10 Food Experiments to Try

If your current sensible diet doesn’t have you feeling fabulous in mind and body, I suggest spending 1 week doing each of these simple experiments. If you feel good after 1 week, try stretching it to 2.

Dietary experiments to try if you don’t already feel fantastic:

1. Avoid nutra-sweet (aspartame) like the plague. Research is increasingly suggesting that this tasty chemical makes us pay a very high price when it comes to mood and brain function.

2. Gluten-free. Many people report feeling better, even if they don’t have celiac or measurable gluten intolerance. Try it for a week and see if you feel leaner, more clear-headed, less inflamed or less achey. Watch out for hidden gluten in things like soy sauce or salad dressing. You’ll need to read labels.

3. Dairy-free. Much of the world’s population doesn’t digest dairy properly. See if your digestion improves or if you feel less bloated or inflamed. Some people digest yogurt OK, even if other dairy doesn’t work for them.

4. Sugar-free. You’ll probably feel worse before you feel better, but see how it feels to break free from the chains of blood sugar rollercoasters, and see if your taste buds sensitize so much that fresh fruit tastes just as sweet as processed sugar ever did.

5. Alcohol-free. See if you sleep sounder and deeper…which makes everything in life better. (But if you have been drinking quite a bit, talk to your doctor before going cold turkey.)

6. Vegetarian. Studies show that going vegetarian boosts mood within 2 weeks. Just make sure to load up on nutritious vegetarian proteins, like beans, lentils, and quinoa, rather than replacing meat with processed vegetarian foods.

7. Beef-free. Beef ages you, and it takes twice as long to digest as fish or fowl. See if you feel younger and more energetic without.

8. 100-year experiment. Try only eating foods that existed 100 years ago. That means a lot of processed foods, preservatives, artificial flavorings and man-made ingredients gotta go, but not all. Most of the unhealthiest junk was invented in the past 100 years, although they still had plenty of yummy treats that were more homemade and less factory-made. This basically means you can enjoy ice cream, cookies, etc. if they are made by hand with all natural ingredients.

9. 1000-year experiment. This is eating as if you lived on a farm. It’s similar to the 100-year experiment, except you lose just about all processed treats. You still keep the grains, dairy, wine and homemade bread….until you try the:

10. Caveman experiment. This is the famous paleo diet, where you eat only foods that could have been hunted or gathered, like wild animals, nuts, seeds, fruits, veggies and tubers. Say farewell to dairy, most common vegetable oils, and grains. Carbohydrates come from root vegetables and fresh fruits. While it is very effortful, it could be worth a 1-week experiment because so many people report feeling much better.

There are many other food experiments to try, such as eating low-histamine, low FODMAP, etc., but they get a little more complicated.

If one of the above simple experiments helps you feel better, and you decide to continue it, do your research to make sure you still get all your nutrients (i.e., don’t cut out nutritious food groups without replacing the nutrients.) We’re happy to help, if you like.

Finally, consult your doctor if you have medical concerns, or if you take medications that interact with diet. Once you’ve gotten clearance, happy experimenting!