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🥗 Nutrition as an Investment: Foundational Framework
Core Concept: Bonci frames nutrition choices in terms of investments:
Safe investments: Evidence-based, beneficial nutrition habits.
Risky investments: Popular but unsustainable or potentially harmful dietary practices.
Unknown investments: Trending approaches with inconclusive research.
📌 Lesson for Advisors: Just as in finance, success in health stems from consistent, diversified, and research-backed decisions rather than fads and quick-fix schemes.
🧠 Practical Lessons for Financial Advisors (and Clients)
1. Consistency Over Perfection
Aim for 70–80% consistency in healthy habits.
Flexibility allows sustainability—perfection is unrealistic and unnecessary.
🔗 Verified by: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health – Healthy Eating Plate
2. Quality & Quantity Matter in Macronutrients
Macronutrients (carbs, protein, fat) should be present at each meal.
Quality carbs (whole grains, legumes), healthy fats (avocados, nuts), and lean proteins (fish, tofu, beans) form the base of a balanced “portfolio.”
🔗 Verified by: MyPlate (USDA)
3. Supplements: Use with Precision
Supplements are meant to address deficiencies, not replace food.
Overuse leads to “expensive urine”—a waste of money and potential risk.
🔗 Verified by: National Institutes of Health – Office of Dietary Supplements
4. Understand Dietary Patterns and Their Risks/Rewards
Diet Type | Potential Benefits | Risks/Concerns |
---|---|---|
Mediterranean Diet | Anti-inflammatory, heart-healthy, balanced | Few, widely recommended |
Keto/Low-Carb | Fat loss, improved insulin sensitivity | Risk to bone health, difficult adherence |
Intermittent Fasting | May improve metabolic markers | May harm cognition, increase dehydration |
Vegetarian/Vegan | Reduced chronic disease risk | Potential nutrient deficiencies (B12, iron, leucine) |
🔗 Verified by: Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic
5. Support Cognitive and Immune Health Through Diet
Foods that help the brain: Egg yolks (choline), berries, fatty fish, leafy greens.
Immunity-supporting nutrients: Vitamin C (red peppers), Vitamin D (salmon, milk), Zinc (meat, seeds), Probiotics (yogurt, kimchi).
🔗 Verified by: CDC – Micronutrients
6. Avoid the “Red Flags” of Junk Nutrition Science
Watch for:
Quick-fix promises
Product-pushing disguised as advice
Extreme elimination diets not grounded in peer-reviewed evidence
One-size-fits-all nutrition
🔗 Verified by: FDA – How to Spot Health Fraud
7. Alcohol, Dairy, and Sweeteners: Myths vs Facts
Moderate dairy intake doesn’t cause inflammation; it's nutrient-rich.
Artificial sweeteners are safe within established intake limits.
Alcohol should be consumed with meals (not on an empty stomach), and moderation is key.
🔗 Verified by:
🏋️♀️ Protein Intake – Precision Matters
Recommended daily protein needs vary by activity level:
Sedentary: 0.4 g/lb body weight
Active (recreational or resistance): 0.5–0.8 g/lb
Older adults and those on GLP-1 meds may need more to preserve lean mass
🔗 Verified by: NIH – Protein and Muscle Health
🧪 Takeaways for Clients
Portion control: Use smaller plates, slow down eating, and measure servings.
Food safety matters: Avoid raw milk, moldy cheese, undercooked meats.
Gut health = brain and immune health: Eat prebiotic fiber and fermented foods regularly.
🔗 Verified by: Johns Hopkins – The Brain-Gut Connection
🔚 Final Thoughts for Financial Professionals
Just as you advise clients to diversify, invest wisely, and think long-term, Leslie Bonci’s message is:
Fuel your body the way you would grow wealth—consistently, strategically, and backed by evidence.
Clarified some facts for me and answered some questions I had. I appreciate the occasional session on something other than financial planning. These "whole person" sessions are valuable. Thx!
- Robert D.
Good reminder to pay attention to portions and also time to revisit serving quantities for things I eat regularly
- Donna S.
Food intake and portions are more important for weight control than exercise
- Mike M.
Importance of knowing how much protein needed and that I eat, potential danger of missing nutrients for vegans, foods that help with particular issues such as high BP, brain and gut health, amount of carbs to eat daily
- David A.
Attendees Comments:
Clarified some facts for me and answered some questions I had. I appreciate the occasional session on something other than financial planning. These "whole person" sessions are valuable. Thx!
- Robert D.
Good reminder to pay attention to portions and also time to revisit serving quantities for things I eat regularly
- Donna S.
Food intake and portions are more important for weight control than exercise
- Mike M.
Importance of knowing how much protein needed and that I eat, potential danger of missing nutrients for vegans, foods that help with particular issues such as high BP, brain and gut health, amount of carbs to eat daily
- David A.