I have learned after many years in clinical practice that what works for one person does not always work for another. So it begs the question ” Do we all need Personalized Diets?” I think we might and then there is also a case that we might not ?
A Simple Personalized Diet Plan
Many of us are not losing the weight and feeling great and we all keep looking for the magic food formula to help us finally lose the weight and feel better. I also see certain so called good for you and trendy diets lacking in basic fundamental nutrition. What I mean is, that there are glaring deficiencies that overtime can lead to health problems if not addressed. For Example: If you follow a Vegan Diet then you should supplement with B12, A Keto Diet then you should consider adding a mineral supplement etc … Food is also not the only marker for great health though, Exercise, Mindset, Genetics and Environment also play a huge role. So if you are struggling with your health the question should include these other markers, in particular your Stress level.
Sure there are some basics rules we should follow, like drink water, don’t eat sugar etc, however I think we can agree that if there was only one simple statement it would be: “Eat mostly ( PLANTS ) veggies and not too much”. ( Micheal Pollan : The Omnivores Dilemma).
The Loss of Oral Tolerance and Personalized Diets
The other thing I think we can all agree on is that we have become overly obsessed with our food and we are not really enjoying what we eat. You know what I mean right? It is becoming increasingly more difficult to prepare a meal that everyone at the table can eat. What we are also seeing in our clinics is the loss of oral tolerance. What that means is that we are only eating certain foods over and over and over again. What this does overtime is shift the balance of microbes in our intestines and we become more and more intolerant to foods. So, I am adding to Micheal Pollan’s statement above, that we should eat a variety of foods. That being said I am talking about organically grown, wild caught and sustainable, grass fed and finished food sources kinda Personalized Diets.
How Stress affects our Digestion
To add to this discussion we have to include Digestion and Stress and how it affects our ability to break down food and use it for fuel. In the high stress world we live in, many of us suffer from low stomach acid. This is called hypochloridria. We require adequate stomach acid to prevent bacteria overgrowth and Leaky Gut issues. We also need HCL to activate the enzymes to break down the food we eat into a liquid called Chyme so that it is bio available and easy on our digestive systems and does not trigger an immune response.
We covered a lot of concepts in this article which I hope I was able to present in a way that makes sense. The bottom line is that I am personally very excited about the future of Personalized Nutrition. The technology that is going to be available for us to measure how foods affects our blood sugar, our energy and our microbiome (Gut Health) and it will change healthcare.
The future will provide the scientific data to show us that the right foods in the right combinations will act like medicine for our bodies. This will be amazing for folks who struggle with auto immune conditions and the like.
We are already getting some clues from several companies based on our genetics however there is more to learn. Very soon we will be able to put it all together easily. Until then I recommend a good old fashioned Comprehensive Food and Lifestyle Journal as a great way to start to understand what is best for you. Another great option is our Purification Programs. They are excellent at helping to reset the body.
As always I am here to help you discover your very own Personalized Diets, so you can learn what is best for you so you can finally feel great.
Have a healthy week and enjoy the energy of the summer solstice
Dr Pia
