Asking the Wrong Question
If you’re asking ‘what diet is right for me?’ You’re asking the wrong question.
We don’t advocate the promotion of ‘trending’ diets, even though they all have value, as they force us to abandon the foods of commerce - the sugars, the preservatives, the hormones and all the other things found in processed foods - and finally conform to a health identity/tribe/routine.
Trending Diets Don’t Work
So while trending diets are a good starting point to remove the foods of commerce and initiate a health routine, they fail to balance chemistry. Balancing body chemistry is paramount to correct nutritional deficiencies and thus achieve health. On the other hand, the promotion of one-size-fits-all diets is dangerous. While people in good health can often remain healthy on a generalised diet, sick people will often deteriorate because they’re not getting the right nutrients and minerals based on their specific challenges and requirements.
What Are You Trying to Achieve?
First, we have to establish what it is we are trying to achieve by following a diet - by following a set of nutritional protocols. So the question is, what challenges is your body facing and what does your body need to combat those challenges? In other words, what are your own unique needs? If you are mercury toxic for example, then a paleo diet that is rich in seafood and laced with methyl mercury is going to compound the problem.
Following vegan diet that is devoid of iron and protein will drastically affect someone with anaemia. Anaemia will affect energy, detoxification and the bodies ability to defend against cancer and auto-immune disease. To make matters worse, if we conform to the current methylation supplemental approach, giving methylated B12 or methyl B vitamins in the presence of mercury will make mercury volatile and target the brain.
An immune challenge - whether coming from a toxin, solvent, pesticide or a heavy metal - requires different building blocks to deal with that challenge. By looking at blood chemistry, we can identify exactly what these challenges are and what foods and nutrients will best address them. Better yet what foods will balance your body chemistry.
Blood Chemistry Analysis: The Best Approach to Diet
So while a paleo diet in its purest form may not be appropriate for you, a modified, well formulated version of it could be. This is the benefit of testing blood chemistry - we are able to identify what challenges your body is facing, and build a diet, with a measurable strategy to meet your specific biochemical needs.
The point is, we need to let your chemistry guide the eating plan, not a trending diet.