Something I’ve been battling with a lot lately is my diet. Everyone’s talking about so many different diets or healthy eating lifestyles. I pride myself on eating healthy and working out regularly. But when I’m bombarded with IG posts about veganism and plant based diets, full of reasons why it’s the best diet for all humans—I get confused. It feels like everyday, there’s a new article on low sugar, plant-based diets, low carb keto diets, and the list goes on…
All these different forms of information has led me to begin questioning whether not my eating lifestyle is the “right” one. I truly believe that any food is okay in moderation but how should I eat regularly?! If you’re struggling with the same thoughts, this blog post is to reassure you. You don’t have to choose one specific diet team to feel like you’re eating well. I encourage you to experiment with various foods and see what works for you. Our diets should be tailored for ourselves. I like to eat mostly plant-based food. But will I turn down cake and ice cream when I want it—no.
According to researchers, Eran Elinav and Eran Segal, people ( even close family members such as twins) can eat the exact same food and metabolize them in different ways. Meaning they can eat the same exact apple and one of their blood sugar levels will spike while the other will be fine. Thus, doctors should recommend personalized nutrition plans to their patients, based on the way that individual metabolizes certain foods.
It’s impossible for there to be one perfect diet for all humans. Each person has a different standard of nutritional requirements to keep them healthy. Your DNA determines how you’ll react to the substances you consume.
The best diet depends on the person eating it, not the food.
Here are three tips on how to determine the right diet for you:
1. Get in tune with yourself
The more in tune you are with your body the better you’ll understand what your body is telling you. Thus, the healthier you’ll be. There’s a 70% chance that you are overweight if you live in the US. Take better care of yourself. Test out different foods and be conscious of how you’re feeling. It may take weeks to determine what foods works best but it’ll pay off long term.
2. Monitor your portions
Not only should you pay attention to how you feel after you eat but you should also pay attention to how much you’re eating. Aim to eat when you’re hungry, not just because it’s 12pm. For instance next time you’re eating your favorite snack, (one of mines is kettle chips), look on the nutrition label in the back. Read the details, that 160 calories is probably for 14 chips, not the entire bag. Don’t mindlessly eat, monitor your intake.
Today, our greatest health issues come from overeating. Consuming too many calories of low nutrient based foods leads to chronic diseases such as cancer, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Think about it, do you personally know at least one person who has/had cancer or diabetes? Sadly, most people do.
*TIP*
If you’re maintaining your weight, then you’re eating the right amount of calories generally. If you’re gaining weight, you’re consuming too many calories. Lastly, if you’re losing weight, you’re eating fewer calories than your body needs. I use the MyPlate app to track my calorie intake and it has greatly changed the way I consume food. I measure all my foods down to how much granola I put on my yogurt. Cause ya’ll too much granola can drive up your carbohydrate and calorie count!
3. Do your research!
The definition of food is any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink or that plants absorb in order to maintain life and growth. Limit your intake of “foods” that have been altered, modified or processed. Make sure to eat your veggies and fruits. Change your diet each quarter and eat what’s in season. Shop at different grocery stores to open up your options. Understand the fundamentals of a balanced meal.
Looking Ahead
There’s a new study that will make finding the right diet for you much easier. This study was performed by ZOE (in partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital and King’s College London), a nutritional science company that wants to better understand how people respond to food. This study consisted of healthy adult volunteers between the ages of 18 and 65 who ate a mix of pre-set meals and free living meals for 2 weeks.
Researchers collected and recorded certain biometric data including blood, glucose, and fat levels of each participant. They discovered that everyone responds differently to food based on their genetic makeup. There is no cookie cutter approach to diet. To find out what works best for your body, it’s vital to look at the individual level.
The researchers plan to make a ZOE’s at-home kit and app, which will be used to collect nutritional data, available to the general public. As the data gets bigger, the more they can make recommendations for people’s optimal diet. The data collected in the studies going on now will be used to build a consumer-facing app launching in 2020. More holistic approaches to monitoring our lifestyles are evolving.
If you’d like early access to discover how you respond to any food and optimize your metabolism, sign up here. I sure did