The 30-year health challenge

The era of dieting is over

It’s 2021. Finally. It feels good to say it after the ferocious intensity of last year.

If I had to retain one interesting consequence of 2020: it has obviously shined a spotlight on the importance of optimal health, and a strong immune system.

Now this is traditionally the time for new resolutions — especially those 30-day diet challenges popping everywhere on Facebook, Google, and Pinterest.

So what’s the best diet in 2021?

None. Dieting is over.

‍Indeed, a recent study has used the data from CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) on 800 participants and demonstrated that no single food, meal, or dietary pattern had the same effect on everyone.‍

In order words — spoiler alert — we’re all different.

It’s not a surprise though, we’ve demonstrated this again and again.

If you Google the best diet for X, the chances that it will work for you are pretty slim.

This is why a registered nutritionist holds a 4 years degree.

They study the intricacies of nutrients, behaviors, metabolisms to master the art of finding what works for you.
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What has changed?

In the last 5 years, technology has enabled more individual data to be collected, continuously, and drive food and health-related decisions.

The promise of personalized nutrition & medicine was lagging behind, but it’s finally making its way into our daily lives and accelerating every year.

And this is why dieting is over. We finally have the ability to get insights on what’s going on inside our body to decide what works for us, not others.

The 30-year health challenge

1) Focus on what makes you feel great

Sounds superficial or too abstract?

What it actually means is focus on how you feel and keep track on a journal, then use it:
- As a lever to identify the root cause of your struggles
- As an indicator that you’re going in the right direction

This is the best long-term strategy.

And interestingly, Dr. Rangan Chatterjee just published a new book promoting this exact approach and explaining, from his experience as a doctor, why it’s the most sustainable.‍

You can use an app like Span Health to put a simple 0–10 wellness score on aspects that you care about.

2) Make small changes on a weekly basis that you can sustain

To identify changes and experiment, rely on metabolic sensors (like CGMs), lab tests, or alternatively, simply chat with a nutritionist.

They will use their clinical knowledge and scientific evidence to identify which changes can work for you specifically.‍

Alongside personalized wellness tracking, the Span Health app also provides access to a chat with a nutritionist to make it easy and accessible to do so.

That’s it.

Here’s to you optimising your health in 2021!

As 2020 reminded us, it’s the right thing to do.

Keep learning,
Patrick

Any comments? Struggling? Don’t hesitate to email me: patrick@span.health

Originally published at https://www.span.health.