Looking for the perfect diet? Trust your gut!

  It seems like every time you turn around, there's a new diet plan that's the absolute best for everyone on the planet. All the latest nutrition "experts" claim to have the answer to all of your diet woes. One month low fat diets are best, then it's low carb. Wait, what about high protein diets or should you go vegan? Perhaps a raw food diet is the best thing for your health. Then there's the smoothie diet and juice diet. Confused? You are not alone.  

  According to John Berardi, Ph.D. , we all have individual dietary needs. Just because your BFF swears by a ketogenic diet to feel her best, it doesn't mean this will be the best way of eating for you. In an article found on PrecisionNutrition.com, Berardi states, “I don’t believe there’s a single, absolutely, positively, without-a-doubt best diet for every person to follow, always, and forever”. We are all different and therefore have different dietary needs. It is important to listen to your body in order to determine which foods help you feel your best, as opposed to adopting a certain diet just because some doctor on TV says it’s the latest and greatest. Again the author states, “This is clearly demonstrated by examining the traditional diets of various tribes and ethnic groups throughout the world.

·         For example, the Arctic Inuit and African Masai eat traditional diets that are very high in fat and animal products with very few vegetables.

·         Conversely, the Kitavans in the South Pacific eat traditional diets that are low in fat but very high in vegetables and starchy carbs.

·         And the Tokelau near New Zealand eat traditional diets that are very high in saturated fats.

Crazy differences, right? Yet all traditional diet eaters are relatively healthy people with minimal incidences of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, inflammatory obesity, etc." 

   So when it comes to finding the perfect diet for you, it really is all about listening to your gut. In other words, pay attention to how you feel after finishing a meal or snack. A food journal is a great way to make sense of what is going on in your gut. Do you need a nap after a lunch high in carbs? Does your stomach make weird "gurgly" noises after eating meat? Do you have to run to the bathroom after eating pizza or ice cream? Your body is sending you a message. Write it all down. After a couple of weeks you should begin to see a pattern. This way, you can be your very own diet guru and eat happily ever after. 

Berardi,J.  Paleo, vegan, intermittent fasting… Here’s how to choose the absolute best diet for you.

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