When I say the word “diet” minds tend to jump to Janet from reception eating a tub of rabbit food on her lunch break whilst she flicks through pinterest dribbling over pictures of chocolate cake. This type of behaviour is often short lived and tends to end in relapse.
Now what our minds should think of when met with the word “diet” is simply a word to describe the eating habits of a particular individual. That is all. In that case there are only two types of diets. Bad diets and Good diets.
Quick Lesson in Nutrient terminology...
Macro nutrients= Fats, Proteins and Carbohydrates
Micro nutrients= Vitamins and minerals
A “bad diet” would be a diet with either too much and/or too little of the key Macro and Micro nutrients that the individual needs. Too little leads to deficiencies (often people with a vegan diet have deficiencies in particular micro nutrients such as vitamin B-12, Calcium and Iron which is why I cannot stress enough how important it is to supplement with these nutrients if you chose to become vegan). Too much leads to a surplus. Too much carbohydrate leads to elevated sugar levels, which can eventually lead to insulin resistance and then Type 2 diabetes. Too much fat which leads to excess fat storage in certain areas of the body causing a person to become overweight. A “good diet” is a diet that has the right amount of macro and micro nutrients that the individual needs. This varies widely with fitness goals, cultural backgrounds, intolerance etc. playing a major role in what determines a “good diet” for a particular individual.
Now you understand what consists of a “good diet” you now need to start involving it in your every day life. This is actually the hardest and most delicate part which is why I have come up with a few rules to help you.
The Primal Human Needs rules to sticking to a “good diet”
1. Find foods that fit into the “good diet” that you actually enjoy
2. Vary the meals that you eat so you don’t get bored
3. Once in a while when you've earned it have a cheat meal. This will allow you to carry out your much missed mouth masturbation and allows you to see how crappy you feel after eating poor quality refined foods.
4. Have a regular supply of food coming into the home either through weekly deliveries or weekly shopping trips. This will stop you ordering in bad food when your fridge is empty.
5. Find meals that you enjoy eating that are easy to prepare and not hard to clean up after.
If you stick to these rules you should maintain your diet without relapse. Don’t be afraid to make slight changes to your diet from what your body tells you. Key indicators that things may need changing are...
How your poo looks (Google Stool chart for info on this) How your performance in the gym, bedroom and work is How you generally feel
Hopefully this has shed some light on the often confusing world of “diets” and has helped simplify a few things. Stay tuned for more.
Liam Phillips. Primal Human Needs.