Eating the right way is a major topic of discussion. Heated discussion actually. And with so much information now coming at us unrelentingly, it can be difficult to discern what is the best. Because in our efforts to improve our overall nutrition and the subsequent benefits, we want the best. So what IS the best way to eat? What do we need to be doing to ensure we are eating the right way?
- Gluten free?
- Grain free?
- Fat free?
- Fruit free?
- Meat free?
- Veggie free… wait a minute…
- Etc.
Should I be eating ‘Paleo’?
Should I be eating ‘Vegetarian’ or ‘Vegan’?
Should I be eating ‘Raw’?
Etc.
There seems to be so much science now backing all of these various approaches, all touting the benefits of eating their way. But they all contradict each other. So which one is right?
Are you ready for the answer?
They all are. They are all providing the incredible benefits they say they are. People are feeling better, healthier, stronger, more energetic on ALL of the various, clean, healthy approaches to eating.
Why?
Because, nutritionally, our needs vary immensely. While some might disagree, there is no “one right way” to eat. There is only the right way YOU need to eat for optimal functioning at this time in your life. What that looks like depends on many factors:
- Your genetics
- Your sex
- Your age
- Your environment
- Your culture
- Your type/level of physical activity
- Your eating “history”
- Your current state of health
- Your financial situation
- and much more… (chemical/hormonal makeup and emotional state just to name a couple)
Yet despite such an important aspect to our overall well-being having so many factors involved, the approach one takes with their Diet/Food has fallen into very stringent, even militaristic, constraints that demand a fervent, almost cult like, adherence. Which is understandable in some respect, when people have seen life altering results, literally, from changing how they eat.
Life Isn’t a Single Recipe
Like all things in life, however, our needs nutritionally fluctuate (depending on the extensive factors involved and their combinations). We have to allow for that in order to be able to recognize when those signs for a change, shift or refinement present themselves. In doing so, we then move ourselves away from the intense stress around what we eat and instead focus on how and why we eat what we do.
Thus living in greater honesty… the starting place for true Life Evolution to ignite.
No, it doesn’t happen over night. And that’s okay. It’s not supposed to. It’s a process of exploration, discovery and evaluation. So long as we are taking action, the steps (no matter how small) for continued progress towards that which will serve us and our families even more positively in our lives than it did yesterday.
Eating the right way begins with daring to redefine our relationship with food, connecting to what it serves and acknowledging that it is an adventure with ‘peaks’, ‘valleys’, ‘canyons’, ‘rivers’, ‘lakes’, ‘forests’, ‘deserts’ and ‘oceans’. All of which play a role in getting to what works best, in a positive and beneficial manner, for you.
Dare To Evolve,
Shane.
* For more information and assistance in making these dietary shifts, be sure to check out our Dare To Evolve Nutritional Start-Up Guide, available with your Dare To Evolve online membership (Free to sign up).
We also offer a space, focused on nutrition, on our Member Forum in which we can all share our: experiences, strategies, pitfalls, suggestions, insights, recipes and successes… in a spirit of acceptance, respect and support.
Shane, I completely agree. Completely!
Glad it resonates Anne!
Thanks for sharing this Shane. It is insightful and without prejudice. It reminds me of a recent Paul Chek video http://youtu.be/mZ4cRRrAqEM titled “What is the best diet?”.
I started listening to Dave Asprey a few months ago and soon after to Rich Roll. They are polar opposites in many respects and yet there are common threads. It’s been an interesting intellectual exercise for me to review my own ideas about diet. My conclusion is that I still stay firm on my “do no harm” approach but I am not going to force it down people’s throats (except for leading by example).
For the record, I’ve been vegetarian for over twenty years, have achieved fairly good results in numerous sports, have sound health and plenty of energy.
You are most welcome Stoyan! And thanks for the link to Paul Chek’s video.
“Do no harm” is an excellent perspective to hold in that process of dialling in what works best. Because there is an awful lot of information out there focused on “fat loss” and “body composition” as its primary objective, which is driven at as the best indicator for overall health, that can indeed cause harm.
And to me, you are maintaining a solid balance between having found what works best for you and supporting others in doing the same. Just because one is does not excessively try to convince everyone that what they do is the right/best way, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be firm in our commitment to improvement and evolution.
Thanks for sharing your experience and keep being that example! It will undoubtedly continue being a source of great support and inspiration for all who know you.