Diet? BAH! What's the Healthiest way of eating, period?
 

There are plenty of diet threads. But, for me, the word diet means temporary eating plan. Going ON a diet means you can go OFF it. So I want to hear what people think is the healthiest way to eat for the rest of your life. I'm talking about a "lifestyle" change.

If you mention a diet (atkins, south beach, zone, etc....) please be specific about the theories behind the diet and why you think eating this way for the rest of your life is healthy. Also, fell free to mention different cultures and the food the eat and why you think they have the key to healthy eating. If you think eating Tic Tacs and castor oil for the rest of your life will see you into your hundreds then put it down. It's your opinion that matters.

avoid eating lots of dairy products, avoid red meats, avoid sweets.

eat chicken, lots of veggies, and take a multi vitamin

thats what i do and its worked pretty well (i think the simplest things are often the best)

-alec

That is very good advice. If you eat anything in moderation, you should be fine. My wife and I are following the body for life book, and we've been doing quite well. Basically it just has you eat 6 small meals a day, a carb, protien and some kind of vegie. It works well, even without the work out plan.

I eat alot: Steak, eggs (almost all whites), bananas, oranges, green beans

I eat rarely/never: Fast food (it will kill you faster then any candy), sugary foods (every once in a while enjoy though!), and biggest one oily/fatty foods (chips etc)

and the BEST advice I can give you for controlled weight: AVOID covering your food in toppings like Mayo, Ranch, heavy salt, butter, etc

People diet well but will totally bloweverything on alot of mayo why? alot of times mayo has more calories/fat then the entire sandwhich ...

40/40/20 macronutrient ratio

Know your BMR and don't eat much above it.

Simple as that.

Follow that damn food pyramid, and cut down on portions.

I invented this new diet that I call the Jericho diet. This is eat you do:

Eat whatever the hell you want to and when you excercise... do it to the point where you can barely walk. The pounds never stick !

Everything in moderation. More fruits and vegetables, fewer processed carbs. Don't go too light on the fats, but eat the right ones: olive oil, avocado, bittersweet dark chocolate (good for the heart), etc.

Eat a hearty breakfast -- you're going to need it for the day -- a light dinner (you're going to bed soon, what's your body need with food then?), and a couple of light mid-day meals. I usually get my protein from eggs (like, four whites and one yolk) and turkey, but at least once a week I have a modest-sized piece of lean steak. Feels so good that it _must_have something I need.

I've never heard that, but it's intriguing. What's the thinking behind that? Something in the cocoa that's good for you?

complete crap ;)

there actually is something in chocolate, not sure if it's dark or in general, that is "good for heart", but it can be found in other sources, and when getting it from chocolate, you're pretty much negating any benefits because of the rest of the crap in the chocolate.

Not complete crap, chocolate is high in antioxidants called flavinoids, which are good for the cardiovascular system. Also, certain chocolates have been shown to raise your HDL, which is the good cholesterol and lower your LDLs, which would be the 'bad' cholesterol.

That doesn't mean go out and eat a 1/2 gallon of your favorite chocolate ice cream though ;)

Yeah -- bioflavinoids that work as antioxidants to lower bad cholesterol, among other things. Also, the main fat in chocolate -- stearic acid -- does not in itself cause cholesterol to rise in human beings. And there are apparently other beneficial chemicals as well. Here are a couple of links:

http://www.chocolateandcocoa.org/Hea...tioxidants.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0118075002.htm
http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/sc/...chocheart.html
http://www.chocolate.org/health/dark-chocolate.html
http://www.candyusa.org/Chocolate/goodnews.shtml

The thing about chocolate is that not all chocolate products have a lot of bioflavinoids in them. And you're probably best off with a premium dark chocolate bar that's 70 or 80 percent chocolate, no milk, and very little sugar. That's what I eat, and it's an acquired taste.

I know that there's a great suspicion about eating fat out there, especially if you're trying to get ripped. And I can't answer to that, and most of us aren't trying for that anyway. But I do know that eating foods rich in "good fats," especially omega-3 fatty acids, is good for the heart and do not in themselves lead to especial weight gain in moderation. I eat at least one avocado a day, cook eggs in light olive oil, and eat at least an ounce of dark chocolate a day. Over the last few months I've had to drastically cut back my cardio because of time constraints. I'm really not eating much less, and I haven't gained a single pound. And I'm 48.

Bingo.

And to follow this type of diet, I recommend the body for life method. It even includes one free day a week to accomplish two things. 1, you get it out of your system so you cheat less during the week and 2, it shocks your metabolism so it never settles.

Also, figure out your caloric intake and divide it by 5 or 6 and eat 5 or 6 meals a day. The more often you eat the faster your metabolism. Fuel your body as needed, not over fuel it every meal. That just turns to fat.

minyn's onto something... follow the food guide, and if you eat out, leave some on your plate. Nearly every dish served in restaurants is larger than the recommended portion size.

Great tips from thed00t and Plan9, too.

I like the David Letterman diet from a few years ago:
Don't eat the Crisco!
Actually, I want to publish a new diet book called, are you ready for this?

Eat less, exercise more.

In reality, I try to eat less fatty meats, and little, if any white flour and sugar. Little if any fast food. It's kinda like the South Beach, but I don't follow a plan.