I read an article on a health website and the title described the Mediterranean diet as “the healthiest diet in the world.” This is a great endorsement! Personally, and from all my experience training different people, I really don’t think there is one perfect diet that benefits everyone all the time.
Each of us is unique in everything: God created us in this way. We know that no two people have the same fingerprints. Only U.S. But we are also biochemically unique. For example, I’m sure you know some healthy, vibrant vegans. They love to eat plant foods, grains, and seeds, and they thrive on this type of diet. In fact, they tend to feel lethargic and bloated when they consume animal protein. Then there are the other people who feel weak and fragile unless they have some kind of animal protein in every meal, and they are healthy.
Most of my life I have been eating mostly vegetables and grains, eating protein from time to time and doing very well. Due to my Greek ancestry, I grew up primarily on a Mediterranean diet (the main ingredients are very healthy). Reasons were preference – I enjoyed these other foods more and generally this is what I’m used to. He was healthy, effortlessly maintaining a normal weight, and full of energy. When I hit forty, this no longer worked for me. I started to gain weight, and no matter how much I ate or how much I exercised, my body was not responding as well as ever.
After doing a lot of research on the nutritional type, I decided to try incorporating more protein. I made sure to have eggs or whey protein with my breakfast and some clean protein (chicken, turkey, buffalo, lamb, or lean meat) with lunch and dinner. I intentionally increased the amount of water I drink and completely switched to Celtic sea salt, pink salt, or Himalayan sea salt instead of table salt.
In a few weeks I was able to return to my ideal weight and have maintained it for over ten years. I have added other items, but when it comes to diet, the protein boost was the biggest change for me. The point is, even with age, our bodies change and I think we must be aware of this and be prepared to make adjustments.
Some people, like Eskimos, consume large amounts of fat and are extremely healthy. We have all read about people from other countries and cultures who do not have heart disease or diabetes. Once they arrive in the United States and start eating an “American” diet (fundamentally different from what they used to eat), they start to encounter health problems they have never seen before.
Therefore, I believe that there is an ideal diet for each of us, but it is not something fixed. Even that particular way of eating that keeps us optimizing for years may need to be reconsidered in the future. We cannot be strict about it, but we are willing to listen to our body and make the necessary changes. One size does not fit all.
Anne Musico is a freelance written health consultant and nutrition counselor. She has developed the 3D Life program to help her trained clients achieve health and perfection with vibrant vitality: soul, spirit and body. Visit her website at http://www.threedimensionalvitality.com for more information on the 3D Living program and the training packages they offer. Sign up for our free monthly newsletter and weekly emails. Health is more than the absence of disease. Let Anne show you how to create a life of passion, purpose, perfection, and texture.
