Something that's been gnawing on me

 I'm a member of a facebook group to help keep my motivation for exercise.  A lot of this groups members are doing the high protein/low carb thing.  Some of them have decided all grains are evil, and try to get all those carbs from fruit veggie sources.  So to be fair, and make sure I haven't missed the boat,  I've been doing a lot of reading, (and rereading) about nutrition lately.

In my opinion the truth is, they're partially right.   BUT, so are my already thin and extremely healthy friends who avoid animal products like the devil.
Through the pages, and pages, of contradictory slanted, "research" I've been reading there is one truth.

Overly processed food is crap.

This means avoiding white flour and processed sugars like the plague, something both extreme camps agree on.
It means eating more dark green leafy stuff, again something both camps agree on.
It means avoid eating "fake" food, like artificial sweeteners and trans-fats...Both camps agree again.

I'm not ready to jump in the low/carb high protein boat.  I know what ketosis is, and have already had a broken bone.  I remember my dad's kidney stones courtesy of Atkins.   I have enough memory issues...mostly from having too much to keep track of already. 

I'm not ready to ditch animal products either.  Meat tastes good.  It has *ready to absorb * iron, B vitamins,etc.  Look at our teeth.  We're meant to be omnivores.

So what do I do?  Well, *when I'm paying attention,* this is what has always worked for me. (Insert I'm not a nutritionist, doctor,etc. disclaimer here.)

1) Drinking more water.  I have a diet soda habit, a fierce one.  Every time I cut back on soda, I lose weight.  I've never had any success quitting cold turkey, but I have had a lot of success alternating water with my flavored beverage of choice, preferably with a lot of ice in it so I get even more water.  Interesting side note, the more I exercise, the less I want to drink soda too.

2) I aim for the 25g of fiber thing, through FOOD.  One way I do this is if/when I eat grains, they should follow the 4g fiber per serving rule.  That pretty effectively douses the enriched food thing.  I also look at the sugars.  The lower the better.   

3)  Making sure I eat some decent protein from an animal source.  The vegetable sourced stuff has been associated w/ longer life spans & all that, but I am sluggish and cranky without meat.  Not just any meat will do.  Bacon, sausage, and really high fat beef will still leave me sluggish and cranky, so it has to be protein w/ some fat, not fat with some protein.  Research has backed me on this one too.  A moderate protein diet has been declared the winner on sustained weight loss.
 
4)Eat a green veggie every day.  Other veggies can be whatever color I want, but dark green leafy (or cruciferous) kinds are something special. 

5) Exercise.  Do it.  Preferably daily. 

I'm not saying I'm great about all these things.  I'm just saying they have worked for me in the past, and in the present are working me back down to where I should be.