We know that food is very important not only in disease prevention, but also in promoting health and wellness. This raises the question of, "What does a good diet consist of?" Is there a diet I can recommend to everyone? Are there underlying principles that should be used in deciding what foods to eat?  I've heard of so many different diets, each with their respective proponents and antagonists. Diets such as the Mediterranean diet, the Atkins diet, other low carbohydrate diets, the Candida diet, the South Beach diet, and the list goes on. The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Diabetic Association(ADA) continue promoting a low fat diet. I saw especially in patients with diabetes that eating the diet recommended by the AHA and ADA often made the disease worse. Worse yet, we are now uncovering data showing that companies that produce sugary foods actually paid people to say that eating fat is bad. 

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I've tried different ways of eating over the years but from the best evidence I can find the important thing is to focus on eating whole foods.

 

In general I think eating the following is important:

• Healthy fats such as animal fats from grassfed animals, avocados, olive oil, and coconut oil

• A moderate intake of meat (preferably grassfed)

• Eggs

• Fish

• A variety of green leafy vegetables 

• A variety of fruits and berries (no juice)

• Herbs and spices

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The following should be restricted:

• Natural sweeteners such as sugar, honey, maple syrup, erythritol, and stevia.

• Grains or products made from grains such as flour, pasta, or cereal

• Foods high in starches such as potatoes, rice, and corn products

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The following should be avoided as much as possible. Be careful because they are hidden in many different types of foods!

• Artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose. 

• High fructose corn syrup

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