The Best Diet

The Best Diet in Five Steps

There are so many diet books on the market today, so many different theories of eating. Should you eat the Mediterranean way? The Paleo way?  Vegan? You can try a diet by your blood type, low carb, high protein, no sugar and the list goes on and on. You can drink protein shakes and meal replacement shakes.  Did you ever wonder what is the right way to eat? What is the best diet? Are you still searching for that one way of eating that will solve your weight and health issues?

Keep in mind that diet books are a hot selling product and the demand for a different method and a unique spin is always going to sell well.  The search for the best diet book is ongoing with the public.  

Diets work and then after time, they don't.  Diets usually involve cutting out a food or an ingredient, cutting calories substantially or emphasize lots of exercise.  

We are continually bombarded with messages from the media, our friends and family about what to eat, what to avoid, what diet to try, what is the best selling diet, the most researched diet and on and on.  

Guess what?  You are an individual.  You have needs that are different from your family, friends, spouse, doctor or any of the experts touting their theories. The more you try different diets without understanding yourself, the more you will set yourself up for failure.

If you try these five things, you will find the best diet for you.  

1.  What is your objective?   Are you trying to lose weight?  Improve your health? Eliminate a food for health reasons or personal beliefs?  After you figure this out, then you need to move on to number 2...

2. What is your lifestyle like?  Be honest with yourself, if you hate cooking, why try a diet that emphasizes cooking?  If you hate exercise, why go to the gym?  3 weeks into it, you will stop.  If you love sweets, why on earth would you try to eliminate sugar? If you enjoy eating meat, why on earth would you try a meatless diet?  Unless you have a medical condition like celiac, there is NO need to eliminate anything from your diet.  Reducing something is such an easier and more attainable goal. If you love bread, why cut it out?  Eliminating foods sets you up for failure. 

3. Add in.  If you want to eat healthier, add in.  Add in more greens, add in more gluten free or raw foods.  Add in more exercise, add in more fruits, you get the idea!  If you add in more of what you think is better for you, you will start crowding out what you want to eat less of.

4. Ask questions!  Pay attention to your own body after you eat something.  If you eat meat, red or white, how do you feel a couple of hours later? Sluggish, tired, headache-y?  When you drink milk or consume dairy products, how do you feel?  Energized or bloated?  How do you feel after eating bread or carbs? Understand that what is one person's food is another person's poison.  Your body might run like clockwork with carbs.  You may thrive eating red meat. Eating vegetarian might make you feeling tired and listless while your neighbor is glowing.  I find when I eat red meat, I feel like I have a lot of congestion after.  Red meat is not something that I believe my body can digest well so it's something for me to avoid.  

5. Try an eating style for two weeks If you want to try adding or eliminating foods, give it two weeks. This way you can find if you feel energized or not. If you're interested in seeing if being vegetarian is a good lifestyle for you, give it two weeks and see how you feel.  If you feel good, then structure your eating pattern around that.  

As you can see, the best diet is one that works for you.  The only way you know what works is to be honest with yourself, pay attention to your body and don't try a diet fad because everyone is trying it!