What Diet Is Best?

What diet is best?

What Diet Is Best? The problem with this question is that it’s not the best question to ask. The better question is: what diet is the best for me with my current health concerns and in this season of life. Those modifiers are crucial to answering this question.

Truth is, there is no perfect diet. Anyone who says otherwise is missing the big picture. I have seen patients do well on Weight Watchers. I have seen patients do well on keto, paleo, or carnivore-type diets. I’ve seen others do well on calorie restriction. Then there are specialized diets like detox diets or anti-inflammatory diets to help with specific needs. So the question remains: what diet is the best diet for me with my current health concerns in this season of life?

To get to that answer I think each of us need to ask ourselves two simple questions:

What are my current health problems?
What are my current health goals?

If you have hypertension or hyperlipidemia, you’re going to want a diet rich in omega 3’s, olive oil and other healthy fatty acids, similar to the Mediterranean Diet. If you are a diabetic or dealing with symptoms of insulin resistance, you’re going to want to gravitate more towards a low carb/keto-type diet. If you’re dealing with autoimmune conditions, keto or carnivore may be helpful or sticking to an anti-inflammatory diet removing dietary triggers such as dairy, gluten and highly processed foods. Your current health problems say alot about the direction you need to head. This may be a good spot to say, calorie restriction can be helpful, but not all calories are created equal. Meaning, 300 calories of broccoli is not the same as 300 calories of twinkies. We hear that and think, “duh,” but you’d be surprised how many people just try to restrict without focusing on healthy calories. The type of calories you choose matters.

Regarding the second question, your goals help confirm the direction of treatment and give clarity to your “why.” To achieve your health goals, it’s important to have disciplines and accountability partners, but I would argue it’s more important to have a good “why.” Are you wanting to lose weight so you can maybe get off some of your diabetic medicine? Are you wanting to alleviate inflammation so your autoimmune condition can go into remission? Are you wanting to get healthy so you have many more good quality years to spend with your kids and grandkids? What’s your why? How are you going to get there?

Generally speaking, low carbohydrate, high protein and high healthy fats are a step in the right direction for almost everyone. Protein is essential for life, muscle building, energy production, hormone production and has a direct correlation with longevity. Healthy fats are also essential for hormone regulation, cognitive function, regulating blood sugar, nutrient absorption, cellular health, and so much more. Carbohydrates, on the other hand, are not essential. They can be helpful for quick energy, but they are not needed. The body can actually manufacture glucose from fats and proteins. That’s often why we tell diabetics to eat protein before bed, because it.

Be well!

Zach