Hello friends! I think all of us, especially those more connected to their health, ask ourselves this question at many points in our lives. All around us, are adverts for ‘getting skinny quick’, ‘the ab diet’, ‘try this new diet!’. It follows us everywhere. There is a mass of diets, and people doing them who claim it is, ‘their holy grail’, ‘everyone should be eating this way’, ‘this diet has changed my life’, etc. Paleo, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Raw Vegan, Atkins, Raw-Till-4, and an overwhelming amount of others. While, yes, for some people these ways of eating makes sparks fly and heals them, for others, they feel as if the way their eating isn’t good enough. That they have to eat this way, that what they are currently doing is wrong. The truth is that, genetically, we are all different. Our bodies function in different ways, our gut’s are all built differently, we all have different tolerances. So, to be saying “everyone should be Paleo” or “humans should never eat animal products”, or “we all should never eat gluten” is just wrong. For some people, they will strive, and others will be left feeling tired, gassy, and confused. Go ahead, try what you will, but just because someone said that it worked for them, does not mean it will work for you.
Listen to your body, it knows what is best. There is a phrase, “listen to your gut”, literally, listen to your gut. If your stomach hurts and you feel tired after eating, experiment, figure out what’s wrong! I say it’s much better to start with the basics: fruit, veg, grains, lean meats, legumes, nuts/seeds, beans. Go from there, see how your body reacts to each food. If your taste buds are satisfied, your gut feels fine, and you are happy about what you’re eating, there is no need to go and change the way you eat!
Until next time,
Claire
Clairety 