Wellness for the World: Uggg...What the Heck do I Eat?

by Glen Depke

No kidding! Clients entering my office often struggle with what to eat.

Think about it. Have you followed your best friend’s diet, only to find yourself constantly hungry, feeling fatigued and maybe even gaining a bit of weight? Are you sick and tired of sifting through the vast amounts of information on diet and nutrition and looking for what’s right for you? Do you find yourself struggling with the concept of a “one size fits all” diet plan? If you answered yes to any of these questions, obtaining my program to help you better understand your personal Nutritional ID is for you.

So what is the best diet for you? Atkins, Ornish, South Beach, High Protein, High Carb, Vegetarianism, Mediterranean and the list goes on…

It’s important to understand that we are all bio-chemically different and while one person may thrive on a particular diet; this same diet may be detrimental to another. This is tied into our genetics as well as any existing functional challenges.

From a genetic factor it’s important to understand that it takes our bodies many generations to create a shift in nutritional needs. Many cultures have thrived with optimal health based on the foods that were locally available to them. A traditional Eskimo thrived in an extremely challenging climate with their main dietary intake being fat and protein. The Aborigines consumed much more vegetation, insects, kangaroo and wallaby yet enjoyed the strength and fitness of Olympic athletes. The Swiss consumed large amounts of high fat cheese, raw milk, small amounts of protein, whole rye and some wine yet survived very well even through glacier winters. The African Masai consumed raw milk, meat and blood from cattle yet enjoyed superb mental and physical development. While I am not necessarily recommending these particular diets, I am hopeful this will help you understand the importance of moving toward your true genetic needs.

The functional factor ties into life’s situations such as stress, current health challenges, environment challenges and such. When challenged, your body may require a nutritional shift which needs to be addressed accordingly until you reach a state of balance. From there your body can naturally evolve to your true genetic nutritional needs.

A common misconception is that we all should be eating a wide variety of food in moderation. Think about it…if you lived an area significantly North of the equator you would have never seen a grapefruit, orange, pineapple, kiwi or many other foods that we are told to consume on a regular basis and year round. This individual probably would have seen fruit such as apples, pears, and some berries but this would have also been seasonal with only a small opportunity for consumption. The same would be true for an individual that has a genetic heritage near the equator. This person would have thrived on tropical fruit, vegetation, low fat warm water fish and seafood and low fat meats. Put this person on a high fat, high protein diet and this could prove disastrous. Another common misconception, in my opinion, is that we need to eat many small meals per day. I can say from my years of nutritional work with thousands of clients that this simply is not true. If you are consuming the plan that is right for your Nutritional ID then you will more than likely enjoy high core energy physically, mentally, and emotionally on no more than three balanced meals.

As our gift to you, Depke Wellness is offering you a complimentary assessment for your personalized Nutritional ID. Click on the button below to assess your own bio-chemical nutritional needs and begin your journey toward health and happiness.