You Already Know the Diet That’s Perfect for You

It may come as a surprise but it’s true: you already know the diet that’s perfect for you.

You may not be able to express it with words or translate it into a weekly meal plan. That’s because it’s not your mind that knows your perfect diet. It’s your body.

Your body is much smarter than you think.

Think about it: it does everything for you 24/7. It keeps your heart beating, it digests your food, and it pumps oxygen into your veins all the time. It never fails you, despite the abuse you inflict on it.

The problem is that we don’t listen to our bodies. By midlife, you’ve probably lost the ability to communicate with your body. You take it for granted and you assume that it can handle everything you throw at it.

Our bodies are unique.

Your body needs different nutrition than mine. My most nutritious food may be your poison.

Bio-individuality™

Joshua Rosenthal of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition® refers to this uniqueness as bio-individuality™.

There is no single diet that fits everyone. We have different ancestry, sex, age, work, and we live in different environments. Over the years, we also developed our unique microbiome made of trillions of bacteria.

People from Asia thrive on different foods than people in the Mediterranean. Men and women do not need the same nutrition.

Your body does not need the same nutrients now as when you were in your 20s and 30s. It does not need the same foods in the summer as it does in the winter.

So, considering our uniqueness, what are the chances that we can all thrive on the same diet?

The Culprit

You may now say, “how do I listen to my body? I don’t hear anything.”

Our bodies are the result of hundreds of thousand years of evolution and development. What we currently eat changed a lot in the past 50 years.

Most foods in the supermarkets are highly processed, full of sugar, refined grains, and trans fats. And this is what you have been eating for many years.

When you were a baby, you knew exactly when, what and how much to eat. That is until you discovered candy, Nutella and fast-foods.

Eating these kinds of foods for most of our lives has highjacked our brains. We lost the ability to receive the signals from our body.

The solution

Restoring the relationship with your body is fundamental. This is not going to happen overnight, it is a gradual process.

The first priority is to minimize added sugar, refined grains (bread, pasta, etc.) and trans fats.

BUT, instead of thinking of first getting rid of the bad stuff, there is a better approach.

First, include the good stuff in your eating routine. Incorporate more vegetables, some fruit, and experiment with some quality whole wheat products. By doing this, you will limit the bad stuff bit by bit with much less effort and need for willpower.

Do more home cooking. You do not need to be on Master Chef, start with simple and quick dishes, building skills as you go.

Choose local and fresh food. If you can find and can afford organic – even better. Frozen and canned vegetables are ok, too – if you don’t have the fresh options.

Try to get whole, real foods and avoid packaged items that have many ingredients. If you do not recognize the ingredients, better skip it.

When in a restaurant, resist the urge to reach for the bread, at least until you order. Take a moment to connect with your body and feel what you want to eat at this moment.

Then go through the menu and find some good options and go for the more simple dishes. Unless there is something so promising that you cannot miss out. Let’s not forget, we want good health to enjoy life and not for the sake of it.

Ask questions to the waiter if something is not clear or if you would like to customize your order. Don’t be afraid to do this, restaurants are not cheap, and you deserve a great experience.

Eat slow, savoring every single bite, and rediscover how real food tastes. Food will become tastier as you practice this.

Eating slow will give time to body’s hormones pass the satiation message to your brain when full.

Reconnecting to your body is not an option but a necessity if you want to eat for good health.

Following the simple steps above, you will soon reestablish this connection.

You will be free from all the “miracle” diets and always know what, when, and how much to eat.

The “Perfect Diet” for all does not exist, but you already know the diet that’s perfect for you.