What is "Healthy" to You?

The word "healthy" seems to take on a different definition in every magazine, every journal, every study and every book I read. Some people think low carbohydrate/high fat ("keto") diets are the way to go, while others preach high carbohydrate/low fat diets.

Working in the fitness industry, I've become kind of overwhelmed with the huge differences in opinion out there. People will swear to death that their diet is the best way to eat. Quite frankly, I'm pretty freaking tired of hearing it.

I created a survey for my readers and viewers, and I asked them to respond to two questions:

1. Which of these options do you associate with the word healthy?
2. Which of these dietary restrictions do you follow?

They had the option to pick as many answers as they wanted: gluten free, grain free, dairy free, Paleo, high carb/low fat, low carb/high fat, low/no sugar, low/no sodium, non GMO, cage free/free range, grass fed, IIFYM, high protein, vegetarian, vegan, organic, minimally processed, and then anything else they wanted to add.

Obviously, the responses were pretty varied. The number one, response, however, was "minimally processed." In my opinion, this is the phrase I would associate most with "healthy." If it comes from the earth, it's healthy; if it comes from a factory, it's probably not.

The books make excellent coasters...

The conclusion I've come to, based on my reading and my experience, is that there is no "optimal" diet. Forget all of those commercials telling you otherwise. The best diet, in my humble opinion, is the one that works the best for you! What is sustainable for you in the long run? What will make you excited to eat, without feeling like you're restricting yourself? If you're craving everything you can't have and you're miserable, there is no point in eating that way.

Eating healthy should not come with the loss of your sanity. Ideally, you want to feel energized, well-nourished and happy!

Find a way to eat well without deprivation. Eat intuitively, and eat minimally processed foods. I've said it before on my blog, and I'll say it again. If you stick to the food that comes from the earth, you don't need to count calories and stress out over food. If you want to eat a piece of cake every once-in-a-while, eat it! Eat well, and live happily.