You've heard the popular advice on weight loss diets. Cut the
fat! Cut the carbs! Cut the calories! Eat a balanced diet! But
how can you cut though all of the confusion, and eat a diet
that's balanced and healthy?
Here's the advice from nutritional science:
Cut the JUNK fats: Most people do not need an ultra low fat
diet. But most of us could improve our diet by cutting out the
junk fats. Basically, these are the processed fats: hydrogenated
fats, polyunsaturated oils that have been heated, and fats that
are combined with junk carbs. Processed fats are the fats most
likely to put on flab and clog your arteries.
Cut the JUNK carbs. Most people do not need an ultra low carb
diet. But unfortunately, so many people who go on a low fat diet
continue to eat highly processed foods - they switch from
processed high-fat to processed low-fat. And when food
manufacturers create low fat foods, they tend to replace the fat
with junk carbs, which tend to pile on the pounds. Basically,
junk carbs are low-fiber carbs, like sugar, fructose (and all
the other *oses), flour, cornstarch, fruit juice. Yes, fruit
juice is a junk carb too! - After all, how much fiber is there
in fruit juice? - Virtually none - it's yet another junk carb.
You should eat the whole fruit instead, with its fiber intact.
Cut the JUNK calories. Most people do not need an ultra low
calorie diet. But just think what your diet would be like if you
dropped the processed fats and the low-fiber carbs. You'd be
eating mainly natural proteins, with lots of vegetables plus
whole fruits - and the odds are that you would be eating far
fewer calories as well. That's the kind of calorie cutting most
of us should be doing.
Eat a balanced NATURAL-FOODS diet. By natural foods, we mean the
foods that would have been eaten by your hunter-gatherer
ancestors: - lots of whole vegetable foods for vitamins and
fiber; moderate to small portions of meats, fish, seafood, and
other animal and protein foods, grilled, stewed or baked; and
small portions of fresh whole fruit in season. This is the diet
on which the human race evolved, and the diet which, for the
vast majority of people, makes for optimum health
So the next time you're about to order a meal with fries and
sugary soda, think about how it could be improved. Replace the
fries with a salad, and the soda with mineral water, and you've
already made significant progress towards a healthier, balanced
meal.
And at home, look for recipes that use whole, fresh foods, with
a minimum of processing. Make sure your meals include natural
unprocessed foods, with lots of healthy vegetables, both cooked,
and raw in salads. Avoid processed fats and processed low-fiber
foods.
A sample menu: - grilled fish with steamed green beans, and
peppers - large mixed salad, dressed with small amounts of olive
oil and vinegar or lemon juice - fresh fruit platter
Yes - A healthy, balanced diet can be that simple!
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