How I Eat Without A Diet

We are unique snowflakes, and our personal needs are constantly changing. I have introduced a few principles that I have used to navigate nutrition below.

To learn to meet my body-mind's needs, I have had to become sensitive to the cues - physical and mental - with self-awareness.

I pay close attention to the effects food has on my moods, energy and inspiration - these are the first places I feel dips. When I drink coffee, I mask these effects of my food, so I can only judge the impact of my food accurately when I'm not having coffee. Some of these signs only show up a day or two later, like a delayed hangover, so to tell where each signal is coming from required me to cut out a lot to reduce the noise and then reintroduce and monitor (elimination diet). My stools, skin and fat composition are great markers too.

I avoid inflammatory foods at all costs: processed, additives, dairy, refined sugar, gluten, alcohol, caffeine.

I chase healing foods with high nutritional density (more nutrients per calorie) and anti-oxidative potential. To achieve this, my diet is by far mostly plants and well-sourced eggs. I try and eat as many different colours and types (leafy, tuber, nut, seed, legume etc.). If I eat any meat, it's well-sourced (organic and local).

I introduce change frequently, in the forms of fasting (intermittent & prolonged) and cutting out specific groups for a period of time - like going vegan for a few weeks. Once a month I do 1-3 days of liquid only - smoothly blended soups and smoothies, organic veg juices and water. This has been found to have an anti-inflammatory effect on the gut, and my energy shoots through the roof when I do it. Plus my skin and fat composition improve noticeably too. I also spend a few weeks at a time focusing on a different macronutrient profile, low carb most often.

I have a mixed relationship with the concept of balance when it comes to food - because I do not choose a balance of health and disease.