Finding a Plan that Works: How to Listen to Your Body {Guest Post}

As one of my best friends is fond of saying, “Food is medicine.” Conversely, the wrong foods can be poisonous. While that may sound over-exaggerated, it’s been an accurate description of my struggles with food.

I’ve been accused of having all kinds of eating disorders, and the accusers include my family members, friends, and even doctors. It’s been painful to hear that I need to change the way I think and function when I haven’t done anything against my body. But they’ve been proven wrong. The issues that affect me aren’t eating disorders – they’re hyperthyroidism and acute sensitivity to specific foods, artificial colors, and preservatives.

Obviously, that’s not going to be true for the majority of people who struggle with food. But I’ve found that taking my medication and eliminating the offending foods from my diet hasn’t “healed” me completely. The turning point where my overall health began to improve noticeably was when I found the right way of eating for me.

In my case, the right diet means one that helps me gain weight to achieve my goal of surpassing the “normal” BMI for my height. Diets don’t have to be about counting calories and losing weight. They’re meant to help you get healthy, no matter what that means for you.

I’ve tried a number of eating plans recommended to me by doctors and friends, including Paleolithic, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan, but there was always something about each one that didn’t agree with my body. Fortunately, I came to the conclusion that my body is unique and deserves to be treated as such. How many people can really say that a generic diet is the best possible one to follow for their specific bodies? I know I can’t say that personally, so here’s how I figured out what to eat according to my body’s responses to food.

Unless you try new ways of eating, you’ll have a hard time identifying foods that are healthy and unhealthy for your own body. I tried one way after another, as recommended by doctors, and when I still didn’t feel healthy, I started to alter those diets based on others I had read about or heard about from friends. For example, I was told by one doctor to go gluten-free and, about a year later, a second doctor added dairy-free to the mix. With both gluten and dairy eliminated, I began to feel better, but I knew there were more adjustments to be made to feel my best.

I always felt sick after eating red meat, so I stopped eating it and made sure I got enough iron from my multivitamin to compensate for that change. I took it even farther by trying veganism, which definitely didn’t give my body everything it needed. I backed off to vegetarianism, but still struggled to get enough protein. I discovered that I needed meat to comfortably get enough protein each day. Now, I mostly rely on eggs and seafood for my protein, but I also eat chicken occasionally. I’ve never felt better, but I don’t know of any generic diet out there that includes every aspect of my own eating pattern.

My doctors and unique diet have helped me get healthier, but I’m not going to stop listening to my body. I know that everything can change and that I need to be prepared to respond when my body reacts to something in my diet. That’s been the biggest lesson I’ve learned in my three-year journey toward eating well: my body is the expert and I can’t afford to ignore it. Paying attention to your body isn’t a waste of time; it’s a wise investment in your future health.

If you’re interested in developing your own unique diet, I would recommend seeing a dietician or other nutrition specialist. This type of professional can help you find a good starting point and make sure that dieting is helping you rather than hurting you. Once you start learning more about what your body does and doesn’t want or need, you can build a healthy diet accordingly and start enjoying the benefits of eating well. No matter how long it takes, it’s well worth the time investment and inconvenience. Your body will thank you.

Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

{Image Credit :: Flickr}