By Tam John, Certified Holistic Nutritionist (NTP)

“There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.”

~Mark Twain

     Personalized Nutrition, a trending topic in health and wellness originated as ancestral idea. Ayurvedic medicine and the work of Dr. Weston A. Price [1] have been in existence for many generations and serve as excellent examples of Personalized Nutrition.

     Ayurvedic medicine guides a personal approach to making food choices by leaning to food and drink aligned with a primary and often secondary dosha. According to Chopra Center [2], doshas represent five elements found in all living things —ether, air, fire, water, and earth—are the building blocks of life. While this foundation unites all humans, the manifestation of those elements through the (three) doshas is what gives rise to our differences.

Having traveled the world over a span of nearly a decade in the 1930s to study health correlations with indigenous diets, Dr. Weston A. Price recognized that although diets varied a great deal, he observed perfection of health in those groups of people who ate their indigenous foods. He also documented commonalities of all diets even though they varied a great deal.

     Other personalized approaches to nutrition include the ‘Blood Type Diet’ and ‘GenoType’ Diet by Dr. D’Adamo [3], and the ‘3-Season Diet’ by Dr. Douillard [4]. These and more personalized approaches to making optimal nutrition choices offer value. Though, in my personal journey as a seeker, I still found them to be helpful guidelines only. There were inclusions of food fundamental to those plans that were ‘errors’ for my body. Not all ‘healthy’ food is healthful for everyone.

Not all "healthy" food is

healthful for everyone

     Ethnic diversity makes matters of Personalized Nutrition more complex. Current day (America in particular) requires a new truly personalized approach to the idea of indigenous diets and other Personalized Nutrition food plans because in the modern day many people do not have a pure ethnic lineage that would make a particular diet universally true.

     Living in the USA, many Americans today have to navigate the plethora of industrialized food impacting how people deal with stressors of food, drink, stress and lifestyle. Several generations into a "Standard American Diet (SAD)", many people don’t know how to base their food life on nutrient dense real food even if they know it is important. A good food life is a plan you can live with day after day, for life.

     Your Body Knows

     For a long term wellness plan to be effective, it must be based on an evaluation of your unique bio-chemistry. I offer a non-invasive clinical assessment [5] that gauges healthy function and where the body is asking for targeted support. Signs and symptoms are messages from your body to ‘forewarn’ you of a need for targeted nutritional and lifestyle support. An effective food life for health and wellness is easy, delicious and never feels like deprivation.

     Figuring out your personal wellness puzzle can begin by tuning in to how food makes you feel. Consuming food personally appealing to a person’s senses - taste, texture, smell, sight, and even hearing (think sizzling, searing, sautéing, chopping, etc) goes beyond immediate sensory perception to how your body negotiates (digests, assimilates, absorbs, eliminates, etc.) the food. Tuning in to your senses and being able to identify your feelings, you can become expert at knowing the food, etc right for you. The caveat is that you must choose real food. Processed and refined food will hijack your brain for insatiable eating without ample nutritive value.

...being able to identify your feelings,

you can become expert at knowing

the food [which is] right for you.

     Ketogenic diets:  Consider the ketogenic diet ‘rave’ occurring in America today, and be mindful that there is a wide variance of what ‘keto dieting’ means. In my nutritional therapy practice I’ve seen daily fat consumption of total calories range from 40 – 80%. Anywhere in this wide range people must properly digest and assimilate the fat for it to be of greater benefit than distress for the body. The truth is most people should probably be choosing a food life somewhere in between what they consider Paleo, ketogenic or any popular diet.

     Principles of Choosing Healthful Food for You:

  • Be your own wellness advocate. Be attached to having firm resolve to make choices aligned with your well-being. Don’t be attached to eating a particular popular plan.  
  • Choose Real Food – grown and raised as nature intended. No one was designed to ingest highly refined and processed foods. Humans need real lively food.
  • Satiation is a big clue to how well your meals are serving your body. Desire to ‘constantly’ graze on food is a clue something is off with food and bodily function interaction.
  • Read labels when you lean to packaged food. If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it.
  • Be mindful how you feel. Signs and symptoms, no matter how common they are, aren’t normal. Your body is asking for support. If any food is unappealing even if ‘healthy’ don’t eat it.

     Rest assured of two things:

  • Enjoying a highly nutritious food life can be easy, even with a modern busy life.
  • Your body is designed for wellness.

For more information about Tam's personalized approach to help you with your wellness goals and nutrition, including access to her newly published book, ‘A Fresh Wellness Mindset:  Personalize Your Food Life & Find Your Truth about Gluten’, please click here . . .

References:

[1] Home. (n.d.). Retrieved February 03, 2018, from https://www.westonaprice.org/

[2] What Is a Dosha? (2017, February 10). Retrieved February 03, 2018, from https://chopra.com/articles/what-is-a-dosha

[3] About. (n.d.). Retrieved February 03, 2018, from http://www.4yourtype.com/about/

[4] 3-Season Diet Challenge. (n.d.). Retrieved February 03, 2018, from https://lifespa.com/3seasondietchallenge/

[5] Services. (n.d.). Retrieved February 03, 2018, from https://www.TamJohn.com/services/

This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent disease. This article has not been reviewed by the FDA. Always consult with your primary care Physician or Naturopathic Doctor before making any significant changes to your health and wellness routine.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2018 EatRight-LiveWell ™ & Tam John