In the spirit of New Years, what is the single biggest game changer you can make to your diet (with the goal of feeling better, more energetic, simply good for you, etc)? Addition or subtraction.
Personally I found the elimination diet to be life changing. I experimented with low carb/carnivore/keto/paleo. The elimination of sugar, wheat, seed oils and lowering of general carbs have had a profound effect on my mental health for the better. Those 3 make up the fast quantity of processed foods that we have been told over and over to reduce in our diets. Because of other changes previously and around the last so many years I am hard pressed to identify ONE specific cause. In the course of this dietary change I have added eating a lot more meat. I reckon that out of poverty related issues but cutting out various processed foods has meant that I have spare budget and the shopping list is much simpler. And I eat better than ever. No more white bread sandwiches and biscuits instead of whole food cooked dinner. So whilst I am paying a little more per week I am also eating much better.
So to recap and to narrow down a recommendation purely on anecdote
Subtract carbs will give you the best game changer.
It works on removing so many unhealthy options at once and there are so many ways to go about it and there is so many of the popular vegetables left.
Add: A fun goal I got from someone else is to eat at least 2 plants with every meal. (i.e. fruit, veggies, legumes. I told myself potatoes and wheat don’t count lol).
Also continue to add in or phase in new nutrient-dense sources of food. E.g. my latest one is Brazil nuts. Before that was chickpea noodles… game changer.
​
Subtract: Less late-night overeating, less potato chips, less artificially sweetened gatorades in favour of lemon water