What is good to eat?

There are several diets that are gaining notoriety. Diets such as the low carb, low fat diet or the Atkins diet, the Mediterranean diet, the Paleo diet, the anti-inflammatory diet and the list goes on and on.

So what is the best diet to go on? Many of these diets have several things in common. Eat unprocessed foods so no fast foods or frozen pizza for example. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Organic is nice but not necessary. Organic can be very expensive. Eat low fat, light colored meats such as fish- salmon in particular, chicken, turkey or pork. Red meat is high in fat and should be eaten rarely. Use olive oil generously and eliminate the other oils. Eat whole grains- brown rice, barley, skip the processed white rice and white breads.

Gluten is not necessarily bad for those who are not allergic to it. Whole grain breads without added sugar is good for you and there is evidence that whole grains can decrease your risk of heart disease and diabetes. There is also evidence that whole grains with lots of fiber can be healthy for your bowels. However, white bread is processed and is not good for you. It is broken down very quickly into sugars in the body and this increases your risk of diabetes. So whole grains are what to look for and eat.

Simple sugars that are found in sodas, cookies and cakes are bad for you. These again are broken down rapidly into sugar and absorbed directly into your blood stream increasing your risk of diabetes, weight gain, heart disease and stroke. Processed foods in our diet have a lot of added sugar. So make sure you read the label before buying.

Processed foods also are high is sodium which has been linked to high blood pressure and stroke. Natural whole foods are high in potassium which is protective.

Fruit should be eaten 2-3 times a day as should vegetables. Whole fruits and vegetables have fiber which is good for your bowels and decreases your risk of diabetes. They also have a lot of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to work. Vegetables such as beans are good for protein and fiber. They are also filling and a good way to lose weight.

In the end, I would recommend eating good food with friends and family.