Do you get confused by the information you read or hear about so many diets that promise vibrant health and vitality? Have you ever wondered which of these diets is the best for you? May be you’ve also tried one or more of these diets already.

You might have heard about the vegetarian diet, the vegan diet, the paleo diet, the raw foods diet, the fruitarian diet, Low fat diet, high protein diets and many more. With so many diets out there, choosing the right diet for you can be a challenge.

Many of these diets claims to offer you the solution for your health issues and the highest state of health and each has its very strong opponents as well as deifiers. Moreover, there is research that supports each of these dietary approaches.

So what’s the best diet?

As an Oakville registered holistic nutritionist, this is a question that I get asked all the time. Honestly, I’ve been searching for an answer to this question for a long time and given my extensive search as well as my personal and professional experience with clients, the truth is that there is really no universal ideal or perfect diet.

Of course there are general diet guidelines that are good for everyone, however the best diet for you is one that is personally individualized for your age, sex, family history, health history, lifestyle, health status and health goals. It’s also important to keep in mind that some of these diets might be used as medical diets to address a specific medical situation only for a short period of time and might be so restricted to follow on the long run.

Let me give you three examples from my holistic nutrition practice to make my point clear:

• Someone who’s overweight and want to lose 30 pounds and build muscle
• Someone who has severe food allergies or digestive issues.
• Someone who experiencing cancer.

For each of the above cases, my approach as an Oakille nutritionist will be totally different depending on the health goal and health status of the client. That’s why the first and most important step of my work with any client starts with a thorough assessment. The information gathered from this assessment allows me to personalize my health plan so that it provides the client with the optimum diet for their present condition and health goals taking into consideration all other factors.

After providing my clients with my custom-tailored holistic nutrition recommendations, I always add this last piece of advice “please remember that you are your best doctor”. So it’s of utmost importance to listen to your body and be in tune with any signals your body sends you. This is the only way you can fine tune any health plan and make it work for you in the best possible way.

Although there is no diet that will fit all, there are general guidelines for an ideal diet that you can start with and then fine tune according to your body’s response.

According to Dr Elson Haas, author of “Staying Healthy with Nutrition” the 5 general guidelines for an ideal diet are:

1. Natural

The ideal diet will include more whole foods that are minimally processed and closest to their natural state in nature.

2. Seasonal

The ideal diet will vary with the different seasons. For example in summer our fruit intake might increase and in winter we may increase our intake of starchy foods and warmer cooked foods.

3. Rotational

The ideal diet will include a variety of foods and ensures we rotate our foods. This means eating a particular food every four days and not on a daily basis. This is especially important to minimize and prevent food allergies or sensitivities.

4. Balanced

An ideal diet will include foods that provide all food groups to ensure a balanced content of all macro-nutrients which are carbohydrates, proteins and fats as well as micro-nutrients which include vitamins and minerals.

5. Moderate

An ideal diet will ensure eating moderate amounts of food to make us satiated with avoidance of overeating or under-eating.

Choosing a personalized diet that works with your body and takes into consideration your health status, health goals and lifestyle is a fundamental step for optimum nutrition that ensures long lasting health and wellness.

If you find this article helpful, feel free to share it with a friend or family member who can benefit from it.

We are currently offering tele-health coaching via Zoom, so we can help you if you are out of area. If you need help with your health and nutrition, sign up for a 15 Min Discovery Call where we discuss your current goals and concerns and how we can help you.