PRESCRIPTIONS
Healthy eating habits beat fad diets

By Laurie Steelsmith

Q.I'm confused by all the talk about low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets. What is a healthy diet?

A. You're not alone. The recent low-carbohydrate diet craze has many people wondering what they should and shouldn't eat.

Not long ago, while eating a turkey sandwich with lettuce, avocado and mayonnaise on whole-wheat bread, it occurred to me that I could turn it into a low-carb lunch by discarding the bread. I laughed when I realized that 10 years ago, when I was a vegetarian, I would have discarded the meat — and five years ago I might have removed the mayonnaise and avocado because of their fat content.

Knowing how many calories I needed to get through my work day, I ate and thoroughly enjoyed the entire sandwich.

Vegetarianism can be a healthy way of eating, but most of the popular trends that influence our eating habits are geared toward losing weight — pounds which were probably gained because of poor eating habits to begin with.

Replacing an inadequate diet with a fad diet may create short-term gains but long-term losses, and do nothing to help you learn to eat in a balanced way.

Extreme low-carb, high-protein diets are not the answer. You need a wide variety of healthy foods that supply you with adequate nutrients. A balanced diet promotes good health and keeps you at your optimal weight.

Here are the basics of a healthy diet:

• Eat three meals a day, with snacks such as fruits between meals if you're hungry.
• Eat whole grains, such as brown rice, whole-grain bread and whole-wheat pasta.
• Eat beans and legumes a few times a week.
• Eat moderate amounts (four to six times a week) of lean protein, such as fish, skinless poultry or eggs; if vegetarian, ingest adequate quantities of plant-based protein.
• If not lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy foods, eat nonfat organic dairy products.
• Eat plenty of organic fruits and vegetables.
• Use quality fats in your diet, such as olive oil for cooking and flax oil in salad dressings.
• Avoid processed foods, fast-foods, fried foods, soft drinks and non-nutritive sugary foods such as cookies, candies and pastries.

A healthy diet is simple and easy to follow. The good news is that once you've been on it for a while, sugary, fattening and processed foods lose their appeal.

Laurie Steelsmith is a naturopathic physician and licensed acupuncturist in Honolulu. Reach her and read her past columns at www.drlauriesteelsmith.com. This column is for information only. Consult your health provider for medical advice.