Is Perfect Nutrition Realistic?

When I was in my mid-twenties, I started eating a vegetarian diet that excluded meat. I felt wonderful. There may be various reasons I felt good, but I can say from my own experience that my body does not tolerate meat as well as grains and vegetables. Each person reacts differently to different foods, so I do not believe that one diet fits all.

For example, I once tried the high-protein, extremely low-carb Adkins diet. Within 24 hours I was sick in bed with illness and extreme weariness. I never stay in bed with illness, so this was a strong reaction for me.

The vegetarian diet agreed with me. Perhaps there were reasons it worked, beyond the simple fact that my body does not digest meat as easily as other foods. When I was on the vegetarian diet, I was very health-conscious and carefully monitored my protein, carbohydrate, and sugar intake. I ate many vegetables, usually three different sides of veggies with each meal. Since eliminating meat took a certain amount of determination, I was more focused on my dietary habits and it affected my whole life, from the boost it gave to my exercise to the disinterest I had in unhealthy snacks. I also felt better both physically and psychologically, which gave me better will-power to stay in control of my eating.

If it worked so well for me, why am I not a vegetarian today? The reason is simple: I am no longer single. No, my husband does not insist that I eat meat, so you can’t blame him that I am no longer a vegetarian. It more has to do with the difficulty and cost of making two kinds of meals when we eat. Perhaps someday when my kids are older, I’ll do it again.

As easy as it is to talk about healthy ideals, every day life is seldom if ever conducive to the perfect ideal. Why do I bring this up? I bring this up because I do promote healthy living in the most ideal form possible, but I’m the first to admit that you have to find a way to be healthy in your daily living that is practical for yourself and your family. Be informed and make an effort, but don’t set unreasonable expectations that you can’t keep. Healthy living is about being sensible and finding what works best for you.