What is a Healthy Diet?

What is a Healthy Diet?  Does anyone know anymore?

So much information us going back and forth these days:  eat soy, don’t eat soy; include oil in your diet, oil is deadly; carbs are good for you, don’t eat carbs; vegan diet is the best diet for everyone, Paleo diet is the best!  What do you believe??

First off, I am not a doctor!  I have not taken any college health or medical classes,  but I have done LOTS of research — at least enough to know that what was a healthy diet 50-100 years ago, barely exists today!

I have been interested in creating good health for over 40 years when I discovered my 2 year old had a serious problem with sugar.  Fast forward 35 years when I started having ‘Alzheimer’s symptoms’ and began my quest to find out some resources that would help.

I first discovered Dr. Mark Hyman and his book, “The Ultra Mind Solution”.  At the time, the book was a godsend to me!  From reading it, I discovered that I had Adrenal fatigue, Thyroid issues and some obvious food allergies.

A few months later, I was tested by Dr. Jim Said where I found out I was intolerance to gluten, dairy, eggs, almond, Brazil nuts, flax, and some beans.

These two men became my mentors and health advisers.

So, back to my question:  What is a Healthy Diet?  No pat answer can be given to that question as we are ALL DIFFERENT!  What works for me, does not work for my husband …. and so does not work for other people.  But there are a few tips I have learned from these men that seem universal to all:

1. Eliminate, or at least, greatly reduce sugar from your diet.  This includes artificial sweeteners, high sugared jams and foods.  The only sugars my doctor recommends is coconut sugars, stevia, xylitol and maple syrup — and only in small amounts.
2. Eliminate as many process foods as possible.  Processed foods are those that are in a package or can — especially those that have more than five ingredients or list sugar or oil high on the ingredients list or contains ingredients you can’t pronounce!
3. Eat more vegetables — preferable organic non GMO veggies.  The standard American diet, historically, includes too much grain and meat products.
4. Eliminate bad fats from your diet and replace them with good fats such as coconut oil (for cooking) and olive oil (for non-cooked foods).
5. Learn how to prepare foods from natural ingredients— you know, like your grandma use to cook, using REAL food!
6. Cook/eat a variety of foods everyday.  Maybe you just love your green salads, but mix them up with different ingredients or make a stir fry or soup once in awhile.

Well, that is my two cents worth.  I am a firm believer in moderation in everything, including my diet.  A little sugar once in awhile will not kill you, and neither will a bit of oil.  If you are eating healthy with everything else, these things will be minor.

What are your thoughts?