Basic Healthy Eating Guide

There are so many surveys and studies published that it's not always easy to discover a basic healthy eating guide. One week, a low carbohydrate diet is healthy for you. Another week you should be turning vegetarian. Sometimes, drinking red wine is good for you. Other times, you should avoid alcohol at all costs. Who should you believe?

Ultimately, finding a basic healthy eating guide is a matter of common sense. Using history to help is also a good start. Over the years, mankind has had access to meat in the form of animals. We know from archaeological studies that we've been at the hunting end of the food chain for thousands of years. So chances are, we've adapted quite well to eating meat and fish.

We also know that plants have grown, whether or not we have helped in their cultivation. So it's a fair bet that eating fruit and vegetables is good for us.

Where does this lead us in our quest for a basic healthy eating guide?

Well, regardless of the latest diet fad, it should tell us that, so long as we eat them in moderation, pretty much any natural food is one that we can eat quite safely.

It should also tell us to be cautious about food that has either been processed too much or isn't in season.

It is only in the last few decades that we have been able to wander into a supermarket and buy fresh food whether or not it is in season. Strawberries all year round. Exotic fruits and vegetables that our ancestors didn't even know existed. We just haven't had time to adapt to this kind of luxury. And our attempts to eat healthily are sometimes being thwarted by the luxury that we take for granted in the western world.

This isn't to say that we should necessarily adopt a monk-like attitude. But it does mean that when we are formulating our own basic healthy eating guide, we should at least pay attention to nature. Ok, enjoy an occasional out of season item. But don't make it an everyday occurrence. This will actually help you to enjoy your food more as you'll start to look forward to eating things only occasionally.

So, go ahead, ignore the "experts" who all contradict each other anyway. Come up with your own basic healthy eating guide. Listen to your inner voice and stay closer to the natural seasons. Your health will thank you for it