Which Diet Should I Follow?
Plant-Based, Paleo, Keto, or Mediterranean- which diet should I follow? I get asked this question all the time!
With so many diets floating around, it’s easy to feel confused or overwhelmed. How do you even know which one is right for you?
Honestly, there is no one size fits all answer. What matters most is finding a way of eating that works with your body and your lifestyle.
Plant-based diets focus mostly on whole foods from plants like fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, and seeds. They’re great for heart health and reducing inflammation, but they do require a lot of planning to make sure you’re getting enough protein and nutrients like B12 and iron.
Paleo is more of a back to our roots approach built on the idea of eating the way our ancestors did. This diet eliminates grains, dairy, or processed foods. Instead, it emphasizes meat, fish, veggies, fruits, and nuts. This can be a great fit if you feel better with fewer carbs and more protein, but it’s not always easy to maintain long term and can be especially difficult in social settings.
Keto is a high-fat, very low-carb diet that shifts your body into using fat for energy instead of glucose. Some people find major benefits like better focus or faster weight loss. It can also be useful in people with certain diseases. Others may feel drained and foggy on the keto diet. It’s definitely not for everyone and it requires a good understanding of your body and energy needs for it to be healthy and sustainable.
Then there’s one of my personal favorites, the Mediterranean diet. It has some shared principles with the anti-inflammatory diet, it’s focused on whole, nutrient dense foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats like olive oil, plus moderate amounts of fish, legumes, and dairy. I like it because it’s flexible, flavorful, and backed by a ton of research on heart health, longevity, and brain function.
So which one should YOU choose? No matter how popular a diet is, you are the one living in your body. That means YOU have to play a bit of detective and be your own doctor. Try one of these approaches for 2–4 weeks and really pay attention. Keep a food, journal and track your symptoms. Do you have more energy? Better focus? Less bloating or fewer aches and pains? You might be onto something that works for you. But if you’re feeling sluggish, foggy, or constantly hungry, it might be your body’s way of saying, “Hey, this isn’t the one.”
We all react differently because we metabolize food in different ways. Some people are fast oxidizers, others are slow oxidizers. Some thrive on more fat, while others need more carbs to function well. That’s a whole other topic for another day, but for now, just know your biology plays a bigger role than any trending diet.
In the end, the best diet isn’t the one with the flashiest name, or the one that’s trending on social media. It’s the one that helps you feel strong, clear, and energized.
