What's the Best Diet?

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

Here is the most common nutritional question I get from clients.

What's the best diet for you?

• Vegan
• Vegetarian
• Zone
• South Beach
• Macrobiotics
• Atkin's
• Paleo
• and the list goes on

The answer is, none or any of them.

Understand that there is no "one size fits all" meal plan. Hippocrates was spot on when he shared about 2600 years ago, "One man's food is another man's poison." This is just as true today as it was at that time.

I can remember years ago when I first started in the natural health business, I used to teach and practice mainstream nutrition. You all know what that looks like. Eat a lot of vegetables, fruit, whole grains while cutting back on fat and red meat, all while juicing every day. I was always so confused with this because following that plan, I had to eat all day to maintain my energy. When I say all day, I actually ate about 6 meals per day and not little snacks.

How the heck could I be doing everything right, yet feeling so dissatisfied?

Thankfully the answers were provided for me. I was exposed to a system of Metabolic Typing and eventually became an Advanced Metabolic Typing adviser. Of course I was the first person that completed this assessment and low and behold, I was a classic protein type. Understand that a protein type would actually eat red meat, lager quantities of fat, lower amounts of fruit and only specific vegetables. My first day on my new meal plan, I went from 6 meals per day to only 3 and honestly, the amount of food that I eat these days for the whole day, often is similar to what most people would eat in just one meal. Yet I get to enjoy high amounts of energy, physically, mentally, emotionally and vibrationally.

So of course I suggest that everyone follow the protein type plan, right?

Absolutely not!

I only suggest the meal plan that is right for you, according to what I refer to as your Nutritional ID.

To check in on the evolution of my nutritional career, it started with mainstream nutrition. From there I was trained in Metabolic Typing and used this system for several years. At one point when I was working with Dr Mercola back in the Chicago area, I was honored with the task of creating the system of Nutritional Typing that is still used online and within Dr Mercola's clinic. Since moving to Southern California more than 5 years ago, I had developed my own system to assess individual nutritional needs called Nutritional ID.

So what is Nutritional ID all about?

Eating according to your Nutritional ID is about consuming the correct foods for yourself as an individual to maintain the highest energy physically, mentally, emotionally and vibrationally throughout your day with the smallest quantity of food. This enables your body to use high amounts of energy to generate the highest levels of health and happiness.

Sound like a plan, right?

• Who doesn't want more energy? 
• Who doesn't want to eat less and enjoy more?
• Who doesn't want to lose weight and gain strength without cravings and caffeine?
• Who doesn't want to move closer and closer to health and happiness?

Well, if you don't want this, no need to read further, but I know better.

If you would like to assess your personal Nutritional ID visit this link provided for you and scroll to down to receive your assessment. This is a complimentary assessment to understand your individual basic starting point as either a Veggie Type, Mixed Type or Protein Type.

This is just the beginning and not the end.

It is not enough to simply know your Nutritional ID. 

• Being a Veggie Type does not mean eating as a vegetarian or vegan. 
• Being a Protein Type does not mean eating all the protein and fat you would like. 
• Being a Mixed Type does not mean simply eating a little bit of everything.

All Nutritional ID meal plans are directing you to consume protein, fat and carbohydrates but those that are recommended all pertain to using what is right for you. This along with eating them in the direction for optimal results is such a key.

You may think that eating a salad made from red and green leaf lettuce with tomato and cucumber, topped with a small chicken breast and a small amount of olive oil, is a very healthy meal. 

Not so fast!

That's a healthy meal for only one of the three Nutritional IDs.

So be sure that once you know your Nutritional ID, you actually take the next step and minimally get your basic Nutritional ID Meal Plan.

This will include:

• Your personal meal chart
• Meal plan usage instructions
• Five days of recommended meals
• Shopping list
• Recipes

I understand that finances can be tight for so many, so the basic Nutritional ID meal plan is only $9.97. There are more advanced plans available but having at least the basic Nutritional ID Meal Plan is a key.

If you have any comments or questions, please leave them below for myself or my staff to address personally.