Photo by frozenchipmunk.

If you’re like me you’ve read about a lot of different healthy ways of eating. Some might recommend the opposite of others but the majority will hold some key ideas in common. I’ve found that the four most common elements of healthy diets that work for real people are:

1. Limit white carbs
2. Know your fats
3. Get ample fiber
4. Strive for variety

In this post I’ll discuss why each of these is important and some simple strategies to achieve them.

1. Simple carbohydrates are evil
Anything with simple carbohydrates — sugar, bread, cereal, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc. — will spike your insulin levels shortly after eating them. And if you are not consuming the glucose in your blood by exercising there is a good chance it will be stored as fat. “White carbs” is another name for high glycemic index (GI) carbs and too much is linked to developing diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and maybe even cancer. Some people eliminate simple carbohydrates completely but people try to limit the amount they consume by cutting high GI items like candy, soda, and white bread for health alternatives like vegetables, water, and wheat bread.

2. The good, the bad, and the ugly.. fats.
All fats are not bad. Low fat diets are a thing of the past. There are some good fats and some bad fats and then there are some very bad fats.

The Good (liquid fats):
Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) lower total cholesterol and bad cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol. MUFAs have also been found to aid in weight loss. Sources include mainly nuts; peanuts, walnuts, almonds, avacodos, and canola and olive oils.
Polyunsaturated fats lower total and bad cholesterol. Fish, corn, and soy contain high amounts of polyunsaturated fat. Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fat

The Bad (solid fats):
Saturated fat raises total and bad cholesterol. They are found in animal products and some plant foods (coconut/palm oils).

The Ugly (synthetic fats):
Trans fats were invented by scientists when they hydrogenated liquid oils. This was done to make a fat that better withstood food production processes and with an extended shelf life. As a result, trans fats are found in many commercially packaged foods like french fries, buttery snacks, shortening and stick margarine. Trans fats raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol and everyone should avoid them.

3. Fiber keeps you more than regular
Only 1 in 10 North Americans get the recommended 25-40g of fiber per day and we’re consuming less than ever. Apart from the obvious effects of fiber it has cardiovascular benefits and slows digestion and therefore slows the release of blood sugar. Most foods have less fiber than you think and the average meat eating American gets very little. One apple has only a little over 3 grams. I eat a lot of vegetables and fruits but the best way I’ve found to get a good amount of fiber is through whole grain products like wheat bread (they make with only 50 calories a slice but with 5g of fiber) and whole grain pasta. Fiber is not something you want to increase your intake of very rapidly, gradually work up to the recommended levels unless you want some unpleasant repercussions.

4. Variety is the spice of life, literally
A lot of dieters get in the habit of eating the same thing every single day. This may work best in the short term because decision making is not a strong point among most dieters. But it is not optimal if you’re changing your entire lifestyle to incorporate healthier eating habits. Not only does it make the diet harder to stick to — boredom of same food every day — but you will undoubtedly be depriving yourself of some key nutrients. One example, antioxidants. Antioxidant rich foods all contain different antioxidants and therefore eating a wide variety of vegetables and fruits is advantageous. A rule I have for myself is to eat something I rarely have — less than once every couple months — each week. This week I had some asparagus and last week I tried pomegranate juice for the first time and absolutely loved it.