Since I was a kid I was fascinated with foods. The way it affects our bodies, our minds, our emotions, our health, energy, productivity "“ everything basically.
For some reason, I noticed the correlation between quality of our life and foods we eat very early in my life. I started adopting and trying out all kinds of diets, diet approaches, ways of eating, demonizing and glorifying different foods at different times.
My mom is still having fun talking about it. Although she admits that because of my experiments and awareness the whole family ended up eating much healthier, being more aware of healthier food options.
I always kinda thought back then that there is only one right way to eat. That there must be some magical approach to eating that keeps us healthy, happy, high on energy, productive and fully satisfied with no cravings, no deficiencies.
I spent more than a decade looking for that ideal way to eat for human beings. I've tried it all – low carb, low fat, reducing calories, paleo, Atkins, vegan, vegetarian, raw foodism "“ you name it, I tried it.
And there was always something that did not exactly work for me. I was always craving something from the "forbidden foods" list of that particular diet approach I was following at the time. Every single diet that eliminated perfectly fine and healthy food group left me unsatisfied emotionally, or hungry, or deficient, or low on energy, or gave me headaches or indigestion. Something was always off, when I tried to adopt some "diet cult", demonizing some foods and glorifying others. I even tried living on liquids only, for a year "“ raw juices and nut milks mostly.
Nothing quite stuck with me long term. Except principles of healthy eating: avoiding processed foods loaded with sugar, trans fats, all kinds of chemicals and preservatives.
The more I researched different diet approaches, the more books I read – the more I started to realize: we, as humans, are not designed to eat anything in particular. The very reason we survived and became dominant species on the planet is our ability to adapt to almost any kind of diet, environment, climate, lifestyle. We would not be here today, if we were designed for one particular diet or lifestyle, or environment. Take any wild animal, put it in a completely different environment and it either gets sick or dies. Not humans.
And besides, there are so many living proofs of people who are perfectly healthy living on completely different foods: look up "Blue Zones Solution" by Dan Buettner researching people who live the longest in different parts of the world "“ they have such diverse diets and lifestyles! And non of them are Paleo or vegans or raw foodists. They never even thought of that.
We humans are designed to adopt to the best of our ability to any environment and diet available. Adopt and flourish. And that's why we are here today. The dominant species on the planet.
As we evolved we ate raw foods, and all kinds of cooked foods, and meat, and fish, and grains, and whatever was available, whatever best suited our lifestyle and circumstance. And as long as we listened to our common sense and gut feelings about what was good for us and what wasn't, we stayed perfectly fine.
When we ate something that made us sick we would stop eating it. When something made us feel good we would continue eating it. That was the only things we cared about. No theories, no ideologies, no prejudges against any food group. And look where it got us. We are here today, flourishing like no other animal ever could.
The whole idea that we humans are supposed to eat one diet is just totally illogical for anyone who would take time to think about it.
We live in such different environments, we have such different lifestyles "“ how can we be designed for the same diet, all of us? How is it logically possible even? It was never the case in human history!
People like paleo fans say we are supposed to eat like our ancestors 10 000 years ago cause we haven't changed much physically and our digestive system is not designed for certain foods.
But it's proven that our digestive system and gut flora adapts to whatever it gets. Our genes change depending on our lifestyle! (Epigenetics is the science studying genes adaptability correlated with our lifestyle).
I moved from Siberia, to Thailand, to Dubai "“ my body adapted to different climates. My diet changed a lot. And I feel good. I used to be a vegan, raw vegan, paleo, atkins, liquidarian. Now I'm a flexitarian, eating whatever whole foods my body craves at the moment. No judgements. No food racism. I make the healthiest choices no matter where I am. I use all my accumulated knowledge from different food theories to make the best out of everything available, like when I crave desserts, I don't go and buy the first junk available, I make my own chocolate mousse with avocado, or my own chocolate with coconut butter, or I go for some raw vegan kale chips. Why not? Sometimes I eat fish, especially during my period I crave it. I used to have guilt trips after eating any animal products even though my body obviously craved them just because I heard so many vegans talking about bad karma you get from eating fish or any other animal products. But now I don't. And I've never felt better. My body never looked better. I never felt as fit as I do now. I never felt mentally, spiritually and emotionally that good.
I also feel perfectly fine in +40 weather spending time outdoors, sunbathing without any sun screens. Somebody would think that being from Siberia would make it difficult but no, my body adapted. And I can't tolerate cold weather anymore well. I'm freezing at plus 15 C "“ although I used to run in -30 C weather outside, back in Siberia.
Our body is designed to adapt to whatever environment it is in. And it happens fast. Think about it. All the cells in our body change in 7 years. And they adapt to the input that comes from outside, from our environment.
It is truly silly to even think that at some point all of our ancestors ate the same way, and that is why we should eat some particular way. We used to live all over the world, and food supply wasn't delivered everywhere. We would not have the ability to eat the same foods everywhere. It's such a B. S. theory. I guess just an attempt to sell something or to simplify something, or to make life more interesting? Who knows.
People are healthy on all kinds of diets in the world. Eating and not eating grains, eating and not eating animal products, eating lots of fats and just a fraction, eating lots of carbs and almost none at all.
We were designed to adapt. Not to eat paleo, or raw food, or being vegan, or vegetarian, or whatever.
Whatever makes you feel good with no negative after-effects and side effects, whatever suits best your lifestyle, you emotional, physical, mental and spiritual health "“ eat it, and forget about all the theories.
You'd be much better of physical, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I certainly am.
I stay healthy and fit all the time. Why? I do what feels right at the moment. I eat different foods. Don't eat things that drain my energy or make me feel sick. I fast regularly, giving my body space and time to rest and repair. I move. I get enough sunshine and fresh air.
It's so simple.
Why and when did we decide we need to complicate our food so much?
Healthy Diet and Lifestyle. No B. S.
Eat foods that makes you feel healthy and full of energy, avoid foods that makes you feel sick.
Eat foods that suit your lifestyle.
Eat healthy whole foods that your body craves.
Avoid processed foods loaded with sugar, fat, chemicals, preservatives, hormones etc.
Ditch all food theories and diet cults.
Move.
Get enough water, sunshine and fresh air.
That's it. Simple. No need to restrict and forbid any food. Ever.
Enjoy health and life as you were designed to!
Inspired by "Diet Cults" by Matt Fitzgerald.
Some Amazing Comments
Comments
