Home

Coaching London

Coaching Onlne

Videos

Articles

About

Blog

Contact

The failure of the one size fits all diet

Almost every nutrition expert, fad diet or even government recommendation assumes its advice should be followed by everyone. This attitude does not treat us an individual and as a result will fail the vast majority of the people it is intended to help.

So many different diets.

There are hundreds of different diets on the market; Low fat, high fat, low GI, complex carbs, food combining are just some of them. The succession of fad diets seems endless and relentless. Each presenting it's own merits and reasons why this diet will finally succeed.

If you like this article subscribe to my free weekly newsletter. (I value your privacy and will not give your information to any other parties. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the provided link).

The succession of new diets every few months often with completely contradictory information is very interesting. It is commonly seen that two diets each present opposite recommendations yet both can present compelling evidence in their favour.

For many years we were told that low fat is the way to go and then the Atkins diet arrives saying high fat is the route to take. Many followers of both nutritional recommendations are seen touting their benefits. Other diets say eat just twice a day while some say eating small and often is the best method for health and weight loss.

The one common theme to all these diets is for a significant proportion of people they do not work. Sometimes people comment that this diet or that one used to work for them but not now.

This is paralleled at a clinical nutritional level and in research studies. Consultants find that they cannot get predictable results across the board when using standard nutritional therapies. Research into nutrients and supplements seem consistent only in how there will always be a study that counters a point previously made by another analysis.

Different diets are needed for different people

The evidence for the need for more than one diet to suit individual requirements is both overwhelming and founded on pure commonsense. On the outside, we all look different yet still have ears, nose and eyes. It is illogical to assume internally we are all the same and thus require the same diet. We all have the same organs, tissue and enzymes but they vary greatly from one person to the next in size, efficiency and concentration. This means our nutritional needs vary also.

Evidence of varied nutritional needs came from studies of indigenous tribes around the world. Dr Weston A Price's research revealed how the Eskimo people ate a diet almost exclusively of fat and protein while certain tribes in South American were eating a diet of almost exclusively carbohydrate.

Despite these contradicting requirements both groups were in good health and free from tooth decay, cancer and mental disease. This adaptation to their environment is seen throughout the animal kingdom and is central to Darwin's theory of evolution.

Japanese twin studies further enlightened the effects of nutrition and genetics. The research saw one twin remain in Japan while the other move to America. In later life the American based twin was found to develop health complications and problems in comparison to the twin who remained in their homeland and ate the traditional food of their upbringing.

Different diets at different times.

It is also seen that the same diet does not work for people at different times of their life. Often people report putting weight on even though they have not really changed their diet. This is very commonly seen by the way at 30-40 years old we store more fat than when we were 25. This 'middle age' spread that develops points to how your body may change in it's nutritional requirements

Finding out which diet is for you.

Through analyzing your body's style of functioning at a biochemical level it is possible to determine what diet routine your body needs at the moment. This can produce varying nutritional needs and may result in opposite diets for two different people.

Your style of functioning at a biochemical level, called your metabolic type, can change as a result of your eating patterns or as a consequence of other events. Through checking your body chemistry periodically and observing your health and your reactions to food you will be able to adjust your diet to suit your body's changing internal chemistry.

The science of personalized nutrition, metabolic typing, has been developing over the last 30 years and has evolved through research and analysis of over 60 000 people. Knowing your metabolic type is the most fundamental aspect in obtaining good health and maintaining ideal body weight. To discover this check out my course