Which Diet is Right For Me?

One of the questions I get asked the most is, which diet is right for me? That my friends, is a loaded question. My first answer is usually that I would remove the word diet out of your vocabulary. When people talk about diet they are already thinking along the lines of restriction. I like to change the word diet to lifestyle. Eating is a way of life and not a fad, it is about lifestyle change. When we choose to restrict ourselves we are working in a space that is not sustainable. (This is a whole other blog post). If we want to eat healthy for the rest of our lives we have to make choices that are sustainable. 

My second response is that each of us is so different that there is not one right way to eat. There are a million different fad diets out there from keto, to paleo, to gluten free, to vegan, to carnivore. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. If it did, why would we constantly see new “diets” in the market? And why would our population continue to gain weight?

I think Michael Pollan said it best when he said, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” You can see this theory working in real life in the blue zones of the world. The blue zones are the places where people live the longest, and are healthiest. They include; Okinawa, Japan;  Sardinia, Italy;  Nicoya, Costa Rica;  Ikaria, Greece;  and Loma Linda, California. Each of these areas shares 9 specific lifestyle habits. One of those lifestyle habits is that they eat a mostly plant based diet.

The longest living and healthiest people in the world get 95 percent of their calories from plants and only 5 percent from animal products. They do not run from carbohydrates like most Americans. Instead, about 65 percent of their food intake is from carbohydrates like whole grains, beans, and starchy tubers.

If you really look into it you will see countless research promoting a mostly plant based diet. Mark Bittman said, “The evidence is overwhelming at this point. You eat more plants, you eat less other stuff, you live longer.” This does not mean you have to become a vegan or vegetarian. You just want to prioritize eating whole or unprocessed plant foods, minimize meat, fish, dairy, and eggs, and completely cut out highly processed food. 

The proof is in the pudding.  You will get to witness the results firsthand when you try it. Keep in mind, this isn’t a quick fix, lose weight fast approach. This is a lifestyle change. Are you ready to make the move to a healthier lifestyle? Let me know if you need support in making this change.