Which Diet is Right for You?
Which Diet is Right for You?
For most of my life, diet issues were not on my radar. I was eating the standard American diet (with
the exclusion of certain foods such as pork and shellfish) without apparent
issues. I was at a normal weight and
with no major health conditions. It
wasn’t until my 30s that poor diet choices plus lack of attention to gut health
began to catch up to me.
Determining the best diet for optimal health can be
confusing these days. With so much
information available and multiple opposing opinions, it can be difficult to
know what to believe.
Realizing that I wasn’t feeling my best, I began the search
for the right diet for me.
After spending much time reading books and listing to
several diet influencers, I was convinced that the high carb low fat lifestyle
was the way to go and began implementing it.
However, gut issues, fatigue, and now joint pain remained a continuous
problem. Yet, I stuck with this diet for
years.
I had forgotten an important concept. “Prove all things; hold fast to that which is
good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21.
Were there things about the high carb low fat diet that were
good for me? Yes, for example the
abundance of fiber rich foods. I also do much better on a plant-based diet. Were there things about this diet that did
not work well for me? Yes, the low fat
approach. It wasn’t until I experimented
with other diets that I realized my body does better with I consume more fat...healthy fats such as avocado, coconut, olives, nuts & seeds.
I even experimented with a ketotarian type diet. Surprise, I felt great!
No blood sugar swings, I wasn’t hungry
between meals, and my joint pain even began to decrease. Now, this wasn’t the bacon and butter keto,
but the avocado, nuts, seeds & greens keto.
However, though I was starting to feel better, I knew that for me, this
diet wasn’t sustainable. I did not enjoy limiting certain foods such as fruits
and pretty much eliminating healthy whole grains such as oats and brown rice.
So here I was caught between the worlds of abundant fruits
and grains vs. fats and greens.
Another Perspective
on Fat.
As a believer that God designed my body and knows what is
best for it, I was happy to come across Dr. Barbra O’Neil, who presents a
slightly different perspective than most plant-based physicians.
I realized that I could incorporate the dietary principals
given to us in Genesis 1:29, and still provide my body with the amounts of
carbs, protein, and fat that were right for my body.
Here is one video where Dr. O'Neil discusses the importance of fat
in the body.
Through trial and error, I am figuring out the optimal ratio
of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats for me.
So, which diet is right for you?
Only you can determine that.
We are all different in the way we
metabolize foods and our underlying health issues.
Eat real food and listen to your body. Experiment on
yourself to find out what works best in terms of macronutrient ratios. Avoid
process foods, foods you know you react negatively too, and genetically
modified foods. If you are in the midst of a troubling health issue, trust in
God to guide you through your journey to optimal health and healing.
