The One Dietary Rule You Should Follow
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Health and Wellness

If You Only Follow One Dietary Rule, Make It This One

End your worrying because there's only one rule you need to follow and it's super simple.

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If You Only Follow One Dietary Rule, Make It This One

Having a lot of options in life is advantageous but not in every scenario. So many dietary trends exist, that it can be challenging to figure out what works for your body.

You want to give yourself the nourishment you need and maintain your health, but how do you accomplish that when you don't know what to choose?

Some researchers claim you should avoid certain foods, while others say you should stock up on them. All this back-and-forth leaves you wondering who to follow and who is right.

End your worrying, because there's only one rule you need to follow, and it's super simple — eat high-quality food.

The rule: Quality over calories.

You often hear that you should cut calories when dieting, but that's not as significant as you think. Regardless of portion size, you should consume unprocessed whole foods like vegetables, nuts, beans, and lean meats. Carbohydrates and fats don't do any damage as long as they come from quality sources, like brown rice or grass-fed meats.

Calories do matter in the grand scheme of health, and people who eat whole foods consume fewer of them. However, low consumption should occur as a side effect rather than an end goal.

Cutting calories may leave you feeling hungry, and the process of it can be time-consuming. Eating healthy meals ensures satisfaction every time you eat, whether it's snacks or entrées. The quality method removes the pressure of recording calorie counts for every meal.

Quality can be subjective, but European and American consumers report that brand name, taste, production method and labeling all contribute to their ideas of satisfactory food. People want to know where and how manufacturers make their food and if they follow ethical guidelines. Locally grown fare becomes increasingly popular due to its familiarity, and it passes fewer processes before reaching your table.

Consume quality beverages as well as quality food.

Don't reach for beer or soda after eating a healthy meal. Water is generally the healthiest drink to consume, but you may want some more flavor on occasion. Wash down your meals with infused water, coconut water or kombucha. Kombucha provides probiotics and nutrients that promote good gut bacteria, and it has all the fun fizziness of soda without the added sugars.

If you're one of the 64 percent of Americans who drink coffee daily, you know it's the most appropriate way to start the day. If you dread the idea of surrendering your morning brew for the sake of your health, think again.

Coffee beans provide nutrients such as potassium, calcium and magnesium and the higher the quality, the more you absorb. Invest in some premium roast and find a comfortable place to enjoy a fresh cup of java.

A study from JAMA has shown that neither low-carb nor low-fat diets vary significantly in rates of weight loss. Low-carb dieters lost 13 pounds on average while low-fat consumers lost 12.

Neither diet is consistently better at dropping pounds, however, which goes back to the point of prioritizing healthy food over calorie amounts or portion sizes. Even without bumping up exercise rates, study participants still lost significant weight by eating whole foods within either diet.

Researchers created the JAMA study to determine whether genetics or insulin resistance factored into the success of these diets. Some dieticians reason that people should follow eating plans aligning with their genetic makeup. and this practice remains popular. The researchers discovered that neither of these aspects significantly influenced weight loss — eating healthy meals is a better guarantee for losing weight. Not every diet will succeed for the individual, but high-quality foods work for all.

If you decide to go vegetarian, do it by incorporating whole foods into your diet instead of processed meals. Plant-based eaters can easily slip into consuming french fries, sugary fruit drinks and other low-nutrient foods to avoid animal products. Canned soups and instant dinners may tout organic qualities, but most have as many added sugars and salts as other processed meals.

Avoid iron deficiency by eating leafy greens and load up on plant-based proteins to replace the minerals meat contains. Drink low-fat dairy for vitamin B12 or try soy and plant milk if you're vegan. Fill your plate with numerous fruits and vegetables to ensure you receive all the nutrients you need. It can be easy to stick to eating the same foods, but you need variety to nourish your body.

Changing your lifestyle doesn't have to be a nuisance and you don't have to spend all your time reading nutritional labels. Go for high-quality foods rich in vitamins and minerals, and you'll travel far on your path to wellness.

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