I have a few pounds that I need to get rid of myself. Okay, okay, maybe more than a few! It is a constant struggle though. I have been checking and I found out a few things I would like to share.

People do not need a low fat diet. Most of us could improve our diet by simply cutting out junk fats. I am talking about processed fats. These are the hydrogenated fats and polyunsaturated oils that have been heated. Processed fats will help you to put on flab and clog your arteries.

Then there are those who switch from processed high fat to processed low fat. Does that sound right? Yes, what happens is this. When food manufacturers create low fat foods, they tend to replace the fat with junk carbs. Those junk carbs help you to pack on the pounds.

Junk carbs are low fiber carbs, like sugar, fructose, flour, cornstarch and fruit juice. Yes, fruit juice is a junk carb too! Bet you did not know that! How much fiber is there in fruit juice? None! You should eat the whole fruit with its fiber intact, not just the juice!

Just think what your diet would be like if you dropped the processed fats and the low fiber carbs? You would be eating mainly natural proteins, with lots of vegetables and whole fruits. If that were so, you would be eating far fewer calories as well. Thats the kind of calorie cutting most of us should be doing anyway.

We all should be eating a balanced natural food diet. When I say natural food diet I mean the foods that would have been eaten by your long ago relatives. They would have eaten lots of whole vegetable foods for vitamins and fiber.

Your people would have eaten moderate to small portions of meats, fish, seafood, and other animal and protein foods. How about small portions of fresh whole fruit in season? This is the diet on which the human race was reared. Truth be told, for the vast majority of people this diet is still the best diet.

The next time you are about to order a fast food meal with fries and sugary soda, think about how it could be improved. Why not replace those fries with a salad and the soda with mineral water. Does that sound bad? If you do this daily, you would have already made significant progress towards a healthier balanced meal.

Stay on the lookout for recipes that use whole fresh foods. I mean fresh foods with a minimum of processing. Ensure that your meals include natural unprocessed foods. Go with lots of fresh vegetables. Use your vegetables both cooked, and raw in your salads.

Be prudent and wise with your food choices. After all, if you destroy your body with bad fast food, where would you live?