At the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, the founder Joshua Rosenthal has been teaching the concept of Bio-Individuality for over 20 years. By studying dietary theories all over the world, and sifting through all the diet crazes and trends in America from the past 100 years, it became increasingly clear to him that there is no one-diet-fits-all solution. Instead, we must learn to listen to our bodies. To truly understand our biology, embrace our culture, and eat food that nourishes us!!
Time magazine ran an article recently about “why your diet isn’t working”. They called it the “weight loss trap”, and highlighted how there is no diet fits all solution. I found it to be a fascinating read - especially because it the incredible conclusion of the article was that in order for people achieve the lifestyle and weight that we want, they have to learn how to eat for their individual body!!
This concept of Bio-Individuality is at the core of my health coaching philosophy and practice. I coach my clients towards a greater understanding of their biology, and guide them as they begin to listen to their bodies and learn the best way to eat for their unique bodies and lifestyle. This means that some of my clients are paleo, and some are vegan. Some love dairy and Juice Cleanses, and some thrive on animal protein and quick cooking techniques. Some eat whole grains as a staple, and some avoid them entirely. But one thing remains the same: adding more nourishing foods to your diet - more nutrient rich plants, and more delicious ways to eat them.
By adding more nutrient rich plants to your everyday diet, your body is truly nourished! With this as the base, you are then able to discover what foods make you feel amazing, and what foods are toxic to your body. The majority of us do not know how amazing it feels to eat well. Once we begin - adding in vegetables, crowding out sugar, perhaps indulging in hearty whole grains and high-quality dairy, savoring ethically-raised animal food - we can suddenly feel the difference in our bodies based on what we ate from one day to the next. And then one meal to the next. Until we ourselves come to understand our bodies more than we imagined we could!
Maybe unwanted weight gain is the health issue that you just can’t shake. Let me ask you - is it encouraging or frustrating to you to hear that there is no diet/weight loss plan that will work miracles for everyone? A 23 year study by Rena Wing, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, has tracked through the National Weight Control Registry a registry of people 10,000 who successfully lost weight and kept it off. Here was she and her college’s conclusion: “the most encouraging lesson to be gleaned from their registry is the simplest: in a group of 10,000 real-life biggest losers, no two people lost the weight in quite the same way.”