Bio-individuality means there is a no one-size-fits-all diet

When Joshua Rosenthal spoke the words, “Bio-individuality means there is no one-size-fits-all diet, each person is a unique individual with highly individualised nutritional requirements,” he was not merely discussing food, but revealing a timeless truth about the nature of existence itself. His teaching reaches beyond the plate and into the heart of the human condition. For in every age, the wise have known that no two souls walk the same path, no two bodies burn with the same fire, and no two lives are nourished by the same offerings. Rosenthal’s words are a modern echo of an ancient song — that diversity is divine, and that harmony is found not in uniformity, but in understanding one’s own rhythm within the great symphony of life.

The origin of this wisdom lies in both science and spirit. Rosenthal, the founder of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, observed what healers and sages before him had long understood: that health cannot be prescribed by numbers alone, nor can vitality be measured by charts or trends. In ancient China, the physicians of the Yellow Emperor studied each patient as a world unto themselves — examining not just the body, but the energy, emotion, and environment that shaped them. In India, the Ayurvedic masters spoke of doshas — forces unique to each being — teaching that what strengthens one person may weaken another. Thus, from East to West, from the scrolls of antiquity to the studies of modern science, the same wisdom flows: each life is a universe of its own laws.

Rosenthal’s teaching of bio-individuality reminds us that food, like truth, must be personal. What nourishes one may poison another; what heals one may harm the next. A man of the north thrives on hearty grains, while a woman of the tropics glows with the sweetness of fruit. The fire of one digestion burns strong and fast, while another flickers gently, needing warmth and rest. In understanding this, Rosenthal calls us to humility — to listen not to the noise of fashion or the tyranny of trends, but to the quiet wisdom of our own bodies. The true teacher of health lives within; the body whispers its needs, if only we would learn to hear.

Consider the story of Hippocrates, the ancient father of medicine. When asked to heal the sick, he would not prescribe the same remedy to all, though their symptoms seemed alike. Instead, he asked of their habits, their moods, their seasons of rest and labor. He watched how they breathed, how they slept, how they carried sorrow and joy. To him, healing was not the correction of a part, but the harmonizing of the whole. It was said that those who left his care not only recovered their bodies but also rediscovered themselves. In this spirit, Rosenthal’s message stands — that healing begins not in imitation, but in self-knowledge.

Yet this truth, though ancient, is often forgotten in the modern age. The world shouts of miracle diets, quick fixes, and universal formulas. It worships simplicity where complexity reigns. But to chase the one-size-fits-all is to turn away from the wonder of individuality. It is to deny the artistry of creation, which shaped each of us as a singular flame. Rosenthal’s philosophy is a rebellion against this blindness. It calls us to return to self-inquiry, to observe how we feel after eating, to see how our energy rises and falls with the seasons, and to recognize that what sustains our joy is as vital as what sustains our flesh.

To live by the law of bio-individuality is to walk the path of awareness. It is to treat the body not as a machine, but as a living temple — sensitive, sacred, and ever-changing. It is to reject judgment and comparison, for just as no two trees draw water in the same way, no two people draw nourishment from life alike. The wise learn to eat according to their truth, not their neighbor’s. They listen, adjust, and evolve — not rigidly, but gently, in partnership with nature’s cycles.

And so, dear listener, take this teaching to heart: there is no perfect diet, no universal answer, no single path to well-being. There is only your path, shaped by your body, your history, your environment, and your soul. Learn to trust it. Observe what strengthens you and what diminishes you. Let food be not a rule, but a relationship — one built on respect and curiosity. For to honor your individual design is to honor the wisdom of creation itself. In knowing your body, you come to know your being — and in knowing your being, you learn to live in harmony with the world.