This is part 3 of this weeks series on diet and nutrition. As I’ve been writing these posts, I’ve been researching the content therein on websites such as the National Institute of Health. Not all articles will post a source but if I dive deeper into the nutritional aspect of things, then I will also leave some source material.
As I said earlier, diet is more subjective than objective. There are certain rules that apply to everyone such as dropping calories to lose fat. Yet, there are also things that are very dependent upon genetics.
Genetics and illness play a huge role in how we should shape our lifestyle and our choices in food. If you have Crohn’s Disease, like me, then you should cut out the processed garbage and learn to eat more naturally.
I noticed that I went into complete remission when I went on the Paleo Diet. That is in huge part due to a switch from fast food over to foods that I cook at home. Anyone can do the same thing and will notice an overall improvement in their physical well being. I think a step further than that would be cutting out the meat and dairy entirely and eating my protein from plant based foods.
So when I break this down, at least in my own mind, it seems that eating more naturally would be better for anyone and not just someone with a serious illness. Not to make this completely objective and say that everyone should eat the same way, but this particular point is fairly obvious:
Cut out the processed junk food!
In general, eating cleaner and eating around your Basal Metabolic Rate will help you achieve whatever goal you are hoping to achieve. Also, remember to eat 500 calories under your BMR for cutting fat and 500 calories over your BMR for bulking season.
But you also DO have to keep in mind your medical conditions. When I found the paleolithic diet for my Crohn’s disease, it was after weeks of research and having finally said “Enough is enough!” You have to really dig deep into studying the possibilities of what may be causing illnesses for you and also keep in mind any medical advice you have received. So in finding a proper way to handle your medical conditions with an effective diet, I’d list the steps like this:
- See a doctor. Although no one likes a doctors office visit, it is better safe than sorry. If you can be diagnosed and know what your bill of health is like, then you have made positive steps in knowing your body and can begin treatment.
- Study nutrition so that you can prevent any illnesses from becoming worse and to prevent others from cropping up. For example, a study on The National Institute of Health had some evidence showing a link between certain cancers and sugar intake. If you were to know this in advance, then you’d be able to eat less sugar and processed junk thus lowering your cancer risk.
- Set your heart to seeing out the diet you choose, and stick to it! There are plenty of diets out there that all claim to do the same thing, which is helping you become the healthiest version of yourself. Your best bet is to go with a diet that reduces inflammation so that you can live your life with less pain and more activity. Going vegan(added bonus of preventing animal cruelty) or paleo is a great idea, but make sure that what you do is something you can maintain.
In conclusion it is always going to be your choice what you do for your diet. However, I hope I helped in giving you testimony and information today. Stay tuned the rest of this week for more information on diet and health/wellness!
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To read part 1, click here.
To read part 2, click here.
Lastly, here is the link to the National Institute of Health study that I found:
M.O.M 