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Is there one diet to rule them all?
One perfect diet that everyone should be eating for optimal physical and mental health and longevity?
If you’ve spent much time on social media or watching the news, you might think so.
The Mediterranean Diet is hailed as the healthiest all-around diet, with its lean meats (mostly fish), whole grains, and copious fruits and veggies purported to lower cholesterol, improve brain function, and decrease risk of Type 2 Diabetes.
But plant-based diet advocates maintain that in fact any animal foods increase our risk of chronic disease, including Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease, and that everyone can thrive from getting all of their nutrients, including protein and fat, from plants.
Maybe you’ve heard of the Ketogenic Diet, which is a very high fat, low carbohydrate diet meant to switch you from burning glucose over to burning ketones, which you get from fat. Keto enthusiasts swear that ketones are a superior fuel and reducing your glucose intake improves oxidative stress, reduces inflammation, and helps keep us from major chronic diseases.
Carnivores swear that plant defense molecules in the leaves, roots and seeds actually prevent nutrients from absorbing and create inflammation and oxidative stress. For carnivores or animal-based eaters, eating all or mostly animal-sourced foods is the ancestral way all humans ate and the best way for people to get the optimal nutrition they need to live a long and healthy life.
Not to mention fasting: Do you fast once a week? Or intermittently every day? Maybe you do a 36-48 hour fast every month or two? One Meal A Day? For fasting proponents, reducing our caloric intake by restricting our eating window is the magic bullet to fix our health woes.
So who’s right? Why hasn’t one diet won the “diet wars” already?
What is the best diet for you?
To be fair, there are elements of truth in all of these diets.
But the one thing they don’t get right: There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all diet.
The balance of nutrients you need for optimal health is unique to you and you alone.
That’s not to say these diets don’t have their uses, even temporarily.
For someone dealing with insulin resistance or Type 2 Diabetes, I might have them reduce their carbohydrate intake and shorten their daily eating window.
For someone struggling with depression or bipolar disorder, we might try a very low carb ketogenic diet.
A person dealing with gut issues like IBS/IBD or colitis could benefit from reducing the amount of fiber they eat, either by cooking all of their veggies or eliminating fiber entirely.
Eventually, those folks may be able to add in more carbohydrates like veggies, fruits and some grains, or they may choose not to based on how those foods make them feel.
But what mix of macro and micro nutrients you eat will ultimately depend on you and how your energy and mental health respond to changing what you eat.
And that can change over time, too! As our activities change, as our goals change and as our lives change, our nutrient needs change, too.
So look, here’s the headline: There is no one diet for every single person.
The next time the news tells you “Dietician says the Mediterranean diet is the best for long-term health” or an influencer tries to tell you that you can have the same amazing energy as her if you switch to a raw vegan diet, don’t believe them.
But there is a best diet for YOU, right now.
Figuring out that piece of the puzzle might just be the answer you’ve been hoping for to get back your energy, conquer food cravings, and smooth out your mental health.
That’s what I’m here to help you with. Finding the foods and habits that you need to spark more energy and bring back your positive mood.
I’ve got spots open in my 6-month nutrition coaching program.
Ready? Let’s go!
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