Why you should ditch your dull diet

Do you ever get stuck in a bit of a rut when it comes to food? You have the same thing over and over because it’s quick, easy and you know you like it. Maybe you’re always following the latest diet because it gives you something to focus on and has been hailed as the key to weight loss…low carb, low fat, paleo, keto, gluten free, dairy free…they’ve all claimed it but could they be doing more harm than good? The below are some important reasons you should get as much variety in your diet as possible, restrict yourself less and don’t get caught up in the latest fad diet.

Missing your Oomph?!

Over or under consumption of certain foods bought about by restrictive eating patterns can lead to nutritional deficiencies or even malnutrition. These can develop slowly over time causing fatigue, weakness and sleep disruption. Often people are unaware there is a problem and perceive these feelings as the norm. A varied diet rich in protein, vegetables and fibre will give you your oomph back!

There is no bad guy!

Carbs, fat, sugar – they’ve all been labelled the latest bad guy when the problem is in fact us and our overconsumption of them. Overconsumption of one of the macros at the expense of the others can result in difficulty switching between the energy substrates. For example, if we have a high carbohydrate diet we become very good at burning carbs for fuel, to the point where when they are low we find it difficult to use other sources such as protein and fat for fuel. This leaves us feeling lethargic and makes it difficult to lose fat. If we were to then take it to the extreme, decide carbs are the bad guys and take them super low we would feel tired, irritable and unable to train as the body is struggling to adapt to burning more protein and fat as fuel. If you are able to sustain this for a few weeks, the body would adapt and become better at burning protein and fat and poor at handling carbs. It’s becomes a vicious cycle – stay too long in either camp you risk overloading those metabolic systems and will see diminished results or hit a plateau. By keeping your diet varied you will naturally have higher and lower carbs days and neither system will have the chance to be overloaded.

Beat the Binge Cycle

Restricting or omitting certain foods from your diet can lead to intense cravings and blowouts. When these binges occur, you may have an adverse effect to that food and self-diagnose an allergy or intolerance. When we restrict a specific food group for an extended period the digestive enzymes needed to break down that food down-regulate so when we are next exposed to them we are lacking the necessary enzymes to break that food down which can result in diarrhoea, bloating and sickness. The issue may not even be that specific food but rather the overconsumption – I don’t have a dairy intolerance but from experience know that I would feel rather sick if I ate a whole pot of Ben & Jerry’s in one sitting! 🙈

Keep foods you enjoy in your diet, don’t restrict yourself too much and you will be less likely to feel like you’re missing out and end up drowning in a tub of the aforementioned ice cream!

If you think you have a genuine allergy or severe intolerance, then it’s important to speak to a doctor or dietician as repeated exposure can cause inflammation and unnecessary stress on your digestive system.

Micros matter too!

All foods have a macronutrient profile – that’s the ratio of carbs, fats and protein they contain. While the macro content of certain groups of nutrients may be similar, e.g. a handful of 2 different types of nuts, their micronutrient (vitamins & minerals) profile will vary. We do need micros in much smaller quantities but they still play a big role in our immune system, energy levels and mood so mixing things up will ensure you are getting everything you need. You can apply this to eggs (duck/chicken), poultry, red meat, starchy carbs, fruits and vegetables.

Finally, and above all, eating the same things repeatedly can become dull and dissatisfying plus, focussing on what you can’t have only makes you think about it even more. These combined leave you feeling like you’re missing out and craving more food because you’re not satisfied with what you’ve already had. Your body is pretty smart and will be crying out for the things that you are lacking (enjoyment included!) so try to inject a bit more variety into your diet today and your mind and body will feel better for it 🙌