Historically, food has been a very confusing subject for me. It seems like every time I think I know something about how food works in my body, I find a new piece of information that directly contradicts what I thought I knew. Sometimes it seems like there are so many rules around food that I don’t even know where to begin.

I’ve also noticed that as someone who doesn’t have a full education on food and nutrition, I seem to have a lot of beliefs about the effects food has on my body, without having much more evidence than an article I read or a fact I overheard someone else say in conversation. And yet, I will hold onto these beliefs and let them dictate my food choices without doing my own experimentation to figure out if these strategies actually work for my body. 

Food has seemed very complicated, and as a result, has left me feeling tired and despondent about the possibility of proper nutrition. I’ve caught myself standing in the middle of the grocery store not knowing which aisle to go down or what to put into my cart, and then three days later rifling through the pantry wondering why nothing looks good to eat. If I could outsource my need to eat and have somebody else do it for me, I would probably take them up on the offer.

I know when I feel this way about something, it usually indicates that I need a simpler way of understanding the beast. A more complete education that enables me to make smarter choices and feel secure in the choices that I’m making. If my goal is to feel better in my life--in both good situations and challenging ones--then I have to admit that food is already part of the formula. 

So what does a person do with a lofty goal to feel better and no reliable means of reaching that goal? We experiment. We stop imposing rules on ourselves and start trying new things with an open mind to discover what works and what doesn’t. We accept a certain failure rate before embarking on the mission. We understand that our pathway to success is not linear, nor should we expect it to be. Then we dig in and we discover as much as possible. We celebrate little victories along the way. We embrace what works for however long it works. When something doesn’t work, we toss it aside but stay open to the possibility that what doesn’t work now might work later. We collect our lessons learned and share them with each other. 

And that’s precisely what this article is--a compendium of lessons learned. Lessons that have helped me move from a place of diet-frustration to diet-liberation. This is not a prescription for good health, but rather a set of ideas that I have tested and am testing on my own path to feel-good living. 

What To Eat?

Most of the time, I’m eating for energy. Eating for energy means that I know the energetic components of my food: How much energy food will provide, how long it will take for the energy to kick in, additional effects of food on my system (inflammation, lethargy, depression, etc.), and how much energy I need for the task at hand. When I’m able to narrow my point of focus on the utility of my food, I find that I make much smarter choices and start educating myself about what different foods have to offer my body. It gives me a system for evaluating the effects of food and motivates me to eat for my needs rather than eating for my wants. 

I’m hesitant to share the particular strategies I’ve found that work for me as our food needs are so different from person to person. I actually think that listening to other peoples’ food strategies has contributed to a big part of my confusion about food, as I’ve tried to replicate the success others have had without seeing the same results. 

But, if you find it useful to see what’s working for me, I’m glad to share. As a general rule, I eat mostly plants, limit my intake of refined carbohydrates (including sugars), avoid gluten when possible, eat a varied diet, drink plenty of water, track my consumption (I don’t do this formally, although I have many friends who use spreadsheets or apps for tracking), and do time-restricted eating. I also keep track of my consumption of vitamins and minerals, particularly B12 and omega-3 fatty acids which are lacking in my plant-based diet. (Getting regular blood work can highlight our nutrient deficiencies and point out areas where we need to supplement.) 

The reason I eat this way is because this is what I’ve found to work well for my bio-chemistry and lifestyle. This way of eating makes me feel good. It keeps me energized for the task at hand. It reduces moodiness. It motivates me to exercise. 

My goal is to be in a caloric deficit at the end of each day, not in an attempt to lose weight, but because I find that my energy levels are more stable when I’m not eating beyond my body’s needs.

With the plethora of information out there on diets boasting from raw veganism to a carnivore diet, there are no cut and dry rules for what works for humans as a group. For better or for worse, it’s our job to figure out what works for us, and to be open to the idea that there are new ways of eating that may make us feel better psychologically, emotionally and physically. 

Based on what food lifestyle we choose, we will each be eating wildly different things. This is why it’s important for each of us to understand the energetic components of our food and to have a baseline understanding of where we are sourcing our fats, proteins and carbohydrates from in our diets. 

When To Eat?

As I’ve become more interested in the effect of food on my body, I’ve pursued some easily digestible (pun intended) education that is helping me understand the benefits of different food lifestyles for different people. While we each are endowed with the freedom to experiment with different approaches to determine what makes us feel alert, competent and energized, there are a few guiding principles that seem to show up again and again in the research I’m looking over. 

One of the biggest recommendations I’m seeing seeing nutritionists from all schools of philosophies espouse is the importance of time-restricted eating, which can be achieved by limiting our food consumption to an 8-hour window in our day and ensuring that we aren’t eating for at least two hours before bedtime. This ensures that our bodies have ample time to digest our food during our waking hours and repair vital organ systems during our sleeping hours. 

While vegan and ketogenic nutritionists seldom agree on the best food lifestyle, they both tend to agree on time-restricted eating and the next level of time-restriction: water fasting. This is a habit we’ve recently adopted in our household, where we water-fast for 24 hours one day a month.

 Not only does this provide us with the sense of accomplishment of achieving something difficult, but it puts the control of our consumption squarely back into our own hands. When we water-fast--in which we drink only water with electrolytes for a full day (with some people amping up for 10-day and even 30-day fasts)--it reminds us that we are in control of food and not the other way around. Not only that, but it gives our bodies an additional 24 hours of recovery time where our energy can be spent repairing vital systems instead of focusing on digestion. 

The idea is that fasting puts our cells under stress, and that puting our cells under stress is actually a good thing. From an evolution standpoint, this makes sense: It’s reasonable to believe that in the not-so-distant past, humans naturally found themselves without food for day-long periods of time. And science is starting to confirm that when we voluntarily put our system under this amount of stress, it gives our cells time to break down and recycle old parts, which in turn amplifies our immune system and our natural ability to recover from illnesses.

When it comes to fasting, it’s often a good idea to pursue additional resources from medical professionals, nutritionists or simply others who regularly fast. There is no one way to fast--there are juice fasts, grape fasts, water fasts, dry fasts--you name it. And we stand to gain different things from each type, as long as we prepare our bodies for the task and seek out education to help us make smart choices.

How To Eat?

Only eat when hungry. Put utensils down between bites. Chew food thoroughly before swallowing. Stop eating when full. Eat more often throughout the day. Eat proactively by consuming quick energy before intense activities and protein afterwards. 

These are some of the tips that restore food back to its original purpose: Fueling us to accomplish the next task at hand. 

Takeaways

I am not a nutritionist, nor do I intend to be. The many complexities of food are still complex for me, but are becoming less so with experimentation and education. My goal is simple: To fuel my life so that I’m feeling capable physically, cognitively and psychologically. 

The specifics of what work for me will not work for everyone, which is both our blessing and our curse. It is our curse because we cannot rely on other people’s experiences to inform our own, and it’s a blessing because it empowers us to be the managers of our own lives. 

Here’s what seems to work for most people, regardless if we choose a diet based in veganism, keto, paleo, etc.: 

• Time-restricted eating

• Not eating two hours before bedtime

• Eat slowly and chew food thoroughly 

• Limiting our intake of refined sugar and carbohydrates

• Ending each day with a slight caloric deficit 

• Maintaining the proper levels of vitamins and minerals through food intake and supplementation ← This can be determined through blood work and tracking our intake

Food Lifestyle Educational Playlist

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