Have you ever fallen down a Google rabbit hole trying to figure out the “perfect” diet? I’ve been there—overwhelmed, exhausted, and more confused than when I started. But instead of chasing trends, I’ve found that asking three simple questions can make all the difference.
My first conscious analysis of my eating habits happened when I was in my early twenties. Back then, work-life balance was not a thing, especially not for someone who was just starting out in the corporate world. The weeks before project deadlines were especially hard: sometimes I worked until 2 a.m. and went home to sleep for a few hours before coming back to work the next morning. There were no weekends to speak of.
Me with our family dog, over a decade ago. I look really rested in this picture – and rest usually happened when I took a break from work and visited my mother for a few weeks every year.
That meant eating big meals at the end of the day because I hadn’t taken out the time for lunch. It meant eating a lot of fast food, because I didn’t want to cook at home and it meant consuming a lot of food that had sugar, artificial colour and preservatives.
By the time I was 32, I was overweight, suffering from high blood pressure and allergies, and felt physically tired and out of sorts most of the time.
I realized food was the culprit and before long, I was a victim of the latest diet trends. For months, I experimented with all kinds of diets, sometimes removing entire food groups from my meals or endlessly “researching” diet and health tips on Google, with the result that I was completely exhausted, not losing any weight and completely confused by all the diet advice out there.
If this is your story, here are three questions that will help you figure out the reasons to make changes in your diet and how to go about it.
1. Clarify your ‘why’
Why do you want to change your eating habits? If you have a diagnosis, like diabetes or high blood pressure, then this is practically a no-brainer.If you have a diagnosis like celiac’s disease, then you must drop gluten from your diet.
I wanted to change something about my lifestyle because I felt unhealthy a lot of the time. I hadn’t realized until then that gluten was causing problems like allergies and asthma for me and following a gluten-free diet was a game changer. Maybe you feel similarly about your health.
Adopting and sticking to a meal plan, nourishing yourself with good food and working towards a healthier body is a fantastic way to begin loving yourself.
It’s your turn now: What is your motivation? Do you want to diet to lose weight? Do you think you must do “something” for your health, because journalists, influencers and everybody else constantly talk about doing the “right” and “wrong” thing for your body?
✅Action tip: In a notebook, write down how you feel healthwise right now and how you’d like to feel. That gap is your “why”.
2. Understand your health
What do you need to embark on a diet? Once you know your motivation, you need to figure out what information you need to embark on a diet. By this I mean information on your current state of health and your needs. Do you need to lose weight? Reduce cholesterol or blood sugar?
For example, red meats and saturated fats can increase levels of “bad” cholesterol or LDL (Low density lipoproteins). This could, in turn, lead to a rise in blood pressure. People suffering from high blood pressure usually get medication, but changing food habits could play a big role in improving their health and general quality of life. Depending upon the person’s habits and needs, a diet that chooses lean meats, fresh fruit and vegetables and reduces the amount of saturated fats, sugar and processed food can go a long way in improving general health and reducing blood pressure.
To reiterate, your motivation and your needs and expectations from a diet need to be clear. If you can’t put a finger on it and are simply feeling “off,” then it might make sense to discuss with a health practitioner and figure out what you’re missing. This will help you focus and find a diet that suits your requirements.
✅ Action tip: Book a basic health check-up or ask your doctor for a nutrition referral. Even just tracking how different meals make you feel for a week can give you insight.
3. Find the right fit
By now you know: 1. What your motivations are and 2. What you need to feel better. This brings us to the third question: how do you find a diet plan that best suits your needs?
I’ll start with my own example. I was unfit and suffering from allergies, gas and bloating. Following the general practitioner’s advice, I eliminated certain foods from my diet, namely, gluten and lactose. I was referred to a dietician, who put me on a gluten-free, low-histamine diet and also prescribed light sports and yoga. In my case, I had professional guidance all the way through.
I find that the best way to start a diet, especially if you have a medical condition like celiac’s disease or gluten intolerance.
In case of conditions like hypertension or high blood pressure, DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets are a good way to go. These typically focus on eating lean meats, foods with high fibre content, like fruit and vegetables, and removing processed foods that contain a high amount of saturated fats and sugars. Similarly, customized diet plans can go a long way in reducing high blood sugar in diabetic patients.
If you don’t have any diagnosed condition, but want to lose weight and feel better in your body, there are many diets that you can follow. The vegan diet, for example, is great if you want to give your body a complete reset while following sustainable food practices. A short-term raw food diet can also help in resetting the digestive system and gut bacteria, while also reducing skin problems. Similarly, the keto diet, which focuses on reducing carbohydrates, while focusing largely on fat and some proteins can help reduce weight. It’s important though, that you consult a doctor or a nutritionist before you start on a diet, especially if you have medical conditions.
✅ Action tip: Get an appointment with your doctor or a dietician and discuss possible ways of improving your health by changing your food habits.
To sum up, it’s not a bad idea at all to take a look at what you’re eating and optimizing your meal plans to suit your fitness needs. Make sure you’re eating enough of everything, so you get all the nutrients you need. Give the diet a couple of weeks to work.
Your body will tell you if something’s not working – and this is true for diets prescribed by professionals, authors of books or Google.
Final Thoughts
First: Don’t jump on every trending diet—understand why you want to change. Second, get a clear picture of your health before making changes and third, talk to a professional and listen to your body along the way. There’s no sense in latching on to something that won’t work.
Do you have any questions regarding your diet? Write in the comments below or write to me at foodfornormalpeople@gmail.com!