Nutrition and Health
Here’s Why There’s No “One Size Fits All Diet.”
Here are four popular diets, each with pros and cons, so you can decide which is best for you.
Purpose of the Article
I’m inspired to write this article after reading and watching some content using the phrases like “the best diet ever, the healthiest diet, or the most delicious diet,” alluding to everyone should follow the recommended diet.
Furthermore, calling a diet “scientifically proven” is misleading as scientists haven’t proven any diet meets everyone’s needs. Besides, despite its usefulness, nutrition science has struggled with significant problems affecting the public’s trust for the last six decades, as I discussed in a previous post.
My goal is to clarify why none of these popular diets might be the best for everyone by providing their strengths and weaknesses of them.
In addition, I share my observations neutrally for their benefit and side effects for different conditions. Finally, as I tried these diets, my experience might add helpful perspectives to those who attempt to customize their diets.
Even though I follow a specific diet with total satisfaction nowadays, I wouldn’t call my diet as best diet as it does not suit everyone.
Why There Is No One Size Fits All Diet
In my opinion, despite their suitability for the majority, every diet still requires some customization to meet an individual’s needs. Every diet has its pros and cons when looked at from different angles.
Even though health is a critical aspect of following a specific diet, there are other factors, such as convenience and enjoyment factors.
For example, some people simply don’t enjoy eating meat, or some don’t like vegetables. Some people don’t like preparing complicated recipes and prefer simple food.
Nutrition also has a genetic factor. Some molecules in certain types of foods might clash with some people’s genes. For example, a branch of science called nutritional genomics (genetic nutrition) examines how nutrients and genes interact.
In addition, some diets are not clearly defined, so they have multiple versions interpreted by dieters. Therefore, it is impossible to have one size fits all.
To explain these points, I briefly review four popular diet types showing their pros and cons. My goal is to encourage readers to customize their diets to reap health and enjoyment benefits from their personalized diets.
1 — Solely Plant-Based Diets
Undoubtedly, some people thrive in solely plant-based diets (no animal products) if they manage them well and address nutritional deficiencies.
Some family members love plant-based diets, and I support them. But, I don’t follow plant-based diets for personal reasons that I briefly discuss in the relevant sections.
As I tried plant-based diets following vegetarian, vegan, and even fruitarian, I want to highlight that plant-based diets are not for everyone.
I used to believe they were the best for me and even everyone else until I experienced nutritional deficiencies creating havoc in my health.
In my younger years, when I naively said a purely plant-based diet was best one day in a social conversation, a wise friend replied, “If a vegan diet is the best diet, why do plants lack critical nutrients like Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 requiring supplementation?”
She was right. Then, even fixing nutritional deficiencies did not solve my problems, as some plants created food intolerance, and some plant molecules (e.g., oxalates, glucosinolates, phytates, saponins, tannins, and lectins) initiated autoimmune conditions.
So pure plant-based diets might not suit those with allergies and autoimmune conditions. For example, I introduce the side effects of lectins in an article titled Potential Dangers and Unspoken Truth about Lectins.
Another side effect of sole plant-based diets for me and several other people in my circles was carb intolerance. This condition is not well-known. Therefore, I highlight it here for those who don’t know it.
There is a misconception that plant-based diets are only for vegetarians and vegans. Plants can be consumed by dieters using various mixed diets. So we don’t have to be vegan or vegetarian to benefit from vegetables and fruits.
From my experience, the most restrictive diet was fruitarian which caused me serious health issues such as dental problems. My transformed diet reversed my situation, as I documented in this article titled Here’s How Altering My Diet Solved the Unbearable Teeth Problems Sustainably.
In my observations, from a performance perspective, the most advantageous part of the plant-based diet was keto-vegan which I introduced in the following two articles:
Keto-Vegan 101: How to Benefit from Ketosis in Plant-Based Diets
After I Defeated a Teenage Rock Climber, His Vegan Mum Asserted I Was on Steroids.
2 — Solely Animal-Based Diets
Another extreme diet is eating only animal-based food, not including vegetables and fruits. Similar to the previous diet, this diet also suits some people’s needs. Like myself, I witnessed many people thriving on pure animal-based diets.
Animal-based diets suit those who cannot tolerate plant molecules, causing allergies and autoimmune conditions. They are also used for those who are carb intolerant. Animal products mainly include proteins and fats.
In addition, some mixed dieters can use pure animal-based diets as elimination diets while identifying the offending food. Once they find the culprits, they remove the specific items and return to their original diet. So, for example, the carnivore diet is a helpful elimination tool for some dieters.
From my experience and observations, animal-based diets do not suit everyone. For example, excessive protein consumption poses risk factors for health.
Therefore, even though it worked for me as I follow a customized version, I support my family members, who are herbivores and omnivores, as my diet did not work for them for various reasons.
Even though some people follow a strict carnivore diet eating only meat, I believe it is not sustainable unless increased fat intake and organ meats like beef liver are introduced. Therefore, I choose a keto-carnivore diet, which is more sustainable for me.
I also met some people who only eat fish and seafood. Obviously, this restrictive diet meets the needs of some people. Even though I enjoy fish to get more omega-3 fatty acids, it does not meet my other needs. Therefore, I need to eat other types of meats and fats.
Some people can also use a fish and seafood diet as an elimination diet. But I know some people are allergic to fish and seafood. For example, a family member cannot eat and digest Salmon at all even though she loves the taste.
3 — Standard [XYZ Nation] Diet
Different countries have their dietary standards for their citizens. The most popular national diet is Standard American Diet (SAD) which is also commonly followed in Australia, where I live.
SAD has even become popular in some Asian countries despite the popularity of their traditional diets. However, this fast transition concerns some health professionals as diet has a genetic factor.
Nevertheless, some people love SAD. For example, when I asked my friends and colleagues living in the United States, they showed two benefits of SAD: affordable and easy to find.
As SAD is a national diet in the US, it is possible to find food related to this diet in almost all stores at affordable prices.
Fast food restaurants seem to follow the rules of SAD to provide convenient and affordable food to the citizens. Some people mentioned that some fast-food restaurants provide a healthier alternative.
However, I read numerous research papers highlighting the risks created by excess sugar, trans fats, refined grains, and sodium hidden in the diet. Unless citizens consciously track the nutrients and ingredients in food, they can overdo the sugar, trans fats, grains, and sodium causing severe metabolic and mental health conditions.
People criticize SAD for limiting saturated fats for cholesterol (fear of cardiovascular diseases), but the SAD eating regimen includes trans fats and refined carbs, which also risk factors in excess amounts for metabolic diseases (e.g., type II diabetes, heart disease, strokes, and cancers).
SAD is also known as the Western Pattern Diet. However, in European countries, there is a trend to reduce sugar (refined carbs) and trans fats. In some European countries, citizens consume more saturated fats and cholesterol covering food than Americans.
As this diet is comprehensive, it is impossible to have a single version of it. However, the principles might apply to many, but the details can vary based on the variety of food and type of preparation.
4 — Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet became very popular as the Bluezone studies highlighted its importance of it for longevity.
Overall, it is believed that the Mediterranean diet is healthier than Standard American Diet, but I haven’t seen a specific one entirely accepted everywhere.
So, there is no one version of the Mediterranean diet. Different parts of the Mediterranean sea use different versions. Some eat more fat and meat and some more vegetables and fruits.
Even nutritionists interpret it differently. For example, a plant-loving one with a carbs focus recommends more vegetables, legumes, and fruits, while an animal-loving one with more protein and fat focus suggests more meat, chicken, eggs, butter, and fish.
However, the principles of the Mediterranean diet seem to be more favorable to many healthcare professionals than just plant or just animal-based diets, especially if it is correctly customized for the needs of individuals.
This diet suits the needs of omnivorous lifestyles.
Conclusions and Takeaways
There are thousands of diets in the world. To highlight my point on “No One Size Fits All Diet,” I introduced four popular diets.
As I explained, each diet type has its pros and cons. Therefore, statements like “the best diet for everyone” can be misleading and cause issues for readers who consume such information for decision-making.
In addition, using adjectives like “scientifically proven” for a diet is inappropriate as scientists haven’t proven diets suit the needs of everyone yet.
In my opinion, the best diet is “the personalized diet,” meeting the needs and goals of individuals. I explained the importance of a customized diet in this article titled Five Game-Changing Tips to Design a Customized Diet to Thrive.
While trial and error can be viable, some of us might need support from qualified healthcare professionals such as dieticians and certified nutritionists specializing in specific diets.
Another important factor when assessing a diet is its hormonal effect. I prefer diets with food, giving satiety and allowing people to use time-restricted eating, which offers valuable health benefits such as autophagy, which clears the garbage from the body.
For example, fasting with a keto-carnivore diet is easy for me as I am satisfied with just one meal daily with the caloric support of healthy fats. In addition, healthy fats make the body more insulin sensitive and leptin receptive, putting it in a metabolically advantageous position.
As we are what we eat, we need to pay attention to our diet and find a suitable and sustainable one for our needs. The social aspect of food is also crucial in some countries and cultures. However, I don’t see diet as an ethical or spiritual matter, even though some people do.
While choosing a diet, I look at the nutritional value covering all essential nutrients, bioavailable proteins for keeping lean muscles, hormonal balance for keeping a healthy weight, and energy density. Neurological and mental health is also a critical factor in choosing a diet.
I struggled a lot via trial and error until I found my ideal diet as a lifestyle choice. Therefore, I try to pass along my hard-learned lesson to my readers. For example, I documented Seven Mistakes to Avoid When Losing Fat.
Here’s How a Mature-Age Couple Reversed Diabetes and Trimmed Their Bodies with Lifestyle Habits.
I aim to increase the hormonal intelligence of my readers and write about various hormones and neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, GABA, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, adrenaline, glutamate, and histamine.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
As a new reader, please check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting my reviews, observations, and decades of experiments optimizing my hormones and neurotransmitters. I write about health as it matters. I believe health is all about homeostasis.
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