A Healthy Diet - does it exists?

What is a healthy diet? Is it eating vegetarian, organic, paleo, raw-foods, or according to Ayurveda? Is it better when proteins, fats, or carbohydrates are dominant in the diet plan?

A truly healthy diet is one, which was available to humans 10 to 50 thousand years ago: fresh fruits, seeds, various greens and roots. Let us not forget that there was an Ice age for a while, when we had to feed on animals for some long time.

Simple, may be a little bit funny but suitable for someone food and exercises plan is in the picture above.

Naturally, there is a simple rule in wildlife:

Species are always looking for the most EASILY accessible food that can provide MAXIMUM energy and nutrients, and by nature it tastes good to them!

Let us consider what would happen if we suddenly appeared on an uninhabited, uncivilised island, where there were no tools, weapons, nor fire. There would be animals running around, fruits and various plants growing, leaves and grain crops. What would you choose?

You would not catch the animals – they are faster and more agile; you would not be able to digest grains, nor be capable of assembling, processing, or preparing them. If only available, you would eat fruits, leaves and seeds. It would be great if you had nuts, if you would find eggs but had no fire, you would only eat for variety and curiosity. Perhaps you could easily catch a fish, and if you had salt, you would probably become accustomed to eating some species raw or dried.

The diets of other mammals have not changed during the same 50.000 years period, so then why do we think that our physiology is different?

In the last 50,000 years, people have been reproducing quite rapidly and had to move away from geographical areas, nutritionally beneficial to them, and therefore had to look for ways to survive.

15,000 years ago, agrarian culture began to develop, and this had a tremendous impact on our civilisation. However, our health deteriorated. People became weaker, as evidenced by present-day studies of 10,000-year-old bones. And scientists believe that this is a consequence of the consumption of cereals

Later the food industry evolved most straightforwardly: the cheaper, the more, the longer lasting - means more profit. Feeding slaves, army, prisoners and workers was essential all over the history as they always were a majority. Only in the last 50 years, the enhanced livelihood of most citizens contributed to an additional and soon becoming the leading factor in choosing food – TASTE.

Scientists are working hard to create tastes, which would make us capitulate unconditionally. When flavours manipulate our hormonal - reward system of the brain, we cannot resist, similarly as against drugs.

At present, there is enough research to demonstrate the superiority of raw-food diets and ‘primal human’ foods as compared to other forms of nutrition, however, the stereotypes formed over the last millennia prevent us from recognising that easily.

Moreover, it has become increasingly difficult to find genuinely nutritious food – fruit, nuts or vegetables grown in their natural environment, freshly handpicked and free from chemical additives. The same goes for products of animal origin.

Lately, many large-scale studies were conducted, and all agree on one thing:

Seasonal or in other words, varied foods are beneficial in all cases. There are no longer uncertainties about the fact that products, grown in soil that is free of chemicals and full of bacteria, differs significantly from products saturated with fertilisers and pesticides. The same applies to livestock and fishing industries – there are almost no remaining animals, birds or fish, fed on natural food and graze freely.

And don't forget - our physiological ability to adapt to a particular type of food can last for thousands of years. Thus, different peoples living in different geographic areas have not only racial differences, but they also have a slightly different digestive, enzymatic system and are adapted to digest differently. And where are your genetic roots coming from? You should find it out before changing your diet plan

The topic of nutrition is extensive and will continue to be studied, interpreted and dissected in different ways, but it is already clear that:

Choosing an individualised nutrition plan is the only correct way. And Organic or Wild is always the best choice.

Some people argue that looking for organic, ecological, local food is just a matter of today's Trend. In my opinion, this is a good trend, as a growing number of people contemplate what is truly healthy and what is not, how will our nutritional particularities affect the health of future generations?

Fashion and Trends is like a big rock, thrown into the stagnant waters of a pond, sometimes it can even break through the dam and let water flow. Trends lets much more people get involved, interested, deepen and understand the essence of affairs. But the negative consequences of trends are that when there is a demand, many speculations accompany the subject, along with price surges and manipulations about the new technologically processed, useless products as healthy.

Eating organic is not today's Trend – it's a return to Tradition

Many people raise the question – how should we develop healthy eating habits in children? A child’s eating habits develop from the time they are in the mother's womb, to adolescence. The only way to shape a child's habits is for ourselves to follow correct nutrition principles. Children are our mirror. They merely copy us. What we eat they eat. And our conversations and warnings about what is healthy and what is not - are important only to ourselves.

It may appear, that you can change your diet from normal to healthy effortlessly, but it is more complicated than it seems.

Usually, that is why there are healthy lifestyle teachers, mentors, life coaches, whose mission is not only to provide information, which most of us lack but also to present it in a systematic and individualised manner. The most important, but not always recognised element is finding the subconscious "strings" of each person, which when played, would inspire internal motivation for change, revise the point of view and establish a new range of values.

The root of all changes is in our mind, but the body rules us, or to say more accurately, subconscious mind is a ruler. So, after a few months of trying to change and after the initial enthusiasm has gone – we quit. Unless there is a determined partner, ally or a mentor who understands you and keeps you going.

For this reason, working with a mentor takes some time, to have the opportunity to get to know and sense you. And for you to get relaxed, opened up as it would present an opportunity for the mentor to understand and motivate you.

Several fundamental factors determine the choice of diet, and it's suitability regarding health: