The Search For The Perfect Diet

I have a confession to make: I’m obsessed with food. 

I watch The Food Network, I sometimes dream of eggs (I eat A LOT of them), and I thoroughly enjoy Man vs. Food. In fact, I’ve often wished that I could take on Adam Richman in an eating contest. Call it the Battle of Adam. 

As a fitness and nutrition editor my mindset seems wrong. How can someone who preaches a healthy lifestyle enjoy indulgence—or even worse, gluttony? 

Maybe I should blame my chubby childhood, but there’s no need for me to make excuses. Food is meant to be enjoyed. It's not the cause of obesity or the enemy. Our bad choices are. Food is an essential part of life, and treating it any other way is the reason our country has eating problems. The real issue: Why do so many people feel so strongly about food? The answer is complex, and the reason I’m starting a new personal journey. It’s one that might change your life. 

We’re all voyeurs of nature, and our natural instinct is to judge and criticize what’s different from our own beliefs. This is especially true with dietary habits. Just look at last week’s post about the new government My Plate guidelines. It was viral—and not necessarily in a good way. Contrary to many of the reader comments, I was happy the government made changes, but based on my conversations with many prominent nutritionists, it was apparent that more could be done. I wanted a bigger stand to help the nation eat better and become healthier. So I shared my thoughts on how we could take the process a step further, such as combining the government guidelines with a tool like MyPlate.

Instead, it became a feeding frenzy of anger and insult. Food became the enemy, and I was the messenger. The verbal bullets were shot towards my editorial fortress, and I used food to deflect the criticism. After all, my words were just my opinion. Some people disagreed, which was fine. Every issue is not black and white, and my thoughts are not a criticism of everything else that falls in opposition. They are simply an informed perspective.

I’m life crusader, and my mission is health. If I think our nation should follow one set of guidelines, it doesn’t mean that another option won’t be just as effective—or possibly more effective. This point is lost in heated conversation because most people don’t argue to learn: They argue to prove others wrong. Because at the end of the day we want to point the finger at someone or something. And when it comes to our weight and health, our first impulse is to point the finger at food. (Or the government) When what we really need to do is take accountability and action. That process begins with education.  

I’d like to put an end to the blame game. I want to help empower you to make the food choices that work for your style of living. In the end, that’s what the term “diet” is all about. It’s a style of eating—one that works within the confines of your day and your schedule. There are hundreds of diets, and no matter how much you may disagree, many diets work. And many others don’t. So I’m going to try them all. One bite at a time.

Call it “The Search for the Perfect Diet.” Along the journey I’ll share my feedback and allow you to make your own opinions. You can take my lessons and tips, and adjust them to fit your own life. But no matter what, don’t blame the food. In every scenario, it’ll be the secret to unlocking the life—and the body—you want.