We are all different… We all have different needs and we all have different goals. Our bodies are all different as well. From the way we digest our food to the types of foods that our body can handle. A nutritional program is also tailored to your strengths and weaknesses on what will work best for you. I want to show you how nutrition changes for each of us, and how we can use information to build a tailored diet plan that works FOR you and not against you. So let’s take look at a few individual differences that affect how we digest food.
The food you eat has a Glycemic index (GI). Glycemic index is used to rank foods based on how they affect blood sugar level. Research has found that GI varied from person to person, meaning each individual had a different reaction to carbohydrates. Therefore there is more of a reason to believe that nutrition is a person-specific approach and not a one size fits all approach. You also have two hormones related to hunger, leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is released from your fat cells and provides feedback on how many calories you are ingesting. Ghrelin signals to our body that we are hungry, and is responsible for the growling in our stomachs. Each of us has varying amounts of leptin, ghrelin, and neuropeptide Y, so we will each be more or less sensitive to their presence. These hormone levels also fluctuate. Here are just a few factors that lead to changes in levels:
- Sleep: Lack of sleep tends to lower leptin and increase ghrelin. It is probably one of the reasons you might be hungrier after a few nights of less sleep.
- Meal Frequency: Intermittent fasting tends to reset sensitivity to leptin.
- Calorie Intake: Low-calorie diets tend to decrease leptin and increase ghrelin, which often leads to overeating after the diet is finished.
Next thing to look at are digestive enzymes. You have an enzyme called amylase in your mouth that breaks down starch into sugar. Your genetic makeup changes how much amylase you produce. There has been research done which has shown that people with less amylase had increased blood sugar response. This means our genetics change how we digest starch, even at the onset of digestion. The bacteria in our intestines also impacts your digestion.
In using this information, here are some ideas on how to put them into practice.
- Experiment by changing one variable at a time to see how it affects you. Some changes might take weeks or months to take effect. It can take weeks for your gut microflora to transition from a carnivore diet to a vegetarian diet. Give yourself time to assess whether it worked or not.
- Reflect on which diets have worked well for you in the past. Your body has changed since you last tried that diet, but it might be a good place to start your research.
- Keep track of your changes. It is important to keep note of your results. I would suggest writing down weight, body fat percentage, psychological state, and side effects, along with your food diary. It will allow you to look back and determine whether your intervention worked.
Once you see how the above changes impacted your body, the next step is to dig a little deeper and learn more about your body following the tips below !
- Eat less processed food. Foods with high levels of chemicals tend to harm gut bacteria and change our systems.
- Eat more pesticide-free vegetables. Plant-based products tend to provide nutrients that help your good gut bacteria grow. You may even want a bit of dirt on your vegetables, as soil-based organisms add to your gut bacteria diversity.
- Avoid antibiotics if you can. Antibiotics can affect your gut bacteria for up to one year. If you do need antibiotics, use fermented foods or probiotics to regrow the healthy gut bacteria.
The approach your goal physique, your nutrition needs to be tailored to you. Someone else’s diet might not be the best solution. As you learn to build your individualized nutrition plan, remember that systems interact, and your digestive system is as unique as you are.