Chances are good that with all the dietary advice available out there, you have found yourself pondering the title of this blog.

My answer? Good question. Who knows? I don’t, and the unfortunate truth is that the answer will only come about most likely through trial and a lot of error. This blog, however, will give you some insight to chew on to begin to unravel this mystery by delving into some history.

Look to the Past

Our lifestyles have rapidly evolved, but our physiology, that is, what our bodies are made of, remains largely the same. We humans aren’t all that different than we were a few thousand years ago in how our bodies function. So, you might stand to reason that the foods eaten during that period of time were designed for us and would most likely be ideal for the healthiest expression of our genes. This sounds very paleo-esque, but there might be more to the story.

The Paleo Problem

What paleo is for you and what is paleo for me would likely differ drastically. In doing 23&Me’s genetic testing, I found that my ancestors are mostly Northern European. Contrast that with someone whose ancestors inhabited areas near the equator, and the expectation about what foods were consumed are as far apart as the latitudes.

Further, we are a hodgepodge of genes. Our ancestry may include British, Irish, African, and German all at the same time. How could you possibly eat according to what the indigenous people ate in 4 or more different cultures? See why this ideal diet question gets really complex?

Simple Solutions

Simple is successful. Simple is easy to execute. Complexity kills execution. Start with single ingredient foods because that’s how our ancestors would have eaten. For instance, how many ingredients are found in an apple? How many are found in a Grass-finished hamburger? As a general rule, the more ingredients it takes to create the food in question, the less of a food it is and subsequently, the less value it has for our bodies and minds.

Without knowing your unique ancestry, it is hard to know if seemingly good foods are really good for you specifically. For example, knowing my ancestors are from Northern Europe primarily would it make sense if I ate a lot bananas? Granted, the ingredient list for a banana is short, but it is unlikely that a place so far north of the equator would have had access to a fruit that is found in tropical climates. So I test it. How does my body feel after a banana? Do I feel my pulse in my fingers? Does my stomach hurt? Do I feel like I am thinking clearly or has my mental focus and clarity been down-regulated? These are all questions without testing that can guide you on optimal food choices for you and your unique physiology. I am not advocating that you don’t have testing done, but I am suggesting that there are some instinctive qualities about food choices that we leave out when we just adhere to the latest diet fad because it has worked for others.

In my fifteen years in the fitness industry, I have seen various diets that worked great for one person fail miserably for another. This is largely due to a lack in customization. As a health coach, I don’t want to guess what exercises are right for a client’s body and goal. I want to assess client movements to ensure that the exercises, strength or corrective, I prescribe fit individual needs. This happens from a nutritional perspective when we pick a diet and ignore our own intuition. We blunt our body’s ability to communicate its needs to us. I am suggesting that you choose. Here are list of questions to guide your thinking:

1. What is your goal?

2. What do you prefer (sweet, salty, savory, etc)?

3. How active is your lifestyle between home life and career?

4. What foods are usually present when you feel the most energized after a meal?

5. What foods are usually present when you feel most lethargic after a meal?

By no means is this an exhaustive list of questions, but if you hate sweet potatoes and your current diet suggests you eat them, I suggest that you don’t. Find an alternative carb source or eliminate starchy carbs completely and focus on plants, or higher fats.

In the big picture, explore. Look for the best available sources of the foods you find satisfying. If you are satisfied by tacos and beers, the search should continue. I feel like many folks think eating healthy is a chicken breast and broccoli and certainly that can be, but if you dread it, know that it is not right for you, at least not at that time or cooked in that way. And finally if this blog has created more questions than answers, then the mission is accomplished. I hope that this provokes your curiosity and allows you to delve deeper into the question: “What foods fit me?”