When you can hone-in on what makes you feel like crud, you have a far more concrete, actionable solution than telling yourself to "cut out the sugars and stuff." Boycotting crappy foods alone may not be enough to kick your body into high gear. Sometimes a major nutrient deficiency might be behind low motivation and energy levels. One study examined some popular diets, including Atkins, South Beach, and the DASH diet, and concluded that folks on these diets were likely deficient in key nutrients, such as vitamin D, vitamin E, chromium, and iodine.
This goes to show that there's always a chink in the armor of any single nutrition plan. Instead of identifying yourself with a certain plan like paleo or low carb, you'd probably benefit more by seeking out deficiencies and crushing them.What does your nutrient profile look like? Get your typical one-week diet analyzed by a licensed dietitian or plug your diet into any online food journal to see the full breakdown of both macro- and micronutrients. With your nutrient blueprint in hand, you'd be better equipped to bulletproof your diet with certain types or groups of food you were previously lacking, rather than leave this up to someone who thinks they know what's best for everyone.
