for adaptation, and calories affect how we metabolize food.
What Are Calories, Anyway?
A calorie is simply a unit of energy. One calorie is the measure of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. Your body needs calories daily to maintain basic functions like breathing, circulation, and digestion.
The average adult requires between 1,800 and 2,500 calories daily, depending on activity levels, age, and metabolism.
Weight loss occurs when there is a calorie deficit, but it’s not as simple as eating less. If you’re more curious about metabolism, see my article Your Metabolism Isn’t Broken.
The Problem with Cutting Calories Too Much
When we eat, our gut interprets food intake as a signal of stability or scarcity, influencing how we store and burn calories. I bring this up because I’ve had many clients who eat less than 1,000 calories a day but aren’t losing weight. This is a common concern, and this is why it happens. The body is receiving signals and responding accordingly.
🍴Too few calories? The body senses scarcity, slows metabolism, and holds onto fat for survival.
🥡 Excess calories after restriction? The body stores them aggressively, preparing for future shortages.
🍛Consistent calorie intake matching energy needs? The body feels secure, burns calories efficiently, and avoids unnecessary storage.
That balance—where the body doesn’t hoard or deplete energy—is the sweet spot for maintaining a healthy weight.
Reducing calorie intake without considering nutrient density can lead to deficiencies. This is what happens with GLP-1 medications: appetite suppression leads to fewer calories but also fewer essential nutrients. Metabolism will slow, a new set point will be established, and weight loss will become increasingly difficult if medication isn’t used.
✔ If you cut calories too drastically, you risk muscle loss, metabolic slowdown, and micronutrient deficiencies.
✔On the other hand, eating too many calories increases your risk for inflammation and even some cancers.
✔ If you focus only on quantity and not quality, you can still be malnourished—even if you eat “enough.”
I’ll address exercise as part of the Core 4 soon, which also significantly impacts nutrition and metabolism.
Photo courtesy of Reckon News
GLP-1s & Food: A New Relationship with Eating
GLP-1 medications (like semaglutide and tirzepatide, also most well known as Ozempic and Wegovy) alter hunger signals, making people feel full faster and less interested in food. For more information about GLP-1s, or if you’re considering trying GLP-1s, read my article So, You’re Curious About Ozempic.
While these medications can be effective for weight loss, they also fundamentally change our relationship with food—and not necessarily in a good way.
Food is not just about hunger. It’s social. It’s cultural. It’s emotional.
When the desire to eat is gone, something else is lost: the joy and connection that food brings.
This is why I believe food should be seen as fuel and nourishment on multiple levels. Unfortunately, our culture has shifted food from fuel to restriction. Read more about that in this article I posted by Dr. Erin Nitschke.
Food Timing: Does When You Eat Matter?
Intermittent fasting, which reduces the hours one eats during the day, has taken over the nutrition world. While it’s an effective tool for some, it is not a magic bullet.
The truth is, timing can affect hunger, metabolism, and weight management, but it doesn’t lessen the importance of food quality. Consuming highly processed junk in a short period is still simply consuming junk.
That said, food timing can help:
🌙 Curb late-night cravings by closing the eating window earlier.
⏰ Reduce insulin spikes by spacing meals strategically.
☀️ Improve digestion and gut health with a more consistent eating schedule.
I’ll discuss meal timing, specifically intermittent fasting, in depth soon, as readers have highly requested this topic. For now, understand that when you eat, it is essential, but it doesn’t substitute for what you eat. They impact each other.
The Less Considered Power of Food: Ritual, Community, and Healing
Food is more than fuel. It is ritual, connection, and culture.
The act of preparing food engages the senses and connects us to nature.
Eating with others strengthens relationships and mental well-being.
The beauty of food—the colors, textures, flavors—shouldn’t be lost in the noise of “good vs. bad.”
Yes, our food culture is flawed—fast food, ultra-processed snacks, and artificial ingredients. But if we focus only on what’s wrong with our food culture, we will lose sight of what’s right. We have food in the grocery store ready to help you heal right now - this very minute. And cooking that food adds another layer to healing.
✔ A home-cooked meal with simple, whole ingredients is an act of nourishment.
✔ A family dinner is more than eating—it’s human connection.
✔ A bowl of warm soup can feel like medicine on a cold day.
Food is Personal—Embrace Your Flavor!
If there’s one thing people can agree on, it’s that food is important—but how we eat? That’s deeply personal. Vegetarians swear by plants. Meat eaters champion protein. Omnivores believe they’ve found the best of both worlds.
Some like it hot, some like it mild. Some like it fifty fifty.
Ultimately, if we aim to eat well and nourish our bodies, we’re all fueling our bodies.
There’s no single “right” way—just the way that works for you. You're on the right track if your food is nutrient-dense, well balanced, and fuels you to be in your best health.
Next Steps
Take one small, nutritional step today:
🛒 Choose whole, nutrient-dense foods. (Tip: Frozen vegetables on sale are packed with nutrients and often cheaper than their fresh counterparts.)
🥗 Cook a meal with intention. Read how in the Kitchen Cure article by Chef Erin here. My friend Mary Collette Rogers also has great skillet meals and easy dinners, tips for making healthy, quick, easy meals, and more. Click here for more information.
🍽 Savor food as nourishment, not a burden. (Aren’t we blessed even to have food to eat?)
And don’t forget to drink cool, clear water. If you haven’t already, read about the Core 4: Hydration. Water and food work together to catalyze healing.
Feel the healing effects of good food. Nutrition isn’t about restriction, it’s about empowerment.
P.S. Nutrition is an enormous topic with many subtopics. Like opening Pandora’s box, it begs for more writing. I realize that I’ve barely scratched the surface. If you’re thinking, “But Alice forgot to address this,” or “Alice didn’t mention that,” remember, this is the level-set article. Stay tuned for more detailed articles about nutrition, nutritional healing, supplements, diets, etc. Thanks for hanging in there and joining me for this taste of nutrition information. This article was only the appetizer. Another course will be coming soon.