We love certainty. We love to categorize, label, and defend. Vegan vs. carnivore. Keto vs. high-carb. Every camp has its champions, its research, its long-winded arguments about why this way is the right way.
But let’s be real: if there were a single, universal diet that worked for everyone, wouldn’t we have figured it out by now? Wouldn’t we all be thriving?
Instead, most of us are inflamed, exhausted, and confused—following rules that should work but don’t. Maybe it’s time we step back from the noise and start listening to the only expert that actually matters: our own body.
Food Isn’t a Religion—It’s Fuel
Here’s where we get stuck: we treat food like an ideology. A belief system. A badge of identity.
But food isn’t about belief—it’s about function. Your body is an engine, and food is the fuel that runs it. The right fuel makes it run smoothly. The wrong fuel? It gums up the system, slows you down, and leads to chronic issues you can’t quite put your finger on.
And yet, we continue to follow dietary rules written by people who have no idea how your body responds to food.
Inflammation: The Root of the Problem
If we strip away all the diet wars and nutrition dogma, one thing is clear: chronic inflammation is wrecking us.
We live in an inflammatory world. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the stress we carry—it’s all adding to the load. And food? Food is either helping or making it worse.
Some people handle carbs well. Others don’t. Some thrive on dairy. Others experience bloating and fatigue. Some people feel incredible on plant-based diets. Others feel depleted.
The common denominator? Inflammation. The goal isn’t to follow someone else’s perfect diet; it’s to identify and eliminate the foods that are keeping you inflamed.
I Followed the Rules—And Still Struggled
For years, I drank 32 ounces of green juice every day and adhered to a strict vegan diet. This was what the camp I was in said was best. It was supposed to be detoxifying, energizing, the ultimate way to fuel my body.
But I didn’t feel best.
I was still struggling. My energy wasn’t where it should have been. My body was sending me signals that something was off. And yet, I ignored it—because I believed I was eating the “right” way.
Eventually, I had to step back and ask a simple but powerful question: What if this isn’t right for me?
That question changed everything.
I started experimenting. I added in foods I had once sworn off. I paid attention to how my body actually felt rather than how I thought it should feel. And over time, I found what worked—not based on someone else’s blueprint, but on my own lived experience.
Food as an Experiment—Not a Rulebook
We’ve been conditioned to follow diets like rigid roadmaps as if there’s one golden path to health. But what if, instead of blindly following, we experimented?
What if we treated food as a science experiment, with only one real metric: How do I feel?
Not how someone on the internet says you should feel. Not how your diet app ranks your meal choices. Not what a study says is optimal for the general population.
Just this: What happens in your body when you eat this food?
That’s the game-changer. That’s where freedom starts.
The Best Diet? The One That Works for You
There’s no perfect diet. No universal answer. No one-size-fits-all roadmap.
Instead of looking for a label to define your way of eating, consider this:
- Does this food reduce or increase inflammation in my body?
- How do I actually feel after eating it?
- Am I energized and clear-headed, or bloated and tired?
- Is this way of eating sustainable for me in the long run?
Most of us aren’t struggling because we lack willpower. We’re struggling because we’re eating in a way that doesn’t work for our individual bodies. And instead of adjusting, we double down because “the book said so.”
Forget the rules. Forget the debates. Your body has the answer—if you’re willing to listen.
A Simple Shift
No rigid rules. No one-size-fits-all plan. No pressure to get it “right.”
Just this:
Notice what your body is telling you.
Try something different if what you’re doing isn’t working.
Let go of the guilt.
Trust yourself.
Because in the end, the best expert for your body—is you.
Now, what’s one food that you suspect isn’t serving you? Try cutting it out for a week and see what happens. You might be surprised at what your body tells you.
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