Are the WHO COVID-19 Diet Guidelines Healthy?

The WHO (World Health Organisation) have put out and promoted their ‘Healthy Diet’ guidance to ‘Beat COVID-19’. Let’s explore.

You can check out their #HealthyAtHome page in here -summarised in this graphic. There is issue with a few of these recommendations, which are marked with 🔴 or 🟠.

👏🏼 The concept of protecting against infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and Cold/Flu through diet and lifestyle is bang on the money, and should be the CENTRAL THEME of the public dialog – which it isn’t.

So, there is no issue with this effort in principle by the WHO. However, the devil is the detail. 😈

What the WHO SHOULD really be prioritising

1️⃣ Get Metabolically Healthy, including maintaining a healthy weight

2️⃣ Cook from scratch with real whole foods 80-100% of the time

3️⃣ Drop Ultra Processed Foods down to less than 10% of calories  (see NOVA definitions)

4️⃣ Eat a Nutrient-Dense Diet – with fatty animal sources and organ meats being the most dense

5️⃣ Maintain Ancestral habits – Sun exposure, being in nature, physically active & quality sleep

World Health Organisation ‘Healthy Diet’ to beat COVID-19

There are some BIG RED FLAGS in the WHO’s ‘Healthy Diet’ Recommendations:

🔴 Their guidelines are very high in Linoleic Acid (Unhealthy & unstable Omega 6 PUFA) – Seed Oils*, Grains & Grain-fed Poultry **

🔴 Their guidelines are low in Stearic Acid (Healthy Saturated Fat) – from Animal Fats

🔴 They prioritise Grains which are nutritionally replete and non-healthful

🟠 Due to high lectins and other anti nutrients, Beans need to be denatured significantly for consumption

🟠 They prioritise high Fibre, yet clinical studies show no specific value in Fibre

🔴 They push a Low-Fat approach, which limits healthy fats, fat soluble vitamins and increases consumption of refined carbs

🟠 They place a limit on Salt, which is misplaced. The issue is processed food causing hypertension

NET-NET, this set of recommendations is NOT OPTIMAL for wellness, metabolic health or immune health – contrary to the WHO’s claim.

In actual fact, it is likely to cause metabolic dis-regulation, Insulin Resistance, belly fat, and nutrient deficiencies if not designed well.

Nutritional Principles to Thrive & Be Well

🥇For Optimal Wellness and Health, and therefore you best defence against diseased states such as COVID-19,  you need to do things differently. See the #BeYourBest Nutritional Principles.

Hope this helps! Now, go enjoy the taste of Thriving and Wellness!

#BeYourBest

* Olive Oil is the only healthy oil (a Fruit oil) that WHO recommend

** Almost all Chicken is CAFO and fed a grain and corn-based feed. This increases PUFA exposure, whilst also being minimally nutritious due to minimal fat content