You have a diet, whether you choose to follow it it consciously or not, simply because you choose which foods to eat. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association examined two different diets.
Diet number one simply instructed people to choose foods only from the following groups baked/grilled meats, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and olive oil. Diet number two gave specific percentages and calorie amounts to follow regarding fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.
In order to follow this diet, group one simply chose foods from the list provided. Group two spent their time thinking, dividing, measuring, calculating, and recording.
In the end, the group one ate fewer calories, lost inches, and dropped pounds. Why did this happen? Because "real food" is self correcting. When we eat whole foods our hunger drives are healthy and appropriate and naturally keep us satiated because we are getting the right amounts of protein, fats, carbohydrates, fiber and water. Even more important is the fact that you are delivering the nutrients our 3 billion cells crave and we need to have a healthy life.
When you are eating, "real food", you don't have to obsess about counting calories or measuring your servings. Certainly counting calories and measuring servings can help one achieve one's healthiest body weight and it could be a good practice for a short period of time but it would be very difficult and not enjoyable for a lifestyle. Further counting calories does not guarantee or necessarily motivate one to eat healthfully. It simply helps one get the right amount of calories which is only a piece of the nutrition puzzle. Remember real food is self correcting and truly healthy.
- Group one consumed on average 32 grams of fiber a day compared to group number two at 17 grams per day.
- Group one ate higher levels of healthy fats (nuts, olive oil) - these fats are high in Omega 3 fatty acids which reduce inflammation and disease as well as help one feel satiated - group two ate more refined carbohydrates and less fat which leads to over-eating.
- Group one ate more than two times the amount of vegetables and fruit as compared to group two.
So keep it simple and eat "real food" - vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and lean baked/grilled meats,poultry and fish. "Real food" delivers nutrients to your cells, the basic unit of life, preventing disease and improving quality of life.
To your health,
Julian