Low fat diets, low carb diets, carnivore diets, blood-type diets, caveman diets, plant-based diets, sugar-free diets, superfood diets, fodmap diets, macronutrient diets, calorie counting diets, point-scoring diets, food-combining diets, zone diets.
The list goes on and on and on.
When did nutrition get so complicated?
For each of the above there will be a horde of zealot-like followers shouting from the rooftops about having found the perfect diet.
Maybe that’s true… for them!
But likely not for you.
The way I see it your perfect diet can be summarised using the venn diagram below:
Maximum Nutrition - Provide your body with all the proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals it needs to survive and thrive.
Optimal Calories - If you want to lose weight you will have to reduce your overall energy intake below maintenance levels. Vice versa if you want to gain weight. Furthermore the amount of calories you need will likely change over time depending on your goals, age and activity levels.
Foods You Enjoy - Last but not least both of the above should be achieved while deriving the bulk of your diet from foods you enjoy… otherwise… what’s the point?! I’ve met plenty of miserable healthy people over the years (in fact I used to be one of them!)
Find your sweet spot (where all 3 overlap) and you will have your perfect diet.
Or put another way: eat real foods, which you enjoy, in quantities which match your goals.
(In my Fitness Made Simple Bootcamp I have outlined some of the most impactful changes I have seen people make over the years to help them do just that. Click here to sign up!)