In the maze of diet trends and fads, it’s easy to get lost.
From Paleo, Keto, Whole30, Atkins, Zone, Grapefruit or Soup Diets to intermittent fasting, low fat, high fat, low or carb and Cleanses, the options seem endless.
I don’t fit neatly into any one diet category—I encompass them all and none at the same time.
Why? Because I’m an advocate for personalisation, and you should be too. Nutrition isn’t a one-size-fits-all concept; it’s as individual as you are.
Every day, new research underscores the importance of tailoring nutrition to your specific needs and goals.
So, is there a universal “right way” to eat?
Not really. Our diverse backgrounds, unique genetic makeup, ever-changing environments and maybe most importantly, our personal preferences make prescribing a uniform diet impossible.
Many struggle with body composition and health when following generic advice.
Personalised nutrition isn’t merely about hopping on the latest diet bandwagon; it involves considering various factors such as;
- Genetics: Your genetic makeup determines how your body reacts to specific nutrients. Without expensive testing, we may need to trial things. Some people know they have allergies or suspect they do for instance, but it can be much more than this.
- Environment: Your surroundings impact food availability and lifestyle. Your budget can be a big factor too.
- Seasonal Variations: Your nutritional requirements may vary throughout the year as well as different foods being more available or less/more costly.
- Your Location: Whether urban or rural, where you live affects food choices and your access to them.
- Stress Levels and Hormone status: Stress and hormones influence appetite and food preferences on a daily basis. This needs to be factored in.
- Lifestyle and Schedule: Daily routines and activity levels play a major role in the best diet for you. This includes factoring in your meal/snack timing and also how much time you have available for food preparation
- Food Preferences: Your tastes shape your dietary choices. If you don’t like what you’re eating, it is NEVER going to work.
- Personal Enjoyment: What you like to eat matters so much. Related to the point above, you need to be able to fully enjoy your food, whether thats factoring in treats or meals out with family/friends. It all needs to be taken into account.
- Stage of Life: Your age and stage is so important when working out the best diet for you. At certain stages, eg Puberty, Peri-menopause, Menopause, your nutrition needs can vary a lot from other stages. This includes nutritional needs such as certain vitamins/minerals but also macro nutrients – a different ratio of protein/carbs and fats may work better.
Mainstream diets often fall short because they fail to account for individual needs. While they may work to some extent by creating a calorie deficit or surplus, different diets are harder to stick to or cause different problems for individuals with different needs (which is pretty much everyone)
Eliminating certain foods, as with a Paleo, Keto or Vegan diet, can reduce or increase hunger and calorie intake. However, the bottom line for fat loss remains calorie balance.
Some diets focus on improving food quality; for example the Paleo diet emphasises nutrient-rich whole foods and avoids anything processed. This approach can help with weight management, satiety, nutrient intake, and reducing overeating, but may not fit into your lifestyle 100 percent of the time with its big restrictions when you want to eat out or are not as prepared as going Paleo requires.
Micronutrients—vitamins and minerals—are also crucial. Some modern diets emphasise whole foods to help ensure adequate intake of fruits and vegetables, the primary sources of these essential micronutrients, but many don’t.
Nutrient timing and meal frequency are often additional considerations. Intermittent fasting, for instance, dictates when to eat (or not eat) for optimal efficacy, while the post-workout “anabolic window” is a period when the body efficiently absorbs nutrients like carbohydrates and protein and is a major component of some diets such as Metabolic Precision and others.
However, these strategies are effective only when overall calorie intake is managed. Even if you cut carbs but consume excess calories, your body will still store fat. Likewise eating purely whole foods can work, but they’re going to cause fat gain if you eat too much.
Supplements can complement modern nutrition, but caution is advised. Ensure they meet quality and safety standards and comply with relevant regulations. Always remember that supplements are exactly that; a supplement to your diet and cannot perform miracles or make an otherwise bad diet good.
Let’s simplify it into a pyramid:
- Level 1: Manipulating Body Composition: Most modern diets focus on this, aiding weight control.
- Levels 2-5: Going the Extra Mile: Some diets extend beyond body composition to enhance overall health, performance, and micronutrient intake. The more levels addressed, the better the results.
When selecting a nutrition plan, consider more than just appearance; assess its impact on energy levels, well-being, sleep, and relationship with food. A holistic approach yields superior, long-lasting results. Often before and afters are manipulated to make a program seem better than it actually is and usually to make it seem ‘easy’.
While improved body composition is a common goal you must prioritise health and performance as well. Your health directly influences your appearance, and your nutrition should optimise performance in all aspects of life. If you don’t do this, your plan will always fail in the end.
Continuously monitor body composition, health, and performance. If any of these decline, your current nutrition plan may need adjustment.
Your hunger, energy levels, your sleep quality, skin and hair health and your gut all should be monitored as it’s all related even though it seems like they’re not.
In conclusion, the ideal diet transcends trends; it’s about aligning nutritional protocols with your unique requirements. Find what works for you, and unlock your body and health’s full potential.
Often at FitterFaster, clients will start with one of our challenge programs that run for 4-8 weeks. Most will start with a set nutritional plan and we move from there to individual guidelines even in that group program because for all the reasons above, we can’t and won’t all be able to get the same results on the same program.
IF you’d like to chat about how you can achieve your fat loss goals, you can book a Success Session with me on the link below. There’s no hard sell, we’ll simply talk about what you want to achieve and how you could do that either with my help or not.