For the last few months, I realized I know very little about a healthy diet.
From what I gathered by reading/listening to Joe Rogan, Jordan Peterson, Kevin Rose, Peter Attia, Serge Faguet, etc., I came to the conclusion that our diet really shape our bodies and minds. For example, I try to decrease the amount of sugar, carbohydrate I consume during the day with the goal of having a sharper mind.
How can I sort myself out in this regard? Which book would be a good start?
I started my journey with diet with the 4 Hour Body, and did the slow carb diet for 2 years. It removed all joy in food and was very difficult to maintain, however a few months into it I noticed health improvements - less asthma (turned out it was linked to dairy for me), and less runny nose. My weight normalised from 85kg to 75kg.
After doing that, I ended up doing veganism, and have done it ever since 2013. My weight normalised from 75kg to 65kg. It has been the best diet ever for me. I can eat whatever I want, and not have to worry. My partner however, is a more strict wholefood vegan diet, as she has an issue with gluten. As it turns out, right at the very end of 4 Hour Body, there is a single page to say, if you are doing veganism then you probably don’t need this book. Which was annoying.
I’ve never been a fan of fruit, but it turns out that after doing an elimination diet, it turned out that it seems I have fructose intolerance, as things with fructose in them cause me gas and the runs.
For veganism, diet, and nutrition, this book seems the best one on the matter:
That said, it would be worth getting a blood test every 6 months to make sure your diet is hitting your needs. And with a vegan diet, like any diet, there are many ways to do it properly and to do it terribly. So doing blood tests is a good way forward. If you’d like to defer the research to someone else, then perhaps consult a nutritionist (as nutrition is their job).
My wife recommends this nutritionist highly:
I listened to a few podcasts. I think I want to try something like a low-carb diet. However, I am by no means a dietician, therefore I find it very difficult to employ a diet by myself. For example, I say, I want to try low-carb, however, I don’t really know what that means, or which foods have low carb. I mean, I might be cutting my bread consumption, but, I don’t know if what I substitute in place of this has the same or more carb in it. Also, I don’t have an idea about the possible health effects of what I try to do. I don’t know how to measure my progress.
So, I pretty much feel like a blind person trying to walk a road.
Hi @anon8015707 - As healthy diet and life style is extremely important to me, I thought I might chime in! The first thing I would say is it’s important to listen to your body. We all have a different chemical makeup and what works for one does not work for all. Having said that, there is a lot of evidence that grains are not good for your health. Google “leaky gut” and you can read what some say. I am in agreement with this philosophy and believe that a diet made up of mostly protein, fruits and veggies is best. Although I think cheat days, perhaps one a week to indulge in something special is a nice because we should all reward ourselves for hard work and a healthy diet IS hard work most of the time! I would also recommend googling “paleo diet”. You can get a substantial amount of information on the impact of grain on the diet and the benefits of eating a diet rich in protein and fruit and veggies. There is a lot of evidence now about the importance of promoting a healthy gut flora. Reading up on that might be helpful in your decision making as well. We are learning that the microbiota in our bodies is linked to so many things including brain health! Lastly, I think including exercise is a vital part of over all health and would advise including that in addition to a healthy diet. If I can be of any more specific help, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Best of luck to you!! ~ P
Thanks the detailed reply. I will look up for the things you recommend.