That’s right folks, today I’m sharing with you a new diet, thats going to be a sensation. It might even become a giant trend if we want it to.
This diet is so bad ass, and so cutting edge that its breaking ALL the rules. EVERY SINGLE RULE ever established by any previous diet leader.
If you join me in this diet, there will be no one telling you anymore what it is you SHOULD and SHOULD NOT be eating. There will be no one judging you, no one thinking they are better than you.. and if they dare think this way- you will be able to laugh at their antics and move on your happy way, because you will know exactly how you should be eating.
Lets talk about the problem.
Somehow diets are now becoming quite dogmatic- religions in a way. Within each diet plan communities are emerging of like minded people, following the same rules and holding each other accountable to the “rules”. While yes, this has many perks- as feeling part of a community is wonderful! And you may have improved your overall eating habits and feel better as a whole by changing your diet. All wonderful and positive.
This great thing turns ugly when you start to think and believe that YOUR WAY IS THE ONLY WAY to be healthy.
The moment you chastise someone else, the moment you preach that everyone should eat the way you do. You have crossed a line.
The fact is- We are ALL different. And frankly different diet plans are going to work for different people. There are people that don’t digest meat well, others that do terrible eating grains. Some thrive on nightshade veggies, others do not. Some people feel amazing eating a pure raw diet, others bloat up like a blimp if they consume all the raw roughage.
To follow the “Eat whats best for YOU” Diet. There are 3 rules.
- The #1 rule is that there are no rules. Thats right.. none. You don’t have to listen to a thing anyone else tells you. While its always smart to do research and educate yourself, and to pay attention to the positives coming out of trends- you don’t have to buy into everything that you read, and then feel guilty if you don’t do it all.
- Eat what makes you feel BEST. This might take a little trial and error, and a lot of people don’t want to be bothered with that process. But, it works, I promise. Eat what makes you feel great, avoid what doesn’t. Its that simple.
- Don’t judge others. Ever. Support them in their journey to heal or lose weight by caring and allowing them to figure out what works best for them. (You can offer suggestions of things that helped you, but do not ever tell them they have to do it too, and that if they don’t that they will never get better, never lose weight etc.)
If you are listening to your body, and doing what makes it feel best, then you are literally giving yourself the most loving and compassionate gift possible.
Feel free to use the various diets as your starting point- to help structure you, and to inspire you. There is a lot of great concepts and ideas out there that may really help you. But don’t make them your bible just because you have been told to do so!
With that being said, I’m officially done with referring to myself as Paleo. I now follow the Brittany Angell Diet. Its kind of like Paleo, but its also kind of not. I’ll eat peanuts here and there, I’ll also eat real french fries once in awhile if I want. I use psyllium in my recipes sometimes, and I eat xylitol. And I feel GREAT! My autoimmune disease is in remission, I have more energy than I have in years- and most importantly I feel happy. There’s no sense of deprivation here.
If I could I would drop all the diet titles from my recipes I would. I will keep them intact to only make searching for recipes online easy. But the fact is, I want nothing to do with any of them. I want my recipes to be about food. Good, real, healthy, happy food.
Lets start a revolution. A revolution that supports the idea that people know their own bodies best.
Lets eat healthy, be happy and STOP judging one another. We all love good food. Lets embrace that and support one another!
I am here to support you. In whatever diet you choose.
Cheers to a healthy me and a healthy you!
-Brittany-
Ps. You should know that I am no saint. About a year ago I yelled at my father for eating gluten, I gave my husband the silent treatment for “cheating” on the diet I created for him, I even told my cookbook co-author exactly how she was to go about getting better, and got mad when she would not listen. The truth is- this notion of telling others what to eat, and how to live usually comes from a place of love. We care and want to help others get better! None of us are perfect, and falling into the role of a food police officer is easy to do. A little awareness can go a long way- lets start supporting each other in a better way!
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
Sign me up for that diet, Brittany!! I’ll have mine with a side of Humble Pie.
You the best, homey.
xoxo Nicole
Best idea ever! Thank you for putting into words what so many of us feel!
Not our place to judge.
Love it! I’m on the Jenny Brooks Diet.
Amen, amen, and AMEN!!!!!!!
Brittany,
Thank you!! Thank you! Did I need you to tell me this even when that little voice deep down was telling me different? Yes! It sometimes feels like you get in a whirlpool and you can’t make it to the top again….all of the information, all of the research, all of the judgments, ALL of the rules making you feel like you are a failure if you don’t follow things exactly even when you don’t feel good following them. I have been following a Paleo diet and then now another one added to that one that is more restrictive….just trying to get my digestive system to behave! I know all about toxic die-off, but man, my little voice has been saying to me that this feeling can’t be right. Deeper into the whirlpool! Just having someone else say what you have was like throwing me a life preserver…..exactly what I finally told my husband this morning. I told him that I need to find out what is going to work for me…..period. A little Paleo, a little SCD but ALL LauraG…..my choice and my discovery.
I absolutely love it!
I completely agree with this. I’m so tired of reading about how wrong you are if you eat this or that. The kinds of righteous attitudes of people who believe their diets are the be all end all even if supported by scientific studies is irritating and unhelpful. I completely believe that there is no such thing as a once size fits all – I know vegetarians who are genuinely healthy and paleo disciples who are not, and vice versa. It really depends on you, what you’re sensitive and not sensitive to, and where you are in your life. Thanks for articulating it in a cohesive and compelling way.
How refreshing!
I am following (loosely) a very trendy diet right now.
I was enjoying a facebook community for this diet until the beginning of this week when all of a sudden new members joined who were more than a bit dogmatic about everything they posted. If I were to do everything they prostheletized I might just as well soak newspapers in water and eat that.
I am in my 60s and have seen diets come and go, science proclaim and then retract, experts who became so caught up in their stories that they had no way to change course. Life is far too complicated to make eating choices so complex.
Eat reasonably, eat healthily and above all, love yourself.
I couldn’t have said it better myself. I find that when on a particular kind of ‘diet’, I get VERY discouraged with myself if I slip on even one tiny point. Since the beginning of the year I have attempted to stick to a completely gluten and dairy free diet and I have failed several times, mainly because I want to ‘fit in’ with the family and not cook separate meals for myself all the time. But, I have decided, as you have, that I am not going to let my perfectionism get in my own way and I will not allow it to make me quit because I feel like a failure. I’m going to do better than I used to eating-wise, exercise-wise and health-wise and I’m not going to hurt myself by allowing perfectionism to beat me into feeling horrible. Thanks for posting this. I follow you on FB as well and enjoy trying the recipes that you post! Keep up the great work! Be blessed!
Amen! And thank you!
What a refreshing perspective! I can totally turn into Deputy Diet when someone doesn’t listen, but I only do it if they’ve specifically asked for my advice, not followed it and then wonder why they are still having this or that issues related to their own bad diet. I’m trying to hold my tongue and realize that diet changes are hard for everyone, but sometimes it’s impossible not to judge! I guess I need to be better about that…
Maybe I’ll start naming my diets according to my client’s names and not their restrictions… What a novel idea!
I think that’s the best thing I’ve heard! Imagine going to a nutritionist and getting a “diet” named after you, not a “diet” of what you can’t have!
Once again Brittany, you bring the voice of reason to a contentious subject. I truly appreciate your humor and humbleness. I am following the Sarah Webber Type 1 diabetes diet with lots of help from you. Keep up with the right attitude and those wonderful recipes.
Hugs,
Sarah
Yes!!!! This is the place I am at too. After moving from just gluten free to raw vegan to all the way over to paleo (with nourishing traditions dogma in there along the way) and back to a glexible plant based GF diet … now just want to nourish my body while loving food. The blessing through all this is that along the way I discovered my love for food and cooking.
It’s true! Very well said, too, I might add. While I call myself a vegan because I don’t eat meat, dairy, or eggs (it’s hard to explain quickly without using a simple 1-word term), I do eat honey and I do wear leather shoes. And I don’t like being slammed for doing those things. It is refreshing to hear what you had to say. Thank you!
I was just sitting on my couch today totally exhausted from weeks of researching WHY I feel so awful. I’ve read every “diet” plan imaginable. I recently was diagnosed with Celiac, but in the last few weeks have started feeling REALLY awful again eating a strict gluten free diet. This post made me feel so encouraged! I’m going to have to be patient, keep a journal and concentrate on what makes me feel good and what doesn’t!! Thank you for the boost!!!!
Absolutely! if we truly believe in how we are eating, we don’t need to “convince” others to do to the same just to feel more secure about what we are doing. every has their own healing journey, and everyone needs to ride it their own way. Best wishes to you Brittany, good on you for your honesty and inspiration to others.
Love it! All around a healthy way to do it.
Here, Here. I have been having this conversation with myself after doing an incredible amount of research on healthful eating. The science supports so many different philosophies I was driving myself crazy. I have come to the conclusion you are a genius and I am right behind you. What works for our own individual bodies is the best plan for any one. Thanks for putting it so succinctly..
Right on, Brittany! You are sassy & funny lately (always were, but more so). Must be the new server.
I love the whole post, particularly the part about no judging! I think every single reader should post, tweet, pin this. I will do my part. Excellent.
Behind closed doors I’m pretty snarky
But I try to keep it to a minimum on here and on my fb pages.. Unless something is really important to me.
Sometimes it just has to come out..
Deliciously and delightfully said. You are so inspiring!!
This is what I say as well. I am not going to follow strictly any diet. There are so many of them. What’s good for one person,doesn’t have to be good for another. Balance your diet and see for yourself which one suite you best. And just be happy,but not to strict about it!
I have started by quitting all diet Facebook groups I was part of (GAPS and SCD) and “un bookmarking” many of the diet blogs I would go read daily. I waste too much time on the computer and the obsessions to research all these diets and recipes has become unhealthy. Every day I delete more form my computer – look out you may be next. ( I feel I can’t eat almonds and now you use almond flour so much!)
That wasn’t a very nice thing to say..
I hope you realize I didn’t mean to offend. I LOVE you and your web site. I just need to stop being OCD about this eating thing. I am deleting most blogs that I read but don’t really use any recipes from. NOw I see you are using almond flour or nut flour almost exclusively, which we can’t use. That’s all. I wish I could make your recipes. Maybe one day…
Wendy was a bit direct, but what she is saying actually mirrors what you are saying. As beautiful as your blog and your work are, if the almond flour doesn’t agree with her, it’s time to move away. So please try not to feel offended.
I agree with you too, Brittany, and I love that you posted this and even revealed how you reacted when people wouldn’t get on board with you in the past. I need to follow a diet suitable for my type 2 diabetes. That’s why I love your grain-free + xylitol approach. I can’t use any of the starches though, and this underscores your point even more that we are all unique.
As for my own proselytizing – I can only say that if more people had my dietary needs, the more products would come to market that would be suitable for me, and the easier my life would be. And I wouldn’t be considered a freak when going out to eat or to a friend’s place for dinner because I don’t eat sugar or grains.
I recently came up with the same philosophy after reading Paleo and countless other books relating to Hashimoto’s…some of their ‘rules’ work for me and others don’t. Like you said, it’s all trial and error along with lots of $ trying to find what works and what doesn’t. I also realized that stress has a huge impact on your body regardless of how well you’re eating. My goal is to somehow incorporate stress relief/shutting my mind off into my life so stress doesn’t affect my digestive tract so much. Easier said than done. But, my mantra has always been that i’m a work in progress and the book of my life isn’t done yet.
No kidding! Great thoughts! I’ve been treating intestinal candida overgrowth with diet and supplements/probiotics, but the foods I can eat keep evolving. I have no idea what “diet” I am on, anyway! I pick a little from this and that to try to find things that I can eat, and then alter recipes to make them into things that I can eat. People send me things in my email that they mean to help me; but really, I’m the only one who (and sometimes barely) knows what I can eat and how it affects me. And I think it probably will evolve forever (at this rate, it seems like it). Good reminder though that, until we can look at people with magical glasses to read their minds, we have no idea what they are going through to say anything to someone else about what they are eating. But you know what aggravates me? Some people who work in restaurants. Some try to be very helpful when you try to explain in limited detail (otherwise explanations could go on and on) what needs to be omitted from food that you eat. Others look at you like, “What? We use *honey*, not *sugar*…” and then when you have to explain that both are sweeteners and they say, “Oh. Well that salad dressing doesn’t have honey in it,” you don’t really know whether to trust them. But that’s probably another topic…
i love this!! too many times you find vegans badgering vegetarians, raw foodists blaming omnivores…who cares? i like a juice piece of steak but eat it maybe once a year; lately i’ve been making a lot more vegan/veggie/raw recipes to detox my little one from her sugar addiction (all she wanted was candy…enough was enough! she’s actually doing pretty good now and trying a lot more of the veggie/fruit smoothies i make; one trick is to make them into “popsicles”…she eats plenty of spinach/kale that way, without even knowing) and for me to keep my hyperthyroid (graves’ disease) under control with no drugs or surgery.
as long as ppl are enjoying what they’re eating, who am i to say anything? granted, our food production needs immediate changes, but there are local and organic alternatives.
thanks for this
I have been eating sort of paleo and that is how I found your blog. So, I totally agree with you but I am glad for the recipe labels because I never would have found you otherwise. Thanks!!
LOVE it!!
Love this post!!! So true – all of us are different and we need the freedom to eat the way that makes us feel the best.
Great post! I have always hated the word “diet”. We are all different and our bodies are different. As you said what works for one person may not work for another. We need to listen to our bodies to know what works for us individually.
I’ve never been one to tell people what to do but have started “sharing information” they can choose what to do with it or to ask more questions if interested.
Love your website and story by the way – real uplifting and helpful, love your honesty and direct to the point manner as well
Yup, I’m fed up too with all the preachers out there. I will eat whatever I want to as long as I feel right and will definitely not judge or discriminate anyone but most importantly understand their eating habits or eating restrictions. Sign me up!
Haha! That’s wonderful! I have decided to make a huge eating change and threw out all processed foods in my house. I keep saying “Well…it’s real food, whole food with some vegetarian/vegan and paleo thrown in” I can’t go back to vegetarian or vegan because sometimes my body craves meat, I can’t go solely vegan or paleo because I love milk products (though not milk…weird, I know). And on and on it goes. I’m detoxing from sugar and then I want to eat what my body craves…with the thought that each time I go shopping I will buy a “new” veggie, fruit, bean etc. that I have never tried. I also want to get into seasonal eating…but one thing at a time!! Haha! Thank you so much for this!
Great Message. Definitely a reminder that I needed. Thank you.
I certainly have been coming to this same conclusion or a long time. With numerous autoimmune diseases – RA, Fibro & Osteoarthritis ,plus PCOS, hypothyroidism & diabetes – that run in myself and my family, we’ve been searching for the CURE since I was little. I think I inherited this never-ending search and ran with it with a vengeance when I fell truly ill 6 years ago, realizing (or just coming to terms with) that what I was putting into my mouth was such a huge part of what was making my body break down. I made huge strides, even though it’s hard to recognize sometimes. It’s an almost addictive search, though, constantly trying to find the magic pill (or oil, or herb, or smoothie, or even belief system). So many times I’ve had the experience of having “found THE One!” only to push myself almost to the breaking point, obsessively following all the rules, and not having it fix everything I was desperately hoping it would fix.
The reality seems to be so much more slow and imperfect and, well, flexible. I am finally admitting that I can only try things one at a time and not expect to be completely healed by it, but to still recognize that I am healing myself, bit by bit. It’s in tiny increments sometimes, or inconsistently good then bad then good. But, overall I’m better than I was 6 years ago. And the best, the very BEST things I have done for myself were when I simply listened to my body, with patience and compassion, and removed the huge expectations from the recipe. I think loving my body and my self is probably the one thing that has supported it all unfailingly. So I am taking the pledge to move forward without rules, without judgement – of others and myself – and simply move forward with acceptance & love. Thank you for this!