Some people focus on being very careful about eating, while others have a more relaxed attitude toward food. Some people prefer eating animal food, while others thrive on a vegetarian or vegan diet. So, which is correct?
If you searched the internet today for a 'perfect diet', you'd find a plethora of nutrition information, some of which can lead to miss-information and overwhelm. In reality, it can be difficult to find substantive nutrition information, that doesn't conflict another. Bestselling diet books often disagree with one another. The more extreme the diet, the more copies it sells. Who can you rely on for good, solid nutrition advice?
Human beings, like every species, know that what they eat changes everything. Over time, people experimented, made mistakes, and slowly have started to realize that diets don’t really work. You can’t tell people what kind of relationship to be in or what kind of movies and music they’re going to enjoy. Then, why is it acceptable to tell people what kind of food they should be eating?
Food must be about the individual, not about the dietary theory. You've likely heard that: One person’s food is another person’s poison. Therefore, when determining what to eat, begin by understanding yourself. Get to know what foods nourish, energize and make you feel alive. Understand what foods you’re attracted to and why. We are intelligent beings, but we’ve outsmarted our own intuition. The last place we look to determine what nourishes us is inside ourselves.
Gender - Men and women eat differently. What works for women may or may not work for men. In fact, a majority of diet and nutrition research has been done on men. Did you know that women weren't required to be included in clinical research until 1993? Yes, you read it correctly. We look outside ourselves, relying on magazine articles, or male-centered health research, for healthy strategies rather than listening to the inner wisdom. Women have a 28 day infradian rhythm, along with the 24 circadian cycle. At each cycle phase (there are four cycle phases: Follicular, Ovulatory, Luteal and Menstrua) women's hormones fluctuate and therefore, require different nutrients for optimal wellbeing. For example, during an ovulatory phase, estrogen is higher, therefore eating more raw, vegan like diet, may be optimal to help flush out extra estrogen. During ovulatory phase, a glass of wine, a cup of coffee and chocolate may be better tolerated, then during another phase when extra calories are required, such as during Luteal phase, Men's hormones don't fluctuate like women's do, so it's important for women to recognize that it's not all in their heads and that there are times of the month when it's optimal to eat certain foods vs others, go for a run vs yoga, give a presentation vs rest, etc.
Age- People eat very differently at different ages. Children in their developmental years who are very active, require more calories and nutrient dense foods vs elderly population, that may be more sedentary and who's metabolism may be slowing down. Women in their per-menopause and menopause, who focus on increasing protein and strength building exercises, seem to experience less symptoms such as hot- flashes, unwanted weight gain, insomnia, etc. If you've never worked with a health and nutrition coach, you may wish to consider it now. They can guide you in understanding what is optimal for your bio-individual needs, which is the 'perfect diet' for you.
Culture - Everyone has a genetic predisposition to eat the foods from the country where their ancestors grew up. Consider these questions and see what comes up for you: What are your safe foods? What foods feed your body and soul? What foods make you feel full and satisfied? What truly nourishes you? For example, for me it's the traditional Bosnian bean stew, grah.
Cravings - Your age, culture, and gender also link to cravings. Understand how to deconstruct cravings by experimenting with similar foods or building small amounts into your diet. A health and nutrition coach, helps you safely experiment with different foods that satisfy your cravings.
Are you willing to stop searching for a 'perfect diet', now that you know that it's already within you? If you'll allow me, I will guide and help you discover it. You can break up with diets, starvation, depravation, guilt, and dieting today! When you join Nourished Alive, you will learn how to tap into your inner wisdom, discover foods that fuel and energize you. And, finally go from surviving to thriving. When you feel empowered to reclaim your health, you live in alignment with your values.
Make a decision to stop depriving yourself of a life you are worthy of living. Begin your journey to a healthy and happy life, that you deserve. Let's get started.
