How do you choose which food "philosophy" to follow?

[AnnaCal]

I'm really starting to get serious about having a healthy diet, for me and my family. We've been avoiding HFCS, hydrogenated oils, and artificial sweeteners for a while now, but I really want to take things to the next level. I've been reading a lot online, and I'm starting to get so confused! 

Some people say that meat is good. Some people say meat is bad. Some people say saturated fat is good. Some people say saturated fat is bad. Some people think dairy is good. Some people think dairy is bad! And these are all people that are talking about a whole foods, natural diet! 

Vegan, Paleo, Weston A. Price. There's so many out there! And they're all saying something different, and claiming to have good science behind their claims. 

So how do you decide which philosophy to follow? How do you know which is best? 

[choli]

I think it's better not to follow a philosophy and just go with fresh whole foods and everything in moderation.

Food philosophies are mainly about selling books.

[cristeen]

For us, so much of it has been trial and error. We knew the high carb SAD was killing us, so we tried Low Carb, and we felt so much better. We tried Paleo after that, and it was even better, but in the long-term unsustainable for us. Ultimately I realized grains (and sugar) were my big issue, so a combo of WAP (properly prepared grains) and Paleo (no grains) seems to work best for us. A lot of it is being willing to make the commitment to try it for a few months before giving up and really being aware of your body.

I also read the science behind it. So many of the claims made are based on spurious or incomplete science, that I completely disregard them. Many make claims based on the food pyramid, which in and of itself is not scientifically based.

Ultimately, you have to figure out your comfort level, and that may include challenging some long-held beliefs.

[ursusarctos]

Here's another vote for a varied diet of fresh whole foods, sans special philosophy. I have gleaned some useful things from WAPF like soaking grains and legumes and using bone broths, but basically people seem to be healthy on extremely varied diets. Often the only thing the diets have in common is that they exclude processed modern crap like the things you are already avoiding.

I would say try out different things and see what works best for you and your family. Some people do best being vegetarian, some do best being paleo, some do best being nothing in particular.

[Addie]

Originally Posted by choli 

I think it's better not to follow a philosophy and just go with fresh whole foods and everything in moderation.

Food philosophies are mainly about selling books.

I like Michael Pollan's advice: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

[shnitzel]

I like Michael Pollan's book "Food Rules". I think it is important to buy the best you can afford and to listen to your body. A lot of people seem to get so caught up in a philosophy that they feel like they should feel better than they do instead of actually listening to what feels best. I personally find I feel best eating mostly vegetarian but if I completely cut out meat I feel sick and if I eat too much meat I also feel sick which is the opposite of every philosophy but is what works for me. I really think other than sugar/caffeine/chemical cravings your body doesn't lie when it wants iron or fat or protein or potassium. I also find  that for me it is important that our diet fit our lifestyle and that food shouldn't be the center of our lives preventing us from regular activities, so we do go to birthday parties and eat cake.

[newcastlemama]

I agree with PPs. I have been grain and dairy free for about 4 years to manage joint pain from Lyme, but my family eats whole grains, cheese ect. I lean towards traditional foods but I am mostly into whole foods now because TF was just too impractical for me and I don't want to spend tons of time on food. I have also done "Eat to Live" (super low-fat, vegan with lots of veggies) but I need concentrated protein and more fat. So, I have found there is not a perfect diet for everyone to follow.

[Sol_y_Paz]

I did tons of research and went with what felt right for me and for our household.  It is more a lifestyle than anything else and appealed to my common sense.  

I have avoided red meat since childhood.  DH will eat red meat maybe once every 2 months while out to eat.  

As far as in our house and our meals eaten together at home, there is no red meat, very little white meat, wild caught fish 2-3 times per week and whole grains.  Mainly a diet based on fresh vegetables and also fresh whole fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, and beans.  Limited organic dairy.  We mostly eat at home and when going out to eat are very selective and stick with healthy items.  We don't care about fat, as long as it is good fat.  I ate an avocado sandwich yesterday and we are not scared of unrefined organic oils.  

We do not keep in the home or buy processed foods, sodas, etc.  We bring our lunches and our own snacks.  For beverages water, unsweetened fresh brewed tea, or diluted fruit juice.  DH will on limited occasion drink beer or wine. 

[happysmileylady]

I don't believe in a "food philosophy," (or "parenting philosophy for that matter.)  There is no one particular set of principles that will always work for every person, in food, parenting or life.  Everyone's body will have it's own special needs, what your body needs is going to vary from what my body needs.

In general, I believe that human beings evolved to be omnivores.  So I feel like if the average person just makes sure to eat a diet that includes a wide variety of things that either grow in the ground or things that eat things that grow in the ground, that's probably going to keep a person healthy.

[Magelet]

I do what feels healthy for us.  Our health has improved hugely eating how we eat over how we used to (now Pretty TF/wap-y, low/moderate meat (for money reasons mostly, grass-fed/pastured only), soaked grains and legumes, more veggies than legumes and grains, seasonal produce,).  If we aren't feeling great, and think it's diet related, we might change our diet and see if it helps.  This feels great right now.

[ShadowMoon]

I eat food that nourishes my mind and body. For me, that food philosophy is based on vegan, whole, plant-based foods. I have been eating this way for over 13 years and have created a beautiful, healthy 4 yr old DS while eating this way. It is the right diet for me, no doubts at all.

I don't believe in finding a food philosophy based on their claims of how healthy they are. Eat food that makes you feel good. It can be as simple as that

[bodhitree]

I've been going through a very intensive period of researching different styles of eating, prompted by my DD's food sensitivities. You're right, it can get so confusing because people whose eating styles are diametrically opposed are still all convinced that science is on their side. A lot of the science is a bit dubious, in my opinion, so my new strategy is to never take anyone's assertions at face value. Even if an idea sounds good to me, I still want to know what criticisms have been made of it. I look for multiple viewpoints on any topic, and then I choose based on what makes the most sense to me. Like PPs, I also listen to my body and pay attention to what foods give me a feeling of vitality and what foods make me feel bad.

[Shantimama]

 I agree that trying to fit into a category if a single "food philosophy" is more about selling books than anything else. I have found that different approaches work better for different members of my family at different times in our lives. Sometimes budget dictates what we can eat, sometimes practical matters like how much time is available for meal preparation affects our diet for a period of time.

We try to eat fresh, whole foods as much as we can, local and organic whenever possible but that is an ideal and not a quasi-religious belief for us. We don't live in a climate that supports all local food all year round. Our family budget does not allow us to eat only organic as much as we would like to. Different members of my family have food preferences and sensitivities and allergies to consider. What was possible and desirable for feeding my children as toddlers and small children is different than what is possible with teenagers.

I think the best thing to do is to read what interests you and listen to how you feel when you eat different things. Listen to how the rest of your family feels about what they are eating. Think about your values and how they relate to what you buy and how you eat. There is no need to fit into a single category. Books and opinions about food are a great place to apply the idea of "take what you like and leave the rest' and you can always adapt as you go along

[Arduinna]

Originally Posted by choli 

I think it's better not to follow a philosophy and just go with fresh whole foods and everything in moderation.

Food philosophies are mainly about selling books.

Yep, that is where I am now. I've been vegetarian and vegan in the past. I'm done with the hype. While I do post in the traditional foods forum it's more because they aren't afraid of fat or carbs in general ( I refuse to fall for the grain free hype for humans) and emphasize whole foods and raw dairy.

[akmeg]

What a great thread!  I've been think a lot about this very thing lately, in fact I just did a blog post about it last week.  I think studying too many food philosophies can be crazy-making!  I'm really trying to create my own personal ideal way of eating, not only for me but for my family.  And I love the idea that budget and time constraints and tastes should influence the way we eat.  If I dwell too much on trying to eat perfectly according to someone else's philosophy, I sometimes feel totally out of whack in the rest of my life.  I need to find foods that help me feel balanced!

Right now it's a bit of grains, lots of veggies, some meat and full fat dairy, and a few reasonble sweets thrown in.  Almost all supposedly healthy diets I've read about have veggies in common, so I'm trying to focus on that at the moment.  Tonight Dd and I made a beautiful salad and we tried to get as many different colors in it as we could.  We kept going back to the fridge and looking for something else in a different color to add.  We had green, yellow, red, pink, purple, and orange!  Now, no one can dispute that that's a great way to eat! 

[Shantimama]

 When I start to think too much about eating "right" I also remind myself what a privilege it is to have so much choice in how I eat and feed my family. I absolutely went to eat and feed my children well but remembering that most women in the world don't have as much choice as I do is important to me.

I see so many women who are anxious about the perfect way to plan and prepare meals and fretting over every misplaced nutrient or additive. I do think it is very important to be thoughtful and intelligent in what we eat - but they bottom line is that most the people worrying about which diet to follow or how to get enough of every nutrient into their children and have to work at avoiding junk will never have to worry about thie children dying of malnutrition. Most of us are going to live in relatively excellent health for a very long time.

[imogenlily]

Originally Posted by Shantimama  I do think it is very important to be thoughtful and intelligent in what we eat - but they bottom line is that most the people worrying about which diet to follow or how to get enough of every nutrient into their children and have to work at avoiding junk will never have to worry about thie children dying of malnutrition. Most of us are going to live in relatively excellent health for a very long time.

This is so true. Thanks for posting, it really resonated with me.