The word diet refers to the kind of food that a person, animal or community habitually eats. It also means a specific type of food to which one restricts oneself with the aim to lose weight or for medical reasons. The fact is we all diet.
It can be very confusing for persons to decide which diet to follow with so many recommendations from the “experts”.
The question however should not be what diet to follow? Instead, we should as ourselves “ why do I need to eat food?
The answer is dependent on our age and level of activity. Generally we need food to :
- To sustain life
- If we do not eat, we will eventually die of starvation.
- To provide energy for body functions
- This is the equivalent to providing fuel for a motor vehicle to operate. No food, no function.
- To provide the components for biochemical reactions at the cellular level.
- Hormonal action, nerve transmission, and immunity to name a few
- To form and repair body tissues such as bone, muscle and the gut lining
- The food we eat must therefore contain all the components necessary to carry out these functions. These are
- Carbohydrates
- Proteins
- Fats
- Minerals
- Vitamins
- Phytonutrients
Both plant and animal sources of food contain these components to varying degrees.
SPOILER ALERT!!!
THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION IS NOT UNKNOWN TO MOST PEOPLE,
Still, many persons struggle to achieve a diet suitable for themselves and by extension their family members or persons under their care.
The reality is that lack of knowledge is a small part of the problem. When over 100,000 people were asked “what’s your biggest nutrition challenge ?” the top five out of fourteen answers were:
- Emotional or stress eating
- Lack of planning
- Cravings
- Snacking when not hungry
- Eating quickly.
“Don’t know what I should eat” came in at number eleven. It is not the lack of knowledge but behaviour that’s the problem for poor diets.
No one diet is suitable for all. What is certain is that if we eat a diet which:-
- is mostly plant based
- has wholefoods or minimally processed foods
- has quality meat protein
- does not trigger food allergies or sensitivity
- has minimal or no known toxins
we are most likely to live a healthier and longer life.
Are you struggling to find the “right diet” ?
Are you overweight and ready to make the changes to achieve your best health?
Have you been diagnosed with prediabetes, diabetes, hypertension, or another chronic disease and want to better manage or reclaim your health?
Are you already taking steps towards a healthy diet and lifestyle but need additional personalised support?
Schedule a free consultation
Reference
Scott-Dixon, K; Et al (2019) A Precision Nutrition Special Report www.precisionnutrition.com
Brain Vectors by Vecteezy