Which Diet Is Right for You? A Clinically Informed Guide to 12 Dietary Protocols

The number of dietary approaches available today is overwhelming. Low-FODMAP, AIP, elimination, ketogenic, Mediterranean, GAPS, paleo, gluten-free, nightshade-free, low-histamine, vegan, and carnivore protocols each serve a different purpose, and the right one for you depends on your symptoms, your health history, your known sensitivities, and your readiness for change.

This page hosts a free 10-question quiz designed by Jennie Lowes RGN, an integrative health practitioner and medical astrologer with over 27 years of clinical nursing experience. The quiz matches your individual symptom pattern to the most appropriate dietary starting point across 12 evidence-informed protocols. Your result includes a personalised recommendation, relevant clinical notes for your situation, and a free downloadable Quick Reference Dietary Guide covering all 12 approaches.

"Food is not just fuel. It is information your body reads at every meal. The right diet is the one written for your constitution, not someone else's."

Jennie Lowes RGN · The Barefoot Healers

The 12 Dietary Protocols Covered in This Quiz

Elimination Diet

The elimination diet is one of the most clinically useful tools for identifying food intolerances. It temporarily removes the most common reactive food groups for three to four weeks, then reintroduces them one at a time. The reintroduction phase is where the real data comes from. It is suited to people with unexplained digestive symptoms, skin conditions, fatigue, or chronic inflammation where the trigger foods are not yet clear.

Low-FODMAP Diet

The low-FODMAP diet reduces fermentable carbohydrates that cause bloating, gas, and altered bowel habit. Developed at Monash University, it has the strongest evidence base of any dietary intervention for IBS-type symptoms, with research showing improvement in approximately 70 per cent of people who follow it correctly.

Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet

The AIP diet is a structured elimination protocol designed specifically for people with autoimmune conditions. It removes grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, nightshades, nuts, seeds, and processed foods to reduce intestinal permeability and immune dysregulation. A pilot study published in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases demonstrated clinical remission in patients following the AIP protocol.

Low-Histamine Diet

The low-histamine diet reduces foods high in histamine or those that trigger its release, including aged cheeses, fermented foods, wine, and processed meats. It is particularly relevant for people experiencing flushing, headaches, hives, or digestive symptoms after eating these foods. Histamine intolerance is common in women during perimenopause, as oestrogen both promotes histamine release and suppresses diamine oxidase (DAO) enzyme activity.

Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet shifts the body from burning glucose to burning fat for energy. It has strong evidence for metabolic health, blood sugar regulation, and weight management, and emerging evidence in neurological and cognitive support. A therapeutic ketogenic approach can also support gut restoration by removing the sugars that feed pathogenic organisms. It is generally not recommended for cycling women during the luteal phase.

GAPS Diet

The Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) diet, developed by Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride, heals the gut lining through bone broths, fermented foods, organic meats, and non-starchy cooked vegetables while eliminating complex carbohydrates and processed foods. It is particularly suited to people with a connection between gut health and neurological or mood symptoms.

Paleo Diet

The paleo diet removes grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugars, and industrial seed oils and focuses on whole, unprocessed foods. Research supports its impact on blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammatory markers. It provides a clean, anti-inflammatory baseline without the complexity of a full elimination protocol.

Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is the most extensively researched dietary pattern in the world, with robust evidence for cardiovascular health, cognitive protection, metabolic balance, and longevity. The landmark PREDIMED trial demonstrated a 30 per cent reduction in major cardiovascular events.

Gluten-Free Diet

A gluten-free diet is medically essential for coeliac disease and beneficial for non-coeliac gluten sensitivity. The key is building it around naturally gluten-free whole foods rather than processed gluten-free products, which are often high in refined starches.

Nightshade-Free Diet

Nightshade vegetables, including tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and aubergine, contain alkaloids that may contribute to inflammation and joint pain in sensitive individuals. A nightshade-free trial of six to eight weeks with careful symptom tracking can clarify whether these foods are a factor.

Vegan and Vegetarian Diets

Plant-based diets can be optimised for therapeutic outcomes by ensuring adequate B12, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, calcium, and iodine. Where gut symptoms are present, low-FODMAP modifications to plant-based eating may be particularly relevant.

Carnivore Diet

The carnivore diet eliminates all plant foods and focuses on meat, fish, eggs, and some dairy. The evidence base is limited, and long-term implications around gut microbiome diversity and cardiovascular lipid profiles require monitoring. It is best approached as a time-limited therapeutic phase under practitioner guidance.

Why the Right Diet Depends on You

A quiz can point you in a useful direction, but no algorithm can replace a full clinical picture. Your constitutional temperament, your elemental and humoral balance, your hormonal status, your medication history, and the dozens of small clinical details that shape the right starting point all matter.

In a consultation with Jennie Lowes, food is always considered alongside constitution. A choleric type running hot and dry needs a different dietary approach than a phlegmatic type with slow gut motility and damp accumulation. This is not astrology instead of nutrition. It is astrology alongside nutrition, adding a layer of personalisation that no quiz or standard protocol can replicate.

If you have taken the quiz and still feel uncertain about where to begin, or if your situation is complex, a free discovery call is the clearest next step.

This content is educational only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making significant dietary changes.