by Robin Webb
As you wait for the next "miracle" diet to come along you might just be missing the real keys to lifelong good health. Knowing the difference between foods that are nutritionally good and what foods to avoid are key to getting the nutritional benefits necessary for a healthy and lasting diet program. Keep the following facts in mind as you select your diet alternatives. Remember eating good food can be one of life's great pleasures...
1. Eat fresh, natural, minimally processed foods. Eating natural food means eating less food that comes from a package loaded with words that are difficult to pronounce.
2. Downsize and eat a variety of foods. The reason most diets don't work is that most people don't take well to deprivation. You can eat the foods you love in "Small Portions."
3. Look beyond calories, fat, protein and carbohydrates. You eat food, not numbers. While it is important to keep your calories reasonable and to understand how to balance fat, carbs and protein, the average person does not know what all those numbers mean. Phytochemicals found in foods help ward off disease and promote longevity. Foods such as broccoli, cabbage, citrus, tropical fruits, nuts, beans and sweet potatoes all contain phytochemicals and are generally naturally low in calories and fat.