Follow Diet to Stay Healthy

Most of us who browse the internet for some crazy diet or try to follow a diet made famous by some celebrity seem to believe that there is a certain diet that works for'all. Well, that's just not right.

We as an individual are so unique and biologically different from each other that our nutritional needs are very varied from that of our friend, sister, cousin or even our mother.

We are also trying to base our diet on some number we heard or read about especially counting calories and grams of carbohydrates/protein rather than looking at food as a source of nourishment and healing. I surely do not say that's wrong. As a clinical dietician it's my daily work to calculate the nutrient requirement of patients in the hospital or having a medical condition. But, going by some number or a fad has caused us to have a very guilt ridden and fearful relationship with food and our bodies. When I compare my diet with others or try to imitate someone else's diet I stop listening to the needs of my body.

The drawback to trying and aping some other persons diet is that because of the half knowledge coupled with the information you have gathered you may end up eating the wrong foods at the wrong time when not needed by the body. For example, you may eat any carbohydrate and any protein for breakfast, for instance- as long as it is the right measurements (numbers numbers numbers) as that will give you the right balance. That means I have that glass of orange juice because the packet says it has a certain number of calories which is what you needed in breakfast. The problem with this is how do you know if that carbohydrate is even nutritious? is that glass of juice which is high in sugars going to support your breakfast nutritional needs? my belief is that these foods will not support the nutritional needs of that person, at all!

Another reason why imitating diets wont work is because foods these days is not what it used to be. We are eating food that has travelled distances or the food we find in the supermarkets is laden in pesticides (unless organic) or it is processed into a form that is not recognised by the body as'food. Also some people may not be able to absorb the nutrients from their food because their gut is not in healthy condition or may have some disorder causing poor absorption of minerals or vitamins which are supposidly being taken through foods. These days'we are not what we eat but - what we absorb and assimilate.

The last but most important reason why aping a food trend does not help is because we look at a single food item in isolation. We expect a certain food or style of eating without considering the whole picture. For instance adding a certain food, say, green smoothie (made famous by some celebrity blogger) will not cause weight loss in isolation. The smoothie will give you some benefit only if coupled with a healthy lifestyle, exercise and wholesome diet routine. That's something that we conveniently overlooked.

We need to start taking care of the body from a holistic view and healing it from the inside out. Take into consideration your own body, it's reaction, your own body's needs before trying to imitate a certain diet routine.

Make your diet unique to'you'.

Get off imitating diets- they clearly don't work. They will only cause you more stress and complications in your body.

Trust the uniqueness of your own body.