Finding the right foods for healthy dieting is a conundrum that has plagued people ever since food has been in abundance, and therefore a person’s weight could be influenced as a matter of choice rather than only as a matter of survival. Thanks to international trade, a health conscious individual has more choice, and therefore more decisions to make, when it comes to selecting what’s healthy from the great variety of food that is available to all of us. Naturally, it all can be a little bit overwhelming. If you’re looking to stick to healthier foods for your diet, follow these two guidelines to narrow down your choices, and select the best in what will help you meet your dieting goals.

Good Sugars, Not Bad Sugars

Did you know that consuming additives like sugars, salts, and trans fats can increase a person’s likelihood of developing long term health problems, such as high blood pressure, and obesity? the form that these additives take in our highly processed foods are simply not natural, but fortunately one of the easiest ones to carefully regulate is the addition of sugar. Try to make it your goal to limit the number of bad sugars you consume, and not to overdo it on the good sugars either.

Good sugars are the kind that exist naturally in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and other unprocessed foods. They are in balance with the rest of the components of the food, which means the sugar is released into the bloodstream more slowly, resulting in fewer energy spikes, and a gentler effect on your metabolism and overall health. Bad sugars are the ones that are added into foods. You can avoid them by simply staying away from highly processed foods, and limiting the amount of honey, sugar, maple syrup, or other sugary products you use in cooking.

Raw, Whole, Fibrous Foods

Good foods for healthy dieting include almost anything that comes out of the produce section, because many can be eaten raw, with minimal processing. Many fruits and vegetables are naturally fibrous, but nuts, legumes, and whole grains also provide valuable fiber. The benefit of fiber is that it controls blood sugar levels, lowers the risk of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, and also contributes to maintaining healthy weight. It’s important to note that “raw” isn’t only for fruits and vegetables. Raw milk benefits are centered around the idea that the pasteurization process kills most of the beneficial nutrients and enzymes. Many raw foods confer greater levels of vitamins and minerals.

The best healthy diet foods aren’t coming out of a box labeled low-sugar, or fat-free. Good foods for healthy diets are all usually low in sugar, or fat, and require very little work to take them from the grocery bag to your table. Before changing your diet, you should speak to a doctor. Also, take some time to learn more about how limiting bad sugars, and sticking to raw, whole, fibrous foods will result in better health. To see more, read this.