In the world of health and fitness, nutrition/diet is probably the most discussed, disputed and argued about topic. From your family and friends, to health professionals, everyone seems to have their own opinion on what is healthy and what foods make up a healthy diet. All the conflicting information leaves the general consumer feeling overwhelmed and stuck in their quest to eat a healthy diet. But nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated.
What is the best diet?
I believe that the best diet is the one that is most suited to the individual. It is a diet that fits into the individual’s personal lifestyle and aligns with his or her own health goals. For the average person, in order to improve their health, body composition, prevent disease and feel better, it does not really matter how much protein, carbs and fats they are eating. What really matters is the type and quality of these nutrients.
Individuals who eat and adhere to a diet that mostly consists of whole, minimally processed, nutrient rich foods such as meats, fish, eggs, dairy, seafood, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, whole grains, fruit, vegetables and healthy fats like coconut oil, butter, animals fats, olive oil and nut oils, tend to be healthier than those who don’t. We will however work together to create a diet that is best for YOU.
There is more to health than diet and nutrition.
While diet is very important to health, if you are obsessed only about your diet and neglect the other factors that contribute to overall health, it is unlikely that you will be healthy. Food is awesome, essential and beautiful and should be enjoyed accordingly, therefore although the foundation of your diet should be whole, un-processed, nutrient dense food, there is always room to enjoy yourself on occasions like family dinners or birthdays. Save your “splurge” for these special events and focus on maintaining a balanced diet majority of the time.
A final thought:
The food that we choose to eat potentially will be influenced by our cultural heritage, age, specific windows of time (preconception) and the season of the year we are in. All of these factors add up to mean the food that is best for you today might not be the case in 10 years time.