Every Internet guru is trying to capitalize on the widespread confusion that exists in regards to nutrition. There is a Paleo Diet, a South Beach Diet, an Atkins Diet and more recently a Mountain Dog Diet. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. It seems like every day some new book is being written by a self-proclaimed expert claiming to have found the holy grail of food. They tell you exactly what to eat, what not to eat and when to eat it. If you follow all of their advice down to the last detail (as they suggest you must) without ending up with an eating disorder, more power to you ! And all you have to do is pay $29.99 for the e-book and a recurring monthly fee of $9.99 to join their website.

I have nothing against capitalism and I believe that everyone has the right to make a living by selling their knowledge. However, the vast majority of nutritional products and services sold on the Internet today are marketed in such a way that leave us believing that unless we use their products, we are destined to a life of poor health. This is not knowledge or sound advice, it is simply manipulation.

Like many people I’ve been guilty of looking for the silver bullet, the one diet that can solve all my problems. I’ve concluded that it doesn’t exist. There are a lot of great marketers out there who can convince you of just about anything. My advice is not to read it. Not that you should refrain from educating yourself, but you should avoid inundating yourself with conflicting viewpoints on the same subject. There is an old saying that if you ask ten different people the same question, you will get 10 different answers. And those answers will make you more confused than when you started, and leave you with even more unanswered questions.

We are all guilty of using the Internet as a crutch from time to time. Whenever something pops in our minds that we are unsure of, we Google it. We figure that the answers are there already, so we avoid doing any critical thinking. Too often the answers we find are a “one size fits all” and this isn’t reality. Here’s a personal example: You can read on the Internet that oatmeal is an extremely healthy food option. It is loaded with fibre, high in vitamins and minerals and great at lowering bad cholesterol. So a number of years ago I went out to a holistic grocery store and I bought a box of certified organic steel cut oats, the highest quality oats you can find. About a half an hour after I finished the bowl, I felt lethargic, weak and was borderline depressed. I figured this must just be an aberration. So I had another bowl the next day with the exact same result. I haven’t had another bowl since. Clearly oatmeal is not a healthy option for me.

Today I start every morning with 4 organic free range eggs, a handful of nuts and berries and I feel fantastic for the next several hours. I am what is termed ‘a fast oxidizer’ and fast oxidizers tend to have strong appetites, crave and do well on heavy proteins and fatty foods, tend to get hyper yet feel exhausted underneath, feel anxious, nervous, jittery and are prone to emotional ups and downs. Most carbohydrates absorb into my system at a rapid pace, leaving me hungry and low on energy. I still eat them in small amounts, I just don’t make them a focal point of any meal. My body functions better with foods that are high in protein and fat.

If you are struggling to figure out what foods work best for you, start eating different foods and record how you feel several hours later and even into the next day. Ask yourself: “Do I have energy today?”, “Do I feel bloated and tired?”. It may sound a little tedious, but it is worth it. Consider seeing a registered dietitian or a holistic nutritionist and get a food intolerance test done. They will show you on a sliding scale which foods your body is most compatible with and which ones it is not. Jumping from one fad diet to the next every couple of months is not the answer. Put the effort into doing more research with your body and I think you will like the results.

So which diet will work best for you? The one you develop for yourself.