I first read about N=1 experiments years ago in a Paleo Magazine article and it changed my life. It was a revolution after years of following what was supposed to be the “perfect” diet. I fell in love with the idea that I was not like everyone else and could make personal choices about what was best for me. So many doctors and experts claim there are universal ways to eat and move that everyone should be doing in order to have a healthy life but it turns out there is another way to having a lifestyle that thrives.
What Are N=1 Experiments?
“N” stands for sample size in science experiments and if you are your own sample size, N=1. You are the subject of your own study! N=1, or single-subject research is discussed officially in the science world in journals like the National Center for Biotechnology Information:
“The ultimate goal of an n-of-1 trial is to determine the optimal or best intervention for an individual patient using objective data-driven criteria.”
Sometimes called self-quantification or “biohacking” these days, this process of experimenting by making small changes in one’s own health habits can lead us to a greater understanding of ourselves. Marc at Strive Diary says it like this:
“Self quantification is the tracking of different personal metrics in order to obtain knowledge about yourself. You can then use this information to improve yourself.”
What I love about N=1 experiments (or whatever you want to call them) is the idea of paying attention to how you personally feel, making small changes and creating an awareness that will help you live your own thriving life. I also appreciate that it means not having to adhere to conventional health wisdom which is often founded on biased and outdated scientific studies.
What Do N=1 Experiments Have To Do With Diet And Lifestyle?
That Paleo magazine article I read was probably by someone like Robb Wolf who has talked about this process of playing with one’s own diet, exercise habits and lifestyle to find what works for you personally.
“…you don’t need to be a PhD or MD to know your own body. It doesn’t require fancy certifications to know whether you feel better or worse after doing things differently for a bit. No one knows your body better than you. And if you don’t know your own body so well, what are you waiting for? Pull your head out of the physiological sand and start paying attention, grasshoppers!”
The idea is to “perform” experiments on yourself by making small changes in personal habits and observing how they affect you. We most likely hear about health advice based on what has worked for other people. Fortunately or unfortunately, that does not necessarily mean that advice will work for us as individuals or that it stays static over time.
Since embarking on my own Paleo journey back in 2012, my own health habits have taken many twists and turns. I started out with all the “rules” and have had to adjust and change as I found out that some things that seem to work for others did not work for me. This has come into play particularly with nightshades (some affect me more than others), food intolerances (how much and which version of these foods I can eat without effects) and FODMAPS (which ones and what is my threshold). Even the “Paleo” diet has changed and adapted as we learn more about science and how foods affect different people.
Or that as our personal conditions (like age) have changed, habits affecting us have changed. Who didn’t live on just a few short hours of sleep in college with little consequence? Now days, only a few hours of sleep will MESS ME UP. Or foods can affect is differently based on the overall health of our digestive system or gut and its ability to absorb food.
Intermittent fasting is another example for me. This was a serious no-go when I tried it a few years ago. I did not feel better at all despite my naturopath suggesting it might work for me (she is a Bulletproof fan). I have read that there are women for whom it does not work because of varying hormones. Of course, I have since hit menopause. There may come a time when I am willing to try it again “in the name of science” as my current condition has changed and I may see different results.
Can You Trust N=1 Experiments?
N=1 experiments can be very effective in determining causality, as long as you isolate your “study” to one individual change. An example would be with elimination diets. Your first step is to eliminate certain foods that might be causing you issues. Then after a period of time, you reintroduce them one at a time. If you bring back all the foods all at once, you really don’t know which one is giving you grief! Another example would be wanting to determine why you are so tired in the morning. If you give up coffee but also go to bed earlier to get more sleep, you really won’t know which one is the related factor.
Validity and objectivity are obviously hard to come by with a sample size of one and being your own researcher. It often it boils down to how you accurately you keep track of changes you make and how long the effects you feel last. But ultimately, you get to decide if something is right for you and it is nobody else’s business what you eat or don’t eat!
Monica Reinagel AKA Nutrition Diva talks about not being afraid to try N=1 experiments in this article, What Is An N=1 Experiment?:
“But as long as a dietary approach isn’t dangerous, I see no harm in experimenting. If you feel or function better when you eliminate dairy or grains or meat or whatever, and you can maintain a balanced nutritious diet without that food, then I’m all for it.”
Editor’s Note: I’m not sure I can take anyone seriously who calls themselves “Nutrition Diva” but you can’t throw the baby out with the bath water…
Use N=1 Experiments To Help YOU Thrive
One of my favorite reasons for doing N=1 experiments is it teaches me how particular foods and health habits affect me. Not necessarily so that I never eat or do those things, but so that I have the freedom to make those choices knowing the consequences. I know most dairy leaves me congested and upsets my digestive system so I can avoid it when I don’t want to feel that way. Because I love cheese (like a lot of people), I can choose to eat some when those side effects will not be an issue or I can take a lactose aid.
Some foods that are supposed to be “super” or touted as “healthy” are not received the same in every person. One person may be able to enjoy avocado with every meal but another person would find themselves suffering from bloating and gas because of FODMAPS. Performing N=1 experiments can help you know for sure which camp you fall into!
Over the years I have experimented with subtracting foods like nightshades and eggs and adding foods like liver and gelatin, all to find out what works best for my body. And one of the things I have learned the most, is that it isn’t a static process. As I age and conditions in my life change, foods have also either become my friends or antagonists in my goal to thrive.
Some people get really nerdy into the science and tracking of N=1 experiments, like over at Quantified Self. You have probably heard all about keeping a food journal or other ways of recording what you eat, when you exercise and the observations about how those changes affect you. I have to admit this is not my strong point but we do know that the more you accurately track your observations, the more likely you are to have positive outcomes.
You really don’t need anything fancy for conducting your N=1 experiments, a simple notebook or spreadsheet would work. But for those of you who need something more defined, here are just a few tools that some folks have found helpful in tracking their N=1 experiments:
- My Symptoms Food Diary App
- Daily Food and Activity Diary (for those of you low-tech folks)
- IBS Food Tracker App
- Elimination Diet For Beginners
- My Food Diary
- Sample Sleep Log
- Sleep Cycle
- Bullet Journal
I would like to point out that the last thing you want to do is add the factor of stress to your N=1 experiments, so please choose a method (or lack of one) for recording your changes and observations that works for you. If data is not your thing, you can still see benefits by simply being objective and conscious of your health habits overall.
And I say objective because it is common that someone will make changes to their diet or lifestyle and they feel great. At first. But over time they don’t feel as great or they see changes in other areas of their life like mental health. But because they are so invested in “that way of life”, such as a like-minded community, they are not willing to admit that they are not really thriving with those changes. The whole idea is to let go of dogma.
Get To Know Yourself Best
I will admit that there was a time that I was a zealot and believed that the Paleo diet and lifestyle was the solution to all the world’s problems. I gave advice when it wasn’t asked for, wanting everyone to feel as good as I did. Over the years, I have come to realize there is no one perfect diet for everyone as we are as individual as snowflakes and thumbprints. Many factors come into play: genetics, childhood experiences, trauma, environment, and current health circumstances.
I would hope you are working to find the diet and lifestyle that works for you, not just what is the latest fad or because someone you know has lost weight or feels better following a particular way of eating or moving. On Must Hike Must Eat, I talk a lot about health and foods I eat that help me thrive but only you can truly know what will help you thrive!
This article in Forbes says it well:
“Many diets will sustain you or keep you alive. That doesn’t mean that they are good for you long term. Your perfect diet should not just keep you alive, it should help you thrive. It should give you the best possible intake of nutrients to allow your body to be as healthy as it can be.”
As always, you should consult your very own health care provider as starting point to discuss what is best for you. I suggest choosing one who is not married to dogma and leaves room for individual results. Ultimately, trust that you know yourself best.
Another Editor’s Note: I have used the word effect and affect a billion times in this post and I most certainly got a few wrong. But I read once that making errors in your post is a great strategy for getting people to comment, especially grammer nazis!
Have you heard of N=1 experiments related to finding what diet or lifestyle works for you? Have you thought about trying one or had success trying one? Tell us in the comments below.
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