It’s okay. I’m not going to tell you what diet you should be on. Anyway it would be rude for me to just come out and tell you that you should be on a diet, wouldn’t it?!
First rule about diets is don’t talk about diets
Well we know that’s not true. I mean anyone who eats is on a diet of some sort, even if they’re not thinking much about it. And all those weight-loss support groups out there couldn’t have worldwide popularity and success if they weren’t working for someone, right? Mutual support and encouragement is a huge help when we are trying to improve our lifestyle in any way. Sharing the experience, talking about it, helps us to break the unhelpful habits, which is a major part of what dieting is – breaking habits and addictions. But all the talk in the world isn’t going to tell you which diet is meant for you as an individual. Only one voice can do that – the voice of your own body.
Listen to what your body is telling you!
Your body talks in whispers. The temptation of sugar, on the other hand … like that sweet, GOT TO HAVE IT chocolate … it’s far louder. So we tend to ignore the whispers; we get used to the niggles, the tiredness and certain parts of our system not operating like they used to. But we can only ignore the whispers for so long before the body starts to shout. It’s far better to stop and pay attention to what your body is telling you right now.
Seven signs that your diet isn’t working for you
Finding a diet that is right for you might not be the cure-all of these symptoms but you should certainly notice a significant improvement as you take steps in the right direction.
1) Fatigue / lack of energy – When you wake up with a tiredness that keeps you on go slow, mentally and physically, pretty much all day, it’s probably time to switch to better, cleaner fuel.
2) Skin problems – Skin treatments can only help so far and your body might be trying to tell you that it doesn’t like the toxins it’s having to deal with. Remember that, when you improve your diet, sometimes the skin gets a little worse before it gets better … hang on in there and you’ll start seeing positive results!
3) Brittle hair and nails – Thin, fragile hair and nails that break easily and often can mean that you’re not getting enough nutrients to help maintain them – in particular biotin, a part of the B vitamin complex that helps process the amino acids needed to help build healthy hair and nails.
4) Weight issues – Being over-or under-weight is a good indicator that you need to cut down on problematic foods and make sure you’re getting enough of the nutrients that your body needs.
5) Constipation – chronic constipation is more often than not down to the wrong foods messing up your digestive system. Finding a colon cleansing detox that works for you will make a big difference and help you feel more healthy overall.
6) Unexplained headaches – When there’s no obvious cause for your headache you may find it’s due again to those nasty toxins. Why not see what difference eliminating certain foods makes?
7) Aches and pains – Unexplained aches and pains could be caused by inflammation which is often brought on, or worsened by, the wrong foods and is almost always manageable through the right diet.
Knowledge is power
So your body has told you that you need to improve your diet … but how is it going to tell you which diet to go for? I’m afraid you’ve got to help it out a little – study up on what different diets are out there and join the dots between them and your symptoms. There might not be one particular diet that for you, it might be more beneficial to mix and match and will likely take some trial and error. Swapping and changing can be made a whole lot easier by the perfect guide ‘The Food Swap Diet’ by Peta Bee. It’s a book crammed full of sensible suggestions, signposts, ideas, information and mealtime inspiration.
You’ve got this!
It’s not a race, take it one step at a time and you’ll get there! It’s a good idea to keep a record of what works and what doesn’t – you’ll be able to look back at how far you’ve come and overtime you’ll develop a bespoke plan just for you. Even when you have the right plan, your diet might need tweaks and changes along the line … just listen to your body, it’ll let you know. Enjoy the journey and please, let us know how you get on!
One love,
Louisa
