The Best Diet for Long Term Health

What does scientific research tell us about the best diet for excellent health?

If we look at all of the results of the nutritional studies from the past 40 years, and then look at traditional diet plans, we find the truth. Most of the gold standard, unbiased research on diet and health has validated what our ancestors knew and practiced instinctively.

The best diet for long term good health:

• is free of refined carbohydrates, and is low in whole grain carbohydrate consumption. This way of eating keeps your blood glucose and insulin levels even and within normal range. A target amount of less than 80 carbohydrate grams or less per day has been shown in study after study to help healthy people and diabetics maintain blood glucose and insulin levels in a healthy range.

  In addition, a diet lower in carbohydrates promotes the use of fatty acids as cellular fuel. This is important because when high levels of sugar are constantly circulating in the blood, the body responds by storing fat instead of releasing it to be burned as fuel. As time goes on, the body gets used to burning sugar, and "forgets" how to release and burn the stored fat. (This is also known as insulin resistance). Since the body can't store much sugar, it will break down the protein in your muscles to get the sugar it needs. And this constant sugar burning process releases high levels of free radicals which can damage cellular function. Keeping your blood sugar low will ensure your body "remembers" how to burn stored fat for fuel. Ron Rosedale, a prominent expert on longevity says it best: "Health and life span is determined by the proportion of fat versus sugar people burn throughout their lifetimes. The more fat you burn as fuel, the healthier you will be."

• The best diet is also nutrient rich and free of chemicals and additives. In a best diet scenario, every calorie consumed is as high in vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and amino acids as possible, and low in processed foods full of anti-nutrients, chemical pollutants, and genetically engineered organisms. This ensures your body has all of building blocks it needs to repair damage, grow new cells, make energy for all the things you need to do on a daily basis in support of your life.

The problem with modern diet plans is that they are full of polluted, processed foods.

Most of the commercial meat, chicken, and milk that you buy in the grocery store come from animals which have been fed genetically engineered grains and injected with antibiotics and growth hormones. The grains, vegetables and fruit have been sprayed heavily with pesticides, or genetically modified to increase yields.

Truly organic foods are clean, and the majority of the foods you eat should be whole foods packed with nutrition. If you want better health, strive for a way of eating that reduces carb consumption, increases the amount of whole foods and beneficial nutrients you consume, and avoids processed foods which are high in chemicals, preservatives, genetically modified organisms (GMO), and other food additives.