The Personalized Diet:
The Pioneering Program to Lose Weight and Prevent Disease
by Eran Segal PhD (Author), Eran Elinav MD PhD (Author), Eve Adamson
Grand Central Life & Style Publishing (December 26, 2017)
After a month of “sheltering in place” and all the media hype about shortages, I noticed that my fascination with food, diet, and meals moved to the forefront of my life. Enough so that I need to increase my awareness factor before the kilograms start to creep up. (As a quick reference, one kilogram equals just under two and a quarter pounds.)
I imagine many of you have the same relationship with food right now as I do. Because of this, I decided to dust off a book I read that influenced the way I eat. I needed this reminder of what foods I should be eating — specifically and scientifically for me.
We are all unique
Published in 2017, critics and readers alike considered The Personalized Diet as ground-breaking in the world of healthy eating and weight loss. This easy to read book takes us away from the notion that one diet fits all.
Eran Segal, a professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, and Eran Elinav, a medical doctor and professor at the same science institute, discovered that individuals react differently to the same kinds of food. This makes all universal diet programs obsolete!
What might be healthy for one person, might be unhealthy for another person. We’re all different.
Through a description of their backgrounds and a recap of their research, the authors help us understand the science behind choosing the right foods for each of us. They describe an uncomplicated process to follow for you to discover what is right for you.
They emphasize the importance of the gut biome and the blood sugar response to what we eat. Gut biome refers to the 100 trillion micro-organisms living in our digestive system. We all have a unique gut biome which results in everyone needing a unique diet.
“Our microbes influence our health, weight, and well-being. Unlike genetic factors that influence the same things, but are constant and cannot be changed, we can change and manipulate our microbiome.”
The Personalized Nutrition Project
Their research is especially important to people with diabetes. Segal and Elina offer an alternative to traditional diabetic treatments. Check out Segal’s 2016 Ted Talk What is the best diet for humans?
I recommend this book to anyone who would like to improve their health and well-being. Plus, if you’re needing to shed a few pounds gained from staying at home, this is an excellent time to research your reaction to foods. Start eating foods for your optimum health and weight. Remember, what might be good for you, may not be good for your spouse. It’s the perfect time to get your entire household on board.
Take care of yourselves. We all need to be caring for us and our loved ones.
~ Ellen