Previously I mentioned that food choices are a highly volatile subject. You’ve got so many different diets being marketed at you, how do you know which are healthy and which are hype? It’s not easy and so many people are ultra passionate about their diet of choice. Many people are also making money off pushing their diet so how do you know what is true and what is false.
What you may not know is amongst those who research nutrition and diet and those with different preferences for their diet (eg keto, vegan, atkins etc) there is some consensus. They all agree with the following:
- Eat more plants (mostly non-starchy)
- Cut out the sugar
- Cut out ultra-processed food
- More wholefoods
Whether you eat a vegan, vegetarian or omnivorous diet, these 4 points have been proven to be part of a healthy diet. People will continue to debate whether you are worse off with or without animal products, with or without fats, with or without grains or legumes, but sugar, processed foods and a lack of vegetables and their nutrition lead to poor outcomes.
Paying attention to these 4 means you can eat healthy and adapt it to how you want to eat. For me that means a mostly whole foods plant-based diet. For you it may mean a Mediterranean diet or some other variation. This is the sustainable choice, and backed by science. Stanford has some fascinating studies on nutrition that are well worth a read. Also remember to take every influencers ‘facts’ with a grain of salt. Be wary of diet fads that promise extreme results. Sustainable diets with sustainable outcomes lead to long term results keeping you healthy for longer, with the added bonus of weight loss if that is one of your goals.
