New Year, New You?
DIET. Who else hates that word? It carries so many negative connotations for so many people who strive and struggle this time of year. But diet is just a word that means…what you eat. This is the time of year when many people choose to make better choices about what they consume. Changing or cleaning up your diet is a well known way to not only feel like your very best self, run like a fine tuned machine and look glowingly youthful. So why is it so hard to manage? There are so many different opinions out there as to what the best way to eat is. Keto, paleo, mediterranean, intermittent fasting, vegan, juice cleanse, Gundry’s leptin avoidance, soup cleanse…I could go on. It’s no wonder that it’s so exhausting to keep up with and nearly impossible to know what the latest magic fix will be.
Now, I do not have a PH.D in nutrition, but I do make it my business to read and research what I can to help communicate to my clients what I have learned to help them make the best choice for this lifestyle. I also take the advice from those who DO have Ph.D’s and publicly show the science to their findings.
So what diet is the BEST for your health? After all the questions in my head start buzzing around about YOU as an individual, one thing is consistent across the board and that is the best diet is the ONE THAT WORKS FOR YOU. Period. The one you can be consistent with for the long haul, a lifestyle adjustment where good habits stick and you feel like your best self. I could give you my personal options as to why keto or cleansing could be harmful to you as an individual, but at the end of the day every person has their own needs, beliefs, and personal tastes, and I can only show you the results from people who just stick to making good choices. Period.
Now that being said there are findings that you should consider:
Feed your MICROBIOME. What is your microbiome you ask? To make a lengthly explanation short it is the millions of good bacteria that make up your intestinal health. When you have a healthy microbiome, you have a healthy brain, digestive system, and good weight management. This is probably the biggest thing you should focus on when it comes to the food choices you make. When you get this right all other things fall into place nicely. A few ways you can do this is eat a variety of foods….and loads of green leafy vegetables. Eat your greens….all things leafy. Cut down on the amount of sugar you consume and add in fermented foods. This is a whole blog waiting to happen in and of itself which I will unpack in the near future.
Drink your WATER. Your metabolism needs lots of water to hum perfectly. What happens when your car runs out of oil? Your engine can seize up. Well without water your metabolism cannot be as efficient for you. Did you know that your energy can feel sapped from even a 3% dehydration? Feel weak, brain fogged, or irritable? Try water first.
EAT REAL over processed. Hungry? Look in the fridge before the pantry. It can be as easy as that.
SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP. Your body works hard for you. It is designed to work FOR you and not against you. You need to recover well, prioritize sleep and give yourself the magical HGH…Human Growth Hormone which is produced when you sleep well.
What you eat and put into your body is the biggest factor to your overall health. Your food is like fuel…your body is literally made up of what you consume. However, nothing drives me more nuts than an unhealthily obsession or soap box lecture from those who think their way of eating is more superior to yours. Stop overthinking it! Make a habit of planning your day, keep healthy foods easy to grab and accessible, take out the harmful things from your home and stop obsessing if that thin slice of grainy bread has gluten. Honestly, you have got to trust what works for your body and just make one good choice at a time.
