The Best Diet

According to most diet experts, the best diet is a balanced eating plan, low in saturated fat and refined sugar, and moderate in protein.

See our Diet Recommendations for two excellent diet programs.

The Diet Problem

The average Western diet is getting worse:

• We eat too much saturated fat. (Fast-food is a major culprit)
• We eat too much refined sugar. (Soft drinks are a major culprit)
• We eat too little fiber. (Refined food is a major culprit)

In addition, our diet is heavily influenced by fast-food or quick-serve menus.

Nearly 50 cents of every dollar spent on food in America is spent in restaurants fast-food or quick-serve restaurants or on take-outs.

Result? Obesity is becoming a major problem throughout the developed world.

• 1 in every 2 Americans is estimated to be overweight
• 1 in every 3 Americans is estimated to be obese
• 40 per cent of UK adults are overweight
• 18 per cent of UK adults are obese.

Diet Basics

It's time to get back to the basics of healthy eating and dieting.

1. Balanced Diet

A healthy diet is a balanced diet. It should contain foods from all the food groups.

2. Low in Saturated Fat and Low in Refined Sugar

Although we need fat and carbohydrates, we don't need saturated fat or refined sugar. These are causing our diet and weight problems.

3. We Need Good Diet Nutrition

GOOD CARBS
Whether we are 10 pounds or 100 pounds overweight, we need a nutritious diet rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Good carbs, like vegetables, fruit, potatoes, whole wheat bread, pasta, rice, oats, beans, soy and whole grain cereals, provide good nutrition. Vegetables, in particular, contain a range of phyto-chemicals, enzymes and other micronutrients that are essential for an efficient metabolism and a healthy diet.

GOOD FATS (But in reduced amounts)
These should come mainly from monounsaturated or polyunsaturated food sources, rather than animal fats. However, since fat contains more than twice the calories of other foods, it should be eaten in reduced quantities if you want to lose weight. When eating animal fats, choose very lean or low fat foods.

GOOD DIET SHOPPING & COOKING HABITS
A good diet teaches you good shopping and cooking habits. It teaches you how to make good food choices. Otherwise, how will you learn to eat healthily? A diet that does everything for you might SEEM ideal, but it won't help you lose weight in the long term.