You have probably been bombarded with all sorts of advice and ideas on all the latest diet fads. Instead what you may be craving is a simple shift in mindset and an approach that will allow you to make better choices without sapping your willpower and beating yourself up. If you understand some basic principles that are easy to remember, you will feel more empowered to take control of your health and to create more vitality in your life.

As a child I started reading nutrition books. I became particular enough about food that my mother was concerned I was anorexic even though I had a big appetite. I actually only went through one phase where I was counting calories and the amount of nutrients I was getting. Most of the time I wanted to enjoy life and not be too particular.

When I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s, hypoglycemia, and food allergies I had even more to learn about food and unique diets for those conditions. After I did all of my...