The Paleo diet. The juice diet. Vegetarianism, veganism. What about gluten-free?

One diet, two diet, red diet, blue diet.

With all the popular dieting options out there, you might find yourself trying one after another, getting amazing results or none at all or maybe just laughing at your friends asking, “How many points is this?”

Add to that conflicting information from opposing groups — the vegans versus the meat eaters, the FDA versus HungryForChange. tv, organic enthusiasts versus Semi-Homemade with Sandra — and your head might be swimming with misinformation.

So, what exactly is the right diet?

As someone who has an on-again, off-again relationship with vegetarianism, an obsession with yoga, and the occasional hankerin’ for a beer and plate of fried chicken, I have found that there is no one perfect diet on the books.

The best diet out there?

The “you” diet. In the words of vegan chef and Mind- BodyGreen columnist Aimee DuFresne, “YOU are the best expert when it comes to your body.”

And I think she’s right.

My mom always said that if you’re craving something, really craving it (say, you’ve been thinking about mashed potatoes since last night or you just desperately want a bowl of ice cream), then there’s probably a reason why your body is asking for a specific food item. Perhaps the diet you’ve put yourself on has created a nutrient deficiency or three and your body is trying to make up the difference. Maybe the diet you’re on doesn’t fulfill all your bodily needs (shocker!) and is leaving you deprived.

So, listen to what’s going on inside. What does your body need? What do you want to eat for dinner? What food, and what lifestyle, makes you feel good?

Now, I’m not saying that you should necessarily give in to every little craving you get.

Gorging yourself on McDonald’s simply because you drove by and realized you haven’t eaten there in a while is probably less of a bodily need and more of a mental comfort.

Still, if you find yourself dreaming about French fries, what’s the harm in treating yourself to a small, medium or even large order once in a while?

Sound crazy? Treating yourself and listening to those insane cravings — that’s against everything dieting has ever taught us, right?

But what exactly has dieting taught us? The Atkins diet taught us that, while we could eat our weight in bacon grease and steak, a piece of bread was out of the question! Weight pills like Hydroxycut taught us that side effects like increased blood pressure and nosebleeds were just part of the weight loss process. And systems like NutriSystem teach us that by ordering a buttload of frozen meals, we’ll feel healthy, lose weight and the food will taste great!

All in all, “diets” often miss the mark. They tend to lead us astray, ask us to put our body under some serious stress and most of them don’t stay popular long.

My advice? Take what you will from whatever diets you try. Some things will work for you, and some things won’t. Combine the different diets that work, and remember that what you must do is try to change your lifestyle for the better.