The Simplest Diet Plan Ever - 3 Easy Steps to Healthy Living

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, that 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 - its 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 more healthy, 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!

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.

Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle Health News and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on topical health matters.

---

Serious Dieting Tips, Humorous Explanations

A few months ago, I set out to lose 22.6... Read More

Heading Off Winter Weight Gain Before it Gets Started

Must We Gain Weight Every WinterIt's that time of year... Read More

The Perfect Diet Combined with a Healthy Weight Management

The perfect diet should be combined with a healthy weight... Read More

Weight Loss Product Warnings -- How to Spot Fat Burning Diets

This is the second article in the series, Weight Loss... Read More

4 Tips for Fast Fat Loss Part III

Fat Loss Tip #3) Proper Meal FrequencyMeal Frequency (i.e., the... Read More

The Type Of Food and Nutrition That Can Help You Lose Weight Fast

The following are diet tips that can help you shape... Read More

The Solution to Healthy Weight Loss

The overweight and obesity epidemic is a worldwide problem. There... Read More

Faster Fat Loss Thats Healthy

I received a telephone call from a lady last week.... Read More

How To Measure Body Fat

When it all comes down to losing or gaining weight,... Read More

Weight Loss Tips: Get Free and Effective Weight Loss Tips!

Looking for Diet Programs on net is like looking for... Read More

Top Thirty Weight Loss Tips and Tricks

Here are some everyday, helpful hints to get you started,... Read More

New Weight Loss Plan -- Resistance Training

My last article, Make Diets Work, concluded that dieting the... Read More

Maximize Your Fat Burning Potential

Do you compete in sports for weight loss or fat... Read More

Close Kept Secrets to Weight Loss Lesson #5

Wow! You must be on fire by now burning and... Read More

Playing Games Does Not Help Your Weight Loss Efforts

Have you ever wondered why some fat people can be... Read More

Solution to Obesity

First of all we need to find out a reason... Read More

Dieting? Want and Desire are Dangerous

This is a very important topic that needs to be... Read More

How to Break a Weight Loss Plateau

Healthy eating has become part of your life, but you're... Read More

Weight Loss the Easy Way!

With weight loss comes a lot of dedication and change... Read More

Do You Make These South Beach Diet Mistakes?

The South Beach Diet works, for most people. Its low... Read More

Sweet Low Carb Foods - How Do They Do That?

If you're a low carb diet enthusiast, you've probably tried... Read More

Brinks Unified Theory of Nutrition For Weight Loss and Muscle Gain

When people hear the term Unified Theory, some times called... Read More

Rating The Diets: A Mindless Exercise?

There has been a recent surge in the experts weighing... Read More

The Mind Body-Fat Connection

Negative thoughts, symbolic protection, being who we really are ........ Read More

The TRUTH About How to Lose Weight

The huge companies stealing your money by promising impossible results... Read More

School for Overweight Teens

Getting Kids Moving - Help for Overweight TeensA residential school... Read More

What to Eat After Gastric Bypass Surgery

Many people are under the impression that gastric bypass surgery... Read More

Best Diet Plan Available

Diet Fads-Forget about 'EmAnother fad "best diet" bites the dust.... Read More

Not One Ounce -- Candy At Your House

Here come the candy canes. In our house, Santa always... Read More

How Slimming Down Can Add More Cash in Your Wallets

Are you unhappy with your current weight but aren't "motivated"... Read More

The Key To Successful Weight Loss - Balancing Blood Sugar Levels

When you talk about losing weight you're really talking about... Read More

5 Easy Steps to Help You Lose Weight

When losing weight, most of us don't have the time... Read More

Weight Loss Programs:The 7 Critical Points You Must Check Before You Choose

Yes, you must be aware of the following 7 points... Read More