Specific Diets

TLDR - Diet alone will not fix the root cause of your problems. It may temporarily reduce symptoms, but you should instead focus on the higher tier foundational items for lasting improvement

Expanded

There is a time and place for various diets, and I have personally tried many of them. Focus on this after you have read through the Diet post and worked on the higher tier suggestions. You shouldn’t aim for any of the diets below (except maybe paleo) to be your lifelong diet. Our bodies are designed to eat diverse and whole foods, including meats, fruits, and vegetables. While the diets below might be helpful in the short term, once your body is back in homeostasis, you should be able to eat more foods by following the guidance in my Diet post.

• Ketogenic Diet: This diet is high in fats, moderate in proteins, and very low in carbohydrates. One of the core advantages of the keto diet is its positive impact on mitochondria. By reducing carbohydrate intake, the body shifts to burning fat for fuel, producing ketones in the liver. This metabolic state, known as ketosis, enhances mitochondrial function and efficiency. Ketones are a cleaner energy source than glucose, reducing the production of reactive oxygen species and minimizing oxidative stress. This leads to improved cellular health, increased energy levels, and more.

  • I’ve seen this helpful for people with chronic fatigue, those looking to lose weight, and even seen people help manage seizures.

  • This could be a good diet to cycle temporarily in the winter if there are few seasonal fruits and vegetables in your area.

  • Note that there are many processed foods today that are labeled as “keto”. Just because something will technically keep you in ketosis, doesn’t mean you should be consuming it. Yes, you may have the benefits listed above but then at the same time you are causing other problems that come with the processed foods. Stick to whole foods when possible.

• Carnivore: The carnivore diet consists of eating exclusively animal products, including meat, fish, eggs, and some dairy. It excludes all plant based foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. This diet may be beneficial for individuals with certain autoimmune conditions, digestive disorders, or severe food sensitivities, as it can help reduce inflammation and eliminate potential dietary triggers.

• Paleo Diet: This diet focuses on whole foods that were presumably eaten by early humans, including lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Avoids processed foods, grains, and dairy.

• Low FODMAP Diet: FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides And Polyols) are a group of short chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine. This diet eliminates FODMAPs to reduce symptoms of IBS and other gut related issues.

• Mediterranean Diet: This diet emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats like olive oil. Known for its heart healthy benefits and ability to reduce inflammation.

• Plant Based Diet: This diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and seeds while minimizing or eliminating animal products.

• Whole30: A 30 day program that eliminates sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, soy, and dairy to reset the body and identify food sensitivities. Promotes whole, unprocessed foods.

• Autoimmune Protocol (AIP): An extension of the Paleo diet that eliminates potential autoimmune triggers such as grains, legumes, nightshades, dairy, and certain food additives to reduce inflammation and autoimmune symptoms.

• Anti Inflammatory Diet: Focuses on foods that reduce inflammation, such as fatty fish, berries, leafy greens, nuts, and seeds, while avoiding pro-inflammatory foods like processed foods and sugars.

• Miscellaneous:

  • Low Sulfur

  • Low Fructose

  • Low Histamine

  • Low Amylose

  • Low Oxalate

There are countless diets in today’s world, each claiming to be the secret regimen to fix everything. In reality, everyone is unique, and no single diet will work for everyone. Below are my recommended steps for identifying the diet that works best for you:

1. Follow the foundational items. As your body battery is more charged and your levers are moving at the right times, you will find yourself able to tolerate more foods.

2. Follow the guidelines in the Diet post. This cuts out inflammatory foods and fuels your body with nutrient dense fuel for biological processes.

3. Explore the specialty diets above. Everyone is unique. Complete more research and see if one sounds like a good fit for you.