The Best Diet for Optimal Health
If you're one to watch a lot of those food documentaries, you're likely confused on what the best diet actually is for you. And if you are watching those food documentaries, you're likely concerned about your own health or the health of a family member, and you want to choose the best foods for your body. Truth be told, I stopped watching those documentaries, but I did partially watch "What the Health" (ugh, don't get me started). But, seriously, no wonder why everybody is so confused!
I'm here to try to clear up some of this confusion.
Five years ago, I was a staunch vegan purely for ethical reasons. I tend to be a very empathetic person to begin with, then couple that with my love for animals and it was a no brainer for me. I wanted to cause the least amount of suffering that I could, so I gave up all animal protein and stopped wearing all animal products.
Then something happened to me - - I got very sick. And, it wasn't necessarily because I was eating a vegan diet, but because I had a history of repetitive antibiotic-use, making poor dietary choices (french fries are vegan ya know), and I had extreme amounts of stress and past traumas that weren't dealt with. If you've ever read my bio, you'll know that western medicine couldn't help me get better. I had to turn to food as my medicine, which was the best decision I ever made.
Yet, I still wasn't mentally ready to begin consuming animal protein, so first I went raw vegan for a few months along with going completely sugar-free. Not even eat an apple for 3 months; yet, I was still sick. So, I tried the Body Ecology Diet, still as a vegan. Again, still sick. I tried the Blood Type Diet. Nope, still sick. I dabbled in Macrobiotics, then I did a Hormone-Reset diet. Sick. Sick. With each new diet, I'd definitely learn new things about nutrition, but they were all very broad and blanketed protocols.
The key takeaway here is that one-size does not fit all.
After almost two years of trying different dietary theories, I had this niggling feeling, or dare I say "cravings" for eggs. I pushed the cravings aside, despite the fact that I had come reliant on eating (or carb-loading) six meals each day due to out-of-control blood sugar. I was constantly hungry, fatigued, and I could never feel sated.
But one day a co-worker, whom I was confiding in about my health problems, plopped a hard-boiled egg on my desk then just kept walking on by. I stared at it, smiled, looked around, then carefully snuck it in my pocket. I reeeally wanted to eat it. And for the first time in my life, I listened to my body. I took a walk outside, sat by myself, cracked that puppy open, and devoured it in under a minute.
My body was saying, "Yesssss, you're finally feeding me, girl!" And let me tell you that my body spoke loud and clear. Then a few days later, I had a piece of salmon. This time, the heavens parted. It felt like "this. is. so. right."
But, I was still torn about the whole veganism thing. Am I supposed to deteriorate and die a martyr for the animals? Because I honestly felt like a fraud and a failure. I even felt a little shame. Ultimately, I decided my health was more important, so I listened to my body instead. I know this can be difficult for some, especially those who have been veggie for decades.
But, if you feel shitty enough, you're more willing to try anything.
Now, do all vegans get sick? Of course not. You can definitely be healthy while eating a vegan diet with the right supplements and knowledge. I am merely illustrating that even a vegan diet can be of disservice to your body.
Since making the leap back to an omnivore diet, I've also tried the Paleo diet, which actually didn't work for me either. I happen to need some grains in my diet to feel my best. As you can see, I've tried a lot. Some worked, some didn't. And if you're currently facing health challenges and want to know what the best diet is to spur your healing, I'm sorry to tell you friends that it's just not that cut and dry.
As you can see, navigating dietary theory is tough and confusing. And the best diet is going to be dependent on each individual, so don't get caught up in the diet fads. Start with just eating REAL food, and by that, I mean whole foods that are minimally processed. Eat organic whenever possible, choose animal proteins that have been grass-fed and pasture-raised. Eat whole grains and lots of colorful fruits and veggies.
And for the love of God, please stop eating refined sugar.
This is a great base to be at. If you really need to dial your diet in for optimal healing, you may need to work with a functional nutritionist who knows how to get to the root of your signs and symptoms and who has experience working with therapeutic diet protocols.
No dogma. No "one-diet". Just bio-individuality.
Much Love,
Crissy
