The question I get asked most often as a Nutrition Coach is:
"What’s the best diet—what should I eat?”
The answer is there's no "one" perfect diet that's right for everyone—all the time. We are each biochemically unique and our bodies are constantly changing and adapting as we age and evolve. However, there are some solid nutrition principles that almost everyone can agree upon:
Eat fresh, whole foods from the earth, unprocessed and unrefined, most of the time, and enjoy guiltless indulgences once in a while.
Eat fresh, whole foods from the earth, unprocessed and unrefined, most of the time, and enjoy guiltless indulgences once in a while.
There are many healthy diets that follow these guidelines, but finding "the one" that works best for you is a matter of trial-and-error. Some people do well on a plant-based Vegan diet, omitting all animal products. While others do better consuming some meat and avoiding grains and legumes on a Paleo plan. Yet others benefit from a high plant-food, fish, and olive-rich Mediterranean approach.
However, as healthy as each one of these diets can be individually, there are many people who do better—and even flourish—on a varied diet that incorporates meals from all three of these eating styles.
Why? Because as humans, we're natural omnivores. We have the ability to consume both plants and animals. Our ancient ancestors adapted to and were sustained on a varied diet of both. What they ate was determined by what was seasonally available in their respective geographic locations. The foundation of their diet was mostly plants, and when it was available, they ate animal foods.
There were days when they ate only plant foods (Vegan), interspersed with days when they added some meat (Paleo), or fish (Mediterranean). Their daily diet wasn't consistent. They didn't eat animal foods at every meal, nor every day.
Our ancestors thrived on dietary diversity—eating a varied diet over time. For many people, dietary diversity is the magic formula for optimal health.
Our ancestors thrived on dietary diversity—eating a varied diet over time. For many people, dietary diversity is the magic formula for optimal health.
Dietary diversity ensures that you're getting a wide variety of all the important nutrients your body needs to thrive. Additionally, it keeps your body from adapting to any one diet and becoming stagnant, which can cause food sensitivities and slow down weight loss. Dietary diversity also increases bacterial diversity—which strengthens your friendly gut bacteria and greatly improves your health.
In keeping with our ancestral eating pattern, I developed The Mixiterranean Lifestyle: a flexible way of eating that encourages you to mix-and-match the Vegan, Mediterranean, and Paleo diets in your own unique way—so you never have to worry about going off your diet again!
- Do you want an animal-free morning? Have a Vegan breakfast.
- Are you craving a little meat at noon? Eat a Paleo lunch.
- Do you feel like enjoying an evening glass of wine? Enjoy a Mediterranean dinner.
Voila, you're a Mixiterranean!
DEFINITIONS:
mix: to combine, unite, or join
-terranean: of or relating to the earth
The idea is to not restrict yourself to any one diet, but rather to create your own eating style that incorporates meals from all three diets—anytime you wish. It offers what I call structured flexibility—meaning there are no strict rules, only guidelines to help you easily mix-and-match meals to design your own custom eating plan that meets your personal dietary needs.
Although there are contradictions among the Vegan, Mediterranean, and Paleo diets, there are also similarities. Each one of these diets has been shown to help prevent or reverse chronic conditions, support weight loss, and improve health outcomes. These positive results are mainly due to their similarities rather than their differences.
I've created the following Venn diagram as a resource for you so you can easily see where these three diets overlap—and also how they differ. Feel free to download and print this cheat sheet for your reference (no email required!).
Use this cheat sheet to help you mix-and-match the three diets to find your own way of eating that supports your unique biochemistry, taste preferences, and current health goals—and makes you feel your very best! Before you know it, you'll drop the diet labels, find your own unique eating style, and begin to nourish yourself the way your body naturally guides you.
And that's the Mixiterranean Lifestyle!
Before you know it, you'll drop the diet labels, find your own unique eating style, and begin to nourish yourself the way your body naturally guides you.
What's a Mixiterranean?
A Mixiterranean is someone who is tired of dietary dogma and restrictive dieting, so instead embraces dietary diversity—eating a wide variety of foods, mostly from the earth. A Mixiterranean mixes-up the best of three top diets—Vegan, Mediterranean, and Paleo—to create a customized eating plan that aligns with his or her taste preferences and current health objectives.
