Do Diets work?- Understanding Bioindividulaity
Ever wondered why so many diets and trends have come and gone? Why hasn’t medicine of any form been able to come up with a magical drug or remedy? Why experts all around the world are struggling to identify the exact root cause of illness?
In all honesty, only ‘that Supreme power‘ up there that created us, can have an answer to all our questions! But for the time being, I can share what my understanding along with thousands of other holistic health practitioners is and what we truly believe in.
If you understand this concept, your endless search for seeking health and being healthy will change and in all probability, you shall not need another doctor, healer, or diet trend to help you in your journey!
What is Bio individuality?
The concept of Bio individuality – ‘Every Individual is unique and different– right from trillions of bacteria colonizing the gastrointestinal tract- the gut microbiome!… to the individual capacity of metabolism and excretion!’
Let me break up the word for you:
Bio– the Greek form Bios means life
Individuality– It is self-explanatory I think! ?
Understanding Bio individuality
The DNA record of trillions of bacteria residing over our skin, within the gut, and throughout the body, literally differentiates us from one another. We are actually nothing without our friendly buddies. They are responsible right from the ability to digest a particular food to absorption, metabolism of those nutrients, and finally assimilation in the form of blood, bone, and flesh within the body!
I’ll give you an example to explain my point- I am in the habit of having a plateful of rice for lunch every day in addition to a huge helping of any cooked meat and lentil at the same time. My parents did so and so did my ancestors. But because of my lean body appearance, people tend to assume I must be the ‘salad only’ eating type of gal! It is a different story that they take back their words after having a meal with me! ?
That means the microbiome that I inherited by virtue of passage through my mother’s vaginal canal and that which I cultivated based on the environment I was raised in (what is known as ‘epigenetics’) allows me to digest and metabolize such huge servings without a problem. Though this will change as time passes by and as we age (trust me, I am experiencing it ?)
Similarly, if you grew up eating meat and fish, there is absolutely no reason for you to go vegan just because you think that will help you cut down some weight. Or start a complete carnivore diet because you read all its benefits or heard someone say so!
Traditional African communities can have an abundance of beans, grains, and animal protein… Scandinavians are accustomed to having dairy on a daily basis…the French thrive on Bread, cheese, and wine…while the Japanese have a majority of rice, fish, and sea vegetables as part of their meals!
Try to be true to your heritage and origins. Not only will it help you understand your body’s digestibility and functioning better, but it will serve as a very important step to preserve and pass down your unique ancestry which is on the verge of extinction in the face of ‘westernization’.
Keep in mind that even your metabolic rate and sensitivity to food and your surroundings will shift with the changing stress levels you experience, your aging body, and the quality of food that you consume.
All I am asking you to do is to take a deep breath, close your eyes and tune into your body. If you read or hear someone speak about something that went well for them, listen to the advice… try it out if your intuition allows you to, and then follow it only if it feels right for YOU.
Do not mindlessly follow anything just because someone else said so. Even if I say so! Though I only share with the purest & best intentions in mind and I always share what I have experienced myself; still, I will love it if you will tweak and adapt my advice to suit your own individuality and needs.
So,
Why Don’t Diets work?
Except for a few, I always felt the fault wasn’t in a particular trend but in the way it was being advocated and applied. (In addition, the vested interests of brands trying to sell at a person’s vulnerability is perhaps a topic for another day!)
Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to nourishing ourselves and taking care of our loved ones.
Below is a summary of a few points that will help you apply the concept of Bio individuality:
A Roadmap to Understanding & applying Bio individuality
Instructions
- Investigate your ancestry– look into your ancestors’ diets. Since you inherit your genetic makeup from them, it’s likely that you’d thrive on foods that were integral to their diets.
- Go back to the basics-If you are dealing with sensitive gut or health issues, try to start from scratch. One by one, you can slowly add foods into your diet to help you figure out the exact trigger.
- Understand the food on your Plate- Play around with your macronutrients (fat, protein, carbohydrates) and adjust your ratios according to how you feel after you eat.For instance, if you still feel hungry an hour after your meal, it is perhaps a signal indicating that you need to increase the fat content of your meal and so on.
- Practise Mindful Eating- Learn to recognize the difference between ‘real’ hunger and emotional eating.
- Explore your body- Learn to identify what kind of flow your body responds to best- is it the slow, mindful postures of yoga, or a walk in the open with the sun overhead and the wind in your face that energizes you.
The Verdict
Finally,
Enjoy every morsel of food you consume and live every moment of your life to the fullest.
Quite honestly, I am not very disciplined myself when it comes to healthy eating. But I don’t stress about it at all because I am aware that I am a big foodie and belong to those who literally live to eat!
I have a very big sweet tooth and enjoy my sweet indulgences. But I am conscious of the choices I make and how to balance them out. Moreover, I always tell my patients what my mother taught me- “if you wish to eat something, even if it isn’t the healthiest choice out there, eat it with all your heart. Cause even when you have the best of the best, if you are mentally stressed about it, it will do more harm than good.”
I will leave you with these couple of lines I penned down today as food for thought-
As you’ll begin to tune in with your gut, your preferences in food will change,
– Sanober Pezad doctor, MD
As you’ll begin to love your own self, your taste in people will change, and
As you’ll begin to clear your mind, your outlook towards life will change!
Sending lots of healthy, and happy wishes your way.?
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Comments
This is very interesting and learned something new from your post. I tried to go on a diet but it wasn’t easy.
Diets are never the solution! There is so much that has to be taken into account before we make any changes to our lifestyle.
Well written!
I especially like the part about being true to our heritage and origins to understand our bodies better. This was a very informative read, thank you for explaining the topic so well!
Thank you so much for your kind words.
Wow! I dont think I have ever though of the ancestry link to adding that to my diet, that is so smart! Thanks for sharing some great tips! I learned something new
Thank you ?
I love the part about being true to our heritage and origin! I have tried several diets throughout my life, and although in my culture rice is a main part of the meal for a long time I saw it as something bad for my body. I was swayed by the usual negative hype about carbs. Now that I’m more conscious I can enjoy a rice plate without any guilty! Thanks for such a great article!
I’m so glad to hear this and that I could be of help.