Paleo, Whole 30, Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw Food, South Beach, Zone, the list goes on and on. There are so many different diet types out there. Almost all of them have merit and have good in them, but I hate labels! Whenever someone says I am… all people really hear is what you don’t eat or won’t do. Labels divide people into camps or groups. Although in truth we are all after the same thing to be the healthiest version of ourselves we can be.
Everyone’s body is different, to say that all of us must eat this way or that way would never work. You will notice in reading my blog posts, I try my best to research different topics and present what my family has chosen to do with these facts. I will never however tell you what you need to do, that is something each one of us must decide on our own and test out on ourselves. What my body can tolerate, your body may not and vice versa. The important thing is to not put our head in the sand, but to continue growing in our knowledge of how what we put into our bodies effects our health.
Let’s just be Healthy
While not every food out there is healthy for us, the truth is we need to make progress towards our health and nutrition goals. Progress , not perfection. Cutting out some of the worst foods, or food like substances for many people is an awesome starting point. Reviewing with an honest eye what you are eating day in and day out gives you a good place to start.
Do you eat fast often? Let’s look at where we can cook something similar at home, using better ingredients. Do you eat boxes and prepared meals often at home? Lets look at how we can make something similar using better ingredients. Why not start with one meal a day and after a few weeks move on to another. The most important thing is that you are making lasting improvements to your nutrition that will last a life time.
Diet has two very distinct meanings, the first is the most commonly used one “A special course of food to which one restricts oneself, to lose weight.” The second definition is where we want to live “The kinds of food that a person, animal or community habitually eats.” Habitual is the key here we are trying to change our lives for the better, to be the healthiest version of ourselves we can be.
So let’s stop labeling ourselves, or if you feel you really like to label your eating style, why not go for Healthy or Real food. Better yet let’s just try to be our healthiest version of ourselves, no one else’s.