What is the "healthiest diet" to you? and why?

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  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
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    I suffer from ulcerative colitis so the diet that keeps me well would probably not be considered healthy! Basically low residue.
  • HelenWater
    HelenWater Posts: 232 Member
    edited December 2016
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    The Mediterranean diet seems pretty good. There are plenty of studies to show that it is healthy, and it seems like an easy way to eat.

    Personally I try to follow the total wellbeing diet. It's a way of eating that is based on studies and developed by scientists.

    So whole foods, plenty of veggies, pulses, fruits, lean meats, fish, and reducing added sugar to a minimum.
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
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    Healthiest is so relative. I felt best eating a mostly plant based diet that was close to the mediterranean diet with lots of fat and lean protein. Slowly working my way back in that direction.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    The healthiest diet for me involves:
    1. Eating nutritious foods, especially vegetables because nutrients are important
    2. Eating a good variety of foods because no single food has all the nutrients
    3. Eating foods that I like because self care is healthy
    4. Not stressing about the foods I eat, or things like fat, sugar, processing...etc because extra stress is not healthy and singling out foods is unnecessary
    5. Not restricting food in a way the affects my social life negatively because being social is healthy
    7. Not eating too many calories too often because being obese is not healthy
    8. Keeping an eye on certain things that may be beneficial/harmful without getting obsessive, like consuming probiotic rich products and leafy vegetables when possible but not going out of my way, and not overindulging in alcohol or meats cooked at high temperatures or processed too often, but not outright banning them from my life.
    9. Not eating spoiled, contaminated or poisonous food for obvious reasons.
    10. Not driving myself insane with food rules trying to have the "healthiest diet possible" or have it control my life overshadowing other important aspects. That kind of anxiety and obsession is not healthy and food serves many purposes in addition to keeping us alive.

    One of the best "food rule" lists I've seen.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
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    Moderation!

    I think the guy who said "Eat food, mostly plants, not too much" had it right.

    Also, I do think different people do better on different diets.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    For me personally- appropriate calories, protein foods, several servings of vegetables and fruits except what I am allergic to, not super high sodium, not super low fat, moderate carb, low caffeine, avoiding artificial sweeteners, low alcohol.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    comptonelizabeth wrote: »
    I suffer from ulcerative colitis so the diet that keeps me well would probably not be considered healthy! Basically low residue.

    I'm low residue too for Crohn's so yup the diet where a salad is the unhealthy choice! Low residue is so hard as everyone gives you the evil eye. It's basically very few super well cooked vegetables (no raw), very few fruits (bananas basically only safe one for me) no seeds, nuts, legumes, whole grains, spices, garlic, red meat, lactose and overly fatty foods. I call it the white diet lol
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
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    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    The healthiest diet for me involves:
    1. Eating nutritious foods, especially vegetables because nutrients are important
    2. Eating a good variety of foods because no single food has all the nutrients
    3. Eating foods that I like because self care is healthy
    4. Not stressing about the foods I eat, or things like fat, sugar, processing...etc because extra stress is not healthy and singling out foods is unnecessary
    5. Not restricting food in a way the affects my social life negatively because being social is healthy
    7. Not eating too many calories too often because being obese is not healthy
    8. Keeping an eye on certain things that may be beneficial/harmful without getting obsessive, like consuming probiotic rich products and leafy vegetables when possible but not going out of my way, and not overindulging in alcohol or meats cooked at high temperatures or processed too often, but not outright banning them from my life.
    9. Not eating spoiled, contaminated or poisonous food for obvious reasons.
    10. Not driving myself insane with food rules trying to have the "healthiest diet possible" or have it control my life overshadowing other important aspects. That kind of anxiety and obsession is not healthy and food serves many purposes in addition to keeping us alive.

    Pretty much all of this. I aim for lots of vegetables, a big variety of "whole" foods, moderate fats and adequate protein, and I try to eat only a limited amount of highly processed packaged food, dairy, and meat. I don't worry about having a cookie or some whiskey or a latte once in a while and I don't drive myself crazy reading ingredient lists on packaged food, but the majority of my day-to-day eating tends to be fresh vegetable-centred and in amounts appropriate to my TDEE.

    I'm not perfect and sometimes I eat an entire bag of kettle corn then steal some of my husband's chicken Alfredo and wash it down with half a bottle of Pinot Noir and then finish it off with a handful of chocolate chips straight out of the bag, but once in a while that's something you do for your mental health if not for your physical, haha.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited December 2016
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Primarily whole foods with to include a lot of plant based foods (not just vegetables) as well as lean sources of protein (I eat a lot of fish and chicken), and healthy fats...because, whole foods are pretty healthy.

    Yup/ Whole food, plant based diet (vegetables, whole grains, legumes/pulses/lentils, fruits), lean sources of protein (I do a lot of fish, including sardines, some chicken, lean cuts of beef, healthy fats, nuts seeds...and some cheeses.
    I limit heavily refined carbs and the related hyper-palatable convenience foods.

    In formal diet terms my eating pattern most closely resembles the *original* south beach diet, the latest DASH diet for weight loss, and a mediterranean style of eating.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
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    Whole, minimally processed foods in just about any combination are healthful. Ultra processed foods are harmful in just about any combination and should be minimized.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited December 2016
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    AlabasterVerve wrote: »
    Whole, minimally processed foods in just about any combination are healthful. Ultra processed foods are harmful in just about any combination and should be minimized.

    How are you defining what an ultra processed food is? And how are they harmful?
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,979 Member
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    robininfl wrote: »
    Moderation!

    I think the guy who said "Eat food, mostly plants, not too much" had it right.

    Also, I do think different people do better on different diets.

    Michael Pollan, to give credit where credit is due.
  • Aidan2552
    Aidan2552 Posts: 16 Member
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    Life would be way too easy if there was a "healthiest diet". It all depends on your goals and whatever you consider to be "healthy".
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
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    crzycatlady1 wrote: »
    AlabasterVerve wrote: »
    Whole, minimally processed foods in just about any combination are healthful. Ultra processed foods are harmful in just about any combination and should be minimized.

    How are you defining what an ultra processed food is? And how are they harmful?

    The Brazilian food guide did a nice job of defining ultra processed foods and that's the definition I'm using. The more ultra processed foods you eat the fatter and sicker you become (metabolic syndrome and all that entails).

    Eat better -> eat less -> feel better -> move more -> healthier life.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited December 2016
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    cerise_noir wrote: »
    Having an all-round healthy relationship with food to me is healthy.

    ^ Absolutely. Both physically and mentally. You can drive yourself crazy (and some have!) obsessing over what's perfect.

    As the saying goes, "don't let perfect be the enemy of good".

    Or to quote Eric Helms, "Once our nutrient needs are met, we don’t get extra credit for eating more nutritious food!"
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
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    singingflutelady wrote: »
    comptonelizabeth wrote: »
    I suffer from ulcerative colitis so the diet that keeps me well would probably not be considered healthy! Basically low residue.

    I'm low residue too for Crohn's so yup the diet where a salad is the unhealthy choice! Low residue is so hard as everyone gives you the evil eye. It's basically very few super well cooked vegetables (no raw), very few fruits (bananas basically only safe one for me) no seeds, nuts, legumes, whole grains, spices, garlic, red meat, lactose and overly fatty foods. I call it the white diet lol

    The beige diet! :smiley:
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited December 2016
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    AlabasterVerve wrote: »
    crzycatlady1 wrote: »
    AlabasterVerve wrote: »
    Whole, minimally processed foods in just about any combination are healthful. Ultra processed foods are harmful in just about any combination and should be minimized.

    How are you defining what an ultra processed food is? And how are they harmful?

    The Brazilian food guide did a nice job of defining ultra processed foods and that's the definition I'm using. The more ultra processed foods you eat the fatter and sicker you become (metabolic syndrome and all that entails).

    Eat better -> eat less -> feel better -> move more -> healthier life.

    I have no idea what the Brazilian food guide is, off to google!

    eta: found it- http://www.fao.org/nutrition/education/food-based-dietary-guidelines/regions/countries/brazil/en/

    4. Avoid consumption of ultra-processed foods

    Because of their ingredients, ultra-processed foods such as salty fatty packaged snacks, soft drinks, sweetened breakfast cereals, and instant noodles, are nutritionally unbalanced. As a result of their formulation and presentation, they tend to be consumed in excess, and displace natural or minimally processed foods. Their means of production, distribution, marketing, and consumption damage culture, social life, and the environment.

    I disagree with how their labeling foods, and I eat foods from this list every day and am in excellent health-not overweight and not sick. But to each their own :)
  • JustMissTracy
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,339 Member
    edited December 2016
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    The best one for me is the one where I burn more than I eat....every day if possible...

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