The 4 Principles of the Food Revolution Diet Plan:

• Eat fewer processed foods! Our bodies weren’t designed for sugar, white flour, bottled oils, or chemicals.
• Eat fewer animal products! Modern meat and dairy products — especially from factory farms — are leading drivers of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity, as well as culprits in widespread environmental destruction.
• Eat more whole plant foods! Fruits, vegetables, and other whole plant foods give you an abundance of the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flavonoids, and other phytonutrients your brain, lungs, heart, immune system, and cells need to thrive.
• Source consciously. When you buy more organic, non-GMO, humane, local, and fair-trade foods, you’re taking a stand for your health and for your planet, as well as supporting farmers who do the right thing.

You don’t have to sign a purity pact or to be subjected to regular inspections by the food police. If you want to pig out on pizza occasionally or go out for ice cream now and then, it is OK. It’s not what you do on occasion that matters most. 

In the long run, it’s the choices you make day in and day out, and the habits you forge and sustain, that chart the course of your destiny.

How People Metabolize Food Differently

In 2015, a comprehensive study published in the journal Cell found that people metabolize the same foods in very different ways. To measure how food was digested, researchers recruited 800 people and measured their responses to 46,898 meals.

During the study, participants were asked to log every bite, sip, exercise session, bowel movement, and sleep session on a phone app. Their blood sugar levels were measured every five minutes. They also gave blood samples, and everyone ate the same meals for breakfast.

The researchers were struck to discover how differently the participants responded: sushi caused one man’s blood sugar to spike higher than ice cream did. For another participant, eating a seemingly healthy food — tomatoes — spiked her blood sugar. Some glucose levels would spike after consuming fresh fruit but not a glass of beer. For others, the exact opposite was the case. Some people thrive with a hearty, protein-packed breakfast, while others feel best eating more lightly, with just fruit or a smoothie in the morning. And what’s best for your body might change over time.

Always Remember: You’re Unique, Just Like Everyone Else!

Ocean Robbins:

• The author of 31-Day Food Revolution: Heal Your Body, Feel Great, and Transform Your World.
• The CEO and co-founder of the 500,000+ member Food Revolution Network.
• The adjunct professor for Chapman University and he’s received numerous awards.