Is there a Perfect Diet?

Diets vary greatly and are updated regularly to reflect current food trends and a better understanding of nutrition.  However, if the diet is a quick fix rather than one that promotes lasting lifestyle changes, this could cause a problem.

When it comes to diet, what works for you won’t necessarily work for others.  Health is complex and multidimensional.  It’s not as simple as maintaining a healthy diet; it’s understanding that there’s a lot more to it than just making the right choices.  Food must be about the individual, not the theory.  When people want to determine what to eat, they really need to look at and understand themselves.

Health, gender, age, values, background, preferences, schedule, activity levels, all affect what foods are going to work best for you.

You would need to ask yourself some questions in order to get a better understanding of the foods that serve you the best.

What foods are you attracted to? 

What foods work for you?

What foods don’t work for you? 

What foods feed your body and soul?  

What foods make you feel safe?

Fruits, for example, play a huge role in my diet.  I grew up in Ecuador, a country that offers a lot of these diverse naturally sweet treats and it’s also a major exporter of bananas.  Eating fruits is part of who I am, but at the same time I understand that fruits have a high content of sugar.  That is why I eat a variety of fruits (to maximize the source of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals) but at the same time try to deconstruct my cravings by taking small amounts into my diet.

A good rule of thumb is to keep your diet as clean as you can.  Clean eating does not necessarily come with a set of guidelines and it means different things to different people (we are always going to come back to bio-individuality).

Eating clean revolves around maintaining a balanced and personalized diet of fresh, unprocessed food.  Rather than simply going on diets, you can make sustainable lifestyle shifts when you choose to eat clean.  Tips to assist you to clean eating include looking for whole foods, experimenting with home cooking,  limiting refined carbohydrates (those made from white sugar or whote flour), maintaining consisting eating times and balancing your plate (protein, carbs and fat at every meal).

If you take care of yourself by eating clean food, you may find it easier to also engage in self-care activities that will bring you joy and happiness, improving and nurturing your career and relationships.

Don’t make it a diet, make it a lifestyle!

Wishing you Health and Happiness,

Gaby Pedersen