Loading...

Please wait while the site loads...

Site navigation and social media links

Zuzka Light Logo
Start Today
 

Bio-Individuality

Health | June 26, 2018

Can I let you in on a little secret? It has to do with your diet. And, believe it or not, it’s the key to unlocking the perfect way to eat. If you’re looking to shed unwanted weight, firm up, get stronger, leaner, faster, more flexible, healthy, happy, and glowing- yes, all of those things!- then pay close attention to what I’m about to share.
Are you ready?
Here it is:
Bio-Individuality.

If you’re a regular follower of mine, then you’ve heard me using this word quite often. But do you know what it means when it comes to unlocking the door to better health and fitness?

Bio-individuality is a concept that focuses on finding the best lifestyle for the individual. It’s a one-size-fits-all approach that’s never about prescribing the same exact recommendations for each and every person. Confused? Don’t be! Really, it’s basic common sense. It’s about embracing the fact that you and I are very different, and therefore aren’t going to respond the same way to different foods.
Have you ever noticed that there are different body types out there? Big, small, lean, curvy- there’s enough diversity in body shapes to show that people are not carbon copies of each other. There are similarities, but there aren’t any ‘clones’.
How about another example. We all know that one person who can eat as much as they want, no matter what kind of food (junk or natural), and still not gain an ounce of weight? Or how about the fact there are hundreds of people thriving on a particular diet, with an equal amount of people having failed on it?

It just goes to show that not everyone can do one thing and do that thing exceptionally well. And that’s where bio-individuality fits in. It takes into account your genetics, age, gender, personality, where you live, your lifestyle, your habits, your environment, work hours, family, romantic relationship, and all the little factors that make you unique. And then it helps you to sift through the crowd of overwhelming information in order to hone in on what’s really going to work for you. Not your neighbor, not your cousin- you.

Here on my website, I’ve written a lot of articles on different types of diets. I’ve also released meal plans with different “approaches” to nutrition. There’s my plant-based Shred & Glow meal plan, my low-carb Z-Shred meal plan, and my latest Keto meal plan. As you can tell, I’ve put my own approach to diet and shared it in the form of these plans with you. And I encourage you to try at least one of them out to see how your body responds to it, like I do. In fact, you may find yourself going through “phases” throughout the year. Maybe for a few months, you stick to keto as a sort of ‘reset’ for your metabolism. And then, you get off of it, and return to more of low-carb diet. Then you go back and forth between the two according to your intuition.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to you. Don’t get into the trap of attempting to eat exactly like someone else if it’s at the detriment of your own health (and sanity). If you absolutely hate eating a certain way, then find something else that’s going to work for you and your goals. There’s no need to copy a supermodel or Olympic athlete if you’re an average person working a 9 to 5. Even though I offer meal plans based on my own experiences, I always encourage you to make a few tweaks here and there, whether that’s including a few snacks (depending on the plan) or altering the portion sizes (i.e., making them bigger or smaller). In my Shred & Glow plan, I’ll even offer substitutes for certain recipes; replacing meat with tofu, for example.

So instead of assuming there’s going to be the ultimate diet out there for everyone, how about focusing on the best diet for you. Yes, it’s going to take some time and experimentation, but that’s really all a part of the journey. Our needs are going to change. Pregnancy, age, work, even the time of the year… all of these things will impact how we choose to nourish ourselves throughout the course of our lives.

If it’s any help, why not keep a notebook and chronicle your journey? Observe your body’s response to different diets and foods. Customize according to the results of those diets, and you’ll end up with a diet that’s tailored to fit your exact needs.

So let me know what you think of this approach. Have you done it before? And do you think bio-individuality is the key towards finding clarity in a sea of information these days?

Comments Add Comment

  1. private avatar image

    Private Member  | 
    ellijay, ga, united states

    It’s funny, I’ve been thinking a lot over the past week of both this and what you talked about in the digestion video! I’ve been trying to trouble-shoot bloat and constipation, and it’s quite a learning process! I’m going through the keto plan, so I’m not sure if it’s 1) not having enough sodium/magnesium/potassium, 2) my gut bacteria not being as adaptable as they should be (and getting used to something foreign to them), or 3) I’m eating more foods that I bloat up to that others might not react to. Or a combo of any of those. 😨 Just a few days ago, I started journaling my eating in more detail — not just food, but how I feel so I can get to the bottom of it.

    I’m absolutely loving the way the keto way of eating is making me feel, otherwise. I’d be so sad to have to make a trade of either flat belly and no energy…or high energy but feeling uncomfortably distended constantly. 😩 (Though, I do plan to transition to carb-up days…or cycle in and out of keto, if I can figure out how to tweak it to work for me.) Thinking of bio-individuality had me thinking that maybe I could look back at the foods I used to eat (I still ate pretty healthily! I’ve always LOVED making my own “real” foods from scratch!! 😊) but apply keto versions of those and see what it does for my bloating/constipation. …and gradually work in being able to eat larger portions of veggies (and hopefully getting my gut to adapt to handle them better!!) I do love veggies, but I’ve noticed, even in the past, I’ve always felt over-full from salads. Which stinks, because I LOVE salads! I might have to just figure out which veggies agree with me the most, and which the least.

  2. private avatar image

    Private Member  | 

    This honestly made me cry and so happy to hear someone as fit as you say “You’re don’t have to eat the same as a supermodel when you work 9-5.” As I sit here at my desk, knowing other people are walking around, busy in the city working their metabolisms and having a donut for breakfast. I am so happy to just be able to be OK with the fact that I can eat healthy, but not stress myself out to the point of insanity.

  3. private avatar image

    Private Member  | 
    switzerland/, france

    I have not been doing any “diet” my whole life. However there is this missing concept from nearly all people that you don’t have to be allergic to something to remove a food from your nutrition (how many times do I get that question/comment when I say I don’t eat this or that: “oh you are allergic ?”…”nope dude, there are other reasons, which I don’t want to explain, because you won’t understand. Do your homework if you are really interested!”).
    I don’t do well on certain foods and the tricky part was to find what/which combinations. I tried a food elimination test 2 years ago (suggested in the FODMAPS/IBS arena) which got me started to understand that there is NO one fits all and that it takes effort and trials to find your own way.e.g even following one of the 3 meal plans may just not work because some foods don’t do well on us.
    e.g. there is this crave of so called healthy foods nowadays, but it doesn’t mean it is going to be OK for some of us: I can’t eat chia seeds. and that makes sense when I read the Plant Paradox which refers to lectins.
    Some foods want to be eaten, and others have chemical mechanisms (originally for insects, so lower doses) to get their predators away. I can still do with very low quantity of some foods, but my digestive system will be quickly mad if it doesn’t like something. For the “unlucky” ones, it can do autoimmune disease.

  4. private avatar image

    Private Member  | 
    canada

    Great article, Thankyou for always keeping us informed Z. This website is so helpful for me and keeps me on the right track living a good healthy life. Same to All the Z gym members comments, As I quite enjoy reading everyone’s opinions and pov.

Add a Comment

Personal account navigation

You are not logged in. Please login to your account, or sign up if you are not already a member.

Welcome to
ZGYM Fitness!

Start Today Already a member?