According to Oxford Dictionary, diet refers to "the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats." In this sense, diet has to do with a person's regular choices and habits -- not a temporary phase or fad.
If you do a Google search on the word diet, many results come up such as the Intermittent Fasting Diet, the Atkins Diet, the 2-Day Diet and so on.
My research has not been related to these types of fad diets. Instead, I've been curious about details of those diets that claim to be more of a lifestyle change.
I definitely experienced a change in lifestyle after I did the Whole Life Challenge. I learned so many things from that experience and I have been to still apply what I learned to my everyday life. I truly experienced a change in lifestyle.
Although I know the Whole Life Challenge way of eating really suited me, I do not abide by it 100% of the time. I have incorporated other foods into my regular diet -- some of them work well and others not so much.
It is in the interest of finding out the most suitable way of eating for my lifestyle - my body chemistry, my physical activity, my general habits - that I have been researching different types of diets.
Although the phrase, 'move more, eat less' is often spouted throughout the fitness community, I have found that it isn't as simple as that. I went through phases where I was exercising a lot and hardly eating -- but that didn't work for me. I was ruining my metabolism and starving myself; my workouts were inefficient, and the foods that I was eating were unhealthy.
I found that even though lentils and legumes were allowed on the Whole Life Challenge, they didn't suit me very well.
I know that eating quinoa is 'allowed' as part of generally 'Eating Clean' - but it doesn't suit me very well.
... you get the picture.
So, I'm continuing my exploration into the world of healthy foods. I've got quite a few notes going on -- about clean eating in general, about living a Paleo lifestyle, about the Dolce Diet, the Gracie Diet, the Atkins Diet, etc.
I'll be updating my blog every once in a while about what I discover.
The 2 things that have been consistent so far:
1) Stay away from refined and processed foods as well as sugar
2) You've got to modify your eating to suit your lifestyle and your body chemistry - one diet does not fit all!
go to marksdailyapple.com (if you haven't already), and click the 'start here' button at top.
ReplyDeleteAnd intermittent fasting isn't actually a diet, it's a concept that can be utilized as part of another dieting life style. Lots of great information on intermittent fasting, and many of my blogging friends (and myself) utilize it frequently. Good luck!
Thanks Gwen. I'll check it out :)
DeleteFor what it's worth, I do IF warrior style, but it isn't easy till you get used to it, and the studies seem to say that it works better in men. Really my most recent column gives you the most important thing about any lifestyle for weight management.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dr. J. I had not heard of IF warrior style, but I'll read up on it. I'm on my way to check out your recent post!
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