With the abundance of dietary literature available it has become pretty difficult to be clear on what diet delivers optimal health. From the Atkins diet to the Raw Food diet, so many claims are being made and people who need to make changes often don’t as it seems like a minefield of seemingly conflicting information.
So what to do? Well I was in the predicament, as a staunch vegetarian with formerly no major health problems I introduced more processed and soya products when living away from home. Six months into this my health was terrible, I was eventually diagnosed with lupus but the associated symptoms (joint pains, fatigue, regular cramps, nausea, anaemia) were making me miserable.
If weight loss is your goal then know that for long term results some of your changes will have to be permanent. Portion control is one thing that will have to be watched continuously to avoid putting weight back on.
Maintaining a certain weight is where some dieters fall down. Doing a strict diet for a few months and then going back to your old eating habits will mean you reverse all your hard work. The key thing is to develop a lifelong healthy eating habit, and if you make it fun you are more likely to stick to it.
Prioritise
First of all you need to be clear on your reason/s for changing your diet and what you want to achieve. This simple step should be a guideline when you decide what to do and what to research. For example someone who wishes to become stronger can visit bodybuilder forums to see how people with a lot of muscle achieved their goal. The second but equally important thing is to consider your personal principles. For example I cannot eat meat as I don’t believe in taking a life is necessary to feed myself. In fact it would make me feel very guilty!
I would advise you to experiment. My first step was to cut out processed foods, refined sugars and additives. I read up on soya and then cut that out. I felt a lot better after this. I added foods such as raw vegetables, fruits, nuts and black strap molasses and then carried on for a month to see how I felt. The more raw I ate the better I felt so I got up to about 75-80% raw.
I carried on like this for about six months and then found out about how the dairy industry works. For purely ethical reasons I decided to give veganism a trial for a month. Apart from missing buttered chapattis I found it pretty easy and feel my energy to be smoother and emotionally I am very resilient. When experimenting with your diet make notes in a journal about how you feel and what you have been eating.
Research
I read health related articles to learn from what others find, but I only trust my own experience. Let’s face it – we are all different and what works for you may not work for me. For example many people rave about eating 100% raw but I found that I was feeling very cold and my energy dipped a bit. I use health articles and information as inspiration for what to try next, if it is likely to bring positive results such as a stronger immune system or increased energy.
Once you decide what diet you will test ask yourself these questions: What will you be eating? Are you taking protein powders? How often will you eat? How will you cook your foods? Are you eating organic? Will you have your fruit and vegetables raw, cooked, canned or frozen? Will you eat processed foods? Will you eat salt? How much variety is there in your diet? Will you quit caffeine/nicotine/alcohol? Will you eat out?
After drastically changing my diet in the past six months I have noticed that my diet has a big effect on my energy levels and my emotional balance. Dropping dairy from my diet has made me feel a lot happier. The big thing I have found is it is how I eat which makes a big difference. Sitting with nice company and eating food with a positive mood is far better than unconsciously shovelling food into your both in front of the TV. Mum’s home-cooked food is also something that makes me feel great. It is believed that the cooks’ consciousness goes into the food they make and I do resonate with this belief.
Be sensible
Don’t take health survey findings as gospel- sometimes they are thinly veiled propaganda. It feels like everywhere you look you are told how good milk is for you. Think about who benefits from the survey results and don’t be a sheep, do your own research.
My perfect diet gives me a lot of stamina, makes my skin glow and boosts my mood. After numerous experiments I found that the best diet I’ve tried so far is a 75% raw vegan diet. No alcohol. No caffeine. No refined sugars or flour. No junk food. I am a big fan of making juices and smoothies. I like drinking herbal teas particularly ginger as it is very warming. Common sense has been integral to working out what to try when experimenting with my diet. If you listen to your own body you will generally know exactly what to eat.