Navigating Nutrition: Finding What’s Right For You
October 29, 2024
Writer:Helen Hannan
Editor: Hannah Ostfield
I think we can all agree: Instagram “nutritionists” are getting out of hand. How can we know who to trust when every piece of advice competes with another and a new must-try, holy grail diet emerges every other week? The truth is, what’s right for one person isn’t right for everyone. Even randomized controlled trials in evidence-based medicine can’t always tell you exactly how and what you should be eating since it’s unique to you and your environment (Berry et al., 2020). I’ve had my own experiences navigating the world of nutrition, hoping I’m doing everything I can to stay healthy for both my present and future self. It wasn’t until I started tuning in to how I felt—rather than listening to what someone I envied was preaching—that I began to feel like I was truly doing the right thing for myself. In a world of fad diets—vegan, carnivore, you name it—it’s important to recognize that who we are and how we nourish ourselves cannot and should not be a trend.
It’s important to note a distinction in our discussion in that, in referencing “diet,” I do not mean adopting restrictive meal plans in order to lose weight. I simply mean the sum of what you eat and how you eat it, regardless of whether or not changes to your body composition are a personal goal of yours. This dietetic framework has actually helped me understand my food as nutritive rather than opportunistic. Simplicity is often key, especially in college. Creating a repertoire of foods that you know you enjoy both the experience and feeling of helps ensure that you are eating enough and that you are eating to be well. Finding and refining these foods can take time and patience, though.
About a year ago, under the guidance of my doctor, I did an eight-week elimination diet called the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) to try to target foods that trigger inflammation and feelings of unwellness in me. The diet was conceived by experts to eliminate foods that may (or may not) cause your body to mount an immune response, which would in turn cause inflammation, pain, discomfort, or any other symptoms of dysregulation in your body (Petre, 2023). At the end of the eight weeks when I had begun to feel better, I very gradually began to add back in certain foods, keeping a journal of how each one made me feel and whether or not I would want to add them back into my diet permanently. The AIP itself is a very intensive diet that requires a lot of dedication and is not right for everyone, but eliminating foods on a smaller scale and consciously adding them back in to see how they make you feel is an excellent way to find out what the right diet is for you. Since completing the diet, I’ve found foods that support my body rather than just satisfying cravings. I feel I’ve reduced inflammation and discomfort while improving my mood, sleep, energy, and overall quality of life.
The foods we eat should be conscious choices made to feel nourished and fueled—not because someone else dictates what our bodies need. Diet is an evolving process, and it’s natural to go through phases where different foods work for us at different times in our lives. The diet that works for me probably won’t work for you because we’re unique individuals with distinct environments and experiences. As long as you strive to balance macronutrients, micronutrients, and pleasure—while staying in touch with your mind and body—your diet should come naturally to you, not from an influencer’s “What I Eat in a Day” video.
References
Berry, S. E., Valdes, A. M., Drew, D. A., Asnicar, F., Mazidi, M., Wolf, J., Capdevila, J., Hadjigeorgiou, G., Davies, R., Al Khatib, H., Bonnett, C., Ganesh, S., Bakker, E., Hart, D., Mangino, M., Merino, J., Linenberg, I., Wyatt, P., Ordovas, J. M., Gardner, C. D., … Spector, T. D. (2020). Human postprandial responses to food and potential for precision nutrition. Nature medicine, 26(6), 964–973. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-0934-0
Petre, Alina. (2023). AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) Diet: A Beginner’s Guide. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/aip-diet-autoimmune-protocol-diet
Image: Zoe Romeu
