For me, the right diet is a matter of sickness and health. When I found out I had Celiac Disease in 2012, I learned that going gluten free would literally change my life. And I’m not alone. Food is fuel, but it can also be devastating to those who are Immuno-compromised or have severe allergies.

We are all unique and have different bodies with complex needs. Whether you are looking to improve your health, heal from an illness, or bring more awareness to what you put in your body: your diet matters.

With so many different diets in the mix; gluten-free, vegan, Keto, Paleo, HCG… how do you know which one is right for you?

To start, it’s vital to listen to your body and feed it the fuel it needs. But it’s not always that simple. There is a myriad of diets vying for our attention, and it’s hard to know which direction to turn.

That’s why it’s important to take matters into our own hands and proactively seek out the foods that serve our bodies best. Ready to find your perfect diet? Let’s explore exactly how you can do that!

How Do You Choose From So Many Diets?

It’s no secret that there are so many diets out there. How can you find your perfect diet? To start, your number one priority is to fill your body with natural, organic, whole foods. When you research any of the most popular diets, you’ll see they all have this commonality. Many diets strive to achieve a “balanced diet,” but what does that mean?

A balanced diet incorporates a variety of vegetables, fruits, lean meats, protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs. Of course, some diets heavily lean toward one or two of these categories, which is why it’s important to learn how to find the right one for your body.

Personally, I had to work very hard to find my right diet, and it was a vital part of my recovery from Lyme disease and chronic illnesses.

Finding My Diet Changed My Life

A huge piece of my recovery and regaining my health came from optimizing my diet. It also continues to be one of the ways I support my health and stay in remission from Lyme Disease and manage my symptoms from Celiac Disease and Hashimotos.

But what if you’re not sure how to find your perfect diet? There are many tests to lead you in the right direction.

Ways To Find The Perfect Diet

If you’ve struggled to find the right diet for your body, there are several tools to help you get some clarity. Between elimination diets and at-home test kits, there is help to discover the right diet for you. Let’s explore some of the options I recommend.

Elimination Diet

Did you know that between 2-20% of the world’s population has some form of food intolerance? That means that many of us are struggling with food-related symptoms on the daily. It’s difficult to know exactly what the source is for your symptoms, and an elimination diet helps you find out.

An elimination diet is a process of removing certain food groups from your diet at a time. After 2-3 weeks of elimination, you reintroduce the food to see how your body reacts. If you experience allergies like bloating, nausea, headaches, or fatigue, it’s likely you are allergic to this food group.

Some of the biggest food allergy culprits are:

Dairy
Wheat
Nuts
Nightshades
Seafood
Soy
Corn

There are a few routes you can go to do an elimination diet, and among the most popular are Whole 30, Low-FODMAPs, or AIP (Autoimmune Protocol Diet).

Micronutrient Testing

Sometimes it’s not about what you’re putting in your body but what you are missing or not getting from certain food groups. A great way to test this is to take a micronutrient test, which checks your cellular levels for deficiencies. Micronutrient testing analyzes your levels of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants to discover what’s missing.

With these results, you can create a nutritional plan to ensure you’re getting all the vital nutrients your body needs to operate optimally.

Ixcela Gut Test

Ixcela is a super easy and effective at-home microbiome test kit that tests all the metabolites in the gut. The test is a simple pin-prick that analyzes the microbiome and creates a personalized nutrition and wellness plans to improve your health and quality of life.

Viome Gut Test

Viome is another at home gut-test, but instead of a pin-prick, it’s a stool sample. The Viome gut test helps you discover exactly what your body needs to function its best. This test gives you scores, as well as a nutritional roadmap to guide you toward your perfect diet, based on your body’s individual needs.

Learn more about taking the Viome Gut Test here.

Genopalate DNA Test

I love the Genopalate DNA test (use code TRAILTOHEALTH for $10 off) because it dives into your specific DNA and customizes a nutritional plan based on your genetics. The goal is to “eat for your genes” because each of us has biochemical activity rooted in our family genealogy. The more aware we are of our DNA, the better we can equip our bodies with the food it needs.

Learn about eating for your genes with Genopalate here.

Everlywell Food Sensitivity Test

For some of us, it’s not just about knowing what foods make us feel good, but also what foods make us feel really, really bad. Connecting the dots between symptoms and food allergies is an exhausting process to do on your own. I know that personally before I found my perfect diet, I struggled to isolate precisely what the culprits were that were holding me down. That’s why I recommend the Everlywell home test, which tests you for food sensitivities.

This test analyzes your body’s immune response to almost 100 common food allergens. Once you receive your results, you can see which foods to eliminate from your diet.

Let’s Work Together To Heal Your Gut

I know firsthand how difficult it is to find your perfect diet. I struggled for years to reclaim my health and find the right foods my body needs. From my experience, I’ve learned how important it is to maintain a balanced gut microbiome.

My Heal Your Gut coaching program is designed to help you find your perfect diet based on what your body needs. We’ll work together to analyze your genetics, health, microbiome, and metabolites to eliminate dangerous foods from your body, and create a comprehensive nutritional plan to help you achieve peak health.

There is no “one size fits all” diet, which is why coaching is a great way to take a deep dive to find what is the best diet for you.

When you find the right diet and heal your gut, you truly do live your most happy and healthy life, and I want to be right by your side every step of the way!