The Undisputed Best Diet
I don’t talk a lot about nutrition or diet because I don’t know nearly enough about it to contribute anything meaningful. But even so, despite conflicting articles and information, there is a consensus about what is the best diet. If you want to start eating healthier this is what you need to do:
Pick the diet that you can stick to.
It’s that simple. The best diet for you is the one you can stay consistent with. The reality is all different diets have a widespread of benefits - vegan, paleo, intermittent fasting, gluten-free, and each of our bodies are different so it’s hard to make any recommendations about it. What matters most is your compliance with it - the best diet for you is the one you can stick to.
When you can pick a diet that is reasonably within your financial means and your social interests, you’re more likely to follow through on it and therefore discover how it affects you. You’ll be able to start figuring out what makes you feel at your best when you commit to a sustainable diet and reflect on how much energy you had throughout the day, did you have any discomfort, etc.
This also helps you align on what’s most manageable for you over the long-term. Is it healthy for you to have dessert and drink alcohol every night? Probably not, although of course there’s research that suggests chocolate is great for you and a glass of wine at night is too. But the point I’m trying to make is if you tell yourself you can’t have dessert, or you can’t drink alcohol ever because it’s part of an unhealthy diet, then you’re setting expectations that aren’t organically compatible with your life!
In my coaching I encourage people to find that best fit amount so that they have the right amount to shoot for. This is the true definition of temperance - it’s not completely eliminating something from your life, it’s about finding the right amount of it that is in alignment with your values.
So if you want to get into a healthier lifestyle and commit to a more healthful diet - pick the one that you can stick to. It might be oversimplified but when you set that expectation from your logical, reasonable best-self, you’ll find that it might be a little challenging, and it will hold you accountable, because with good intentions you set a new standard.
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