If there's one thing I hate is people lecturing me on diets. Whether you are vegan or meat eater, lactose intolerant or allergic to peanut butter, it's all the same to me. People have got to make their own informed choices about what they put in their mouths and what is good for me might be a terrible choice for someone else.

So it's pretty hard to answer the Ecotrain QOTW, partnered with @dreamport, about what the best diet is to be healthy and vibrant - it's different for everyone. Take this pumpkin for example. Fresh, organic, homegrown, pesticide free, loved - a good roast pumpkin soup with spices and garlic is going to help MY immune system and ward off colds. My husband? He'll get a stomach ache and moan about being shit all week. Man pumpkin flu, or an intolerance to pumpkin, or both?

There's two things I believe make a healthy diet that lends vibrancy and vitality to ones life, and both are conscious eating. Say whaaaa???

Well, you have to look what being 'conscious' is, and it's really about listening to your body, and paying attention to where your food comes from.

I have a little bit of intolerance for people that eat a lot of junk food, know it's bad for them, and then complain that they feel unwell all of the time. There's a lot of information out there that says the very least you can do to improve your healthy is to eat the rainbow (lots of different coloured vegetables) and to limit salt and sugar, if not cut sugar out at all costs, because it's known to be inflammatory. I know I sound super judgey and I apologise - in real life, I'm a lot more understanding - I promise. Poverty, lack of education, psychological stressors and all kinds of things can influence what we do, and don't, put in our mouths. I do get it.

If we're struggling to pay attention to our lifestyle choices, we're going to find the second part of being 'conscious' about your food a little harder. I'd argue that eating a rainbow is more important for some than eating an organic, homegrown, locally produced rainbow, because it's a good starting point and sometimes it's all people have access to, especially when those foods are sold at a premium due to greenwashed marketing strategies.

But paying attention to where your food comes from matters. There's a huge difference between eating a carrot from the supermarket that's grown with pesticides and in depleted soil than one grown at home in rich compost. The bacteria in your soil actually make your food taste better and supply many more nutrients than the one grown via intensive farming methods. Don't take my word for it - there's plenty of studies out there that prove this to be true. So that old complaint that tomatoes used to taste better in the old days is true - they did. Less chemicals. More stuff in the soil working in symbiosis with the plant. So if you can, grow your own. You'll get the added benefit of adding to your gut biome as well through interactions with the soil biome. Not woo woo. Science.

In the end, you can have your keto vegan diet and still feel sick. You can eat the rainbow and drink too much and never get your gut health right. You can be vegetarian and eat far too much cheese and salt and processed meat products. You can consume tons of raw smoothies and have too much fructose from sugar. If it was that easy, we'd all be doing it.

But there are starting points that can lead to a more healthy, vibrant life, and I think it starts with eating a really varied diet, full of different fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains, and not eating too much processed sugar or drinking too much. And of course, let's not get too crazy about it - we also have to enjoy life. I sure as hell love an almond croissant with my coconut milk latte after a surf, or a cheesey toastie on a cold winter's day.

If you're feeling crap all the time, go back to basics - eat really simple foods and then add things gradually. Notice what works for you and what doesn't. It's how we noticed my husband had a terrible stomach issue because of garlic and onions - a FODMAP diet made a massive difference in his life. Now he can tolerate it once or twice a week with no issues. I even think he'd be okay with that pumpkin, but I'm not keen to try - you haven't heard what a noise a man with pumpkin man flu makes.

And this one is just for @eco-alex - a bit of vegan junk food. It's a jackfruit gyros with fries. Seriously, life is sometimes for living. You can't be a food purist all the time.