The Best Damn Diet.

Every few months a new miracle diet bursts onto the scene, promising the body of a Greek statue in the time it takes to watch a Netflix episode. You have seen the headlines: “Lose 21 pounds in 21 days!” “Melt fat with this secret tea cleanse doctors do not want you to know about!” “Drop weight without even trying!” If half of these were true, we would all be walking around looking like fitness influencers by now.

Why There Is No One-Size-Fits-All Diet

And yet the diet world keeps cranking out gems like these…

1. See results in as little as 45 minutes!

2. L’Air Fooding – The Air and Water Diet

3. 25 pounds in only 2 weeks

4. 21 pounds in 21 Days

5. 7 Day Flat Belly Tea Cleanse

6. The Chemo Diet: Weight Loss Without Even Trying  (yep, this is a real book)

7. Martinis and Whipped Cream: The New Carbo-Cal Way to Lose Weight and Stay Slim

Remember when your kindergarten teacher stated, “You are special, and there is no one else in the whole wide world like you.” She was right. Ok, maybe you are not a “special snowflake” but you are unique. This is why each one of us needs an individualized diet plan that works with our lifestyle, environment, and specialized genome. All humans share a certain number of metabolic or dietary commonalities. We all need protein and fat to live. We actually don’t need carbohydrates.  Essential vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients are also important to every human.  However, our species can appear vastly different morphologically and genetically. Compare Shaquille O’Neal to Stephen Hawkins. Both are human but would probably die or get very ill if their diets were clandestinely switched for a month. Biochemically we are unique and require different amounts of food, altered macro/micronutrient contents, and specific nutritional timing.  A comprehensive study in the journal Cell found people can metabolize the exact same foods in very different ways. Angelina Jolie may be able to eat donuts and pizza and not gain a pound but that doesn’t mean you won’t! We all process food differently.

How to Discover Your Optimal Diet

So how do you determine what is the best damn diet? For starters stop listening to Dr. Oz and Dr. Atkins. Listen to yourself and pay attention to your body; know thyself. Read labels and be aware of exactly what you are eating and how it affects your brain and body. After gorging on pizza, am I bloated? Did last night’s steak dinner give me brain fog? Did that soda make me tired? etc. And sometimes, a food or meal will have lasting effects on the body. This is why it is essential also to take a macro view. Look at your diet in terms of weeks and months, not just single meals.  The brain and body are remarkable in controlling how much energy (food) you ingest over a year. Our internal metabolic thermostat drives hunger, laziness (basal metabolic rate), thirst, body temperature etc… all with the precision of a supercomputer. From year to year, most people eat roughly the same amount of calories (about 1 million) with less than a 1% deviation.

The best diet is one that you can live with and keeps you energized, happy and healthy. This is specific to each individual. In order to find out what diet works best, you will need to do some self-experimentation. Become part scientist, part detective. Start by keeping a food log - if you are hardcore and genuinely motivated, a 5-6 week elimination diet (see here). Take a few weeks and write down how you feel after every meal; monitor your mood, energy, digestion, bowel habits, bloat, pain etc…. After you’ve determined which foods pose complications, eliminate them for a period of time, usually three to four weeks. Slowly reintroduce specific foods and monitor your symptoms for possible negative reactions:

1. insomnia

2. fatigue

3. joint pain and/or inflammation

4. skin breakouts or rashes

5. headaches

6. bowel changes or GI pain

7. bloating

8. brain fog

9. sinus or other respiratory issues

   
   

Once you’ve taken the crucial step of uncovering the specific foods that are causing you distress, it is essential to eliminate them from your diet altogether to achieve optimal health and well-being. This process can be a bit challenging, as many of these foods may be deeply ingrained in your regular eating habits or may even be comfort foods that you have enjoyed for years. However, the benefits of cutting these foods out far outweigh the temporary satisfaction they may provide. You might find yourself tempted to indulge in these foods occasionally, and while a cheat day here and there might seem harmless, it’s important to understand that you will likely pay for it later in the form of physical discomfort or emotional distress. The reality is that more often than not, the instant gratification you might experience from consuming these problematic foods is simply not worth the subsequent discomfort that follows. It can be helpful to remind yourself of this reality before you decide to indulge, as this mental preparation can serve as a powerful deterrent against slipping back into old habits. As you embark on this journey, take the carefully accumulated data regarding your dietary triggers and use it to create a personalized diet that is tailored specifically to your body’s needs. This individualized approach will not only help you avoid the foods that cause you distress but will also enable you to incorporate a variety of nutritious and satisfying alternatives that can enhance your overall health. Once you have established this personalized diet, aim to adhere to it with as little deviation as possible. Consistency is key in this process; by sticking to your new eating plan, you may find that the pounds begin to drop off, your mood elevates significantly, and your overall performance whether in physical activities, work, or daily tasks improves remarkably. The positive changes you experience can serve as a powerful motivator, reinforcing the importance of maintaining a diet that is aligned with your health goals and personal well-being.

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