One of the things that people ask me over and over again is “I’m not sure if I am eating right”. And the answer is simple, but often not as black and white as we would like it to be.

I don’t need to tell you that since the 80’s we have been bombarded with advice and guidelines on how to eat. Everyone has an opinion, from your co-worker who lost 10kg to the government, scientists who have written books, dietitians, the list goes on.

And the biggest problem with modern nutrition advice is that almost everyone has a conflicting idea of what is ‘healthy’ and what is the ‘right’ way to eat.

High fat low carb, low carb high fat, vegan, vegetarian, raw, paleo, like the French, like the Japanese, cabbage soup only (ok, that one was just silly!). Somewhere along the way we have stopped listening to ourselves, our bodies and our common sense and sat, waiting eagerly for someone who has never met us to tell us the secret of life (well, of healthy eating anyway).

Listen in close now, because I am about to tell you a secret.

There is no ‘right’ way to eat. There is no perfect diet.

As science advances we now understand exactly why no two people are the same from a nutritional standpoint. Our genetics, which can be influenced by what we were born with, our lifestyles, our thoughts and the foods we eat, dictate our ability to convert and utilise the nutrients in our food. The takeaway here is that you, my dear are 100% unique.

So how do you work with beautiful, unique little body you have? I get people to ask themselves these questions:

1. Is my diet working for me right now?
2. Do you have even energy throughout the day?
3. Are your eyes and skin clear and vibrant?
4. Do you poop good?
5. Are you at your most comfortable and desired weight (and are my expectations realistic, but that is another blog post all together)?

If you answer “No” to any of these or any others you come up with, then your diet might not be suiting you.

The way that you eat can affect not just your weight, but your mood, your energy levels, your digestion, your skin, your immunity and the severity of things like asthma and eczema.

So now that you know the way you are eating is not really working for you, what do you do?

Just Eat Real Food

This is the simplest yet most powerful step that you can make. Eat fresh, whole, colourful foods and reduce or cut out completely ‘food like substances’.

What is a food-like substance?

• Any packaged food that has an ingredient list with items that you have never heard of, like carageenan gum or nature identical flavours or E numbers.
• Any packaged or homemade food that contains highly refined foods, like white sugar or white flour.
• Any packaged food that contains normal ingredients like, say, olive oil in margarine, but looks, tastes and feels NOTHING like the original ingredient. Olive oil is runny and green. Margarine is hard and yellow. Even the rocket scientists can see something pretty weird had to happen in the process of making margarine.

What is a fresh whole food?

1. Vegetables
2. Fruits
3. Nuts
4. Seeds
5. Wholegrains (like amaranth, oats, quinoa, millet etc)
6. Meats
7. Fish
8. Eggs

2. Be curious & give new approaches a chance.

That’s right, be curious, be willing to experiment on yourself, be flexible. Be open to all nutritional approaches and try the ones that resonate with your common sense. Avoid sticking dogmatically to diets. It’s like they say, “take the best and leave the rest”.

And don’t forget, our nutritional needs are ever changing. What may have been ideal for you in your 20’s may not be ideal for you in your 30’s. Go with it. Honour your body.

Go forth and conquer the world you spectacular creatures.

Emma Lynas
Nutritionist |
Follow Emma on Instagram – emma_lynas_nutrition