What Is The Perfect Healthy Diet [It's Not What You Think]

What Is The Perfect Healthy Diet?

Have you asked yourself this question? There are varying opinions on this topic. And usually, if you tell someone “I am on a diet“, or “I work with a nutritionist”, they will usually chime in with their ‘better opinion’. The question is – IS THERE SUCH A THING AS A PERFECT DIET?

Change Perspective

Let’s pretend that you eat differently from when you were a child. Maybe you have tried eating more vegetarian meals. How did that go for you? Perhaps you are a vegan? Or maybe you changed back into more animal-based foods. How did that go for you? What about intermittent fasting? Did this work? When clients ask me about the various ways of eating, I always ask them ‘How did it go for you? Did it work for you?’. This is important to understand because it is not a one size-fits-all-approach.

We Are All Different

For example, my way of eating is different to someone else’s. Basically, what works for me might not work for you. And vice versa. Essentially, we are individuals and we need to consider who we are as eaters. Also, what is our history? For example, someone with a disordered eating history (see my story here) will not do well with intermittent fasting. Obviously, it will take their mind back to feeling restricted, causing overeating and binge eating.

Moreover, if someone is struggling with emotional eating we need to focus on emotional self-regulation first. Let’s consider someone who experimented with the Paleo diet and failed. Perhaps it is not the Paleo diet that fails – but they have underlying triggers or have developed bad eating habits that are driving their eating decisions. Clearly, this has nothing to do with the diet itself.

Address The Underlying Triggers

Sometimes when we work through the underlying triggers beneath eating habits – the way we eat changes. Another trigger might be when a person eats too many calories because they are not allowing themselves to eat food they enjoy. Or a restrictive diet causes their mind to go crazy and eat anything that is available. Essentially, we all have different ways of eating. So ask yourself…

Who Are You As An Eater?

When you are eating, ask ‘who’ is eating? Is it the rebellious self? Is it the inner-child who is sad and lonely? Or is it your ‘critical self’ telling you, ‘You should not be eating this cake, this is too much’. Essentially we must cultivate self-awareness to understand what is triggering our eating behaviors. For example, this might be habits, patterns, or emotions.

What Is Your History?

Importantly, you must consider history. Perhaps you grew up in a culture that ate a lot of meat. And if you want to try a vegetarian or vegan diet, this might feel more challenging for you. I work with people from all over the world. And their food and the way they cook are vastly different.

Try This Experiment

I want you to see what foods work for you. Really learn to listen to how your body responds. For example, highly processed foods might not feel good for you. Maybe you are OK with having it from time to time? Perhaps having gluten occasionally is fine for you. Or maybe it causes you major gut issues. If something is not working for you, perhaps it is not the diet you should be on. If skipping breakfast creates binges for you later in the day – this is probably not your perfect diet. Essentially you need to learn to listen to your body and mind.

Do You Absorb Nutrients Well?

Nutrients and getting them into our bodies is not as simple as merely eating them. It’s also how our body is digesting them. Imagine 2 people. There is a piece of cake in front of each of them. One person has fear of food and calories and the other is relaxed eating all foods. Because of this, both people will digest that cake differently. The anxious person might be so stressed that their body enters survival mode. When this happens, cortisol levels increase and our body shuts down its digestive system (and we are more likely to store body fat).

Ultimately, it’s not just WHAT we eat. It is WHY we eat. HOW we eat. And WHEN we eat.

The Perfect Healthy Diet

Essentially we need to consider:

Our state when we are eating. How can I calm my nervous system down before I eat?
Look into your underlying 13 drivers that can lead to overeating, food cravings and binge eating.
Observe how your body responds to certain foods (energized or depleted? bloated?)

Need Help to Find ‘YOUR’ Perfect Healthy Diet?

We are here to help you find your perfect diet. To know what to eat to support your energy force and drive for life. We have a seminar called Solve The OverEating Puzzle where I go through 13 underlying drivers for food cravings, overeating, emotional eating, and binge eating. Or book a free consultation with me, to see how we might be able to support you. Book a free consult here.