You hear about all of the various diets; vegan, vegetarian, paleo, blood type diet, keto, gluten free, low fat, Mediterranean, and then there will indeed be more to come in the future. There are so many different messages, it is easy to get lost in all the choices. The bottom line is there is no panacea and there is no one size fits all. You have to do figure out what works for you and your body.   I know I cannot eat lots of nuts without them showing up in my gut. Also over the years dairy agrees with me less and less.

The great thing about tuning into your body is your body is giving you information all the time about what is good and what is not. The best thing to do is to eliminate things from your diet. There are basics that every diet is consistent about. My recommendation is to start there.

Processed foods and foods loaded with sugars are essential to remove from your body. Your body may crave them, but that doesn’t mean they are good for you. You can literally become addicted to foods, especially sugar. Reading labels can be vital in making decisions. Simple sugars are disguised by different names that have -ose at the end, such as dextrose also known as glucose, fructose, and sucrose.

Now all carbohydrates convert to sugar inside your body. What many don’t realize is fruits and vegetables, as well as rice and pasta, are carbohydrates. The body needs carbohydrates to survive. Everyone must determine how their body responds and utilizes carbohydrates.

Another common benefit in any reputable diet is the importance of a diet primarily based on protein, fruits, vegetables. Depending on the diet, it may not include all grains, (i.e. gluten free) but the recommendation will typically be whole grain.

Regardless of the diet, portion control matters. There are many, many overweight vegetarians. Your metabolism matters. Metabolism may be impacted by genetics, fitness level, activity level, medications, hormone levels, and stress levels.

As long as your program includes enough protein (which is challenging for vegans), and lots of low glycemic fruit and a variety of vegetables, it is probably a great starting point.