Health Eating for Vegans and Carnivores
I just caught this piece (below) “4 Tips For Bio-Individuality by Jared Koch of Clean Plates” posted on LinkedIn. I was thrilled to discover more about Jared’s book and his website www.cleanplates.com/. His book and website is perfect for this Healthy Epicurean series and I am sharing his best tips right here!
Why was I so thrilled about this piece of wisdom from Jared? Because before I ever heard the word bio-individuality I always had an inner sense that we all are different and “no one size fits all” diet or was right for everyone. I became a vegetarian as soon as I moved out on my own because I had values regarding the ethical treatment of animals. As I took on this new diet, I no doubt made mistakes and did not eat properly. I went on for years as a vegetarian but my health seemed to devitalize in some areas. No longer a total vegetarian I am now a “flexitarian”. I still don’t eat any meat but do eat fish and eggs occasionally. I don’t use cosmetics or cleaning products that test on animals and I don’t wear fur or leather coats ( my personal values). I try to be conscious about all sentient life but I had to listen to my body and find the right diet for me . In my heart of hearts I would love to be a pure vegan but I had to make choices right for my personal health. We all do. So listen to Jared’s ideas and take a deep breath of relief. Start being your own guru!
Truly Herself,
Lauroly
4 Tips for Bio-Individuality, by Jared Koch
Vegan. Raw foodist. Vegetarian. Forager. Carnivore.
The question isn’t “Which should you be?” It’s “Which one are you?”
That’s the basis for bio-individuality, which essentially means that we’re all unique beings with unique nutritional needs. What’s best for you may not be best for the person next to you (or even for other people in your family). And once you figure out the foods that make your body thrive, you’ll be at your healthiest. Here’s how to tailor your own custom-made, ideal diet:
1. SEND DOGMA TO THE DOGS. People often get caught up in the rules of a specific diet, such as vegetarian, raw foodist or vegan. But not every aspect of those diets may be right for you as an individual. Listen to your body: sticking to rigid rules can make us stop paying attention to our real needs.
2. TUNE IN. If you suffer from stomach upset, skin problems or chronic lack of energy, that could be your body telling you that its biochemistry is off – and that something in your diet isn’t right for you. You may love wheat and eggs, but if they don’t love you, it could be worth trying a change.
3. EXPERIMENT. If you’re showing symptoms, you might try going off certain foods for three to four weeks, to see if they clear up. Common culprits include dairy, sugar, gluten and highly processed foods (because they can contain so many chemicals). Often, it’s a chemical or a dye, not even a food group, that causes a sensitivity.
4. COOK SOMETHING UP. Trying out recipes from different dietary styles can also help you understand what your body needs. In the new Clean Plates Cookbook, we included recipes to suit everyone from raw foodists to meat-and-potato lovers (plus quite a few of those recipes come from celeb chefs like Jamie Oliver and Iron Chef winner Marc Forgione), so you can mix and match according to your taste.
And remember the key tenet to bio-individuality: no matter how convinced someone is that their diet is right for you or how tempting an extreme diet may be, to feel your best, just be yourself.