To err is human. To blame it on someone else is even more human. But it’s time we took the blame squarely upon our own shoulders for the state of our health.

We’re the ones buying rubbish and putting it in our mouths, our bodies. We are treating our most precious resource with absolute disdain when we don’t honour it with the nutrients it needs.

There’s so much noise out there about nutrition, and each new bit of advice seems to be a loggerheads with another scientifically reported view. I say, pick something and go with it. If the food is what your body needs it will thrive. If it isn’t, your body will let you know.

But start with lots of green leafy vegetables and the less starchy vegies then add a smaller amount of starchy vegetables, low GI fruit and just a smattering of the higher GI fruit. Eat nuts and seeds. Consume good quality fat as close to nature as possible. Avocadoes spring to mind. For the rest—the meat, the eggs, the dairy, the grains and legumes, do some study (or a lot) and make up your own mind. But when you make your decision, don’t label yourself a paleo eater or a vegan. Your body might love the diet you choose for a year or two then start to rebel. If you’re vegan, it might start requiring meat protein. If you’ve been paleo for some time, your body might start protesting because you’ve been eating far too much meat.

Somebody should do something. That’s right. Each of us should do it for ourselves. What we put into our bodies is our personal responsibiity, and no one else’s. Make a decision, do something … and keep learning how to make better informed decisions into the future. 

Posted in: The Column.
Last Modified: September 10, 2014