What is a healing diet?

Over the years I have experimented with many different ways of eating. Most had something to offer at the time. I have had a chronic condition- Hashimoto’s, a thyroid autoimmune condition- so have experimented with different ways to feel better. My condition has been mild compared to many, but perhaps that’s because I have managed it ok.

One factor common to many diets which have been called “healing diets” by many people looking for a way to resolve and reverse their chronic disease, is reducing or eliminating processed foods. What we call junk foods, but also most packaged foods with multiple ingredients. And returning to an unprocessed food diet- the original nuts and bolts of food- fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and for some, meat, seafood and/or dairy. So the paleo and keto diets do this, and this may be a large part of their success for some people.

For others, eliminating or reducing meat, seafood and/or dairy has been a significant part of their healing journey.

I get why it’s confusing, if you have insulin resistance, are prediabetic, and looking for a way to make your numbers better. I had a client today who was exasperated. She reads the low carb ‘experts’, and they say to eat plenty of good fats and hardly any carbs (sugar is the devil incarnate) and definitely avoid fruit (except for a small serving of berries). You read other ‘experts’ and they talk about low-fat, plant-based being the way to go. And plenty of variations on these themes, such as the Mediterranean Diet. 

Everyone is looking at one piece of the puzzle, one possible approach, one part of the science, and then investing their career and marketing the hell out of it. So be careful when you go with someone who has an investment, has written a book, and built their career around a particular approach. They immediately have a bias. It may have worked for them. At least when they wrote the book. But is it right for you? 

Our bodies do a good job of detoxing. They are built to detox. The bowels take toxins out of the body. The kidneys filter and excrete through urine. The liver filters and transforms toxins with complex chemical reactions. The skin excretes toxins through sweat. We even breathe out toxins through our lungs. That’s a very simplistic overview, but it’s the gist.

So what’s the big deal about needing to ‘detox’? Well, there are a couple of things.