12/27/2022
What's the right diet for you?
With the New Year and new resolutions right around the corner and all the holiday eating, many of our conversations have shifted towards food. Many questions are coming from patients about eating healthy in the new year. There is such an incredible amount of information out there about food and diets that each claim to be the best. Many of us are left confused and frustrated, wondering what we really should be eating and how. Today we would like to give you some ideas to think about that will ease your mind and allow you to understand food in a way that seems like common sense.
1)The most important thing to understand is that there is no diet that is perfect for every single person at any given time, so if you are reading a book about a diet that makes this claim, we would strongly suggest ignoring that part of the book. There is also nobody out there who is eating a perfect diet, whether they admit to it or not. So please don’t compare yourself to other people in this regard.
2) Each person’s diet should look a little bit different. We are all different and created uniquely. Diets might look similar, but not identical and that is perfectly healthy.
3) Eat whole Foods: We have been evolving and so has food. Lately food has been evolving at a much faster rate because of technology. Food has changed more in the past sixty years than it had in the previous thousand years. When possible, eat foods that are free of chemical, man-made and artificial ingredients. These ingredients will drive down cost and create convenience but will tax your detoxification systems in the body. Eat the foods that have been around for thousands of years.
4) Eat like your ancestors: We are in a melting pot here in America, so this is not super easy to do, but do some family tree work, figure out where most of your ancestors are from and try eating some foods from that culture. Make it fun and learn about some of your background and the relationship that people used to have with food. You will probably find that many people prior to the past few generations have eaten foods that are “In season”. Human beings have found ways to preserve foods for many years, but, when possible, have always eaten fresh foods from harvest. This also allows for a lot of variety in the diet which is good for your microbiome. You will also find that in cold climates, like the Midwest, people have always eaten heavier meals in the winter months (soups and root vegetables) and lighter in summer months (salads, fruits, and fresh vegetables). Pay attention to why people have eaten certain foods. There is often medicinal value in food.
5) Figure out your food sensitivities: This is something we do here at our office, but there are other ways to figure it out. With all the recent modifications to our foods, there is an increasing amount of people who have found themselves unable to tolerate certain foods, creating an inflammatory response. The most common sensitivities are gluten and dairy, but there are several more. Some sensitive foods can be avoided for a certain amount of time and then reintroduced, and others are simply going to have to be avoided to maintain health over a lifetime.
6) There are no bad whole foods: When a food is eaten in its most pure form, the only thing bad about it is if you eat too much of it. Fruit can be healthy, but you can consume too much sugar from it. Grains and sugars can be good for most people in certain situations, but you can have too much. The same goes for meat and vegetables. Everything in moderation. This brings up the question of what exactly moderation is. It’s different for everyone. That is why you must look at food as a fun experiment of “how does the way I eat make me feel day in and day out?”. Your ability to maintain energy throughout the day without having periods of low energy and blood sugar says a lot. Experimenting with different things will allow you to feel the difference that certain foods make over others. Little things can make a difference such as substituting local honey for cane sugar as a sweetener.
Eating right for your unique self is a journey and don’t expect it to be perfect. Failure is a part of life. Just have fun with it and enjoy learning about food and the abundance of options to enjoy.
