The Correct Diet

Is there such a thing?

Diet is a word that seems to carry a lot of stigma, pressure, and weight behind it - excuse the pun!

Following a diet means sticking to a set way of eating certain foods and also drinks. A diet plan often has strict rules and protocols which must be obeyed at all times. If you are not sticking to the laws, then effectively you are not on the diet and are off-track and failing.?

I think instead we should talk about nutrition, hydration, lifestyle management and sustainable long-term eating. This involves adopting better individual eating habits that work for you whilst living your normal day-to-day life.?

So, what is the correct nutrition, hydration, lifestyle eating plan??

The answer is – the one that works best for you at this present moment of your life, without causing you constant stress and disruption in your life. The best nutrition, hydration and lifestyle eating plan is the one that you can stick to for at least 80% of the time, everyday.

This is known as the 80/20 rule and means that you must be strict and on-track for at least 80% of the time, with the remaining 20% available for going off-course. Effectively, the not-so healthy 20% will be okay for you due to the healthy 80% you have been following. You will still therefore hopefully be able to achieve your health and fitness goals without stressing your body and mind.

I have just done a quick search on amazon.com for “Diet Books” and got over 50 000 results! With so many diet books to choose from, which one is the correct diet to go for – if there even is such a thing.?

There are countless ways of eating and using food and drink to help you achieve your goals. There is no one type of diet plan that works for every human being on the planet and just because it worked for an author of a diet book, or your friend who's following that book, it doesn't mean it will work for you too.?

Be mindful if you do buy and follow a certain diet book. Just because it is a best-seller or it has the most and best reviews, that doesn't mean that it is right for you. Maybe it has a catchy title with a great looking cover and your friend, or colleague, bought it and now recommends you to follow the diet, because it worked for them.

Before you decide what plan or way of eating is right for you, just remember – we are as different and unique on the outside, as we are on the inside.

We therefore require nutrition and hydration in various constantly changing quantities and amounts (portion sizes), macronutrient ratios (protein, carbohydrates and fats), micronutrient densities (vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids), as well as at certain times of the day (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks).?

Human beings are all metabolically different from one another. Metabolism is the speed and rate of chemical reactions in our bodies that break down food into available energy for us to use straight away, or to store for future use. Our overall metabolic rate is very individual and can depend on certain factors such as age, sex, genetic makeup, our environment, exercise type, intensity and frequency, as well as the climate we live in.

One thing for sure when it comes to eating and drinking is - the higher the quality, the better it will be for you. This applies to all plant and animal produce, as well as water.

Poor quality means you do not get all of the micronutrients and macronutrients your body needs every single day to function and perform optimally and healthily. You can overload your liver and kidneys with many toxic chemicals from pesticides, rodenticides, antibiotics and even micro-plastics found in food and water.

Toxins are also stored in body fat of animals that have purposefully been fattened up for higher profits for the farmer when sold, and can play havoc on our bodies. Be cautious of eating fatty parts of meat from poorly raised and inappropriately fed animals.?

Consume as much high quality, natural and unprocessed food and drink. These include free-range, organic, pasture-raised, completely grass fed, biodynamic, wild caught, and artesian well (naturally filtered) water. The farming system should be local, holistic, sustainable and a closed diversified ecosystem, where it contributes to the environment, instead of damaging it.?

We are often dehydrated and thirsty before we are hungry, so keep drinking high-quality water throughout the day to suppress the urge to keep eating, when it is actually not needed yet. The exact amount of water you should be drinking depends on factors such as climate, body weight, exercise type, intensity and frequency, as well as other foods and drinks you have already consumed.?

As a general minimal amount per day, we should aim to drink 0.033 litres of water per kilogram of body weight. Therefore, a 100kg person needs to drink at least 3.3 litres of water per day.