02/22/2024
Did you know that the word "DIET" first appeared in English in the 13th century? Its original meaning was the same as in modern English, “habitually taken food and drink.” But diet was used in another sense too:
[❤️] in the Middle and early modern English periods to mean “way of living.” This is, in fact, derived from the original meaning of diet in Greek meaning “to lead one’s life.”
[❤️] In Middle English taking from Medieval Latin dieta literally means “daily regimen.”
Diet is actually what you eat everyday.
It wasn’t until modern times that we have turned the meaning of the word diet to mean “the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person for a special reason or set of rules” or “a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one’s weight.”
What you eat is like your theme or story, geared towards your literal TASTES.
For example, to help us narrow down a design for a house or to decide how to decorate our homes, we pick a theme or time period that we like the aesthetics or feelings they inspire because they give us joy.
You have an opinion of what you like which varies greatly from what I might like.
Just like your diet, you need to pick a theme or design that’s right for you, and that becomes your “way of living” or your “daily regimen.”
With hypothyroidism and autoimmune Hashi’s, we know that certain foods get in the way of being able to effectively absorb the thyroid hormone into your cells for use.
This means that you may have “normal” TSH lab results because your pituitary gland is asking for the right amount of thyroid, and you may even have enough T4 and T3 circulating in your blood stream according to another set of tests; however, that does not mean that your cells are actually using it!
So you need to pick a dietary theme which becomes your “daily regimen” that supports your thyroid health best. What regimen works best for you will differ from the one that works best for me.
There are several foundational dietary themes or plans to choose from: Keto, Paleo, Modified AIP, AIP, and even Carnivore.
They go from least restrictive to most restricive. The most restrictive plan is NOT meant to be followed permanently, but to be used as a tool to help you determine what works best for your body.
Your diet is just one of the many tools, albeit a large one, in our toolbox to help us heal our bodies and maintain optimal health.
And remember, health is defined as “A state of optimal well-being, not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.”
Optimal does not mean perfect. Optimal health depends on your individual needs, desires, and goals.
That means it’s up to you to decide what optimal well-being looks like to you and then work toward determining a daily regimen of dietary and lifestyle habits that will help you maintain it.
💜What does optimal health mean to you?
💜What dietary and lifestyle changes do you need to make towards achieving greater physical and mental well-being?
Tell me in the comments below!⬇️
