What To Look For In Healthy Eating Diets

With all of the new diets coming to the market every single day, it's no wonder that there is a lot of confusion surrounding healthy eating diets. To make matters worse, diets often contradict each other. For example, one diet may tell you to eat all the meat you want, while another practically forbids it. So, how can they both be correct, right? It's enough to drive even the most educated dietitian crazy, let alone the average person. So, the real question, then, is how can you find which are the best healthy eating diets for you?

First and foremost, you should know that how new a diet is doesn't tell you how effective or healthy it is. There are new fad diets coming out all of the time. Some work, some don't and some are downright dangerous. It's this last group that you have to really watch out for. At the same time, you should also know that you don't necessarily have to follow any one particular plan, but can combine elements from several diets to best suit your needs.

For example, a diet low in carbohydrates can be just fine for those who have the right insulin resistance and blood sugar level. However, they would have a very negative impact on somebody who needs to have a decent amount of carbohydrates in their diet to be healthy. In fact, it's possible that eating almost nothing but protein and fat can make feel sick after a couple of days doing it. Whatever the case may be, you need to pay attention to any diet you try, and how it affects you personally.

As long as we're on the subject of carbohydrates, it should be pointed out that they come in two main forms: simple and complex. Generally speaking, it's best to avoid simple carbs, which include white flour, white rice, candy and sugar. These are the kind that cause the biggest spikes in blood sugar, and typically have a poorer nutritional profile. Complex carbohydrates include whole grains and some fruits. These are much more healthy and can usually be added to any eating plan (within reason).

If you want to attempt your own healthy eating diets, then there are a few basic guidelines to follow. You can start by reducing or eliminating simple carbohydrates. Then add foods that are high in lean protein, such as the white meat of chicken, fish, and some cuts of beef. Other good sources of protein are nuts and legumes. Next, cut out all trans fats, and reduce how much saturated fat you take in. You can eat healthier fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated) without too much worry. The other rule of thumb to stick to is to eat foods as close to their natural state as possible.

Healthy eating diets come in many different forms. As mentioned earlier, some of them are actually quite good. Before trying one, look at it with some common sense and see if it includes a variety of foods. For the most part, any diet that restricts whole groups of foods is going to be harder to stick to, which would only defeat its purpose.