SIMPLE DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR ALL

If we would all just follow a few simple dietary guidelines, we could all feel better, maintain a reasonable weight, and just simply enjoy better health.  The following guidelines are easy to follow, require purchasing no special foods, etc, or diets that make you feel like you are starving yourself.  Keep these simple guidelines in mind everyday as you plan your meals:

• Eat a variety of foods.  Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, grain, etc all serve a different purpose to the body.  Don't cut out a group or eat from only one group (unless under doctor supervision).
• Choose foods that are low in fat, especially saturated fat, and cholesterol.
• Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and grains.
• Beware of sugar.  Learn to read labels; sugar is hidden in so many foods.
• Beware of sodium.  Never resalt your food at the table and as with sugar, learn to read nutritional labels.  Salt (sodium) is hiding in most foods, especially processed foods.
• Drink plenty of water.  There is no substitute for water in your daily diet.
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Gluten-Free Foods (If You Don't Suffer From Celiac Disease or Gluten Allergy)

This is a repost of a 2014 article.

People are constantly trying to get me to go gluten-free. When I tell them no that my doctors have told me that would be dangerous for me they seem appalled. "WHAT?", they say. Now I am not writing this to knock gluten-free as it is important for those suffering from celiac disease. If you will notice in the title it says, "If you don't suffer from celiac disease." What I am saying is to talk to your doctor before going gluten-free if you don't suffer from celiac disease, gluten allergy, etc. Gluten-free is a fad thing right now and everyone seems to want to jump on the bandwagon, just like it was with fat-free diets a few years ago. If you are one of those people, have you discussed this with your doctor? That's all I am asking. If you and your doctor think it is the thing for you, go for it.

Don't take my word for it. Here is an excerpt from an article that originally appeared in Redbook magazine and there are many more similar articles out there:

"If you’re anything like the pedestrians Jimmy Kimmel recently interviewed, you may think that cutting out gluten is healthy—without knowing exactly what gluten is. “If you swap out foods for their gluten-free alternatives, you may actually be depriving yourself of key nutrients while adding on more calories and fat,” says registered dietitian and Healthy Habits author Laura Cipullo. Take frozen pizza: Half a gluten-free personal pizza, like Udi’s three-cheese pizza, has more saturated fat and cholesterol and significantly less fiber and protein than Kashi’s four-cheese pizza, its gluten-containing frozen pizza counterpart. The lesson: Unless you're actually gluten intolerant, be sure to read the labels carefully when it comes to gluten-free foods."

Note: I am not here to argue this point with you. I know what my doctors tell me. I am just giving the other side of this story. Talk to your doctor and know what you are doing before going on any diet, especially one that omits any one food