The health and wellness term “bio-individuality” was developed by Joshua Rosenthal, founder, and director of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in New York. I attended IIN for Health Coach certification training, during which time we learned about this foundational concept. In short, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to personal health and wellness. Bio-individuality recognizes that there is only one unique “you” in this universe and as a result, your diet and lifestyle needs will differ based on internal and external factors – specific to you.
Some of these factors include inherited genetic susceptibilities, traumas, lifestyle (nutrition, sleep, and exercise), gut health, hormonal status, environment, exposure to toxins, state of the nervous system, mindset, and culture, just to name a few. Simply understanding this concept can help you stay above the fray when it comes to the current polarization with diet wars. It’s not uncommon to read an article or listen to a podcast touting veganism, keto, carnivore, paleo, gluten-free, low-fat, or even low-carb, as THE answer to all of our health problems. We are led to believe there is only one way that everyone should eat (or exercise, meditate, sleep, etc.). This could not be further from the truth.
My own experience and training have taught me that one person’s medicine may in fact be another person’s poison. For example, as a result of my genetic makeup, I have a histamine intolerance. This means that my body has a difficult time breaking down and clearing histamine, sometimes overloading my system. Consequently, there are several “healthy foods” that can actually cause me significant problems including joint pain, headaches, difficulty sleeping, and even heart palpitations. These are foods like collagen protein, bone broth, sauerkraut, dark chocolate, green tea, freshly baked organic sourdough bread, brie cheese, and even some fish. But wait! These are all healthy foods and they should be good for me, right? Not necessarily. My bio-individuality is further evidenced by the fact that I don’t react adversely to several histamine-rich foods like spinach, mushrooms, and avocados. Hmmmm….
To complicate matters, my condition definitely worsens when seasonal allergies are high or when I eat leftovers a few days old, as these both add to histamine levels. Furthermore, as women transition to menopause, the loss of estrogen can often exacerbate histamine intolerance. That said, if I pay attention to what I’m eating and how I’m feeling, I can sneak a few of these foods in without a problem – especially the dark chocolate that I love! You see, it’s never simply one thing that dictates how we react to our food.
Bio-individuality comes into play with other aspects of health as well. Let’s use exercise for example. Most people believe that running, high-intensity cardio, or weight lifting is the only way to go when it comes to personal fitness. For some that is true. However, if someone suffers from chronic stress and possible adrenal dysfunction, this high-intensity approach to exercise will likely create more problems than it solves. In this case, slower more meditative movements such as walking, yoga, or tai chi are better choices to help calm and rebalance the nervous system. It’s not that one way is bad and another is good, but rather, it depends.
While it’s true that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to our health and wellness, there are some universal truths that everyone can bank on.
- Choosing nutrient-dense, real, minimally processed, whole foods as close to their natural state as possible is always best, regardless of the eating style or diet we choose.
- Sleep is an overall investment in our health and well-being.
- Our bodies were made to move, not sit or stand still for long periods.
- Thoughts and feelings are interconnected, influencing each other and our bodies in powerful ways.
- As humans we are social beings, making community and relationships central to our well-being.
- We all need a purpose and passion to fuel our souls and bring joy to our daily lives.
- The environment in which we live influences our quality of life.
There is no single diet or lifestyle that works perfectly for everyone, however, by embracing bio-individuality you can indeed find the diet and lifestyle that works best for YOU. Thankfully, you hold the keys to unlock this mystery for yourself – and getting started isn’t that difficult. First and foremost, get curious. Then, pay attention and really listen to the clues your body is sending. Get to know what foods work best for you by using my free Food and Symptom Tracker. And finally, make peace with trial and error. There will be certain foods and lifestyles that work and others that don’t. This is how we recognize and honor our own bio-individuality.
Never forget that self-awareness is a gift on the road to transformation, putting you in the driver’s seat when it comes to your personal health and wellness!
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