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Writer's pictureShawn Tyo

Let’s Talk About Diet

Updated: Sep 13, 2023



Let’s talk about Diets.

The origin of the word diet in Middle English was from Old French ‘dieter’ and Greek ‘diaita’ means ‘way of life’ and ‘regular food and drink we consume”. This was also known as a ‘customary way of eating’.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the word ‘diet’ became known as a regimen prescribed by a doctor which usually meant a ‘regimented way of eating for a specific reason’. For most people now, the word “diet” means adhering to a strict plan of specific foods with the end goal being to lose weight. Most often, once the weight has been shed, the individual resumes their old eating habits without ever working on what caused their poor eating habits to begin with. This tends to lead to negative emotions, defeat, anxiety, depression and an overall poor relationship with food. The cycle then continues and can lead to what has been coined “Yo-Yo dieting” or “weight cycling” or ultimate obesity. This can lead to increases and decreases in energy, more weight gain in the long run, muscle loss, fatigue, depression, blood sugar imbalance, the list goes on and on.

There are so many dietary theories such as keto, paleo, raw, Ayurveda, macrobiotics, Weight Watchers, Mediterranean, carnivore and vegan, just to name a few, and while all of these can be beneficial to one person, it may not be for another person. This is why it is important to have guidance and support when deciding what path is right for you. It is important to assess the whole-body systems and the individual’s lifestyle, the dietary theory best suited becomes more evident and let’s face it, sometimes this can mean there is some trial and error and maybe adjusting the diet is required in order to come up with a plan that is not restrictive, fun, easy and generally just something you look forward to.


One specific diet plan may work for one individual but may be another person’s poison. This is why there is no diet out there that is the “miracle way of life”. It’s not possible since we are all bio-individuals meaning we all have unique needs based on the state of our health and digestive system, ethnicity, culture, geographic location, exposure to toxicity, sleep habits, physical activity, age, gender and more.


So, before you hop on the “diet” train, ask yourself this: “what are the signs my body is giving me?”, “how do I feel when I eat this food?”, “do I feel restricted and I can’t go out and eat with family and friends?”. These are just a few questions to consider when deciding what your diet will look like. If you are just not sure and need some guidance and support, reach out as we have many options to help you get started!


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