Dear Dad,
Let’s talk about a truth in nutrition using a principle that you understand better than me and involves one of your favorite acronyms. GETMO.
G.E.T.M.O. = Good Enough To Move On.
The world of nutrition and nutrition science is marred with conflicting studies and peddled confusion by experts, faux experts, and lay-people alike. This is an illusion.
In reality the verdict is unanimous and there is widespread agreement, at least up to the 93% mark, or 90% or even 80%, the point being the debate, disagreement, and detailed analysis of what is healthy and what is not, happens in the margins. If the population as a whole would get on board with the undisputed fundamentals rather than being confused by what’s happening on the outskirts our health would take a dramatic change for the better. If you follow the basics you’ll be at least 80% of the way there.
Debating what food is healthy to eat is similar to arguing over “who is the best QB of all time?”
769 different QB’s have started an NFL game since the SuperBowl Era began. To play QB in the NFL you have to be very darn good, but the list of the best can be narrowed down to five, three, or even one pretty darn quick. Sure, if debating the best QB in history around the dinner table the debaters will bring in their biases depending on their favorite teams, players or eras and there could be reasonable debate what statistics are most supportive of the ultimate conclusion, but at the end of the day it’s pretty easy to draw lines in the sand and agree on the fundamental qualifications which leads you to only a handful of names.
The same goes with the food that you eat. There’s a lot of swirling information about how to eat healthier and whether it requires or allows this supplement or powder, favorite desserts in moderation, or a specific combination of carbs, fat, and protein. But when it comes down to the actual fundamentals of eating healthier it is much simpler—fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, legumes, and lean meats if you choose. If 80%, 90%, or 93% of the calories that you eat are made up of those foods then you can chalk up what you do in the margins to personal preference. GETMO.
As a student in school I suffered from the lure of perfection until I slowly understood this concept. I used to get so rattled by missing points on exams, not understanding small concepts on the last slide of a professor’s power-point, or studying late into the night to accommodate a busy schedule. But over time I realized something important that gave me some breathing room. A 93% had the same GPA effect as a 99% or 100%—the struggle to fill the gap wasn’t worth it. Better yet, in some courses a 90% was good enough for my goals and if a subject involved math I could even live with an 80%! (and that’s why I become a lawyer = no math). It wasn’t always perfect, there was and is room to learn more, but it was good enough to move on.
Too many people get stuck chasing the unachievable 100% optimal diet and either become too dogmatic in their approach that they don’t recognize any room for nuance or so frustrated with the impossibility that they give up caring at all. Don’t trip on the margins, stick to the fundamentals.
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, legumes, and lean meats. Then feel free to tailor the margin to your personal preference.
And by the way. The answer’s obviously Tom Brady.
With Love,
JSR
