Why Sticking to a Diet is Hard These Days

First of all, I hate the word diet. It is terribly close to the word “die” and exudes connotations of great struggle and suffering. Oh, and I love food.

The poor word has been so badly abused by the media and health & food industry that it has now become our second nature to associate it with hunger, unpleasant meals and unhappiness.

Yet, it still feels like we are obliged to follow a “healthy” (definition: TBC) diet of some sorts. Apparently doing that can solve many personal and global problems. Problems such as:

• Eliminating waste (buy only what you can eat, often misinterpreted as eat all you can and throw away nothing)
• Ending hunger (similar to above, but with an extra dose of guilt)
• Saving the planet (reduce environmental impact by eating local & seasonal foods)
• Saving the animals (no explanation needed here)
• Increasing lifespan
• Getting your body the nutrients it needs
• Preventing disease and curing existing health problems
• Getting in shape, losing weight
• Maintaining a state of happiness and mental health

There’s probably more claims out there, but I believe these are the main ones.

Now do you see the problem? There are specific diets for each of these problems and there are diets which cover more than one problem. In fact, there are over 100 recognized diets!

However, I am yet to find a diet that can fix it all and keep you happy. You know what I mean?

If you eat meat, you are a merciless killer who’s likely to suffer some digestive issue due to the high acidic profile of animal products. Of course, the alternative is not eating meat and fighting a slow battle with pernicious anemia (B-12 deficiency) or trying to keep your kidney alive due to long-term supplement usage (ok may be I am a bit harsh, but you get the picture).

And there are many more examples…

So I think it’s time to move away from the word diet and take a closer look at our lifestyles. Fitting food around the way we live and the preferences we have will make things much easier. At least in theory.

We are all unique individuals with different needs and likes, so it’s only natural to adopt a lifestyle that feels healthy to you, makes you happy and energetic.

Have you found what works for you? Share your story in the comments below 🙂