Put a Label on It

"So should I eat Paleo, or count my calories? Or can you do both together? Have you heard of this keto thing? Should I do that?" - actual quote from my coworker. (Thanks R!)

There are SO MANY diets and approaches to eating these days along with what seems like ever changing conflicting information about individual foods. I think we've all seen news reports questioning or advocating the benefits of eggs, processed meats, wine, coffee, coconut oil, etc. - the list goes on and on. It can be confusing for sure. So I'm here to break things up a bit and give you the right answer for how you should eat.

First, let's talk about some popular diets today.

PALEO: synonymous with the caveman diet; paleo eaters usually focus on meat & seafood, vegetables, healthy fats, and fruits, with an emphasis on lower sugar fruits like berries. Typically paleo-eaters avoid grains including wheat and corn, legumes, and dairy.

KETO: this one has gained some popularity lately and is known as a high fat, low carb diet. Keto-followers usually eat mostly protein, high quality fat, and lots of veggies. They avoid most grains and high carbohydrate vegetables and fruits such as potatoes and bananas. The goal of the keto diet is to get your body into ketosis, that is for your body to be burning fat as fuel instead of the sugars that we eat during the day.

MEDITERRANEAN: was hugely popular 10-20 years ago and still has a good following. This diet is based off of what a traditional diet would be for the cultures living around the Mediterranean Sea. It prioritizes eating mostly a plant-based diet with healthy fats like olive oil and nuts, and wild caught seafood especially salmon. People following this diet do eat whole grains and legumes, but typically avoid red meat as well as full fat dairy including butter.

VEGETARIAN: pretty straight forward - a plant eater! Ovolacto-vegetarians also eat eggs and dairy products. Vegetarians usually focus on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and protein-providing legumes such as beans and lentils.

VEGAN: vegans are true vegetarians in that they don't consume any foods that come from animals at all. This includes seafood, eggs, dairy, and even honey. Many vegans have chosen their diet over personal beliefs in regards to the animals/bees.

ATKINS/WEIGHT WATCHERS/SOUTH BEACH, ETC.: these diets all have their basis in a philosophy from a different doctor or set of doctors, but have become commercialized and typically involve purchasing products from the company or adopting a rigid set of rules. These are typically low carb diets that focus on the basics of healthy eating with a recommendation to add in their approved products.

ZONE/RAW FOOD/BLOOD TYPE/MACROBIOTIC/FLEXITARIAN, ETC. ETC. ETC. - Just more diets that have their own framework for how you should be fixing your plate every day. There are so many more, but each will prioritize its core principles to build around and then limit a type or types of foods, such as carbs, dairy, or even cooked food altogether.

MY RECOMMENDATION: None and all of the above. Here's the thing folks, just because I feel GREAT eating eggs for breakfast every morning does not mean that eggs for breakfast is what everyone should eat! The reason there are so many diets, and I think if you google, the list keeps expanding, is that there are so many people. Think about it for a second, a person who has grown up on the coast of the Mediterranean has the genes from their ancestors as well as the current environment affecting them and probably fairs really well eating lots of olives, fresh baked bread, and ending the day with a glass of wine. Perhaps if you have Greek or Italian or even a Turkish background, this might work really well for you too! Now let's think of another individual who has grown up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. They have ancestors from Scandinavian descent and have likely functioned their whole lives differently than me or you, or the guy living in Sardinia. This person probably starts and ends their day by drinking milk, using butter to cook, etc, and that's great too, but it doesn't work for everyone.

Enter, Bioindividuality. This concept basically states that each person should eat what is best for their individual biology. That is to say, we're all different, with different backgrounds, environment, gut microbiota, tastes, and even energy needs. There is no one diet that will work for everyone, and no easy fix just by staunchly following any of the above, or any other diet. The key is to be able to turn in to your body and really listen to figure out what works and what doesn't. If you're looking for a prescriptive diet, I'm not your girl, BUT my bottom line recommendation will always be this: So you want to start with paleo (or vegetarian, vegan, etc.), DO IT. But then pay attention. Do you notice that days you have extra starchy veggies you're sleepy in the afternoon? Or each time you eat soy, your skin isn't as clear as it was the day before? This is where you begin to tweak to find your own version of your YOU diet, to add and eliminate foods that either are or aren't serving you. And the thing is, that's what we'll do our whole lives. Certain foods may be great for you in your twenties, and then in your thirties, you need to limit. That's ok! I believe lifelong health can be found by constantly reevaluating your overall health needs and changing where necessary. Approach your diet this way and that's where you will thrive.

Do you follow one of the diets above? Or have you mixed and matched to make your own diet that works well for you?