Which Diet Should You Be Following?

Saying there are a lot of diets out there, is an understatement. You’ve got everything from vegan to the meat-loving paleo diet and whatever falls in between.

I’ve been wondering, postulating, and otherwise supposing about how diet affects people so differently. Since my daughter’s diagnosis with Celiac I’ve had lots of people say things like, “my 40-something-year-old mother was just diagnosed with Celiac too. Why? Why are so many people suddenly becoming allergic, intolerant, or having an auto-immune reaction to food?”

Here’s how I answer such questions…I don’t know. I’m not a doctor, dietitian, or researcher so I really can’t say definitively one way or another why so many people are developing such aversions to certain foods or what the best solution is. However, I don’t have to have a doctorate degree or decades of clinical studies to know my own body. And really, in my opinion, that’s what it comes down to – knowing your own body.

Paying attention to your body –  how’s your poop (yes, that’s a telltale sign), health of your skin, weight issues, and mood are some of the surface indicators of your body speaking to you. Other things like infertility, heart disease, and diabetes may all be your body your body trying to talk to you. Registered dietitians agree that many diseases can be prevented through healthy eating, Read more here.  Here’s another great article about what your body is trying to tell you from Experiencelife.com

For the purpose of this discussion I’m going to define Diet as what a person habitually eats on a daily basis.  So no, I’m not talking about a a crash diet that claims to make you lose 10 lbs. in 3 days, or a detox. These kinds of “diets” are not something that are healthy to follow for a long period of time. And before we go further, it’s a good idea to check with a health care professional before making any major diet changes.

My family (all four kids included) strive to follow a diet that is as diversified in healthy, whole foods as possible. Some people call it “clean eating”, many nutritionists and dietitians call it a low glycemic diet.

Following a Low Glycemic Diet 

Diets that fall into the low glycemic category will have some important things in common. They will emphasis foods that are whole, unprocessed, unrefined, raw, organic, not genetically enhanced or modified, including healthy fats, and a low sugar intake. Overall this diet can help to regulate blood sugar levels and balance hormones, which in turn can cause a domino effect of positive health results.

The endocrine system (the system of the body that produce hormones) manages all the organs, releasing the right chemical hormone to spur the other systems of the body to work properly. When the hormones are balanced and the endocrine system is functioning optimally the result may be a higher metabolism, clear skin, fertility, improved digestion, and not surprisingly, a great impact on emotional well being.

Let’s take the Paleo diet for example -it’s the Crossfit community’s go-to weight loss and muscle building diet. Our family has loosely followed the Paleo diet for several years – and by loosely follow, I mean that many of the meals I prepare qualify as paleo. We enjoy fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and lean protein, however, we also enjoy a moderate amount of starches like rice, beans, potatoes, and the occasional dairy…okay, so very loosely. This kind of diet, and other low glycemic diets are very beneficial for those who have an intolerance to wheat, dairy, have diabetes, or struggle with controlling weight.

Although many low glycemic diets allow for whole grains like wheat, barley, rye, rice, and other whole grains, if a gluten sensitivity is the problem be sure to stay away from the gluten-filled grains. Here’s my 6 Must-Know Gluten Free Grains. I try to incorporate a large variety of grains in my families diet and find myself baking a gluten free bread at least once a week.

Trying a new diet should be an entire lifestyle change when it comes to what’s happening in your kitchen. Give yourself a break! Ease into it. If a certain way of eating works with your body and your life, then run with and enjoy more happiness and health.

Enjoy!