Chronic health problem? Start by eating real food

When you start a new health journey, knowing what to eat can seem confusing — there is tons of conflicting advice.

The truth is, the best diet depends on which one works best for you.

A custom diet plan starts with real food

With that said, one basic rule still applies: Eat whole foods.

Ditch foods that have been processed (cereal, chips, etc.), artificial colorings, additives, and preservatives, industrialized fats, and too much sugar.

This means sticking to the produce, meat, and nut sections in the grocery store. Eat natural fats such as coconut oil and olive oil. Avoid vegetable oils and hydrogenated fats.

You have to learn new habits but you’ll start feeling so much better you’ll likely feel enthusiastic about it.

When eating real food is difficult

Trouble digesting real foods is a red flag digestion is in trouble.

Do you feel heavy after eating meat? Your stomach may be low in hydrochloric acid (HCl), which is necessary to digest meats.

An increase in fiber from eating more produce may cause digestive problems in some people. This could be due to overgrowth of bad bacteria, low HCl, deficiency in pancreatic digestive enzymes, or gut inflammation.

In these cases work on restoring gut health while slowly easing into eating more produce.

Blood sugar and stress handling

Most Americans eat too many carbss and sugars, which are a foundation to lifestyle inflammatory diseases. However, not everyone fares well on a very low-carb diet.

People with chronic hypoglycemia and adrenal fatigue may need to eat smaller meals more frequently while others find eating three meals per day ideal.

Some people feel great on a very low-carbohydrate, or ketogenic, diet, while it gives others anxiety and insomnia. Finding an appropriate amount of carbs to keep blood sugar stable and lower inflammation can take some trial and error. As your blood sugar and stress handling improve, you may be able to reduce frequency of meals.

(Photo by Elena Mark, Creative Commons)